وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًا 57
Translations
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance - they will never be guided, then - ever.
Transliteration
Wa man azlamu mimman zukkira bi-ayati Rabbihi fa-a'rada anha wa nasiya ma qaddamat yadahu. Inna ja'alna ala qulubihim akinnatan an yafqahuhu wa fi adhanihim qarran. Wa in tad'uhum ila al-huda falan yahtadoo idhan abadan.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who, after receiving clear reminders of Allah's signs, turn away from them and forget the consequences of their deeds. Allah describes how He has sealed the hearts of such people with coverings and placed deafness in their ears, making them unable to comprehend the message even if invited to guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this sealing is a consequence of their willful rejection—a divine response proportionate to their own choice to ignore the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Kahf, which addresses the Meccan disbelievers who stubbornly rejected the Qur'an despite its clear proofs. The broader context of this surah deals with testing through wealth, knowledge, and adherence to faith. This particular verse reflects the spiritual condition of those who witness divine signs yet consciously turn away, becoming progressively hardened in disbelief.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of the Prophet (SAW) in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim describes how the heart becomes covered with rust (ران) due to sins and neglect of remembrance, directly relating to the 'akinnah' (coverings) mentioned in this ayah. Additionally, Tirmidhi records a hadith about how those who turn away from guidance become increasingly blind to truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of divine guidance leads to spiritual blindness—a self-inflicted condition where the heart becomes sealed and unreceptive. Modern readers should recognize the danger of dismissing religious reminders and understand that sincere openness to God's message is essential before the heart becomes too hardened to benefit from guidance.