Surah Al-Kahf 18:57
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 57 of 110
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًۭا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًۭا
Translation
Who could be more wrong than the person who is reminded of his Lord’s messages and turns his back on them, ignoring what his hands are storing up for him [in the Hereafter]? We have put covers over their hearts, so they cannot understand the Quran, and We put heaviness in their ears: although you call them to guidance [Prophet] they will never accept it.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'And who is more wrong than one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then turns away from them and forgets what his hands have sent forth? We have placed coverings over their hearts, lest they understand it, and deafness in their ears.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the grave progression, being reminded, then turning away, then the heart itself becoming covered ('akinna') as a consequence of the repeated turning. Ask yourself: turning away from a reminder is not a neutral act with no cost. This verse shows it hardening, over time, into an actual covering of the heart, each refusal thickening the veil until understanding can no longer get through. The capacity to be moved is not permanent; it can be lost through neglect. Every reminder I brush aside makes the next one land a little less. What reminders am I in the habit of turning from, and am I aware that the turning itself is slowly sealing my heart?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:57 is discussed in 11 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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