When the two groups were mentioned, those who disbelieved and those who believed, Allah said to His Prophet: "Is he whom the evil of his deeds has been made attractive to him, so he sees it as good?" This means: Is he whom his evil deeds have been made attractive from these two groups, like one who has not had it made attractive to him? It is as if the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said "No." Then He said: "Indeed, Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills, so let not your soul waste away over them in regrets." The meaning of making the deeds attractive and leading astray is one. It is that the sinner is in a state where the benefits do not avail him, so he deserves thereby the abandonment of Allah, the Exalted, and His letting him be. At that point, he wanders in misguidance and follows the command of desire, until he sees the ugly as beautiful and the beautiful as ugly, as if his mind has been overwhelmed and his discernment taken away. He sits under the words of Abu Nuwas: "Give me drink until I see ... the ugly as beautiful to me. We hide it, then it comes ... with a sweet scent that spreads. Give me drink until I see ... the ugly as beautiful to me." This is by Abu Nuwas. And we hide it, meaning: the wine, and it spreads, meaning: its scent. Then he said to the wine server: "Give me drink until I become drunk, so that the ugly becomes beautiful to me." And "beautiful" is the second object, and "ugly" is raised by it, and his finding it beautiful is a metaphor for the intensity of drunkenness.

And when Allah abandons those determined upon disbelief and leaves them to their own affairs, then it is upon the Messenger not to be concerned with their matter, nor to pay attention to their mention, nor to grieve or feel regret for them: following the Sunnah of Allah, the Exalted, in abandoning them. Al-Zajjaj mentioned that the meaning is: "Is he whom the evil of his deeds has been made attractive to him, your soul wastes away over them in regret?" The answer is omitted due to the indication of "so let not your soul waste away over them." Or: "Is he whom his evil deeds have been made attractive like one whom Allah has guided?" The answer is omitted due to the indication of "Indeed, Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills" upon it. "Regrets" is an object for it, meaning: so do not destroy yourself in regrets.

And there is a connection that goes away, as you say: "He perished over love," and "He died over grief." Or it is an explanation of the one who feels regret.

And it is not permissible for "regrets" to be related to it, because the source does not precede its connection. And it is permissible for it to be a state, as if all of it has become regrets due to excessive regret, as Jarir said: "The ones who are thin from the heat of the midday sun ... until they have become only bones and chests." This is by Jarir describing camels that are emaciated. It is said: a thin horse, meaning: long and emaciated. And a thin girl: slender in form.

And "the midday sun" refers to the intense heat. And "the night journey" (as-sarā) refers to the travel of the night. And "the bones and chests" refers to the chest, and the mention of the chests alongside the bones is for clarification, meaning: they have become, due to the intensity of heat and travel, as if they are only bones without flesh upon them.

He means: They returned only bones and chests, meaning: nothing remains except for all of them and their chests. And from it is his saying: "So after them, my soul falls ... in regrets, and their mention to me is sickness." When he was afflicted with sadness after the departure of loved ones and it took hold of him, he imagined that it was scattering and descending from his body while it was in a state of continuous regrets, and he made the soul regrets due to its mingling with them, as if it were. Or it falls after them due to the regrets and sorrows, which is more appropriate. And their mention means: remembering them is sickness for me, and it is with a fatha, a source like sickness.

And it was recited: "So let not your soul waste away, indeed Allah is Knowing of what they do," a warning to them of punishment for their evil deeds.