1010 — Muhammad informed us; Ubayd Allah informed us; Ahmad narrated to us; Abdullah narrated to us; Mu‘awiyah narrated to us, from Ali, from Ibn Abbas, concerning: “Lest a soul should say, ‘Alas for me, for what I neglected concerning Allah!’” and: “Or [lest] it should say, ‘If only Allah had guided me, I would have been among those mindful of Him,’” [al-Zumar 39:57] and: “Or [lest] it should say, when it sees the punishment, ‘If only I could return [to the world] once more, then I would be among those who do good!’” [al-Zumar 39:58]—that is, among those rightly guided.

Thus Allah, glorified be He, has informed us that, were they returned, they would not be capable of following guidance: “But if they were returned, they would surely return to that which they had been forbidden, and indeed they are liars.” [al-An‘am 6:28] He said: “And We will turn their hearts and their eyes away [from guidance], just as they refused to believe in it the first time.” [al-An‘am 6:110]

⦗628⦘ He said: Were they returned to this world, they would be prevented from guidance, just as We prevented them from it the first time. His saying: “Even if We had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and We had gathered everything before their very eyes,” [al-An‘am 6:111] meaning, openly before them: “they would still not have believed” [al-A‘raf 7:101]. They are the people of wretchedness. Then He said: “unless Allah should will” [al-An‘am 6:111]—and these are the people of felicity, those whom He had already known would enter into faith.