An-Nazi'at 79:46 - Linguistic Miracle

It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained except for an afternoon or

a morning thereof This verse ties the surah together.

Remember how they preferred this worldly life thinking its pleasures would last? When they wake up on judgment day, they will be convinced they only remained one afternoon or a morning. Their whole life, it was so fleeting and short to them, that looking back, it was like one morning or afternoon. It is like a man who tastes something sweet like honey, closes his eyes and gets lost in its sweetness. Then when he opens his eyes, he’s in an entirely different world, with chaos and rupture all around him.

Earlier in the surah, Allah had said: أَبْصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٌۭ Its eyes, brought low This world came out to be worthless and short-lived. The person who preferred it, and ran after it while neglecting the hereafter, on the day of judgment, will he not be humiliated by this fact? This world was not even one morning or afternoon, yet I got lost in its sweetness. He will be humiliated by the fact that he fell for such a worthless thing so easily.

The lofty perceptions and understanding people had regarding worldly life will be brought low and humiliated. They thought the worldly life and its pleasures to be lasting. Now, their lofty opinions of it have been turned into a recognition of its worthlessness and fleeting nature. They now think they lived just one morning or afternoon, let alone one complete day. Previously, they considered the world worthwhile and of great value, but now they consider it worthless.