Tafsir of Az-Zumar 39:54

{And turn in repentance to your Lord}: Return to Him. {And submit to Him}: Devote your deeds sincerely to Him.

Note: Repentance is mentioned immediately after the promise of forgiveness so that no one may covet forgiveness without repentance, and to indicate that it is a necessary condition without which forgiveness is not attained.

{And follow the best of what was revealed to you from your Lord}: Similar to His saying: "Those who listen to the word and follow the best of it" (Az-Zumar: 18).

{While you do not perceive}: Meaning, it will come upon you suddenly while you are heedless, as if you fear nothing due to your extreme negligence and distraction.

{Lest a soul should say}: Out of aversion to saying it. If you ask: Why is "soul" (nafs) indefinite? I say: Because it refers to a specific type of soul—the soul of the disbeliever. It may also imply a soul distinguished by extreme stubbornness in disbelief or by a great punishment. It may also be used for pluralization (generic), as Al-A’sha said: "Many a noble one, if I called out in his vicinity, would come to me, shaking his head in anger." He meant "many noble ones," not just one. Similar examples include: "Many a land I have traversed," and "Many a champion I have fought." The singular is often used to imply the plural.

Readings: "Ya hasrati" (O my regret) is the original form. "Ya hasrataya" combines the substitute (the ya) with the original (the ya of the possessive).

{In the side of Allah (janb Allah)}: "Janb" means side or vicinity. One says, "I am in the side (janb) of so-and-so," meaning his vicinity. Then they said, "He was negligent in his side (janb)," meaning in his right or duty. Sabiq al-Barbari said: "Do you not fear Allah regarding the side of a lover, whose liver burns for you, breaking apart?" This is a form of metonymy (kinayah). When you establish a matter in a person’s place or sphere, you have established it in him. Consider the verse: "Indeed, generosity, chivalry, and bounty are in a tent pitched over Ibn al-Hashraj." People say, "I did this for your place (li-makanika)," meaning "for your sake." In the Hadith: "It is a hidden form of shirk for a man to pray for the sake (li-makan) of a man." Since there is no difference in the intended meaning between mentioning the "place" or omitting it, it is said: "He was negligent in the side of Allah," meaning: He was negligent regarding the Essence of Allah.

If you ask: Your explanation implies that mentioning "the side" is redundant, except for the elegance of the metonymy, as if it were said: "He was negligent in Allah." What does "negligent in Allah" mean? I say: A deleted genitive (mudaf) must be assumed, whether "side" is mentioned or not. The meaning is: "He was negligent in the obedience of Allah, the worship of Allah," and the like. In the codices of Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud) and Hafsa, it is written: "in the remembrance of Allah."

{For what I neglected}: The "ma" is a source-particle (masdariyyah), similar to its usage in "for all its vastness" (bi-ma rahubat).

{And indeed, I was among the mockers}: Qatada said: It was not enough for him to waste the obedience of Allah, but he also mocked those who performed it. The phrase "And indeed, I was" is in the accusative state (hal), as if he said: "I was negligent while I was mocking."

Narrative: It is reported that there was a scholar among the Children of Israel who abandoned his knowledge and sinned. Iblis came to him and said, "Enjoy the world, then repent." He obeyed, spent his wealth on immorality, and when the Angel of Death came to him at the height of his pleasure, he said: "O my regret for what I neglected in the side of Allah! My life passed in the obedience of Satan, and I angered my Lord." He regretted when regret was of no avail. Allah revealed his story in the Quran.

{If only Allah had guided me}: This implies either guidance by compulsion, by grace (lutf), or by revelation. Compulsion is contrary to wisdom; he was not among those worthy of grace; and as for revelation, it had already come, but he turned away and did not follow it. He says this only out of confusion and making excuses that do not benefit him, similar to their excuse of being misled by leaders and devils. It is like: "If Allah had guided us, we would have guided you" (Ibrahim: 21).

{Yes, My verses had come to you}: This is a rebuttal from Allah. It means: "Yes, you were guided by revelation, but you denied it, grew arrogant against accepting it, and preferred disbelief over faith and misguidance over guidance." Reading: "Bala qad ja'atki" (with a kasra on the ta) is a direct address to the soul.

If you ask: Why was the response not joined directly to the statement it answers—namely, "If only Allah had guided me"—without separating them with a verse? I say: There are three arguments: the regret for negligence, the excuse of lacking guidance, and the wish to return. The order is preserved to show the sequence of his psychological state. The response addresses the specific claim that required a rebuttal.

If you ask: How can "Bala" (Yes) be a valid response to a non-negative statement? I say: "If only Allah had guided me" carries the meaning of "I was not guided."