أَن تَقولَ نَفسٌ يا حَسرَتا عَلىٰ ما فَرَّطتُ في جَنبِ اللَّهِ وَإِن كُنتُ لَمِنَ السّاخِرينَ

Lest anyone should say: ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah! Indeed I was among those who ridiculed.’

EXEGESIS

An yaqūla here (and in other similar contexts such as 2:224, 4:176, 7:172, 16:15, 35:41, 49:6) means an lā yaqūla where the negation lā (not) is omitted (or karāhata an yaqūla meaning ‘so that one may not say’, where karāhata is omitted). Therefore, it means: lest anyone should say, or: so that no one would say. Another possibility is that an yaqūla adds to before the punishment overtakes you. That is: before the punishment overtakes you, and before anyone should say … The same two possibilities apply to the next two verses.^{‎[1]Maybudi, 8/432-433.}

Yā ḥasratā: alas, woe. It indicates an intense feeling of regret and sorrow over what one has lost.^{‎[2]Bahrayn, under ḥ-s-r.} This verse is an instance and example of verse 19:39, which describes the Day of Judgement as the Day of Regret (yawm al-ḥasrah).

Farraṭtu: miss on something, neglect a task, fall short, and fail to meet what is required.^{‎[3]Raghib; Tahqiq, under f-r-ṭ.} Isrāf in verse 53 and tafrīṭ here are both transgressions from limits, except that the former is when one goes beyond the limits while the latter is when one falls short of them. They are certainly losers who deny the encounter with Allah. When the hour overtakes them suddenly, they will say: ‘Alas for us, for what we neglected in it!’ (6:31).

Janb means side. The verse is talking about negligence in the side of God (janb allāh), which means shortcoming and failure with regard to what is related to God, in terms of His commands and religion.^{‎[4]Raghib; Tahqiq; Qamus, under j-n-b.} These verses are talking about those who have exceeded in certain aspects and have come short in other aspects. They have exceeded in self-indulgence and heedlessness, which harms their true selves (asrafū ʿalā anfusihim, verse 53); but they have failed to pay God His due. One’s negligence fī janb allāh can be simply interpreted as one’s negligence with regard to God, as interpreted by Mujāhid and Suddī.^{‎[5]Tibyan, 9/39.} Other interpretations for janb allāh by the early exegetes are: God’s rewards, God’s remembrance, God’s command, God’s obedience, and God’s right. All of these are examples and applications of the same general meaning.^{‎[6]Razi, 26/466.}

Other possible interpretations for janb allāh are: 1. The side of something is very close and adjacent to it, therefore, negligence in janb allāh could mean neglecting on seeking proximity with God, which is similar to the earlier meaning.^{‎[7]Furqan, 25/366-367.} 2. Alas for my negligence even though I was next to Him and He was right by my side (50:16). In other words: why did I not realise His presence and watchfulness over me? (96:14). 3. Alas for my negligence concerning things that are next to God and closest to Him. This would include the acts of worship that He has commanded, as well as His saints and special friends.^{‎[8]Furqan, 25/367.} There are several narrations that confirm this meaning; see Insights from Hadith. 4. The last part of the verse could be taken as an interpretation of what is meant by negligence in the vicinage of Allah: it means ridiculing God’s signs, messengers, guidance, religion, and revelation. 5. It refers to the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord in the previous verse, which can be matched with the Quran (the best speech (verse 23)).^{‎[9]Rahmah, 3/556.}

Al-sākhirīn: those who despise, scorn, and ridicule.^{‎[10]Lisan, under s-kh-r.} How regrettable of the servants! There did not come to them any apostle but that they used to deride him (36:30). Indeed there was a part of My servants who would say: ‘Our Lord! We have believed. So forgive us, and have mercy on us, and You are the best of the merciful.’ But then you took them by ridicule until they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them (23:109-110).

EXPOSITION

This and the following two verses describe the consequence of those sinners who do not Turn penitently to your Lord and submit to Him, and Follow the best of what has been sent down.^{‎[11]Kashif, 6/426.} Those who ridiculed God’s messengers, who did not take His guidance and revelation seriously, and who neglected their duty toward Him, will wail in remorse and regret when they realise their misguidance and see the consequences of their deeds and beliefs in the hereafter, but that wail will be of no avail.

