"Then We would have made you taste" if you had done so, "the double of life," meaning: the punishment of this world, "and the double of death," meaning: the punishment of the Hereafter.
Muhammad said: The meaning is: the double of the punishment of life, and the double of the punishment of death. Qatadah said: It was mentioned to us that a group of people met with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) one night, speaking to him and honoring him. Among their words, they said: 'O Muhammad, you bring something that no one among the people brings, and you are our leader and the son of our leader...' They continued speaking to him until he almost inclined toward them and became lenient toward them, then Allah protected him from that.
﴿إِذا لأذقناك﴾ لَو فعلت ﴿ضعف الْحَيَاة﴾ أَيْ: عَذَابُ الدُّنْيَا ﴿وَضِعْفَ الْمَمَاتِ﴾ أَيْ: عَذَابَ الْآخِرَةِ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: الْمَعْنَى: ضِعْفَ عَذَابِ الْحَيَاةِ، وَضِعْفَ عَذَابِ الْمَمَاتِ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ قَوْمًا خَلَوْا بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ يُكَلِّمُونَهُ وَيُفَخِّمُونَهُ، وَكَانَ فِي قَوْلِهِمْ أَنْ قَالُوا: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي بِشَيْءٍ لَا يَأْتِي بِهِ أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَأَنْتَ سَيِّدُنَا وَابْنُ سَيِّدِنَا … فَمَا زَالُوا يُكَلِّمُونَهُ حَتَّى كَادَ يُقَارِبُهُمْ يَلَيِنُ لَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عصمه من ذَلِك.
