Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:31

(Those who deny the meeting with Allah have indeed lost) They are the disbelievers whose conditions were narrated. However, the relative pronoun [the ones] was placed in the position of the pronoun [they] to indicate that their loss is caused by what is contained within the scope of the relative clause: the denial of the meeting with Allah the Exalted, and the persistence in that. By "the meeting" is meant the meeting of what He, the Glorified and Exalted, has promised, as narrated from Ibn Abbas and Al-Hasan, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them. Some have explicitly stated the estimation of an omitted genitive, meaning: "the meeting of the recompense from Allah." Others have stated that "the meeting with Allah" is a metaphorical representation of the Resurrection and what follows it.

(Until when the Hour comes upon them suddenly) That is, the specific time, which is the Day of Resurrection. The origin of al-sa’ah (the hour) is a piece of time, and it became dominant for the known appointed time, like al-najm for the Pleiades. It was named sa’ah because of its smallness relative to what comes after it, namely eternity, or because of the speed of reckoning within it according to the Creator, Mighty is His Name. Some have interpreted it here as the time of death, with the aforementioned limit being for the denial. It is also permitted that it be the limit of the loss, but in the conventional sense, and the speech then follows the pattern of His saying: “And upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense” (i.e., you are blameworthy and cursed until that day; so when the day comes, you encounter something that makes you forget the curse). It is as if it were said: The deniers were in loss until the rising of the Hour with various kinds of ordeals and afflictions; then, when the Hour rises, they fall into something that makes them forget this loss, and that is the clear loss.

(Suddenly) That is, unexpectedly. Bughtatan with a fatha on the ba is like it, and buhtatan—like mun’atan—means by surprise, meaning it struck them without awareness. Its accusative case is because it is a verbal noun acting as a state from the agent of "came upon them" (i.e., surprising them) or from its object (i.e., while they were surprised). It is permitted that it be accusative as an absolute object for "came upon them," similar to raja’a al-qahqara (he retreated backwards), or for an implied verb from the same root or another.

His saying, the Exalted and Almighty: (They will say, "Oh, our regret") is the response to "when." Ya hasratana is a call to regret, which is intense remorse. It is as if it were said: "O our regret, come, for this is your time." It is said that this expression of regret, even if it happens to them at death, is considered as part of the Hour because death is one of the preludes to the Hereafter, so it is named by its name. Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever dies, his Resurrection has commenced." Or, the coming of the Hour is made to follow death due to its speed, as if it were happening without a gap. Abu al-Baqa said: The estimation is "O regret, attend, this is your time." It is a figurative call, and its meaning is to alert themselves to remind [them] of the causes of regret, for regret itself is not summoned, nor does its approach actually occur. Rather, the meaning is for exaggeration, as if they were bewildered and called upon it. Similar to this is the calling of "Woe" and the like, and its beauty is not hidden.

(Over what we neglected in it) That is, regarding our neglect—the "ma" is a relative noun (source). Neglect is the falling short in that which one was capable of doing. Abu Ubaidah said its meaning is squandering. Ibn Bahr said its meaning is preceding, and from this is the farit (the forerunner). The meaning of farrata is the passing of the precedence to another; the intensification in it is for removal, like jalladtu al-ba’ir (I skinned the camel). (In it): That is, the worldly life, as narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with both, or in the Hour, as narrated from Al-Hasan. The intended meaning of neglect in the Hour is falling short in observing its right and preparing for it with faith and righteous deeds. It is said the pronoun refers to Paradise, meaning "over what we neglected in seeking it," which is attributed to Al-Suddi, but its remoteness is not hidden. Al-Tabarsi’s saying—that it is indicated by what Al-A’mash narrated from Abu Salih from Abu Sa’id from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said regarding this verse: "The people of the Fire see their dwellings in Paradise and say 'Oh, our regret...'"—is not free from scrutiny, because the probability [of other interpretations] remains, which invalidates the argument. From Muhammad ibn Jarir is that the ha (the pronoun) refers to the attribute due to the indication of "the loss" toward it, but this is also remote. Similar to that is what was said: that ma is a relative noun meaning "that which," and it refers to deeds, and the pronoun refers back to it; as if it were said, "Oh, our regret for the righteous deeds in which we fell short." Indeed, the referent of the pronoun according to this is mentioned in their discourse, unlike the previous opinions, for it is not mentioned therein, nor is it mentioned in the speech of the Exalted in recounting the state of these speakers according to the first opinion for some—so contemplate.

(While they bear their burdens on their backs) is in the position of a state from the agent of "they say," and it is either a concomitant state or an anticipated one. Al-wizr originally means weight; it is also said to mean sin, which is the intended meaning here—i.e., they bear their sins and faults, as narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both. The backs were mentioned because it is the most common way to carry things, as in "what your hands have earned," for earning is mostly done with the hands. In that is also an indication of the increased weight of what is being carried. Making sins and offenses as things carried on the back is a metaphorical representation, and the intent is to clarify their evil state and the intensity of the hardship, pain, and great punishments they find because of their sins. It is said that carrying them on the back is literal and that they are embodied. Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Al-Suddi that he said: "There is no wrongdoer who dies and enters his grave but that a man with an ugly face, black color, and foul odor wearing filthy clothes comes to him until he enters the grave with him. When he sees him, he says, 'How ugly your face is!' He replies, 'So was your deed, ugly.' He says, 'How foul your odor is!' He replies, 'So was your deed, foul.' He says, 'How filthy your clothes are!' He replies, 'Your deed was filthy.' He says, 'Who are you?' He replies, 'I am your deed.' He stays with him in his grave. Then, when he is resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, he says to him, 'I used to carry you in the world with pleasures and desires, and today you carry me.' So he mounts his back and drives him until he enters the Fire." They also narrated from Amr ibn Qays, who said: "When the believer comes out of his grave, his deed meets him in the most beautiful form and sweetest scent, and says to him, 'Do you know me?' He says, 'No, except that Allah has made your scent sweet and your face beautiful.' He says, 'So I was in the world; I am your righteous deed. For so long you rode me in the world, so today you ride me,' and he recited: 'The Day We will gather the righteous to the Most Merciful as guests.' Even if the disbeliever is met by the ugliest thing in form and the foulest in scent, he says, 'Do you know me?' He says, 'No, except that Allah has made your face ugly and your scent foul.' He says, 'So I was in the world; I am your evil deed. For so long you rode me in the world, so today I ride you,' and he recited: 'While they bear...' the verse." Some make everything mentioned in this regard a representation as well, and there is no obstacle to interpreting it literally and letting the speech proceed according to its apparent meaning, and many of the Sunnis have asserted the embodiment of deeds in that abode, which is what the literal weighing requires.

(Unquestionably, evil is what they bear) This is a tailpiece confirming what precedes it and completing it. "Saa'a" (evil) here can hold, as it has been said, three aspects: First, that it is the transitive, declinable verb—its measure being fa’ala with a fatha on the ayn—and the meaning is "unquestionably, evil is what they bear," and "ma" is a relative pronoun, or an infinitive, or an indefinite described noun, acting as the subject for it, and the statement is an informative report. Second, that it was transformed into an intransitive verb with a damma on the ayn and imbued with the meaning of wonder, and the meaning is "How evil is that which they bear" or "How evil is their burden." Third, that it was also transformed for the sake of exaggeration in blame, so it becomes equal to bi'sa (bad) in meaning and rulings.