Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:42
And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of Allah, the Exalted: وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى مَا أَنْفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا (And his wealth was encompassed by ruin, and he began to wring his palms over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and he said: "Would that I had never ascribed any partner to my Lord" [18:42])
Allah, the Exalted, says: ruin and calamities encompassed his wealth — that is, the kinds of fruits of his garden, concerning which he had said: مَا أَظُنُّ أَنْ تَبِيدَ هَذِهِ أَبَدًا (I do not think that this will ever perish). And this unbeliever, the owner of the two gardens, began to wring his palms — back and forth — out of regret and grief over the loss of the expenses he had invested in his garden. وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا (While it had collapsed upon its trellises) — He says: while it was empty and desolate upon its vegetation and structures.
In the same sense as we have stated, the scholars of exegesis also spoke.
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ: that is, he struck his palms over what he had spent on it, عَلَى مَا أَنْفَقَ فِيهَا — out of regret over what had escaped him. And he يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا (said: "Would that I had never ascribed any partner to my Lord") — He says: he wished for this. This means that this unbeliever, after he had been afflicted by the loss of his garden, and his worldly existence had vanished, and nothing remained to him but his deeds, longed that he had never been an unbeliever in Allah and had ascribed no partner to Him.
