وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا 27
Translations
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.
Transliteration
Wa yawma ya'addu az-zalim 'ala yadayhi yaqolu ya laytani ittakhaztu ma'a ar-rasuli sabila
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, the wrongdoer will bite his hands in regret, wishing he had followed the path of the Messenger instead of rejecting him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as depicting the intense remorse of those who rejected the Prophet's guidance, with the hand-biting being a physical manifestation of their anguish and despair at their irreversible choice. Al-Qurtubi notes this emphasizes how the disbelievers will recognize their fatal error when it is too late to remedy it.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-Furqan, which addresses the disbelievers' rejection of the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an. It is part of a broader passage (25:27-29) describing the regret of those who turned away from divine guidance, reflecting the context of Meccan opposition to the Prophet's message and warning of the consequences on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), emphasizing the importance of accepting and following the Messenger's guidance. Additionally, the hadith regarding those who will regret their choices on the Day of Judgment appears in various forms in Sahih Muslim regarding the signs of the Hour.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that rejecting divine guidance through the Prophet carries eternal consequences that cannot be undone. For modern readers, it underscores the urgency of accepting and following Islamic teachings in this life, as the opportunity for repentance ends with death.