Overall meaning : Allah, Exalted be He, addresses His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: Those for whom the truth of your Lord’s decree that they will die unbelievers, be excluded from His grace and be subjected to His punishment has been confirmed—for having chosen blindness to guidance— will never believe in such a way as to benefit from their faith before their death; not even if every sign were to come to them until they see the agonizing punishment awaiting them, but their faith then will be of no avail to them. There has never been any past community that believed in its entirety and benefited by its faith, except the people of Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him. When they knew with certainty that they were going to be doomed to divine punishment after seeing signs portending it, they sincerely turned to Allah, and so He spared them the punishment of disgrace against which their prophet had warned would afflict them in this life, and He allowed them to enjoy their life until their appointed time of death. Had your Lord so willed, Messenger, all the people of the earth would have believed what you have brought them, but Allah guides whomever He wills and sends astray whomever He wills for reasons known only to Him, and it is not in your power to compel people to believe. It is not for any person to believe except by Allah’s will; therefore, do not exert yourself for that end to the utmost, and Allah visits His wrath and punishment on those who do not reflect on His signs and do not observe His commands and prohibitions.