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Quran

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Quran 2:18

Quran 2:18

Arabic Text and Translation

صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ

Transliteration: Ṣummun bukmun 'umyun fahum lā yarji'ūn
Easy Translation: "They are deaf, dumb, and blind; so they will not return [to the right path]."

Easy Word-by-Word Meaning

This short and powerful verse is the conclusion of the parable of the fire from the previous verse. It diagnoses the spiritual disease of the hypocrites that leaves them trapped in darkness.

  1. صُمٌّۢ (Ṣummun): "Deaf." Their spiritual ears are closed. They cannot hear the truth of the Quran, the advice of the believers, or the guidance from Allah. The message enters their ears but does not reach their hearts.

  2. بُكْمٌ (Bukmun): "Dumb." They are mute in speaking the truth. They cannot utter sincere words of faith, remembrance of Allah, or honest advice. Their speech is only for deception and showing off.

  3. عُمْىٌ ('Umyun): "Blind." Their spiritual eyes are shut. They cannot see the signs of Allah in the universe, the miracles of the Quran, or the clear path of Islam right in front of them.

  4. فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ (fahum lā yarji'ūn): "So they will not return." This is the final, tragic outcome. Because their faculties of perception are dead, they are incapable of turning back. They are stuck in their misguidance with no way out.

Important Note: A Consequence, Not a Starting Point

This is a spiritual state they have brought upon themselves. It is the result of their own choices to reject the truth, deceive the believers, and mock the faith. Their continuous sin has placed a veil over their senses.

Relevance in the Past, Present, and Future

1. Past Relevance: The Stubbornness of the Hypocrites

For the early Muslim community, this verse explained why the hypocrites were so stubborn.

  • No matter how clear the Prophet's (pbuh) message was, they would not accept it.

  • No matter how many miracles they witnessed, they would not see them as signs from Allah.

  • This verse showed that their problem was not a lack of evidence, but a spiritual disability they had chosen for themselves. It helped the believers understand that further argument with them was futile.

2. Present Relevance: The Modern Spiritual Disability

This verse describes a condition we see all around us today, and it serves as a warning for our own hearts.

  • The "Deaf" Today: People who are presented with the clear proofs of Islam—from scientific miracles in the Quran to the logical beauty of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah)—but they refuse to listen. They are "deaf" to the truth, often because of arrogance or attachment to their desires.

  • The "Dumb" Today: This can refer to those who are unable to speak the truth. This includes:

    • People who remain silent in the face of injustice.

    • Those who use their speech only for gossip, lies, and vulgarity, never for remembering Allah or speaking good words.

    • Muslims who can never bring themselves to invite others to Islam or defend their faith.

  • The "Blind" Today: People who look at the intricate design of a cell, the perfect balance of the ecosystem, or the birth of a child and only see "random chance," completely blind to the hand of the Creator.

  • A Personal Check: We must ask ourselves: Are there areas where I am becoming spiritually "deaf," "dumb," or "blind"?

    • Am I deaf to Quranic recitation, listening without any effect on my heart?

    • Am I dumb in remembering Allah throughout my day?

    • Am I blind to the blessings Allah has given me, taking them for granted?

3. Future Relevance: The Point of No Return

This verse has a terrifying implication for the eternal future.

  • A Hardened Heart: The state of being deaf, dumb, and blind, if not treated, can become permanent. The heart becomes so hard that it can no longer accept guidance. This is the ultimate punishment—to be deprived of the capacity to repent.

  • On the Day of Judgment: They will be resurrected in this state. The Quran describes that on that Day, the disbelievers will wish they were just dust, and they will say to their eyes, ears, and skin, "Why did you testify against us?" and these organs will reply, "Allah who gave speech to all things has caused us to speak..." (Quran 41:21). Their own faculties will testify against them.

  • A Call to Act Now: This verse is a final alarm. It tells us that the time for return is now, in this life. Once a person crosses a certain point of arrogance and persistent sin, the ability to "return" (yarji'ūn) can be taken away. We must strive to keep our hearts soft and our spiritual senses alive through constant remembrance of Allah and sincere repentance.

Conclusion

Quran 2:18 is a short, sharp diagnosis of a fatal spiritual illness.

It teaches us that:

  1. Rejecting truth damages our spiritual senses, making us deaf, dumb, and blind to guidance.

  2. This condition is self-inflicted through persistent sin and arrogance.

  3. The end result is being trapped in misguidance, unable to find the way back.

This verse is a urgent plea to open our hearts before they are sealed, to use our senses for the purpose Allah created them—to perceive His truth—and to never take the ability to repent for granted.