الَّذينَ كانَت أَعيُنُهُم في غِطاءٍ عَن ذِكري وَكانوا لا يَستَطيعونَ سَمعًا

Those whose eyes were blindfolded to My remembrance and who could not hear.

EXEGESIS

Fī ghiṭāʾ (blindfolded). Ghiṭāʾ is that which covers something.^{‎[1]Baghawi, 3/220.} It is an emphatic expression, as ghiṭāʾ is a thick cover which completely envelopes something.^{‎[2]Tantawi, 8/581.} The term here is figurative for not seeing the truth or understanding reality. The one who has eyes but does not use them to see is like the one whose eyes are covered.^{‎[3]Munyah, 17/85.}

The usage of the verbs kānat and kānū indicate continuity, that is the people described in the previous verse were deaf and blind all through their life in the world and did not try to see or hear the reality – and that is why they ended up in hell.

EXPOSITION

Explaining the previous verse, this verse expounds the reason for man’s dangerous myopia and his incapability of seeing the reality of hell in this world.

Those whose eyes were blindfolded: as we said, eyes here is of course the figurative eye of understanding, Indeed it is not the eyes that turn blind, but the hearts turn blind – those that are in the breasts (22:46).^{‎[4]See also 7:179 and 7:100.} It is their turning a blind eye to God’s reminders, His signs, and their own fiṭrah and conscience that they have become unable to see the reality and the consequence of their actions. Their lust and desire has caused them to become blinded by the adornment of this world: Woe to every sinful liar, who hears the signs of Allah being recited to him, yet persists disdainfully, as if he had not heard them. So inform him of a painful punishment. Should he learn anything about Our signs, he takes them in derision. For such there is a humiliating punishment. Ahead of them is hell (45:7-10).

They flee from the signs of God and those who remind them of the truth that they know, fearing the guilt it will cause them to feel and the despair that results from being reminded of the futility and wickedness of their lustful and self-serving lifestyles: they would put their fingers into their ears and draw their cloaks over their heads, and they were persistent [in their unfaith], and disdainful in [their] arrogance (71:7). Not only that, they would also wish others to remain in a similar state: The faithless say: ‘Do not listen to this Quran’ (41:26). The road that leads to hell is only travelled by those who cannot see or hear the warning signs along the way. However, their incapability of perceiving is very much a self-imposed state. This is the ‘true account’ of God, who informs man and warns him of where his path is leading (see verse 2).

For those blinded to these warnings, it is as if God has erected a wall between them and His remembrance. This calls into mind the wall of Dhū al-Qarnayn that was just discussed.^{‎[5]Mizan, 13/367.} Walls that separate between good and evil, and keep evil trapped to feed upon itself, like the wall that separates between them on the Day of Judgement, Then there will be set up between them a wall with a gate, with mercy on its interior and punishment toward its exterior (57:13).

To My remembrance: the exegetes have mentioned several possibilities for My remembrance (dhikrī):

1. The Quran;^{‎[6]Thalabi, 6/200.} one of the names of the Quran is al-dhikr.
2. The signs of God,^{‎[7]Zamakhshari, 2/749.} as they remind us of God.
3. ^{‎[8]Baghawi, 3/220.}
4. The wilāyah of the Ahl al-Bayt.^{‎[9]See Nur, 3/310-311.} This is reported in some traditions. These types of narrations can of course be considered applications of the verse, not its tafsīr.^{‎[10]Mizan, 13/377.}
5. Remembering God in the way He should be remembered.^{‎[11]Alusi, 8/366.}
6. Everything the Quran includes in it.^{‎[12]Tantawi, 8/582.}

The last opinion is most appropriate as it encompasses all the previous ones and fits best with the general purport of the verse.

And who could not hear: interestingly, God does not say that ‘they do not listen’ (yastamiʿūn), but rather that they could not hear. This is likely meant to emphasise their belligerence and defiance and the futility of trying to dissuade such people from their disastrous path. When someone did not hear you, you might be inclined to think that perhaps if you try again, they would hear you. When someone makes themselves incapable of hearing, it is pointless to keep calling out to them in hope of a result. The thing that they are incapable of hearing is the remembrance that preceded.

In short, the verse points towards two ways in which a person may be guided. Either he may witness and see the signs of God, or he may listen to the reminders and wisdom told to him.^{‎[13]Mizan, 13/366.} The world is full of the signs of God and His reminders, all that is needed is to look and listen.^{‎[14]Nemuneh, 12/556.}

As we mentioned earlier,^{‎[15]See verse 99.} the closing verses of the surah summarise some highlights of previous stories. These verses link back to the story of Moses (a). In that story we read how the consequences of actions are hidden to man and he cannot see them. This and the previous verse tell us of how the people of hell were blinded to the true outcomes of their actions, but in their case the ignorance was self-imposed and not due to any limitations. Also, unlike Moses (a) who was told about the outcomes of Khiḍr’s (a) actions only afterwards, they have been informed about the outcome of their actions and have been warned fully and clearly beforehand.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.^{‎[16]2 Corinthians 4:4.}
2. He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.^{‎[17]John 12:40.}

[1] Baghawi, 3/220.
[2] Tantawi, 8/581.
[3] Munyah, 17/85.
[4] See also 7:179 and 7:100.
[5] Mizan, 13/367.
[6] Thalabi, 6/200.
[7] Zamakhshari, 2/749.
[8] Baghawi, 3/220.
[9] See Nur, 3/310-311.
[10] Mizan, 13/377.
[11] Alusi, 8/366.
[12] Tantawi, 8/582.
[13] Mizan, 13/366.
[14] Nemuneh, 12/556.
[15] See verse 99.
[16] 2 Corinthians 4:4.
[17] John 12:40.