Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)

38. [Satan’s companionship continues] till when [the sinner on Resurrection Day] comes unto Us saying [unto his companion, Satan,] “Would that between me and you were the distance of the east and west” - a worst [type of companion you were] indeed!

39. [But it will be said unto him] “It will profit you not [the wish to turn away from devils, since] you did wrong [and] that you will be sharers [you and devils] the chastisement.

On the Day of Resurrection, sinners wish they could distance from devils in Hell, but the Holy Qur’an says that they will share the chastisement with devils and they will not be apart.

Veils will be torn asunder on the Day of Resurrection and many a beloved will fall into disfavor and many an illusion and false belief will be manifest:

(“but they think that they are guided”).

The two blessed Verses indicate that sinners turn away from God Almighty as a consequence of which devils turn into their companions in this world until when they return to God Almighty in the Hereafter:

(“till when [the sinner on Resurrection Day] comes unto Us”)

and find themselves in chastisement together with the devils who were their company in this world.

Addressing their evil company they say:

“Would that between me and you were the distance of the east and west.”

The word

mashriqayn (“the two easts”)

may indicate the east and west since they are far from each other.

The word may designate preferential dual (taghlib) as is the case in “the two suns” (the sun, lit. “the sun and the moon,” shamsayn) and “the two moons” (the moon, lit. “the moon and the sun,” qamarayn). The two easts may also designate hibernal or wintry and estival or summery easts which stand far from each other.

In short, those who have turned away from God Almighty and Qur’anic verses and instead have taken devils as their company will be their companions in Hell but their regrets will be in vain, since they have lost their opportunities with which they were provided in the world.

Turning away from their Origin and Originator and enslaved by their concupiscence, they have provided Satan with the opportunity to ensnare them. They have done wrong to themselves and they have to share Divine Chastisement with their company.