Overall meaning : Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, makes mention of one aspect of the idolaters’ attempt to dissuade the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from carrying out the task He has entrusted to him: The idolaters have come close to beguiling you, Muhammad, away from the Qur’an that We have revealed to you, hoping you would invent something else and falsely attribute it to Us. Had you done so, they would surely have taken you as their trusted, intimate friend. Had We not made you hold fast to the truth you follow and protected you from their guile and from doing whatever suits their desires, you would have almost inclined to them a little, in your earnest attempt to make them embrace Islam. In that case, We would have made you taste a double punishment in this life and a double punishment in the life to come. Then you would not have found anyone to help you and protect you against Our punishment.

The unbelievers have likewise almost driven you out of Makkah by troubling you and inflicting harm on you. Had they driven you out of it, they themselves would not have remained in it for more than a little while before Our punishment descends upon them. Such has been Our way with those who have preceded them: We always destroy those communities that drive the messenger sent to them out of his land. No change whatsoever will you, Muhammad, find in Our way.