﴿39﴾ “Those who deny Our signs are deaf and dumb, in layers of darkness. Whoever Allah wills, He leads astray; and whoever He wills, He sets upon a straight path.”

This describes the condition of those who deny Allah’s signs and reject His messengers: they have closed the gate of guidance against themselves and opened the gate of ruin. They are “deaf” to hearing the truth and “dumb” when it comes to speaking it, so they utter nothing but falsehood (1).

“In layers of darkness”—that is, they are immersed in the darkness of ignorance, disbelief, wrongdoing, obstinacy, and sin. This results from Allah’s leading them astray: “Whoever Allah wills, He leads astray; and whoever He wills, He sets upon a straight path,” for He alone guides and leads astray, in accordance with the dictates of His grace and wisdom.