أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰفِلُونَ 108
Translations
Those are the ones over whose hearts and hearing and vision Allāh has sealed, and it is those who are the heedless.
Transliteration
Ulā'ika alladhīna ṭaba'a Allāhu 'alā qulūbihim wa-sam'ihim wa-abṣārihim wa-ulā'ika humu al-ghāfilūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who have rejected Allah's signs and guidance: Allah has sealed their hearts, hearing, and sight as a consequence of their persistent rejection and arrogance. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this sealing (ṭab') is both a punishment for their disbelief and a manifestation of their spiritual blindness, rendering them heedless (ghāfilūn) of the truth. The mention of heart, hearing, and sight encompasses the complete human faculties of understanding, perception, and perception—indicating total spiritual deprivation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah An-Nahl within a passage addressing those who reject the divine message despite clear signs. It follows verses discussing those who knowingly turn away from Allah's guidance, providing theological explanation for their state of hardness and impermeability to faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa-sallam) said: 'When a servant of Allah commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents, his heart is polished, but if he continues, the blackness increases until it covers his entire heart' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). This hadith relates to the concept of spiritual sealing described in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns that persistent rejection and arrogance towards divine signs can lead to a spiritual state where one becomes incapable of recognizing truth—a self-inflicted punishment. Modern readers should recognize that spiritual receptivity requires humility, openness to guidance, and continuous mindfulness, lest prolonged heedlessness hardens the heart.