وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ 27
Translations
If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers."
Transliteration
Wa-law tara idh wuqifu 'ala al-nari faqalu ya layitana nurraddu wa-la nukadhdhiba bi-ayati rabbina wa-nakun mina al-mu'minin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts the scene on the Day of Judgment when disbelievers are brought before the Fire and express deep regret, wishing they could be sent back to life to believe in Allah's signs and join the believers. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this demonstrates the certainty of regret that will befall those who rejected faith in the dunya, yet their wish cannot be fulfilled as the time for repentance has permanently passed. The ayah serves as a stark warning of the irreversible nature of one's choices after death and the finality of divine justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-An'am (a Meccan surah), which extensively addresses the themes of tawhid (monotheism), rejection of shirk (polytheism), and the consequences of denying Allah's signs. The surah was revealed to address the Meccan disbelievers who stubbornly rejected Prophet Muhammad's message despite clear signs, making this ayah a direct warning to those who persist in disbelief.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest regret a person will have on the Day of Judgment is the regret of a person who lived a long life in disobedience to Allah' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the Quran itself in 6:27 is frequently cited in sermons alongside Surah 23:99-100 which similarly describes the final plea of the disbeliever: 'Until when death comes to one of them, he says: My Lord! Send me back.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that the opportunity for repentance and belief is limited to our worldly life; once death arrives, regret becomes meaningless and wishes cannot be granted. For the believer, it inspires gratitude for guidance received and encourages sincere faith, while warning against complacency and procrastination in matters of deen.
Related Ayahs
أَفَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْتَغِى حَكَمًا وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مُفَصَّلًا ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُۥ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ
[Say], "Then is it other than Allāh I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] explained in detail?" And those to whom We [previously] gave the Scripture know that it is sent down from your Lord in truth, so never be among the doubters.
وَقَالُوا۟ مَا فِى بُطُونِ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِنَا ۖ وَإِن يَكُن مَّيْتَةً فَهُمْ فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ ۚ سَيَجْزِيهِمْ وَصْفَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
And they say, "What is in the bellies of these animals is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females. But if it is [born] dead, then all of them have shares therein." He will punish them for their description. Indeed, He is Wise and Knowing.
وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَـٰبًا فِى قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And even if We had sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], a written scripture on a page and they touched it with their hands, the disbelievers would say, "This is not but obvious magic."
وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ
And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with it [i.e., the Qur’ān], lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allāh no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it [i.e., that soul]. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.