An Examination of the Two Terms Ḥasrah (Regret) and Taʾassuf (Sorrow) in the Holy Qur’an from a Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

Human beings, due to their negligence in obeying God and the Imams (peace be upon them) and the loss of these opportunities, will regret and feel remorse on the Day of Resurrection, when there will no longer be a chance for recompense. For this reason, one of the names of the Day of Resurrection in the Qur’an is Yawm al-Ḥasrah (“the Day of Regret”), because people will have lost all worldly opportunities to atone for their sins or perform more virtuous deeds, and thus will experience nothing but regret and sorrow. In fact, ḥasrah and taʾassuf can be understood as forms of grief and remorse arising from missed opportunities, whose causes have been referenced in various verses and narrations. In the Holy Qur’an, words carry particular emotional connotations that reflect human psychological and emotional states in diverse situations. Among these, the two terms ḥasrah and taʾassuf occupy a special place, as both express a negative yet meaningful emotional experience. This study, relying on a descriptive–analytical method and drawing upon exegetical sources as well as semantic linguistics and pragmatics, examines the meanings of these two terms in the Qur’an. The primary aim is to uncover the conceptual, syntactic, and functional distinctions between ḥasrah and taʾassuf within the Qur’anic context. The findings indicate that ḥasrah primarily refers to an experience oriented toward the past, characterized by an inward, existential sense of sorrow over lost opportunities; whereas taʾassuf often carries a cautionary or preventive function and, in certain contexts, even reflects the Prophet’s emotional response toward people’s behavior. Morphological and syntactic analysis also reveals differences in the derivatives and usages of these two terms across verses, illustrating precise semantic distinctions.

These distinctions are not only significant for a more accurate understanding of the Qur’anic text but also contribute meaningfully to the interpretation of verses and the analysis of their semantic layers. Accordingly, the linguistic analysis of the words ḥasrah and taʾassuf can play an essential role in deepening comprehension of the Qur’an’s messages.