Surah Ya-Sin 36:8
سُورَةُ يسٓ · Meccan · Verse 8 of 83
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىٓ أَعْنَٰقِهِمْ أَغْلَٰلًۭا فَهِىَ إِلَى ٱلْأَذْقَانِ فَهُم مُّقْمَحُونَ
Translation
[It is as if] We had placed [iron] collars around their necks, right up to their chins so that their heads are forced up
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'We have put iron collars on their necks, up to the chins, so their heads are forced up.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir unfold the image: a shackle that pins the head back so a person cannot lower or turn it, frozen in a posture that makes it impossible to look toward guidance even if they glanced its way. It is a portrait of what entrenched arrogance does to a soul: it locks the very posture of the heart. Ask yourself: is there a stiffness in me, a pride, a position I've dug into, that keeps my 'head up', unable to bow or even turn to consider I might be wrong? The collar in the verse is invisible, but I may be wearing one, mistaking rigidity for strength.
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Topics that discuss this verse
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