سُوْرَةُ المُطَفِّفِيْنَ
Surah Al-Mutaffifin (83) — Ayah 14
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَلَّا ۖ
kallā
Nay
بَلْ ۜ
bal
But
رَانَ
rāna
(the) stain has covered
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
[over]
قُلُوبِهِم
qulūbihim
their hearts
مَّا
mā
(for) what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used to
يَكْسِبُونَ
yaksibūna
earn
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 14) ➊ {كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ …:’’ كَلَّا ‘‘} "Never!" The meaning is that the reason for this denier's rejection of the verses is not that these are tales of the ancients or that there is any doubt about their truth, but rather his evil deeds have overcome his heart in the form of a black rust, so that neither does he see truth as truth nor falsehood as falsehood. Just like the Orientalists and the deniers of hadith, the previous deniers were also in this state: if a new thing came in the Quran, they would say: « مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِيْۤ اٰبَآىِٕنَا الْاَوَّلِيْنَ » [ القصص : ۳۶ ] "We have never heard this from our forefathers." And if that thing was present in the previous books, they would say it was stolen from there, that is, {’’ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ ‘‘} that these are tales of the ancients. «قٰتَلَهُمُ اللّٰهُ اَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ» [ التوبۃ : ۳۰ ] "May Allah destroy them, how they are deluded!"
➋ { رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ: ’’ أَيْ رَكِبَهَا كَمَا يَرْكَبُ الصَّدْأُ وَ غَلَبَهَا‘‘} (Zamakhshari) "That is, it has covered their hearts and prevailed over them just as rust covers." The subject of {’’ رَانَ ‘‘} is {’’ مَا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ ‘‘}, meaning that what they used to earn has become rust and has covered their hearts. The characteristic of sin is that if it is committed repeatedly and one does not repent, it engulfs the entire heart. It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا أَخْطَأَ خَطِيْئَةً نُكِتَتْ فِيْ قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فَإِذَا هُوَ نَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ وَ تَابَ سُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ وَ إِنْ عَادَ زِيْدَ فِيْهَا حَتّٰی تَعْلُوَ قَلْبَهُ وَهُوَ الرَّانُ الَّذِيْ ذَكَرَ اللّٰهُ: «كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ » ] [ ترمذي، تفسیر القرآن، باب و من سورۃ ویل للمطففین : ۳۳۳۴ ] "When a servant commits a sin, a black spot is placed on his heart. If he refrains and seeks forgiveness, his heart is cleansed. But if he repeats the sin, the spot is increased, until that black spot overcomes his entire heart. This is the 'raan' which Allah, the Exalted, has mentioned: « كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ » 'Never! Rather, what they used to earn has covered their hearts as rust.'" This hadith is Hasan Sahih.
➋ { رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ: ’’ أَيْ رَكِبَهَا كَمَا يَرْكَبُ الصَّدْأُ وَ غَلَبَهَا‘‘} (Zamakhshari) "That is, it has covered their hearts and prevailed over them just as rust covers." The subject of {’’ رَانَ ‘‘} is {’’ مَا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ ‘‘}, meaning that what they used to earn has become rust and has covered their hearts. The characteristic of sin is that if it is committed repeatedly and one does not repent, it engulfs the entire heart. It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا أَخْطَأَ خَطِيْئَةً نُكِتَتْ فِيْ قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فَإِذَا هُوَ نَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ وَ تَابَ سُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ وَ إِنْ عَادَ زِيْدَ فِيْهَا حَتّٰی تَعْلُوَ قَلْبَهُ وَهُوَ الرَّانُ الَّذِيْ ذَكَرَ اللّٰهُ: «كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ » ] [ ترمذي، تفسیر القرآن، باب و من سورۃ ویل للمطففین : ۳۳۳۴ ] "When a servant commits a sin, a black spot is placed on his heart. If he refrains and seeks forgiveness, his heart is cleansed. But if he repeats the sin, the spot is increased, until that black spot overcomes his entire heart. This is the 'raan' which Allah, the Exalted, has mentioned: « كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ » 'Never! Rather, what they used to earn has covered their hearts as rust.'" This hadith is Hasan Sahih.
