سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 100
أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَآ أَن لَّوْ نَشَآءُ أَصَبْنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ ﴿100﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth in succession from its (previous) possessors, that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Would it not
يَهْدِ
yahdi
guide
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
[for] those who
يَرِثُونَ
yarithūna
inherit
ٱلْأَرْضَ
l-arḍa
the land
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
أَهْلِهَآ
ahlihā
its people
أَن
an
that
لَّوْ
law
if
نَشَآءُ
nashāu
We willed
أَصَبْنَـٰهُم
aṣabnāhum
We (could) afflict them
بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۚ
bidhunūbihim
for their sins
وَنَطْبَعُ
wanaṭbaʿu
and We put a seal
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
قُلُوبِهِمْ
qulūbihim
their hearts
فَهُمْ
fahum
so they
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَسْمَعُونَ
yasmaʿūna
hear
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 100) ➊ {اَوَ لَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِيْنَ يَرِثُوْنَ الْاَرْضَ …:} That is, did it not become clearly known to those who came later, by hearing and seeing the conditions of those before them, and did they not obtain guidance from it, that if We will, We can seize them too in their sins just like them.
➋ {وَ نَطْبَعُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوْنَ:} That is, We seal their hearts because of their sins, so they do not listen to any admonition; eventually, Allah’s punishment comes and they too are destroyed. Our teacher, Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him), writes that this phrase will be translated in this way if it is not considered conjoined to {’’ اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} (but rather considered a new statement), and if it is considered conjoined to {’’اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} (and in our opinion, this is more authentic), then the translation will be: “And We would seal their hearts so that then they cannot listen to any admonition.” However, Ibn Ashur, the author of “Al-Tahrir wa’l-Tanwir,” and Muhyi al-Din al-Darwish, the author of “I’rab al-Qur’an,” have refuted this meaning; they state that if it is considered conjoined to {’’ اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘}, then the meaning would be that if We will, We can seal their hearts. This would mean that We have not yet sealed them, whereas in reality, their hearts have already been sealed; therefore, {’’ وَ نَطْبَعُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} is a new statement, and its conjunction to {’’ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} is not correct. The meaning is that those whom Allah Almighty settles in any part of His earth should always fear Allah Almighty and live their lives knowing that if they commit oppression and corruption, Allah Almighty will destroy them just as He destroyed the previous nations. The destruction that befell the previous nations was not a sudden accident, but a punishment decreed by Allah Almighty.
➋ {وَ نَطْبَعُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوْنَ:} That is, We seal their hearts because of their sins, so they do not listen to any admonition; eventually, Allah’s punishment comes and they too are destroyed. Our teacher, Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him), writes that this phrase will be translated in this way if it is not considered conjoined to {’’ اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} (but rather considered a new statement), and if it is considered conjoined to {’’اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} (and in our opinion, this is more authentic), then the translation will be: “And We would seal their hearts so that then they cannot listen to any admonition.” However, Ibn Ashur, the author of “Al-Tahrir wa’l-Tanwir,” and Muhyi al-Din al-Darwish, the author of “I’rab al-Qur’an,” have refuted this meaning; they state that if it is considered conjoined to {’’ اَصَبْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘}, then the meaning would be that if We will, We can seal their hearts. This would mean that We have not yet sealed them, whereas in reality, their hearts have already been sealed; therefore, {’’ وَ نَطْبَعُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} is a new statement, and its conjunction to {’’ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ‘‘} is not correct. The meaning is that those whom Allah Almighty settles in any part of His earth should always fear Allah Almighty and live their lives knowing that if they commit oppression and corruption, Allah Almighty will destroy them just as He destroyed the previous nations. The destruction that befell the previous nations was not a sudden accident, but a punishment decreed by Allah Almighty.
