Surah Al-Kahf 18:101
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 101 of 110
ٱلَّذِينَ كَانَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ فِى غِطَآءٍ عَن ذِكْرِى وَكَانُوا۟ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَمْعًا
Translation
those whose eyes were blind to My signs, those who were unable to hear.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Those whose eyes had been within a cover from My remembrance, and who could not hear.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the cause of their ruin named, a self-imposed blindness and deafness to God's remembrance: eyes 'in a cover' (ghita'), ears that could not bear to hear the truth. Ask yourself: their disbelief is described not as an intellectual conclusion but as a sensory refusal, eyes veiled, ears closed, to the reminder of God. It is disturbingly recognisable: not that I cannot see or hear the reminders, but that I keep a cover over them, tune them out, scroll past, stay too busy and too distracted to let them land. This verse warns that a habit of not-looking and not-listening hardens into an actual inability. What 'cover' have I let settle over my eyes toward God's remembrance, and am I still able to lift it, if I choose to look and listen now, before the cover becomes permanent?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Wording
This powerful verse, Surah Al-Kahf (18:101), paints a vivid picture of those who will face accountability on the Day of Judgment. Allah is speaking, describing the disbelievers who, despite the clear signs, chose a path of denial in their worldly lives. The verse directly follows the scene where Hell is presented to them, explaining *why* they are destined for it. It's a profound warning, urging us to reflect on our own spiritual senses.
Eyes in a Covering
The verse begins by describing these individuals: ٱلَّذِينَ كَانَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ فِى غِطَآءٍ عَن ذِكْرِى (those whose eyes were in a covering from My remembrance). The word "غِطَآءٍ" (ghita', covering) is key here. As scholars like Ibn Ashur explain, this isn't a physical blindness but a metaphor for a spiritual inability to benefit from the clear signs of Allah's oneness and power. Al-Zamakhshari adds that it refers to being unable to look at Allah's signs or ponder the meanings of the Quran.
The preposition "فِى" (fi, in) rather than simply "على" (ala, on/over) is particularly telling. It implies that the covering was not just superficial, but deeply embedded, as if their very eyes were enclosed *within* this veil. This suggests a profound, ingrained spiritual blindness, a choice to remain heedless. The phrase "عَن ذِكْرِى" (an dhikri, from My remembrance) encompasses all that reminds one of Allah, whether His verses in the Quran or His signs in creation. Their eyes were averted from anything that would lead them to remember their Creator.
Unable to Hear
Following this, the verse continues: وَكَانُوا۟ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَمْعًا (and they were unable to hear). This isn't ordinary deafness. Al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi highlight that an ordinary deaf person might still hear if shouted at. However, these individuals are described with a deeper, more profound inability. It's as if their hearing was utterly destroyed, making it impossible for them to truly listen.
Ibn Ashur further clarifies that "لا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَمْعًا" (they were unable to hear) here signifies a negation of their *desire* or *willingness* to listen, stemming from their extreme disbelief. They weren't just physically incapable; their hearts and minds had closed off to the truth. They would actively turn away from hearing anything beneficial from Allah's message, as al-Jalalayn suggests, out of hatred for the Prophet or the truth he brought. The absence of a specific object for "سمعًا" (hearing) implies a general spiritual deafness – an inability to hear any form of divine guidance or truth that could lead to faith.
This verse serves as a powerful mirror, inviting us to examine our own hearts and senses. Are we truly seeing Allah's signs and hearing His words with humility and openness, or are we allowing coverings and unwillingness to cloud our perception?
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:101 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Kahf 18:101 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.