⦗74⦘ “Then We sent after him messengers to their peoples, and they came to them with clear proofs. But they would not believe in what they had denied before. Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.”

That is, “Then We sent,” after Noah—peace be upon him—“messengers to their peoples,” who denied them. They called them to guidance and warned them against the causes of ruin.

“And they came to them with clear proofs.” That is, every prophet supported his call with signs demonstrating the truth of what he brought.

“But they would not believe in what they had denied before.” This means that Allah punished them: when the messenger came to them, they hastened to deny him, so Allah sealed their hearts and barred them from faith after they had been capable of embracing it. As the Exalted says, “We turn their hearts and their eyes away, for they refused to believe in it the first time.”

Hence He says here, “Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors.” That is, We close them up so that no good can enter them. [Allah] did not wrong them; rather, they wronged themselves by rejecting the truth when it came to them and by their initial denial.