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Quran 2:7

Quran 2:7

 

Arabic Text and Translation

خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ غِشَـٰوَةٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Transliteration: Khatamallāhu ‘alā qulūbihim wa ‘alā sam’ihim wa ‘alā absārihim ghishāwah, wa lahum ‘adhābun ‘azīm
Easy Translation: "Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment."

Easy Word-by-Word Meaning

This verse continues the description of the stubborn disbelievers from the previous verse, explaining why they won't believe.

  1. خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ (Khatamallāhu): "Allah has set a seal..."

    • Khatama means to seal, stamp, or close something permanently, like sealing an envelope. The meaning is that their hearts are closed to accepting faith.

  2. عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ (‘alā qulūbihim): "...upon their hearts..." The heart (qalb) in the Quran is not just the physical organ. It is the center of understanding, faith, and wisdom. When it is sealed, it cannot process the truth.

  3. وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ (wa ‘alā sam’ihim): "...and upon their hearing..." This means their physical ears work, but they cannot hear the message with understanding and acceptance. They hear the words, but the meaning doesn't reach their hearts.

  4. وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ غِشَـٰوَةٌ (wa ‘alā absārihim ghishāwah): "...and over their vision is a veil." Their physical eyes work, but they cannot see the signs of Allah in the universe, in the Quran, or in the life of the Prophet. A spiritual veil blocks their insight.

  5. وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (wa lahum ‘adhābun ‘azīm): "And for them is a great punishment." This is the ultimate consequence of their chosen path—a mighty punishment in the Hereafter.

Important Note: A Consequence, Not a First Action

This is a critical point. Allah does not seal a person's heart for no reason. The sealing is a consequence of their own continuous and willful rejection, arrogance, and sin. It is a divine law: when a person repeatedly chooses falsehood over truth, their heart gradually hardens until it can no longer accept guidance.

It is a result of their own choices, which Allah knows they will never change.

Relevance in the Past, Present, and Future

1. Past Relevance: An Explanation for Persecution

For the early Muslim community, this verse explained the behavior of their worst enemies.

  • Understanding the Leaders of Quraysh: Why did the pagan leaders like Abu Jahl see the miracles of the Prophet, hear the beautiful Quran, and still reject it with hatred? This verse gave the answer: their hearts were sealed due to their own arrogance and love for power. This helped the believers understand that they were not facing a logical argument, but a deep spiritual disease.

  • A Justification for Divine Punishment: It showed that the punishment of Hell is not arbitrary. It is for those who were given every chance but actively chose to lock their own hearts against the truth.

2. Present Relevance: A Warning and a Self-Check

In our modern world, this verse serves as a powerful warning for all of us.

  • The Danger of a Hardened Heart: This verse is not just about non-Muslims. It is a warning to everyone. A Muslim can also harden their heart through:

    • Consistently sinning without repentance.

    • Arrogance and thinking they are better than others.

    • Rejecting good advice and following only their desires.

  • The "Veil" on Our Senses Today: We can see this today in people who:

    • Hear Islamic reminders but are unmoved.

    • See the amazing signs of Allah in science and nature but only attribute them to "coincidence" or "nature."

    • Their hearts are not open to changing their lifestyle, even when they know the truth.

  • A Call for Self-Reflection: This verse should make us ask: "Is my heart soft and open to Allah's truth?" We should constantly seek refuge in Allah from a sealed heart and strive to keep our hearts soft through Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), reading Quran, and doing good deeds.

3. Future Relevance: The Ultimate Consequence

This verse points to a spiritual law with eternal ramifications.

  • A Permanent State: The sealing of the heart, if not reversed through sincere repentance, becomes a permanent state that leads to eternal loss. This is the greatest punishment—to be deprived of Allah's guidance.

  • A Motivation for Repentance (Tawbah): Knowing this consequence should push us to constantly turn back to Allah, soften our hearts, and seek His mercy before it is too late.

  • Divine Justice on Judgment Day: On the Day of Judgment, no one will be able to say they were unjustly punished. This verse shows that the people in Hell are there because they actively and persistently chose the path that led to their own hearts being sealed.

Conclusion

Quran 2:7 is a profound and serious verse. It teaches us that:

  1. Guidance is a gift from Allah that requires an open and willing heart from us.

  2. Our choices have spiritual consequences. Repeated rejection and sin can harden the heart until it becomes sealed.

  3. It is a severe warning to guard our faith, remain humble, and constantly seek Allah's mercy to keep our hearts soft and receptive to the truth.

It completes the picture of the disbeliever: one who chooses rejection, leading to a sealed heart, which in turn leads to a great punishment. It is a call for all of us to cherish our faith and protect our hearts from spiritual disease.