The Day of Regret

Culled from Nourishment of the Soul

Be conscious of Allah, the Exalted, and obey Him, and be mindful of Him and do not disobey Him, for indeed the appointed time is near, and the reckoning will be severe, and records will be opened on that Day. Al-Kahf (18) 49: It leaves nothing small or great but that it has enumerated it. So prepare yourselves for that Day, and be ready for it with all that will benefit you. Al-A‘raf (7) 8–9: (8) And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those whose scales are heavy – it is they who will be the successful. (9) But those whose scales are light – they are the ones who will lose themselves for what injustice they were doing toward Our verses.

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102

Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

Oh people:

Be conscious of Allah, the Exalted, and obey Him, and be mindful of Him and do not disobey Him, for indeed the appointed time is near, and the reckoning will be severe, and records will be opened on that Day.

لَا ‌يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا

Al-Kahf (18) 49: It leaves nothing small or great but that it has enumerated it.

So prepare yourselves for that Day, and be ready for it with all that will benefit you.

وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ ‌فَمَنْ ‌ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ * وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَظْلِمُونَ

Al-A‘raf (7) 8–9: (8) And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those whose scales are heavy – it is they who will be the successful. (9) But those whose scales are light – they are the ones who will lose themselves for what injustice they were doing toward Our verses.

The Day of Resurrection is called the Day of Regret, because of the abundance of remorse and anguish that will take place within it.

وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ‌الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

Maryam (19) 39: And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and [yet], they are in heedlessness, and they do not believe.

And regret is the most intense form of remorse. So much so that the one feeling it becomes exhausted and drained of all strength.

So regret is a deep remorse that drives to anguish. The Day of Regret refers to the Day of Reckoning, and the day is called so because of how much the wrongdoers will lament over the chances of salvation that they neglected. It is as though that day were uniquely marked by regret. It will be a Day of Regret for them, even as it is a day of joy for the righteous.

And what regret could be greater than missing out on the pleasure of Allah Almighty and His Paradise—only to earn His wrath and the Fire. At the same time, the regretful cannot return to begin good deeds anew, nor find any way to change their condition or return to the worldly life again.

How great is the regret that will afflict the people of Hell over what they neglected of the right of Allah Almighty! If only they had felt regret for their sins in their worldly life, their regret would have led them to repentance and turning back to Him. But they did not, so their regret will come in the Hereafter over an eternal misery that will never end. O Allah, we ask of Your pardon, forgiveness, and mercy.

And our Prophet ﷺ used to vividly recall what would occur on the Day of Resurrection of the abundance of regret. And he would warn his Companions of it, so that they would strive with what would save them from that everlasting regret.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

يُجَاءُ بِالْمَوْتِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَأَنَّهُ ‌كَبْشٌ ‌أَمْلَحُ، فَيُوقَفُ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، فَيُقَالُ: يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ، هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا؟ فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ وَيَقُولُونَ: نَعَمْ، هَذَا الْمَوْتُ، وَيُقَالُ: يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ، هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا؟ فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ وَيَقُولُونَ: نَعَمْ، هَذَا الْمَوْتُ، فَيُؤْمَرُ بِهِ فَيُذْبَحُ، ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ، خُلُودٌ فَلَا مَوْتَ، وَيَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ، خُلُودٌ فَلَا مَوْتَ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ‌الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ، وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا.

Death will be brought on the Day of Resurrection in the form of a white-and-black speckled ram. It will be made to stand between Paradise and Hell. Then it will be said: ‘O people of Paradise, do you recognize this?’ They will raise their necks and look and say: ‘Yes, that is death.’ Then it will be said: ‘O people of Hell, do you recognize this?’ They will raise their necks and look and say: ‘Yes, that is death.’ Then it will be ordered that it be slaughtered. Then it will be said: ‘O people of Paradise, everlasting life—no more death! O people of Hell, everlasting life—no more death!’ Then the Messenger of Allah recited:

وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ‌الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and [yet], they are in heedlessness, and they do not believe.’

And he gestured with his hand toward this world. [al-Bukhari 4730 and Muslim 2849a]

And on the Day of Regret, the followed will disavow their followers. The misleader will renounce those that they mislead. Partners in wrongdoing will blame each other. Even close relatives will abandon one another.

