وَلَو نَشاءُ لَمَسَخناهُم عَلىٰ مَكانَتِهِم فَمَا استَطاعوا مُضِيًّا وَلا يَرجِعونَ

And had We wished We would have deformed them in their place; then they would have neither been able to go ahead nor to go back.

EXEGESIS

Masakhnāhum (we deformed them) is from the root maskh, which means transforming or metamorphosing into a worse, fouler, or uglier shape. Generally, maskh means metamorphosis from a natural form or image into a deformed and distorted one.^{‎[1]Mizan, 17/107.}

Muḍiyyan (go ahead) is from the verb maḍā, which means he advanced, proceeded, or moved ahead. It could also indicate that he passed, passed away, went, or went away. The first meaning is more appropriate in the context of this verse.

EXPOSITION

This verse indicates that if God willed, He would have transformed and deformed the deniers on the spot without requiring a slow, natural process of transformation; thus, they would be paralysed. Tabatabai considers this verse to indicate a form of metamorphosis in which they would neither be able to move ahead, get out of it, nor would they be able to go back to their previous state before the punishment, making them some stagnant and soulless figures. Some exegetes believe that the verse is reminding of the power of God to punish them in a way that they would not be able to continue doing what they were planning to do, and they would not be able to return to their homes or family members. However, this meaning is far from the context of the verse.^{‎[2]Mizan, 17/107.}

Regardless of the probable meanings, the majority of exegetes have considered this verse to be in line with the previous verse that warns the criminals about God’s painful punishments in this world. Still, He would not do so due to His passion and mercy for His creation. Perhaps these stubborn, wicked evildoers might pay heed to His warnings and quit committing evil acts.

A minority of commentators believe that the verse alludes to the state of the criminals in the hereafter. After God seals their mouths, He would punish them with two types of potential punishments: obliterating their eyes so they could not see the path to paradise, and making them immobile and paralysed; hence, they cannot move forward or back and remain confused, not knowing what to do in the arena of resurrection.^{‎[3]Amthal, 14/227.}

Whatever the case, the verse is a strong reminder to us as human beings. What if God transforms and transfigures us into motionless flesh? Isn’t our human-ness something given to us by God, and is it not by and because of this human-ness that we defy Him? He could have changed our creation in a way we could not have walked, talked, listened, or seen. It is all by the power of His creation that all these have become possible. Interestingly, the following verse says that this deformation happens to you if you have eyes to see and hearts to ponder.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

When God makes them blind they could not see the path of guidance. However, if they insist and continue seeking the path of guidance through other senses or their intellect, such as listening and walking blindly on the path by fumbling, God would deform them in a way that they would not be able to reach the path of guidance at all.^{‎[4]Razi, 26/103.}

[1] Mizan, 17/107.
[2] Mizan, 17/107.
[3] Amthal, 14/227.
[4] Razi, 26/103.