Discover the meaning of the term Al-ḥsra (حسرة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readIt is reaching the extreme in intense sorrow, such that the heart remains exhausted, with no room left for an increase in sorrow, like the exhausted sight that has no strength left to see.
Reaching the extreme in intense sorrow until the heart remains exhausted, with no place in it for an increase in sorrow, like the exhausted gaze that has no strength for viewing.
It is reaching the extreme in intense sorrow until the heart remains exhausted, with no place in it for an increase in sorrow, like the exhausted gaze that has no strength for the observer. And hassarahu with tashdid means: you plunged him into sorrow. Al-Misbah al-Munir (hasara) p. 52, and Al-Ta'rifat p. 117 (Rayyan).
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّۭى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةًۭ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ﴾
« O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allah makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allah who gives life and causes death, and Allah is Seeing of what you do. »
Surah آل عمران : 156
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةًۭ ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ﴾
« Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [people] from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of] regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved - unto Hell they will be gathered. »
Surah الأنفال : 36
﴿وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
« And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and [yet], they are in [a state of] heedlessness, and they do not believe. »
Surah مريم : 39
﴿وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ﴾
« And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers. »
Surah الحاقة : 50