Meaning

What does "that" in "after that" refer to in this āyah and to whom is it addressed?

Answer

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

It refers to the resurrection of the dead, and the address is to all the Children of Israel. [Mentioned by the commentators]
It refers to the speech of the murdered person, and the address is to the killer. [Mentioned by the commentators]
It refers to the signs that have been mentioned such as the transformation into apes and swine, the raising of the mountain, the gushing of water, and the resurrection of the murdered person. [Mentioned by al-Zajjāj]

Verses cited

2:74 Al-Baqarah ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ Even after that, your hearts became as hard as rocks, or even harder, for there are rocks from which streams spring out, and some from which water comes when they split open, and others which fall down in awe of God: He is not unaware of what you do.

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