وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا وَلَّىٰ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا كَأَنَّ فِىٓ أُذُنَيْهِ وَقْرًا ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ 7
Translations
And when Our verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard them, as if there was in his ears deafness. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Wa-idha tutla 'alayhi ayatuna walla mustakbiran ka-an lam yasma'ha ka-anna fi udhunayhi waqran fa-bashshirhu bi-adhab alim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who turn away arrogantly from Allah's verses when they are recited to them, as if they neither hear nor understand—their ears are sealed (figuratively) by their pride and heedlessness. The scholars, including Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, interpret this as depicting the spiritual blindness and deafness that results from arrogance and rejection of divine guidance; such people are warned of a painful punishment in the afterlife. The phrase 'waqran' (heaviness/deafness in the ears) is understood metaphorically as spiritual obstruction caused by their own arrogance and stubbornness.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Mecca and addresses the characteristics of disbelievers and those who reject Allah's message despite its clarity. This particular ayah fits within the broader theme of Surah Luqman, which contrasts the behaviors of the righteous and the arrogant, serving as an admonition to those who reject faith with full knowledge and deliberate pride.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), which implicitly contrasts with those who reject it. Additionally, 'Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, there is no prayer for him except with an excuse' (Sunan Ibn Majah 793) relates thematically to willful rejection of divine guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns us that arrogance is one of the greatest obstacles to accepting divine guidance—no amount of clarity in the message will benefit those whose hearts are sealed by pride and stubborn rejection. Believers should cultivate humility and openness to Allah's signs, recognizing that arrogance leads not only to spiritual loss in this life but also to painful consequences in the hereafter.