As Allah Almighty said:

‌يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ * وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ * وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ

‘Abasa (80) 34–36: (34) The Day when a man will flee from his brother, (35) and his mother and his father, (36) and his wife and his children.

And Allah Almighty said:

إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ * وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا مِنَّا كَذَلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ ‌حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ

Al-Baqarah (2) 166–167: (166) When those who were followed disassociate themselves from those who followed [them], and they all see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties [of relationship]. (167) And those who followed will say, ‘If only we had another turn, so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us.’ Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.

And because of the intensity of the regret of the regretful, and the abundance of regret that will occur on the Day of Resurrection, they will call out in regret to no avail. Allah Almighty said:

قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا ‌يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَى مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

Al-An‘am (6) 31: They have certainly lost who denied the meeting with Allah, until when the Hour comes upon them unexpectedly, they will say, ‘Oh, how great is our regret over what we neglected concerning it,’ while they bear their burdens on their backs.

And Allah Almighty warned His servants in the Noble Quran to save them from regret. Allah Almighty said:

وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ * أَنْ تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ ‌يَا حَسْرَتَا عَلَى مَا فَرَّطْتُ فِي جَنْبِ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتُ لَمِنَ السَّاخِرِينَ

Az-Zumar (39) 55–56: (55) And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you do not perceive, (56) lest a soul should say, ‘Oh, how great is my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allah and that I was among the mockers.’

One of the regrets of the people of Hell is that they will see their places in Paradise if only they had believed and been righteous; as in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet ﷺsaid:

لَا يَدْخُلُ أَحَدٌ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا أُرِيَ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ لَوْ أَسَاءَ لِيَزْدَادَ شُكْرًا وَلَا يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا أُرِيَ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ لَوْ أَحْسَنَ ‌لِيَكُونَ ‌عَلَيْهِ ‌حَسْرَةً.

No one will enter Paradise except that he will be shown his place in Hell, if he had done evil, so that he may increase in gratitude; and no one will enter Hell except that he will be shown his place in Paradise, if he had done good, so that it will be a cause of regret for him. [al-Bukhari 6569]

Thus will the people of the Fire be consumed with the anguish of what they lost, and the righteous will be filled with gratitude for what they gained. It is the Day when every heedless soul will awaken to their reality, every transgressor will lament their injustices, and every believer will rejoice in the mercy of his Lord. It is the Day of Regret for the heedless, and the day of reward for the faithful.

Those who mock the messengers and their messages in this worldly life will find that very mockery returning upon them as searing regret on the Day of Resurrection;

يَا حَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

Ya-Sin (36) 30: Oh, [how regretful is] the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him.

That is, the mockery of the messengers turns back upon the mockers as regret. For the mockery that once filled their mouths becomes the very fire that burns within their hearts.

And whoever strives to hinder others from the religion of Allah, the Exalted, and to campaign war against His devoted servants, and those spending their wealth in that cause, all that they did and spent will return to them as bitter regret — in this world, when the religion of Allah triumphs and His loyal servants are granted victory, and in the Hereafter, when they are dragged toward the blazing Hellfire. We seek refuge in Allah, the Exalted, from such a wretched fate.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَسَيُنْفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ ‌حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ

Al-Anfal (8) 36: Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [people] from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of] regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved—to Hell they will be gathered.

And those who deny the Qur’an, the Qur’an itself will become a cause of regret for them both in this life and the next. In this worldly life, they are deprived of its light and guidance, deprived of the relaxation and serenity of the heart through its recitation, deprived of the tranquility that descends when reflecting upon it, deprived of the delight and sweetness of understanding its meanings .

And as for their regret in the Hereafter, it will be when they behold the immense reward of the believers, those who recited its verses, acted according to its ordainments, submitted to its commands, and stopped at its limits. Then they will know what blessings they rejected and what mercy they denied themselves.

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَذْكِرَةٌ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ * وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُكَذِّبِينَ * وَإِنَّهُ ‌لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

Al-Haqqah (69) 48–50: (48) And indeed, it is a reminder for the righteous. (49) And indeed, We know that among you are deniers. (50) And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

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