Basic
The Hereafter
Surah: Al-Furqan (27)
The Day the Wrongdoer Bites His Hands — Regret That Profits Nothing
يَٰلَيۡتَنِي ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلٗا
— الفرقان الآية 27
Verse: "The day the wrongdoer bites his hands saying: I wish I had taken the path with the Messenger." (25:27) — "Bites his hands" — a vivid image of extreme regret. Biting the hand is an Arabic expression for peak anguish. Then "I wish" — the impossible wish for what passed. Then: "Oh woe to me, I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a close friend." The evil companion who diverted him from the path — the friend who seemed beloved but was ruinous. "Satan is ever a betrayer of man" — the close companion who led to worshipping other than Allah. Lesson: look at your companions now — do they bring you closer to Allah or push you away?
Source: Ibn Kathir (6/82); Al-Sadi
Test Yourself
What are the two successive regrets the wrongdoer expresses in this verse?
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