Surah Al-An'am, Ayah 31
Quran 6:31 · The Cattle · Makki · Para 7 · Page 131
قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِیْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِلِقَآءِ اللّٰهِ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوْا یٰحَسْرَتَنَا عَلٰی مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِیْهَا ۙ وَهُمْ یَحْمِلُوْنَ اَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلٰی ظُهُوْرِهِمْ ؕ اَلَا سَآءَ مَا یَزِرُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Qad khasira allatheena kaththaboobiliqa-i Allahi hatta itha jaat-humuassaAAatu baghtatan qaloo ya hasratanaAAala ma farratna feeha wahumyahmiloona awzarahum AAala thuhoorihimala saa ma yaziroon
Saheeh International
Those will have lost who deny the meeting with Allāh, until when the Hour [of resurrection] comes upon them unexpectedly, they will say, "Oh, [how great is] our regret over what we neglected concerning it [i.e., the Hour]," while they bear their burdens [i.e., sins] on their backs. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
Those who deny the resurrection on the Day of Rising, and regard standing before Allah to be farfetched, are in utter loss. Until, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly without any prior knowledge, they will say, because of extreme regret: Alas for us and what disappointment, due to our having been neglectful of Allah by disbelieving Him and not preparing for the Day of Rising. They will carry their evil actions on their backs. How terrible are those evil actions that they carry!
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 6:31–6:32
They indeed are losers who denied their meeting with Allah, until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is upon them, and they say: "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it," while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear (31)And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the abode of the Hereafter for those have Taqwa. Will you not then understand (32)
Allah describes the regret of the disbelievers when facing Him, and their disappointment at the commencement, along with their sorrow for not performing good deeds and for their evil deeds.
This is why Allah said,
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا
(until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is upon them, and they say: "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it.")
It' here refers to either the life of this world, or the affairs of the Hereafter. Allah's statement,
وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
(while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear!)
Asbat said that As-Suddi said, "Upon entering his grave, every unjust person will meet a man with an ugly face, dark skin, awful odor, wearing dirty clothes, who will enter his grave with him. When the unjust person sees him, he will say, 'How ugly is your face!' He will reply, 'So was your work, it was ugly.' The unjust person will say, 'How foul is the odor coming from you!' He will reply, 'Such was the case with your work, it stunk.' The unjust person will say, 'How dirty are your clothes!' He will reply, 'And your work too was dirty.' The unjust person will ask, 'Who are you?' He will reply, 'I am your deeds.' So he will remain with the unjust person in his grave, and when he is resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, his companion will say to him, 'In the life of the world, I used to carry you because you followed desire and lust. Today, you carry me.' So he will ride on the unjust person's back and lead him until he enters the Fire. So Allah said,
وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
(while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear!)[6:31]" Allah's statement,
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ
(And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement.) means, most of it is play and amusement,
وَلَلدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
(But far better is the abode of the Hereafter for those who have Taqwa. Will you not then understand?)