سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 101
تِلْكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآئِهَا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِمَا كَذَّبُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿101﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those were the towns whose story We relate unto you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم). And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe in that which they had rejected before. Thus Allâh does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers (from every kind of religious guidance).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
تِلْكَ
til'ka
These
ٱلْقُرَىٰ
l-qurā
(were) the cities
نَقُصُّ
naquṣṣu
We relate
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
مِنْ
min
of
أَنۢبَآئِهَا ۚ
anbāihā
their news
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
جَآءَتْهُمْ
jāathum
came to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ
bil-bayināti
with clear proofs
فَمَا
famā
but not
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟
liyu'minū
to believe
بِمَا
bimā
in what
كَذَّبُوا۟
kadhabū
they (had) denied
مِن
min
from
قَبْلُ ۚ
qablu
before
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يَطْبَعُ
yaṭbaʿu
(has been) put a seal
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(by) Allah
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
قُلُوبِ
qulūbi
(the) hearts
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
(of) the disbelievers
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 101) ➊ {تِلْكَ الْقُرٰى … :} Here, {’’ الْقُرٰى ‘‘} refers to the towns of the previous five nations (the people of Nuh, ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of Lut, and the people of Shu‘ayb). The purpose of narrating some of their circumstances to you is so that the disbelievers of Makkah, who are opposing you just like the inhabitants of those towns, may take a lesson.
➋ {فَمَا كَانُوْا لِيُؤْمِنُوْا بِمَا كَذَّبُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ:} That is, the reason for their not believing was not that their messengers did not have proofs of their truthfulness, or that those proofs were not so clear and evident as to convince them, but rather the cause was that their people had already decided beforehand that they would not accept. Now, if after having denied first, they were to believe, it would have harmed their false self-respect, as Allah Almighty has said: «{ وَ اِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللّٰهَ اَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْاِثْمِ فَحَسْبُهٗ جَهَنَّمُ وَ لَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ }» [ البقرۃ : ۲۰۶ ] “And when it is said to him, ‘Fear Allah,’ pride in the sin seizes him. So Hell is sufficient for him, and surely it is an evil resting place.” This very sin (i.e., denying even after seeing the proofs and insisting upon it) became the cause for a seal upon their hearts. See Surah Al-An‘am (109, 110).
➌ {كَذٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ:} That is, just as the abilities of the hearts of the previous nations were taken away due to their stubbornness and obstinacy and they were not granted faith, similarly, their hearts have also been distorted and the capacity for faith no longer remains in them.
➋ {فَمَا كَانُوْا لِيُؤْمِنُوْا بِمَا كَذَّبُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ:} That is, the reason for their not believing was not that their messengers did not have proofs of their truthfulness, or that those proofs were not so clear and evident as to convince them, but rather the cause was that their people had already decided beforehand that they would not accept. Now, if after having denied first, they were to believe, it would have harmed their false self-respect, as Allah Almighty has said: «{ وَ اِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللّٰهَ اَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْاِثْمِ فَحَسْبُهٗ جَهَنَّمُ وَ لَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ }» [ البقرۃ : ۲۰۶ ] “And when it is said to him, ‘Fear Allah,’ pride in the sin seizes him. So Hell is sufficient for him, and surely it is an evil resting place.” This very sin (i.e., denying even after seeing the proofs and insisting upon it) became the cause for a seal upon their hearts. See Surah Al-An‘am (109, 110).
➌ {كَذٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ:} That is, just as the abilities of the hearts of the previous nations were taken away due to their stubbornness and obstinacy and they were not granted faith, similarly, their hearts have also been distorted and the capacity for faith no longer remains in them.
