وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ ٱشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ 45
Translations
And when Allāh is mentioned alone, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but when those [worshipped] other than Him are mentioned, immediately they rejoice.
Transliteration
Wa-idha dhukira Allahu wahdahu ishma' azzat qulub alladhina la yu'minun bil-akhirah wa-idha dhukira alladhina min ddunihi idha hum yastabshirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the psychological response of disbelievers when Allah alone is mentioned versus when false deities or partners are mentioned. When Allah's oneness (tawhid) is proclaimed, their hearts shrink back in aversion and discomfort; conversely, when other deities are invoked, they rejoice and become delighted. Ibn Kathir explains this reflects the spiritual sickness of those who reject the Hereafter—their hearts are naturally repelled by pure monotheism because it contradicts their desires and false beliefs. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this aversion is a sign of their hearts being sealed (khatama Allahu 'ala qulubihim).
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zumar, revealed in Mecca during the early Meccan period when polytheism was rampant among the Quraysh. It addresses the Meccan context where idolaters openly worshipped false gods alongside Allah, and their emotional and spiritual attachment to shirk (associating partners with Allah) was evident. The surah broadly discusses the consequences of rejecting monotheism and the certainty of the Hereafter.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The heart becomes hardened by two things: excessive laughter and excessive worldly pursuits' (Tirmidhi). Related thematically is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet described how hearts become sealed when people persistently reject truth: 'When Allah desires good for a servant, He softens his heart for Islam; when He desires otherwise, He hardens it.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that resistance to monotheism often stems from spiritual illness rather than intellectual confusion alone—those who reject pure tawhid do so because their hearts are diseased and inclined toward worldly desires and falsehood. For modern readers, it serves as a sobering reminder that persistent rejection of Allah's signs hardens the heart, making guidance increasingly difficult, and underscores the importance of remaining receptive to divine truth.