Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (57) Surah: Al-Kahf
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتۡ يَدَاهُۚ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفۡقَهُوهُ وَفِيٓ ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَقۡرٗاۖ وَإِن تَدۡعُهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهۡتَدُوٓاْ إِذًا أَبَدٗا
(57) [3884]Who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and he turns away from them forgetting what his hands had sent forth[3885]; verily We have put sheathes upon their hearts lest that they should comprehend it (the Qur’an)[3886] and in their ears there is an impairment[3887]. Should you ˹Muhammad˺ call them to guidance, so they would not ever find guidance[3888].
[3884] These prior nations met their eventful end, the canon of the ancients, because they committed the grave injustice of Denial. The Makkans should have no doubt in their mind that they also committed the ultimate injustice by turning their back on and scorning the Call of Faith and thus are well deserving of Divine Punishment. They, however, will await the appointed time of its happening just like that of the towns of those who came before them (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[3885] That is, he did not reflect on his evil deeds, rebelling against God and the Denying he committed and ‘forgot’, caring not a bit, about their evil consequences (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Bayḍāwī, Ibn Kathīr). This is despite the fact that sound human nature acknowledges what is good and what is evil and that he was time and again warned against them by the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3886] Such a ‘comprehension’ with which comes benefit (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, al-Shinqīṭī): “For him whom God does not give any light, there is no light” (24: 40).
[3887] Their aversion to and heedlessness of the Message has a reason (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). This they earned in return for their ardent Denial (cf. al-Shinqīṭī, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān) and because their hearts are smitten with the disease of doubt: “We keep on turning their hearts and their sights away for not Believing in it the first time and ˹thus˺ We leave them to wander aimlessly in their ˹unbending˺ recalcitrance” (6: 110); “And We put sheaths over their hearts lest they would perceive it, and in their ears there is impairment; when you mention your Lord ˹being˺ Alone, in the Qur’an, they turn on their heels in aversion” (17: 46); “So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate; Allah does not guide the rebellious people” (61: 5).
[3888] The fact of the matter is laid bare before the Messenger (ﷺ); eager as he was, they would never Believe. Guidance is in God’s Hand: “Never will most people be eager as you are ˹Muhammad˺ to Believe!” (12: 103). “Certainly ˹Muhammad˺, the ones over whom the Word of your Lord has come true, will never Believe; *not ever if every Sign was to come to them, until they ˹actually˺ see the painful Punishment (10: 96-97).
al-Shinqīṭī comments: “This aya and its likes in the Qur’an have two well-known interpretations. The first, is that they pertain to those whom in Allah’s Prior Knowledge would be ill-fated. The second, is that they find no guidance as long as they don the mantle of Denial. But, if Allah guides them to Belief and they relent, the cause ˹of misguidance˺ will be removed. However, the first interpretation is the closer of the two. Allah Knows best!”
[3885] That is, he did not reflect on his evil deeds, rebelling against God and the Denying he committed and ‘forgot’, caring not a bit, about their evil consequences (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Bayḍāwī, Ibn Kathīr). This is despite the fact that sound human nature acknowledges what is good and what is evil and that he was time and again warned against them by the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3886] Such a ‘comprehension’ with which comes benefit (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, al-Shinqīṭī): “For him whom God does not give any light, there is no light” (24: 40).
[3887] Their aversion to and heedlessness of the Message has a reason (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). This they earned in return for their ardent Denial (cf. al-Shinqīṭī, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān) and because their hearts are smitten with the disease of doubt: “We keep on turning their hearts and their sights away for not Believing in it the first time and ˹thus˺ We leave them to wander aimlessly in their ˹unbending˺ recalcitrance” (6: 110); “And We put sheaths over their hearts lest they would perceive it, and in their ears there is impairment; when you mention your Lord ˹being˺ Alone, in the Qur’an, they turn on their heels in aversion” (17: 46); “So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate; Allah does not guide the rebellious people” (61: 5).
[3888] The fact of the matter is laid bare before the Messenger (ﷺ); eager as he was, they would never Believe. Guidance is in God’s Hand: “Never will most people be eager as you are ˹Muhammad˺ to Believe!” (12: 103). “Certainly ˹Muhammad˺, the ones over whom the Word of your Lord has come true, will never Believe; *not ever if every Sign was to come to them, until they ˹actually˺ see the painful Punishment (10: 96-97).
al-Shinqīṭī comments: “This aya and its likes in the Qur’an have two well-known interpretations. The first, is that they pertain to those whom in Allah’s Prior Knowledge would be ill-fated. The second, is that they find no guidance as long as they don the mantle of Denial. But, if Allah guides them to Belief and they relent, the cause ˹of misguidance˺ will be removed. However, the first interpretation is the closer of the two. Allah Knows best!”
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (57) Surah: Al-Kahf
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.