وَمَن أَظلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِآياتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعرَضَ عَنها وَنَسِيَ ما قَدَّمَت يَداهُ ۚ إِنّا جَعَلنا عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفقَهوهُ وَفي آذانِهِم وَقرًا ۖ وَإِن تَدعُهُم إِلَى الهُدىٰ فَلَن يَهتَدوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

Who is a greater wrongdoer than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, whereat he disregards them and forgets what his hands have sent ahead? Indeed, We have cast veils on their hearts lest they should understand it, and a deafness into their ears; and if you invite them to guidance they will never [let themselves] be guided.

EXEGESIS

The first sentence of the verse uses the singular pronouns he, but then refers to their hearts; this is because the verse begins with the address man, which refers to a group even though it is in singular,^{‎[1]Zamakhshari, 2/730. This style is common in the Quran, see for example 65:11.} like saying ‘whomever’ in English, which can refer to any number of people.

Aʿraḍa ʿanhā (disregards them) means to turn one’s back to something. In other words, to not look at it,^{‎[2]Tibyan, 7/62.} as if he is trying to make himself forget it, ‘out of sight, out of mind’, as the saying goes.

Akinnah (veils) is the plural of kinān, coming from kinn, meaning to protect something by putting it in a secure and hidden location, like in the verse, made for you retreats (aknān) in the mountains (16:81), or, as if they were guarded (maknūn) pearls (52:24). The verb akanna means to be hidden within oneself, such as in the verse, what you may secretly cherish (aknantum) within your hearts (2:235). Kinān itself refers to a veil or covering which hides something in it.^{‎[3]Raghib, pp. 726-727.}

Waqr (deafness) literally means a heaviness in a person’s ears,^{‎[4]Tibyan, 7/62; Tabari, 15/174.} i.e. difficulty in hearing.

Yahtadū (be guided) is the reflexive form of hadā (to be guided), meaning to seek to be guided.

There is an untranslated idhan (at that moment, in that case) at the end of the verse, which can be understood as indicating that the refusal to be guided is contingent on them being first called to the truth. The denial can only come after the invitation.

EXPOSITION

The people described in the previous verse, who took the signs of God and what they are warned of in derision, are now described further.

Who is a greater wrongdoer than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, whereat he disregards them: the wrongdoing spoken of in this verse is the ẓulm one does against themselves.^{‎[5]Tibyan, 7/62.} Keeping in mind the subtheme of ẓulm,^{‎[6]See the commentary on verse 50.} the type of baseless disputation spoken of in the previous three verses is obviously the greatest ẓulm or wrongdoing that one can do against themselves and others. This is because the severity of ẓulm increases depending on at whom it is directed. If it is directed against God and His signs, then it is the most severe type of wrongdoing.^{‎[7]Mizan, 13/333.}

Signs here includes the miracles performed by the prophets, the verses of the Quran, the lessons to be found in creation, and so on.^{‎[8]As Shawkānī puts it, both the tawkīnī (cosmological) signs, as well as the tanzīlī (revealed), or the two together (Shawkani, 3/350).}

To be reminded indicates that they already knew what they are being told. The core of the Quranic message and Islam is something that each person innately understands and knows. As is mentioned in the sermon of Imam Ali (a), the prophets were sent with the purpose of: ‘To demand people to fulfil the covenant placed in their innate natures (fiṭrah), and remind them of the blessings they had forgotten, to give them clear proofs through their invitation, and to extract the hidden cores of their intellects.’^{‎[9]Nahj, sermon 1. See also Nemuneh, 12/476.}

And forgets what his hands have sent ahead: some have argued that to forget here means he literally has forgotten his own sins and evil actions.^{‎[10]For example Tibyan, 7/62; Tabrisi, 6/738; Tabari, 15/174; Thalabi, 6/179.} However, what is more apparent is that it means wilful ignorance. The person has caused himself to be ignorant of the outcome of his actions and the recompense he must face for it.^{‎[11]See Tibyan, 7/62.} He has busied himself with other things, causing in his own self a state of forgetfulness.

This is also a lesson in that remembering one’s misdeeds can be a good thing, as it may lead one to repentance and to avoid repeating the same mistakes. On the other hand, those who ignore and try to forget their bad actions are simply dooming themselves to continue treading the same dark path.^{‎[12]Qaraati, 5/191.}

Note also how the word forgets is juxtaposed to the earlier reminded. The truth of the message is something that they already knew innately, yet they choose to ignore it. The injustice comes from them, not from God, as per the verse that started this foray into the topic of ẓulm in this surah, and your Lord does not wrong anyone (verse 49). What comes from God is a reminder. By its nature a reminder is gentle and merciful. When someone is reminded, it indicates that the person already knew their responsibility, otherwise it would be called informing. Yet even after neglecting it they are given a chance to once again return to what is right. What comes from God is therefore forgiving and merciful. This is more explicitly stated in the next verse and explored further.

Indeed We have cast veils on their hearts lest they should understand it: it here is referring to the guidance that comes from God, or the Quran specifically. If we consider the signs spoken of earlier to mean the verses of the Quran, then it may be referring to them collectively.^{‎[13]Alusi, 8/286.}

In any case, one of the consequences of turning away from and disregarding the signs of God is its effect on one’s capacity for reasoning and thought. Closed-mindedness is a vicious cycle, whereby a person creates an echo chamber for themselves. He thinks he has it all figured out so he refuses to listen to the messenger and any reminders, further isolating himself in his own myopic views, which only furthers his spiral into ignorance.

