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
لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.
قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَـٰبٌ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Say, "Shall we invoke instead of Allāh that which neither benefits us nor harms us and be turned back on our heels after Allāh has guided us? [We would then be] like one whom the devils enticed [to wander] upon the earth confused, [while] he has companions inviting him to guidance, [calling], 'Come to us.'" Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allāh is the [only] guidance; and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.
۞ وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلًا مَّا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ
And even if We had sent down to them the angels [with the message] and the dead spoke to them [of it] and We gathered together every [created] thing in front of them, they would not believe unless Allāh should will. But most of them, [of that], are ignorant.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِۦ دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And We gave to him [i.e., Abraham] Isaac and Jacob - all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good.