Not their eyes but hearts that are blinded (selected verses from Qur'an)

Accepting and bowing to the truth has always been contested since time immemorial. No one wants to deviate what one knows or what one's ancestors have passed down to the coming generations. The arrogance of being superior has always tried to overshadowed the humility which one attains when truth dawns upon them. 

And this has been so when it comes to accepting the Divine truth that has been revealed to the messengers and prophets. The history is replete with such denials of truth right from the Prophet Nuh (Noah) to all the following prophets including Ibraheem (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Eesa (Jesus) and the last of the prophets Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is why it is said in Qur'an: O Muhammad, "you are not the only one being denied, all Prophets were denied before you."

When it comes to believing, one can see the truth from one's naked eye, like all the Divine creations all around us, proving to us that such creations are even beyond the comprehension of a human being, for how can a creation can create something. Yet their hearts do not accept the truth and the remain oblivious and blinded of the truth that prophets and messengers of Allah have tried to bring home to them.

This is the very theme of the 46th verse of Surah 22. Al Hajj that we share today and see how eminent Muslim scholars have explained this very thought provoking verse:

اَفَلَمۡ يَسِيۡرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَتَكُوۡنَ لَهُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ بِهَاۤ اَوۡ اٰذَانٌ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِهَا​ ۚ فَاِنَّهَا لَا تَعۡمَى الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَلٰـكِنۡ تَعۡمَى الۡـقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِىۡ فِى الصُّدُوۡرِ‏ 

(22:46) So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.

The words “blinded are the hearts” have been used in the metaphorical and not in the literal sense. Since the heart is regarded as the center of emotions, feelings and of mental and moral qualities, these words have been used to imply that their obduracy has inhibited them from feeling and acting rationally.

The word for "heart" in Arabic speech imports both the seat of intelligent faculties and understanding as well as the seat of affections and emotions. Those who reject Allah's Message may have their physical eyes and ears, but their hearts are blind and deaf. If their faculties of understanding were active, would they not see the Signs of Allah's Providence and Allah's Wrath in nature around them and in the cities and ruins if they travel intelligently?

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ Have they not traveled through the land,) means, have they not traveled in the physical sense and also used their minds to ponder? 

That is sufficient, as Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya said in his book At-Tafakkur wal-I'tibar, "Some of the wise people said, 'Give life to your heart with lessons, illuminate it with thought, kill it with asceticism, strengthen it with certain faith, remind it of its mortality, make it aware of the calamities of this world, warn it of the disasters that life may bring, show it how things may suddenly change with the passing of days, tell it the stories of the people of the past, and remind it what happened to those who came before.'" 

Walk through their ruins, see what they did and what became of them, meaning, look at the punishments and divine wrath that struck the nations of the past who belied,

(فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear) meaning, let them learn a lesson from that.

(فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.) means, the blind person is not the one whose eyes cannot see, but rather the one who has no insight. Even if the physical eyes are sound, they still cannot learn the lesson.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Since the hearts are qualified by blindness, it shows that the eyes are qualified by words to the effect: “of the face.” It has been expressed in the translation. The Qur’ān is couched in literary Arabic; its language is not that of science. In literary Arabic, most actions of the mind are ascribed to the heart. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

Here since people who lack insight are being described, it was essential that the heart be portrayed with respect to its locus: real blindness is the blindness of the heart and the rejecters of the messenger are inflicted by this blindness. People should not think that they can see if the eyes on their face are open because the radiance of insight in the eyes comes from the heart and the eyes of their hearts are totally blind. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 5, 265)

Qur'an Wiki Explanation:

Here, Allah poses yet another rhetorical question about their effects on unbelievers: Have they never journeyed through the lands, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and their ears hear? It is not eyes that go blind; but blind indeed become the hearts that are in people’s breasts. (Verse 46) Emphasis is here placed on the location of hearts in people’s bodies, which serves to amplify the blindness of those hearts in particular. Had those hearts been able to reflect on the scenes portrayed, they would have remembered and people’s eyes would have been tearful. They would have moved towards faith, at least as a result of fearing an end like the ones that befell other communities.

My readers may ask why I  have selected this verse today? Well, it is a message for all those, specially atheists, who see the truth and creations which are simple mind blogging, yet their hearts fail to acknowledge the truth and they remain adamant to respond to the truth they see, and thus remain ignorant forever.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: The Utter Losers (in worldly life and the Hereafter) in the light of Qur'an

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Painful punishment for those who tyrannize upon the earth

The world was created for a harmonious living for everyone. Yet we see some of us flexing their muscle, due to their position of authority, wealth and mere physical strength to subdue the others. Such behavior starts from a tyrant parent at home to communities and nations. If we look around we see powerful countries waging or assisting in waging wars for their own interests and destroying the world peace. 

How ironic, that wars and tyranny is spread in the name of peace, while millions perish in the process, and still no peace could be established. The plight of Palestinians and Kashmiris is a point in case. Major powers play a big role in not resolving the disputes, rather they fuel the issues and keep these remain unsolved in the name of their interests.

