سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 57
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًا ﴿57﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting what (deeds) his hands have sent forth. Truly, We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this (the Qur’ân), and in their ears, deafness. And if you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) call them to guidance, even then they will never be guided.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَنْ
waman
And who
أَظْلَمُ
aẓlamu
(is) more wrong
مِمَّن
mimman
than (he) who
ذُكِّرَ
dhukkira
is reminded
بِـَٔايَـٰتِ
biāyāti
of the Verses
رَبِّهِۦ
rabbihi
(of) his Lord
فَأَعْرَضَ
fa-aʿraḍa
but turns away
عَنْهَا
ʿanhā
from them
وَنَسِىَ
wanasiya
and forgets
مَا
mā
what
قَدَّمَتْ
qaddamat
have sent forth
يَدَاهُ ۚ
yadāhu
his hands
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, We
جَعَلْنَا
jaʿalnā
[We] have placed
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
قُلُوبِهِمْ
qulūbihim
their hearts
أَكِنَّةً
akinnatan
coverings
أَن
an
lest
يَفْقَهُوهُ
yafqahūhu
they understand it
وَفِىٓ
wafī
and in
ءَاذَانِهِمْ
ādhānihim
their ears
وَقْرًۭا ۖ
waqran
(is) deafness
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تَدْعُهُمْ
tadʿuhum
you call them
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلْهُدَىٰ
l-hudā
the guidance
فَلَن
falan
then never
يَهْتَدُوٓا۟
yahtadū
they will be guided
إِذًا
idhan
then
أَبَدًۭا
abadan
ever
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 57) ➊ {وَ مَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِاٰيٰتِ رَبِّهٖ …:} means that there is no one more unjust than this. In the Quran, wherever this phrase is used about someone, all of them are such that there is no one more unjust than them. For example, who can be more unjust than the one who fabricates lies against Allah. See Surah Al-Kahf (15).
➋ {اِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ اَكِنَّةً …: ’’ اَكِنَّةً ‘‘ ’’كِنَانٌ‘‘} is the plural of 'كِنَانٌ', meaning veils. {’’ وَقْرًا ‘‘} means burden, deafness. That is, when a person does not take any effect from someone’s straightforward explanation, but knowingly becomes stubborn and quarrelsome, mocks the clear verses of Allah, and does not learn any lesson from his own misdeeds and their bad consequences, then eventually the result is that a veil is placed over his heart and his ears become deaf to hearing the truth. After that, even if someone calls him to the straight path, he does not budge at all. Although this condition arises from his own actions, since Allah is the Creator of everything, the act of creating this condition has been attributed to Allah.
➋ {اِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ اَكِنَّةً …: ’’ اَكِنَّةً ‘‘ ’’كِنَانٌ‘‘} is the plural of 'كِنَانٌ', meaning veils. {’’ وَقْرًا ‘‘} means burden, deafness. That is, when a person does not take any effect from someone’s straightforward explanation, but knowingly becomes stubborn and quarrelsome, mocks the clear verses of Allah, and does not learn any lesson from his own misdeeds and their bad consequences, then eventually the result is that a veil is placed over his heart and his ears become deaf to hearing the truth. After that, even if someone calls him to the straight path, he does not budge at all. Although this condition arises from his own actions, since Allah is the Creator of everything, the act of creating this condition has been attributed to Allah.