And a deafness into their ears: this is similar to the verse, And when Our signs are recited to him he turns away disdainfully as if he had not heard them [at all], as if there were a deafness in his ears (31:7). We should also note the verse, They say: ‘Our hearts are in veils [which shut them off] from what you invite us to, and there is a deafness in our ears, and there is a curtain between us and you’ (41:5).

In 31:7 the deafness is described as being figurative, as if they are incapable of hearing the truth. In 41:5, the deafness is self-ascribed, where they indicate that they do not want to be guided. In this verse, God ascribes placing the deafness in their ears to Himself, that He has made them incapable of being guided. Considering these verses side-by-side, we realise the intended meaning. Firstly, the deafness is figurative not literal; it is a lack of willingness to listen to the truth. Secondly, they have themselves turned away and refused to listen and give honest consideration to that which they are being invited. God has allowed them to do so, and as a consequence of this they have been left in the dark, Deaf, dumb, and blind (2:18). See also the commentary on verse 4:155.

For more on veiled hearts and deaf ears, see the commentary on verses 6:25 and 17:46.

And if you invite them to guidance they will never [let themselves] be guided: God informs His Messenger and us that He knows that these people will never accept guidance, not because He does not wish for them to be guided, but because they have no interest in it themselves. The deaf ears will not hear the truth if you invite them to guidance and the veiled hearts will never through reasoning or rationale find the truth and be guided.^{‎[14]Mizan, 13/333.}

Obviously this is all after they have been invited and have turned away, as per the beginning of the verse, he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, whereat he disregards them.^{‎[15]Tibyan, 7/62.} It does not mean that the misguided can never be guided, as obviously many faithless are brought into faith after receiving guidance.^{‎[16]Muhit, 7/195.} Rather, as we said, it is a consolation to the Prophet that if he is unable to convince some people of the truth of the message it is because they have convinced themselves that they know the whole truth, So avoid those who turn away from Our remembrance and desire nothing but the life of the world (53:29).

In conclusion, we understand that the two main requirements for guidance are the willingness to listen and to give open-minded and rational consideration to what is being said. Without these two, even the preaching of the Prophet will have no effect.^{‎[17]Qaraati, 5/192.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Abū Ḥayyān suggests that another possibility for the meaning of if you invite them to guidance they will never [let themselves] be guided is that it is pertaining to the disbelievers as a whole. In other words, if the Prophet wishes for them all to be guided, each and every one, he should know that they will never all be guided.^{‎[18]Muhit, 7/195.} While this is true, if that was the intended meaning of the verse it seems that it should have included a word indicating that the totality is meant, such as jamīʿan or kulluhum (all of them).

The previous verse has been used as evidence by the proponents of free will, whilst this verse has been used as evidence by the proponents of determinism. Rāzī notes that this is a common occurrence in the Quran and that rarely can we find a verse in the Quran used as evidence by one of these groups except that it is soon followed by one used by the other. He posits that this is because God wishes to test people, to see who is a true scholar and who is uncapable of critical thinking.^{‎[19]Razi, 21/476.} Certainly, the biggest mistake is to read the Quran with the intention of finding justification in it for one’s views. Instead, one should allow the Quran to lead and shape one’s thinking. This is the quality of a heart that is not veiled.

Tabatabai adds that both the verses are truth and that the complete authority and dominion of God extends even to the actions of His servants, who only act by His leave, and that this is the school of thought of the Ahl al-Bayt.^{‎[20]Mizan, 13/333.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn and be healed.”^{‎[21]Isaiah 6:9-10.}
2. Therefore I speak to them in parables: ‘Because they look, but do not see. And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘By hearing, you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing, you will see and shall not perceive; for this people’s heart has grown dull. Their ears have become hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I should heal them.’^{‎[22]Matthew 13:13-15.}
3. To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? See, their ears are closed, and they cannot listen. Indeed, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it.^{‎[23]Jeremiah 6:10.}
4. Therefore you will speak all these words to them. But they will not listen to you. You will also call to them, but they will not answer you.^{‎[24]Jeremiah 7:27.}
5. You are to them as a sensual song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. For they hear your words, but they do not do them. When this comes to pass, and it is coming to pass, then shall they know that a prophet has been among them.^{‎[25]Ezekiel 33:32-33.}
6. Why do you not understand My speaking? Because you cannot bear to hear My word… He who is of God hears God’s words. Therefore, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.^{‎[26]John 8:43, 47.}

[1] Zamakhshari, 2/730. This style is common in the Quran, see for example 65:11.
[2] Tibyan, 7/62.
[3] Raghib, pp. 726-727.
[4] Tibyan, 7/62; Tabari, 15/174.
[5] Tibyan, 7/62.
[6] See the commentary on verse 50.
[7] Mizan, 13/333.
[8] As Shawkānī puts it, both the tawkīnī (cosmological) signs, as well as the tanzīlī (revealed), or the two together (Shawkani, 3/350).
[9] Nahj, sermon 1. See also Nemuneh, 12/476.
[10] For example Tibyan, 7/62; Tabrisi, 6/738; Tabari, 15/174; Thalabi, 6/179.
[11] See Tibyan, 7/62.
[12] Qaraati, 5/191.
[13] Alusi, 8/286.
[14] Mizan, 13/333.
[15] Tibyan, 7/62.
[16] Muhit, 7/195.
[17] Qaraati, 5/192.
[18] Muhit, 7/195.
[19] Razi, 21/476.
[20] Mizan, 13/333.
[21] Isaiah 6:9-10.
[22] Matthew 13:13-15.
[23] Jeremiah 6:10.
[24] Jeremiah 7:27.
[25] Ezekiel 33:32-33.
[26] John 8:43, 47.