However, history is replete with tales of the once powerful empires which vanished due to Divine wrath when they tyrannized others to achieve more power and dominance. Such are the people who not only see their utter fate in this world, but will also be subjected to painful punishment when the Divine court will be established on the Judgment Day. Such people have been forewarned of the Divine chastisement in the 42nd verse of Surah 42. Ash- Ash-Shura as appended below, in the backdrop of the 41st verse which reassures men who who avenges himself after he has been wronged.

اِنَّمَا السَّبِيۡلُ عَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ يَظۡلِمُوۡنَ النَّاسَ وَ يَبۡغُوۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ الۡحَقِّ​ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌ‏ 

The way [of blame] is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.

Tafsir Wiki Qur'an:

No blame attaches to those who defend themselves after having been wronged. Blame attaches only to those who oppress other people and transgress in the land against all right. For such, there is painful suffering in store." (Verses 41-42) A wronged person who retaliates against injustice, repays an evil act with its like, and who makes sure not to transgress his limits, is simply exercising his legitimate right. Hence, no blame attaches to him. No one should prevent him from exacting justice. The ones to be stopped are those who oppress and encroach on others. Human life cannot be set on a right basis while injustice continues unchecked and its perpetrators go about freely, fearing no consequence. God warns all perpetrators of injustice that they will be severely punished, but people must also rise against those responsible and prevent them from committing further injustice.

Tafsir Ibn e Kathir:

(Blame is only against those who oppress men and rebel in the earth without justification;) means, those who initiate wrongful actions against others, as it says in the Sahih Hadith:

(When two persons indulge in abusing each other, the one who initiated the wrongful action is to blame, unless the one who was wronged oversteps the mark in retaliation.)

(for such there will be a painful torment.) means, intense and agonizing. It was reported that Muhammad bin Wasi' said, "I came to Makkah and there was a security out post over the trench whose guards took me to Marwan bin Al-Muhallab, who was the governor of Basrah. He said, 'What do you need, O Abu 'Abdullah' I said, 'If you can do it, I need you to be like the brother of Banu 'Adiy.' He said, 'Who is the brother of Banu 'Adiy' He said, 'Al-'Ala' bin Ziyad; he once appointed a friend of his to a position of authority, and he wrote to him: If you can, only go to sleep after you make sure that there is nothing on your back [i.e., you do not owe anything to anyone], your stomach is empty and your hands are untainted by the blood or wealth of the Muslims. If you do that, then there will be no way (of blame) against you

إِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ النَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(The way is only against those who oppress men and rebel in the earth without justification; for such there will be a painful torment.)' Marwan said, 'He spoke the truth, by Allah, and gave sincere advice. ' Then he said, 'What do you need, O Abu 'Abdullah' I said, 'I need you to let me join my family.' He said, 'Yes [I will do that].'" This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. When Allah condemned wrongdoing and the people who do it, and prescribed Al-Qisas, He encouraged forgiveness.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: The Utter Losers (in worldly life and the Hereafter) in the light of Qur'an

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. 

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Who are the Utter Losers (in worldly life and the Hereafter) in the light of Qur'an

We much too often eye successful people around us, the executives, thriving businessmen or flashy models, and wish to be like them. We feel low when wealthy and people of power squander money and buy the luxuries of life, while the majority of the people of the world cannot buy a decent meal or clothe themselves.

This in general terms our perception and definition of success and of the successful. But, the Divine perception of success is something altogether different. 

''And when it is said to them, 'Believe as other people have believed,' they say, 'Shall we believe as the fools have believed?' Remember! it is surely they that are fools, but they do not know.' (Surah 2. Al Baqarah: Verse 13)

The real success comes from believing in One True God and following His directives as mentioned in all Divine Scriptures and advocated by the prophets and the messengers. We may be living a life in utter poverty, yet we may finally succeed in the end. But those who think they have succeeded may ultimately end up being the utter losers.

We have already shared traits of the blessed and the successful. Today, we share the verses from Qur'an that lays down the criteria for those who will fall from grace not only in this world but in the life of the Hereafter. By comparing this criterion with those who will attain true success, we may see a very thin line between the two. Yet crossing over this thin line from success to being losers is too big.

Read now how Qur'an defines these losers and warns us not to be like them, for there awaits an unimaginable chastisement for the losers in the life of Hereafter:

• The Utter Losers - Who?  (Surah 2. Al-Baqara:27)
• Severe Chastisement awaits for those who conceal what is revealed by Allah (Surah 2. Al-Baqara:174)
• Who are even more astray like cattle - The utterly heedless (Surah 7. Al A'raf: 179)
• Who will be the greatest losers in respect of their deeds (Surah 18. Al-Kahf:103-014)
• Not their eyes but hearts that are blinded (Surah 22. Al Hajj:46)
• Who are merely like cattle; nay, even worse than them (Surah 25 Al Furqan: 44)
• Painful punishment for those who tyrannize upon the earth  (Surah 42. Ash-Shura: 42)

We will add more posts specific to Man's Regrets in our future posts. In the meantime, let us steer our lives to the life as prescribed for us by our Lord, and not as being the ones who will be the ultimate losers and failures.

In the meantime, please listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nauman Ali Khan delivering a eye opening lecture on the signs of a loser generation:

For more compiled verses on specific subjects, please refer to our exclusive reference page: "Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about a specific subject."

In addition, for more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Photo | If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More