al-Wasiti said: Khalid ibn Nafiʿ al-Ashʿari narrated to us, from Saʿid ibn Abi Burdah, from Abu Musa, who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared:
“When the people of Hell are assembled in Hell—together with whomever Allah wills from the People of the Qiblah—the unbelievers will say to the Muslims, ‘Were you not Muslims?’ They will reply, ‘Indeed.’ The unbelievers will then ask, ‘Of what benefit was your Islam, now that you are with us in the Fire?’ The Muslims will answer, ‘We had sins, and for those sins we have been seized.’
“Allah will hear what they say and will command that all those in the Fire from the People of the Qiblah be brought out. When the remaining unbelievers in the Fire witness this, they will cry out, ‘If only we had been Muslims, then we too would be taken out as they have been taken out!’”
He then recited—seeking refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed—
“Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Scripture and a clear Quran. Many a time those who disbelieve will wish they had been Muslims.” (Quran 15:1-2) (1)

Al-Ṭabarani said: Musa ibn Harun narrated to us; Ishaq ibn Rahawayh narrated to us; he said, “I asked Abu Usamah, ‘Did Abu Rawq ʿAtiyyah ibn al-Harith relate to you, saying, ‘Salih ibn [Abi] Tarif narrated to me: I asked Abu Saʿid al-Khudri, Have you heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ speak about this verse, “Many a time those who disbelieve will wish they had been Muslims”?’’
He replied, ‘Yes, I heard him say:
“Allah will bring out some believers from the Fire after He has exacted His retribution from them.”
“He also said: ‘When He puts them into the Fire together with the polytheists, the polytheists will say to them, ‘You claimed that you were the friends of Allah in the world; what has happened that you are with us in the Fire?’ When Allah hears that, He will permit intercession on their behalf; the angels will intercede, the prophets will intercede, and the believers will intercede, and by Allah’s permission they will be brought out. When the polytheists see this, they will say, ‘If only we had been like them; then intercession would reach us and we would depart with them.’”
‘That,’ he continued, ‘is the meaning of Allah’s words, “Many a time those who disbelieve will wish they had been Muslims.” In Paradise they will be called al-Jahannamiyyun (2) because of a darkness that remains upon their faces. They will say, ‘Our Lord, remove this name from us!’ So He will command them, and they will bathe in a river of Paradise, whereupon that name will be removed from them.’”
Abu Usamah attested to this and said, “Yes.” (3)

Al-Ṭabarani further said: Muhammad ibn al-ʿAbbas—who is al-Akhram—narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Mansur—who is al-Tusi—narrated to us; Salih ibn Ishaq al-Jahbid, whom Yahya ibn Maʿin praised, narrated to us; Muʿarraf ibn Wasil narrated to us, from Yaʿqub ibn Abi Nubatah, from ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Agharr, from Anas ibn Malik, who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Some people who profess la ilaha illa Allah (there is no deity but Allah) will enter the Fire because of their sins. The worshippers of al-Lat and al-ʿUzza will say to them, ‘What benefit did your saying la ilaha illa Allah bring you, when you are with us in the Fire?’ Allah will then become angry for their sake and will bring them out. He will cast them into the River of Life, where they will be cured of their burns just as the moon emerges from an eclipse. They will then enter Paradise, and there they will be called al-Jahannamiyyun.”
A man asked, “O Anas, did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ yourself?”
Anas replied, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ …”