ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمْ ۖ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ 35
Translations
Those who dispute concerning the signs of Allāh without an authority having come to them - great is hatred [of them] in the sight of Allāh and in the sight of those who have believed. Thus does Allāh seal over every heart [belonging to] an arrogant tyrant.
Transliteration
Alladhina yujadilun fi ayati Allahi bighayri sultanin atahum, kabura maqtan inda Allahi wa inda alladhina amanu, kathalika yatbaʿu Allahu ala kulli qalbi mutakabbirin jabbar
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who argue against the signs of Allah without any proof or authority (sultanin), describing such behavior as greatly abhorred by Allah and the believers. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase indicates that those who dispute the divine signs out of arrogance and without evidence are engaged in a futile pursuit that stems from spiritual blindness. The verse concludes that Allah seals the hearts of every arrogant and tyrannical person, preventing them from accepting guidance, which is a consequence of their deliberate rejection and pride.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Ghafir, which addresses the persistent rejection of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the Quraysh elite who argued against Islamic teachings without valid evidence. The surah's broader context deals with the arrogance of disbelievers and the mercy of Allah toward believers, making this verse part of a larger theme about the spiritual consequences of obstinate denial.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most hateful of people to Allah are three: a polytheist in the sacred sanctuary, one who seeks the ways of the Jahiliyyah in Islam, and one who sheds blood in the sacred months' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the hadith about heart sealing relates to: 'When the believer sins, a black spot appears on his heart, and if he repents, it is polished away' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), illustrating the process described in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that pride and arrogant argumentation without evidence are spiritually destructive, leading to a hardening of the heart that prevents one from accepting truth. Believers should approach Islamic knowledge with humility and seek guidance earnestly, recognizing that mere intellectual disputation devoid of sincere inquiry distances one from divine mercy.