(22–23) “Indeed, the worst of living creatures in Allah’s sight are the deaf and mute who do not reason. * Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear. Yet even if He had made them hear, they would have turned away in aversion.”

Allah Most High says: “Indeed, the worst of living creatures in Allah’s sight” are those for whom the signs and warnings are of no benefit. They are “the deaf” who do not listen to the truth and “the mute” who do not speak it—those “who do not reason”: they neither comprehend what benefits them nor prefer it to what harms them. Such people are worse in Allah’s sight than all (1) creatures, because Allah gave them hearing, sight, and hearts so that they might use them in obedience to Him; instead, they used them to disobey Him and thereby deprived themselves of abundant good, though they had the opportunity to be among the best of creation.

They rejected this path and chose for themselves to be among the worst of creation. The hearing that Allah denied them is the hearing of meaning that affects the heart. As for hearing the proof, Allah Most High’s proof was established against them through what they heard of His verses. He did not grant them beneficial hearing only because He knew of no good in them by which they might become fit to hear His verses.

“Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear. Yet even if He had made them hear”—hypothetically and for argument’s sake—“they would have turned away” from obedience “in aversion,” having no regard whatsoever for the truth. This proves that Allah Most High withholds faith and goodness only from one in whom there is no good and in whom it would neither flourish nor bear fruit. To Him, Most High, belong all praise and wisdom in this.