Al Hijr was revealed in Makkah
الٓر ۚ تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَقُرْءَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ مُسْلِمِينَ
ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا۟ وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ وَيُلْهِهِمُ ٱلْأَمَلُ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
Alif-Lam-Ra. These are Ayat of the Book and a plain Qur’an. How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims. Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!
The Disbelievers will someday wish that They had been Muslims
We have already discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. Allah said:
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
How much would those who disbelieved wish
Here Allah tells us that they will regret having lived in disbelief, and will wish that they had been Muslims in this world. Regarding Allah’s saying,
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims
Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported from Salamah bin Kuhayl, who reported from Abi Az-Za`ra’, from `Abdullah, who said: “This is about the Jahannamiyyun (the sinners among the believers who will stay in Hell for some time), when they ﴿the disbelievers﴾ see them being brought out of Hell.”
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims.
Ibn Jarir reported that Ibn `Abbas and Anas bin Malik explained that this Ayah refers to the Day when Allah will detain the sinful Muslims in Hell along with the idolators. He said: “The idolators will say to them, `What you used to worship on earth has not helped you.’ Then by virtue of His mercy, Allah will be angry for their sake, and He will remove them (from it). That is when
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims.”
ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ
Leave them to eat and enjoy
this is a stern and definitive threat for them, like His saying,
قُلْ تَمَتَّعُواْ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ
Say: “Enjoy your brief life! But certainly, your destination is the Fire!” Ibrahim 30
كُلُواْ وَتَمَتَّعُواْ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمْ مُّجْرِمُونَ
(O disbelievers!) Eat and enjoy yourselves (in this worldly life) for a little while. Verily, you are the guilty. Al Mursalat 46 Allah says
وَيُلْهِهِمُ الاٌّمَلُ
let them be preoccupied with false hope
distracted from repentance and turning to Allah, for
فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
They will soon come to know!
that is, their punishment.