قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ
سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ
عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ
ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ
نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ
٤٧. قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ
عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ
يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
٤٨. وَمَا نُرْسِلُ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ ۖ فَمَنْ
ءَامَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
٤٩. وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ
بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
Say: “Tell me, if Allah took
away your hearing and
your sight, and sealed
up your hearts, is there
a god other than Allah who
could restore them to you”
See how variously We
explain the Ayat, yet they
turn aside. Say: “Tell me,
if the punishment of Allah
comes to you suddenly,
or openly, will any be
destroyed except wrongdoing
people” And We send
not the Messengers but as
givers of glad tidings and
as warners. So whosoever
believes and does
righteous good deeds,
upon such shall come
no fear nor shall they grieve.
But those who reject Our Ayat,
the torment will strike them
for their rebelling.
Allah said to His Messenger, say, O Muhammad , to those rebellious liars,
أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ
سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَكُمْ
Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight
just as He gave these senses to you. In another Ayat, Allah said;
هُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ
لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ
It is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing, seeing (Al-Mulk 23)
The Ayat above might also mean that Allah will not allow the disbelievers to benefit from these senses in religious terms. This is why He said next,
وَخَتَمَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ
and sealed up your hearts
He also said in other Ayat,
أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ والاٌّبْصَـرَ
Or who owns hearing and sight (Yusuf 31)
and,
وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ
يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ
And know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart
Allah said;
مَّنْ إِلَـهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِهِ
Is there a god other than Allah who could restore them to you
Meaning, is there anyone except Allah who is able to give you back these senses if Allah took them from you Only Allah is able to do so, and this is why He said here,
انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ
See how variously We explain the Ayat
and make them plain and clear, testifying to Allah’s Oneness in lordship and that those worshipped besides Him are all false and unworthy.
ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ
yet they turn aside
After this explanation, they still turn away from the truth and hinder people from following it. Allah’s statement,
قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَـكُمْ
عَذَابُ اللَّهِ بَغْتَةً
Say: “Tell me, if the punishment of Allah comes to you suddenly…”
means, while you are unaware — or during the night — striking you all of a sudden,
أَوْ جَهْرَةً
or openly
during the day, or publicly,
هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ
will any be destroyed except the wrongdoing people
This torment only strikes those who commit injustice against themselves by associating others with Allah, while those who worship Allah alone without partners will be saved from it, and they will have no fear or sorrow. In another Ayat, Allah said;
الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ
يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ
It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm, (wrong or Shirk) (Al-An’am 82)
Allah’s statement,
وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ
And We send not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as warners
means, the Messengers bring good news to Allah’s servants, as well as, command all that is good and righteous. They also warn those who disbelieve in Allah of His anger and of all types of torment. Allah said,
فَمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ
So whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds
meaning, whoever believes in his heart with what the Messengers were sent with and makes his works righteous by imitating them;
فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
upon such shall come no fear
concerning the future,
وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
nor shall they grieve.
about what they missed in the past and left behind them in this world. Certainly, Allah will be the Wali and Protector over what they left behind. Allah said next,
وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ
الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ
But those who reject Our Ayat, the torment will strike them for their rebelling
The torment will strike them because of disbelieving in the Message of the Messengers, defying Allah’s commands, committing what He prohibited and transgressing His set limits.