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.
Related Ayahs
وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا۟ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And there will appear to them the evils they had earned, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allāh is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit]."
ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ كِتَـٰبًا مُّتَشَـٰبِهًا مَّثَانِىَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ
Allāh has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance [i.e., mention] of Allāh. That is the guidance of Allāh by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allāh sends astray - for him there is no guide.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allāh has guided, and those are people of understanding.