وَسَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ 10
Translations
And it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.
Transliteration
Wa sawaa'un alayhim a-andhartahum am lam tundhirhum laa yu'minoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah expresses that it makes no difference to the disbelievers whether the Prophet warns them or not—they will not believe regardless. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this reflects the spiritual hardness and obstinacy of those whose hearts Allah has sealed from guidance. The ayah illustrates a crucial principle: belief ultimately depends on divine will and the recipient's openness to truth, not merely on the delivery of the message.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ya-Sin, which addresses the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of Prophet Muhammad's message. The surah establishes that despite clear signs and warnings, some people's hearts remain unmoved due to their own rejection and Allah's decree regarding those who turn away from guidance.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of Umm Habibah (Sahih Bukhari) where the Prophet said regarding those who reject faith: 'Their hearts are sealed by Allah.' Additionally, Surah Al-An'am 6:25 complements this theme with the hadith traditions explaining that some disbelievers do not listen despite clear preaching.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that their responsibility is to convey the message sincerely and clearly, while acknowledging that ultimate acceptance of faith rests with Allah alone. It provides comfort to preachers and da'is (Islamic teachers) not to despair when facing rejection, understanding that persistence in calling to truth is obligatory regardless of perceived results.
Related Ayahs
قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ
They said, "You are not but human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing. You are only telling lies."
۞ أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا۟ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy -
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ ۗ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."
إِنِّىٓ إِذًا لَّفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ
Indeed, I would then be in manifest error.