'Lest a soul should say, "Oh, my regret over what I neglected in the side of Allah"'—that is, regarding the command of Allah—'and indeed, I was among the mockers'—that is, I used to mock the Prophet and the believers in the worldly life.
Muhammad said: 'Lest a soul should say' means: fearing that a soul might say [this] when it arrives at a state of remorse, and the preferred recitation is 'Ya hasrata' (Oh, my regret).
Tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar from verse 57 to verse 63.
﴿أَن تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يَا حَسْرَتَا علَى مَا فَرَّطتُ فِي جَنبِ اللَّهِ﴾ أَي: فِي أَمر اللَّه ﴿وَإِنْ كنت لمن الساخرين﴾ أَي: كنت أسخر فِي الدُّنْيَا بِالنَّبِيِّ وَالْمُؤمنِينَ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: ﴿أَنْ تَقول نفس﴾ مَعْنَاهُ: خَوْفَ أَن تَقُولُ نفسٌ إِذا صَارَت إِلَى (حَال) الندامة، وَالِاخْتِيَار فِي الْقِرَاءَة: (يَا حسرتا).
تَفْسِير سُورَة الزمر من الْآيَة ٥٧ إِلَى آيَة ٦٣.