We are killed by our nafs (self, ego),

And much shall we wail:

Why didn’t we kill

Our nafs, or jail!?^{‎[12]Saʿdī, Mawāʾiẓ, ghazal 47.}

Tomorrow is a day

When the truth is proclaimed;

Then the one who lived in illusion

Will be embarrassed and ashamed.^{‎[13]Ḥāfiẓ, ghazal 133.}

Indeed I was among those who ridiculed. This clarifies that the person’s negligence was due to ridiculing God’s signs and messengers. It was a conscious act of arrogance and defiance, not something merely due to ignorance or something for which one could be excused.^{‎[14]Zamakhshari, 4/138.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. The following story has been narrated from Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Ṣāliḥ as an instance and example of this verse: there was a man of religious knowledge among the Children of Israel, who went against his knowledge and started sinning. Satan approached him and said: ‘Enjoy as you wish in this world, and then repent later on.’ He obeyed Satan and started spending his wealth in sin. But while he was fully enjoying himself and before he could repent, the Angel of Death came to seize his soul. So he said: ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah. My life was spent in obeying Satan, and I have bought the wrath of my Lord.’ Thus he regretted while that regret was of no help to him.^{‎[15]Thalabi, 8/247; Zamakhshari, 1/138.}
2. Imam al-Bāqir (a) said: ‘Indeed people of the greatest regret on the Day of Resurrection are those who called others to justice but themselves opposed it. This is what God, mighty and majestic is He, says: Lest anyone should say: ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah’.’^{‎[16]Barqi, 1/120, h. 134.}
3. Imam Ali (a) said: ‘Whoever prefers this world (dunyā) over us will have much regret tomorrow. This is what God says: Lest anyone should say: ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah! Indeed I was among those who ridiculed’.’^{‎[17]Tuhaf, p. 121; Khisal, 2/631.}

Notes: 1. There are many narrations that identify the vicinage of Allah as Imam Ali (a) and the other Imams.^{‎[18]Basair, 1/62, 64; Kafi, 1/145, h. 9; al-Nuʿmānī, al-Ghaybah, p. 40; Tawhid, pp. 164-165; Maani, p. 17; Ihtijaj, 1/60, 252; Kanz, 11/321-324.} These narrations provide one of the clearest examples and applications of janb allāh. That is because the Infallibles have removed all barriers that block them from God and have reached the highest degree of proximity to Him. That is why they are ‘right next to God’ (fī janb allāh). 2. Those who ridiculed are described elsewhere in the Quran as those who ridiculed the believers (23:109-110). This would again confirm these narrations. 3. Verse 56 here and verses 23:109-110 would confirm Qatādah’s interpretation: ‘God did not punish them for disobeying Him until they ridiculed His obedient servants.’^{‎[19]Maybudi, 8/433.} This is also confirmed by many narrations that warn us against opposing or mocking God’s special friends who are unknown to us as they are hidden among the people.

4. The Prophet said: ‘Every person in hell will see the place that he could have had in paradise and will exclaim: “[If] only Had Allah guided me [verse 57],” and every person in paradise will see the place that he could have had in hell and will praise God for that.’ Then the Prophet recited: Lest anyone should say: ‘Alas for my negligence in the vicinage of Allah!’^{‎[20]Suyuti, 5/333.}
5. The Prophet said: ‘Any sitting without the remembrance of God will be a regret to its participants on the Day of Resurrection. Even if they are among the people of paradise, they will see the reward of every sitting where they remembered God but will not see any reward for that sitting [that was without God’s remembrance] and it will thus be a regret to them.’^{‎[21]Suyuti, 5/333.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!^{‎[22]Proverbs 5:11-13.}

[1] Maybudi, 8/432-433.
[2] Bahrayn, under ḥ-s-r.
[3] Raghib; Tahqiq, under f-r-ṭ.
[4] Raghib; Tahqiq; Qamus, under j-n-b.
[5] Tibyan, 9/39.
[6] Razi, 26/466.
[7] Furqan, 25/366-367.
[8] Furqan, 25/367.
[9] Rahmah, 3/556.
[10] Lisan, under s-kh-r.
[11] Kashif, 6/426.
[12] Saʿdī, Mawāʾiẓ, ghazal 47.
[13] Ḥāfiẓ, ghazal 133.
[14] Zamakhshari, 4/138.
[15] Thalabi, 8/247; Zamakhshari, 1/138.
[16] Barqi, 1/120, h. 134.
[17] Tuhaf, p. 121; Khisal, 2/631.
[18] Basair, 1/62, 64; Kafi, 1/145, h. 9; al-Nuʿmānī, al-Ghaybah, p. 40; Tawhid, pp. 164-165; Maani, p. 17; Ihtijaj, 1/60, 252; Kanz, 11/321-324.
[19] Maybudi, 8/433.
[20] Suyuti, 5/333.
[21] Suyuti, 5/333.
[22] Proverbs 5:11-13.