وَما يُدريكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكّىٰ
أَو يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكرىٰ
And how do you know, maybe he would purify himself,
or take admonition, and the admonition would benefit him!
EXEGESIS
Mā yudrīka (how do you know) is a rhetorical expression used thrice in the Quran, alongside the similar and far more common mā adrāka, which is used in thirteen verses. The other two instances of mā yudrīka are both in reference to the final hour, What do you know, maybe the hour is near (33:63), and almost exactly the same in 42:17. Yudrī is the present tense of adrā, meaning to make understand and comprehend. As it is a causative verb, the literal meaning of the expression is ‘what makes you know?’
It is reported from Ibn Abbas that the practical distinction between mā adrāka and mā yudrīka is as follows: ‘When mā adrāka is used, God subsequently explains the matter to the Prophet (s), whereas when mā yudrīka appears, God withholds its knowledge even from him.’
See also the commentary on 69:1-3.
Yazzakkā (purify himself) comes from zakā meaning to purify. It is contracted from the original yatazakkā (with an extra z replacing the t), which has a reflexive meaning of purifying oneself.
Yadhdhakkaru (take admonition) is derived from dhakara, meaning to mention or to remember something. It is also in contracted form here from yatadhakkaru (with an extra dh replacing the t), and has a reflexive meaning of making oneself remember, which in this context means to take admonition.
EXPOSITION
The pronoun shifts from the third person to the first person, now addressing the frowner directly. Such rhetorical shift is a common feature of the Quran, which serves to heighten immediacy and personal accountability. This closing of the gap and escalation from narrative distance to direct address enhances the relatability of the subject matter and calls upon the reader to ponder it more carefully and reflect on its relevance in his own life.
The third person (he/him) in these verses is referring to the blind man. In other words, it is saying to the frowner: why did you turn away from the blind man? How do you know that whatever advice and answer given to him would not have benefitted him? How do you know what his intention and need were? According to Ṭūsī (who does not believe the frowner was the Prophet), there is an implied directive here addressed to the Prophet, saying: ‘Tell the frowner, O Muhammad, how do you know, maybe he would purify himself, or take admonition, and the admonition would benefit him!’ The same would apply to all subsequent addresses.
Note also the two options given in the two verses: either the blind man will purify himself or take admonition. That is, if he is a person who is on a bad path, he will repent and purify himself from sins; or if he is already a believer and on a good path, he will be increased in faith by the reminders. Either way, he should not be dismissed.
Another plausible interpretation is that purify refers to spiritual refinement (tazkiyah), whilst admonition (tadhakkur) pertains to intellectual knowledge. Since knowledge on its own is not necessarily of benefit for one’s spirituality and hereafter, it is qualified by and the admonition would benefit him. When listening to the Quran, or a hadith, or a sermon, one may either benefit from it directly in a spiritual manner (by repenting or by coming closer to God), or may acquire knowledge which can later be applied for self-purification. A non-believer may accumulate extensive knowledge about God, faith, and the prophets, yet remain spiritually unaffected (and that knowledge may in fact act as evidence against him), whereas a believer will benefit from knowledge because he can act upon it, transforming it into spiritual and moral growth (51:55).
The usage of mā yudrīka also deserves closer consideration. It is a strong emphasis on the fact that we as human beings cannot escape the limits of our understanding and humanity. We can never know what truly is in the heart of another person, therefore our behaviour and action should follow certain standards and guidelines to account for that. One of those guidelines is to show respect and kindness to all people, regardless of their appearance and social standing.
Furthermore, we do not know what the future holds and whether the faithless one will tomorrow become faithful, or if the faithful one will tomorrow become faithless. We should not be quick to judge people. Comparing this to the verse You cannot guide whomever you wish, but [it is] Allah [who] guides whomever He wishes, and He knows best those who seek guidance (28:56), we can reach a profound conclusion about that verse: we may often wish to guide someone, but are we really in a position to judge who deserves to be guided? Indeed it is God alone who can know the inner workings of men’s hearts and can decide such matters.
We may often think that words and speeches are just talk and make no difference. However, there are always truth seekers amongst people who are searching and yearning for guidance, and they will be benefited by reminders: And admonish, for admonition indeed benefits the faithful (51:55). We should never underestimate the power and effect of good reminders.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Imam al-Bāqir (a), through his fathers, from Imam Ali (a): ‘God has hidden four [things] within four … He has hidden His close friends (awliyāʾ) amongst His servants. So do not belittle any of His servants, for it could be that he is His close friend, and you do not know.’
- From Anas ibn Mālik, that the Prophet said: ‘How many are there with dishevelled hair, covered with dust, possessing only two cloths, whom no one pays any mind to – yet if they were to swear by God, He would fulfil it.’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ālūsī says that tazkiyah (purification) has been mentioned before tadhakkur (remembrance) in the verses because takhliyah (emptying oneself of evil) should always precede taḥliyah (filling the vessel of the heart with virtue).
Some have suggested that perhaps the third person in these verses is not referring to the blind man, but to the wealthy man with whom the frowner was talking.
The tone would be completely different then and it would hence mean: why did you turn away from the blind man? How do you know that the person you were talking to would benefit from your reminders and admonishments? What made you think they would accept your message?
The problem with this interpretation is that the sentence laʿallahu yazzakkā (maybe he would purify) expresses hopeful expectation rather than disappointed resignation regarding potential benefit. The wording suggests an optimistic possibility of spiritual growth, not a pessimistic assumption of futility. Moreover, the subsequent set of three verses turn their attention to the rich man, and if these two verses were talking about him, the following verses would not make much sense.
[1] For both verbs see Tibyan, 10/269.
[2] Tibyan, 10/269.
[3] Khisal, pp. 209-210.
[4] Tirmidhi, 5/355, h. 3945. See also Amali.S, p. 470, h. 627; Amali.T, p. 429, h. 959; Tawhid, p. 400; Wasail, 12/268-269, h. 16277.
[5] Alusi, 15/242.
[6] Related in Thalabi, 4/701; Zamakhshari, 4/701; Razi, 31/54; Alusi, 15/242-243.