34وَما جَعَلنا لِبَشَرٍ مِن قَبلِكَ الخُلدَ ۖ أَفَإِن مِتَّ فَهُمُ الخالِدونَMuhammad AsadAND [remind those who deny thee, O Prophet,1 that] never have We granted life everlasting to any mortal before thee:2 but do they, perchance, hope that although thou must die, they will live forever?3This relates to the objection of the unbelievers, mentioned in verse 3 of this surah, that Muhammad is "but a mortal like yourselves", and connects also with verses 7-8, which stress that all of God's apostles were but mortal men (cf. 3:144).The obvious implication is, "and so We shall not grant it unto thee, either". Cf. 39:30 - "thou art bound to die".Lit., "but if, then, thou shouldst die, will they live forever?" - implying an assumption on their part that they would not be called to account on death and resurrection.