هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ 53
Translations
Do they await except its result? The Day its result comes, those who had ignored it before will say, "The messengers of our Lord had come with the truth, so are there [now] any intercessors to intercede for us or could we be sent back to do other than what we used to do?" They will have lost themselves, and lost from them is what they used to invent.
Transliteration
Hal yanthuruna illa ta'wilahu, yawma ya'ti ta'wiluh yaqulul-ladhina nasuh min qabl qad ja'at rusul rabbina bil-haqq fahal lana min shufaa'a' fayashfa'u lana aw nuraddu fa-na'mal ghayral-ladhi kunna na'mal, qad khasiru anfusahum wa dalla 'anhum ma kanu yaftaroon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This verse describes the Day of Judgment when the disbelievers who rejected the divine signs will witness their true fulfillment (ta'wil). Upon witnessing the reality they denied, they will desperately seek intercession or a second chance to act righteously, but will find neither. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as highlighting the regret of those who disbelieved in the prophets' warnings during their lifetime, now confronted with the actual occurrence of what they mocked.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the Meccan period of Surah Al-A'raf, which extensively addresses the rejection of prophets and divine signs by disbelieving communities throughout history. The verse serves as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers about the consequences of ignoring the Prophet Muhammad's message, using the pattern of previous nations as an example.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that on the Day of Judgment, people will seek intercession but none will be granted except through proper faith and obedience. Additionally, Sahih Bukhari contains hadiths about people's regret on the Day of Judgment when they realize the consequences of their disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This verse emphasizes that the opportunity to believe and act righteously exists only in this life; once death arrives, regret becomes meaningless. It serves as a profound reminder for believers to heed divine guidance earnestly and avoid postponing repentance, as we cannot guarantee another chance to rectify our deeds.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ حِطَّةٌ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيٓـَٔـٰتِكُمْ ۚ سَنَزِيدُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city [i.e., Jerusalem] and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens [i.e., sins],' and enter the gate bowing humbly; We will [then] forgive you your sins. We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."
أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَآ أَن لَّوْ نَشَآءُ أَصَبْنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ
Has it not become clear to those who inherited the earth after its [previous] people that if We willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal over their hearts so they do not hear.
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Indeed, your Lord is Allāh, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَـٰكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ
And We have certainly created you, [O mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated.