Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (41)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(6–7) “Indeed, those who disbelieve—it is all the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them—they will not believe. * Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their sight is a veil. And for them is a tremendous punishment.”

Allah Most High informs us that those who disbelieve—that is, those who have taken on the character of disbelief, become thoroughly imbued with it, and made it an inseparable trait—cannot be deterred from it by anything, nor does any admonition benefit them. They persist in their disbelief, so it is all the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them: they will not believe. The true meaning of disbelief is to deny what the Messenger brought, or to deny any part of it. The call therefore benefits these disbelievers only by establishing the proof against them. This is as though to cut off the Messenger’s—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—hope that they will believe, so that he will neither grieve over them nor waste away in sorrow on their account. ⦗42⦘

He then mentioned the barriers preventing them from believing, saying: “Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing.” That is, He has stamped them with a seal through which faith can neither enter nor penetrate. Thus, they neither comprehend what would benefit them nor listen to what would profit them.

“And over their sight is a veil.” That is, there are coverings, veils, and barriers that prevent them from seeing in a way that would benefit them. These avenues of knowledge and goodness have been closed to them; there is therefore no hope for them, nor is any good expected from them. They were deprived of this, and the gates of faith were closed to them, because of their disbelief, denial, and stubborn opposition after the truth had become clear to them. As Allah Most High says: “We turn their hearts and their eyes away, just as they refused to believe in it the first time.” This is their immediate punishment.

He then mentioned their punishment in the Hereafter, saying: “And for them is a tremendous punishment.” It is the punishment of the Fire and the unceasing, everlasting wrath of the Almighty.

Allah Most High then described the hypocrites, whose outward appearance is Islam while inwardly they harbor disbelief, saying:

﴿٦ - ٧﴾ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ * خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ . يخبر تعالى أن الذين كفروا، أي: اتصفوا بالكفر، وانصبغوا به، وصار وصفا لهم لازما، لا يردعهم عنه رادع، ولا ينجع فيهم وعظ، إنهم مستمرون على كفرهم، فسواء عليهم أأنذرتهم، أم لم تنذرهم لا يؤمنون، وحقيقة الكفر: هو الجحود لما جاء به الرسول، أو جحد بعضه، فهؤلاء الكفار لا تفيدهم ⦗٤٢⦘ الدعوة إلا إقامة الحجة، وكأن في هذا قطعا لطمع الرسول ﷺ في إيمانهم، وأنك لا تأس عليهم، ولا تذهب نفسك عليهم حسرات. ثم ذكر الموانع المانعة لهم من الإيمان فقال: ﴿خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ﴾ أي: طبع عليها بطابع لا يدخلها الإيمان، ولا ينفذ فيها، فلا يعون ما ينفعهم، ولا يسمعون ما يفيدهم. ﴿وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ﴾ أي: غشاء وغطاء وأكنة تمنعها عن النظر الذي ينفعهم، وهذه طرق العلم والخير، قد سدت عليهم، فلا مطمع فيهم، ولا خير يرجى عندهم، وإنما منعوا ذلك، وسدت عنهم أبواب الإيمان بسبب كفرهم وجحودهم ومعاندتهم بعد ما تبين لهم الحق، كما قال تعالى: ﴿وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ﴾ وهذا عقاب عاجل. ثم ذكر العقاب الآجل، فقال: ﴿وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ وهو عذاب النار، وسخط الجبار المستمر الدائم. ثم قال تعالى في وصف المنافقين الذين ظاهرهم الإسلام وباطنهم الكفر فقال: