فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ 125
Translations
So whoever Allāh wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islām; and whoever He wants to send astray - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allāh place defilement upon those who do not believe.
Transliteration
Faman yurid-illahu an yahdiyahu yashrah sadruhu lil-islam wa man yurid an yudilluhu yaj'al sadruhu dayyiqan harajak annamaa yassaw'adu fi as-sama'. Kadhalika yaj'al-illahu ar-rijsa 'ala alladhina la yu'minun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the spiritual states of those whom Allah wills to guide versus those He wills to leave astray. For the guided, Allah expands their hearts (yashrah sadruhu) with ease, clarity, and receptiveness to Islam, while for the misguided, He narrows and constricts their hearts with difficulty and burden—comparable to the crushing pressure one experiences ascending to the heavens. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this describes the natural psychological and spiritual consequence of one's choices: those who seek guidance find their hearts opened to faith, while those who resist find their hearts increasingly hardened and closed off from truth.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca, this ayah addresses the polytheists' persistent rejection of the Prophet's message despite clear signs. The context of Surah Al-An'am centers on monotheism and refuting idolatry, and this verse explains the spiritual mechanism behind why some accept guidance while others remain in disbelief—not due to lack of evidence, but due to the state of their hearts which Allah seals based on their own choices and attitudes.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Verily, when a slave commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart, and when he repents and gives it up, his heart is polished clean; but if he returns to the sin, the blackening increases.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2501). Also relevant: 'The heart becomes hardened by two things: playing and lying.' (at-Tirmidhi)
Themes
Key Lesson
Our spiritual state is not arbitrary but is directly connected to our choices and attitudes toward truth; when we sincerely seek guidance and remain humble, Allah opens our hearts to understanding and belief, while arrogance and rejection progressively harden the heart. This teaches accountability: we must guard our hearts through righteous deeds and constant seeking of knowledge, knowing that our persistent choices shape our spiritual trajectory.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَـٰبٌ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Say, "Shall we invoke instead of Allāh that which neither benefits us nor harms us and be turned back on our heels after Allāh has guided us? [We would then be] like one whom the devils enticed [to wander] upon the earth confused, [while] he has companions inviting him to guidance, [calling], 'Come to us.'" Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allāh is the [only] guidance; and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.
وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ حَمُولَةً وَفَرْشًا ۚ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
And of the grazing livestock are carriers [of burdens] and those [too] small. Eat of what Allāh has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُم مِّن ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُۥ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً لَّئِنْ أَنجَىٰنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
Say, "Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, 'If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.'"
أَوْ تَقُولُوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمْ ۚ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ ۚ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا ۗ سَنَجْزِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَصْدِفُونَ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْدِفُونَ
Or lest you say, "If only the Scripture had been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they." So there has [now] come to you a clear evidence from your Lord and a guidance and mercy. Then who is more unjust than one who denies the verses of Allāh and turns away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our verses with the worst of punishment for their having turned away.