their hearts and eyes until they come to what was already established concerning them in My knowledge.” He said: “This is like His saying:
8:24 “And know that Allah intervenes between a person and his heart.”
Others said: The meaning is that We turn their hearts and eyes away because they failed to believe in it the first time; thus We punished them by turning their hearts and eyes away. This is a sound interpretation, for the comparative particle ka (“as”) also carries a causal sense, as in His saying:
“And do good as Allah has done good to you.”
And His saying:
“Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves, reciting Our verses to you, purifying you, teaching you the Book and wisdom, and teaching you what you did not know. So remember Me; I will remember you.”
What makes this combination of causation and comparison apt is that it conveys that recompense corresponds to the deed, whether good or evil.
Turning means changing something from one direction to another. Sending down the sign and allowing them to witness it as they had requested would call for them to believe when it came, since they would see it with their own eyes, recognize its proofs, and ascertain its truth. If they did not believe, that would constitute a turning of their hearts and eyes away from their proper direction.
Muslim narrated in his Sahīh, on the authority of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Amr, that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “All the hearts of the children of Adam are between two of the Most Merciful’s fingers, like a single heart, which He directs however He wills.” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “O Allah, Director of hearts, direct our hearts to obey You.”
Al-Tirmidhī narrated on the authority of Anas, who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would frequently say, ‘O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have believed in you and in what you have brought. Do you still fear for us?’ He replied, ‘Indeed, hearts are between two of Allah’s fingers; He turns them however He wills.’”
Al-Tirmidhī said: “This is a sound hadith.”
Hammād narrated from Ayyūb, Hishām, and Ya‘lā ibn Ziyād, from al-Hasan, who said that ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “A supplication the Messenger of Allah ﷺ frequently made was: ‘O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, is this a supplication you make so often?’ He replied, ‘There is no servant whose heart is not between two of Allah’s fingers. If He wills to keep it upright, He keeps it upright,