﴿ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴾

“However, ere [We condemn them to] that supreme suffering, We shall most certainly let them taste of a suffering closer at hand, so that they might [repent and] mend their ways.”

(And verily We make them taste) We will inflict on them, i.e. on the people of Mecca (the lower punishment) the punishment of the life of this world: dryness of the land, drought, hunger, assassination, etc; it is also said that this refers to the torment of the grave (before the greater) before the torment of the Fire; this is a warning to them, (that haply they may return) from their disbelief and accept faith.