The Day the Wrongdoer Bites His Hands — Regret That Profits Nothing
tadabbur
Level: basic
akhirah
td-316
يَٰلَيۡتَنِي ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلٗا
— الفرقان 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
Question: What are the two successive regrets the wrongdoer expresses in this verse?
Answer: 1. I wish I had taken the path with the Messenger (abandoning guidance) 2. I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a friend (evil companionship).