Why One Becomes Blind-Deaf-dumb [a common expression of a total moral failure]
[[ Ruby’s note – The following verses indicate why. If one becomes extremely arrogant or ignorant thinking there is no consequences of his/her action then one enters into this state of moral failure. No fear of consequences is a state of disbelief in the Supreme presence and His moral law in existence.]]
2. Surah al-Baqara
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ ...
2: 6. As to those who reject Faith,
C30. Kafara kufr, kafr, and derivative forms of the word, imply a deliberate rejection of Faith as opposed to a mistaken idea of Allah or faith, which is not inconsistent with an earnest desire to see the truth. Where there is such desire, the grace and mercy of Allah gives guidance.
But that guidance is not efficacious when it is deliberately rejected and the possibility of rejection follows from the grant of free will.
The consequence of the rejection is that the spiritual faculties become dead or impervious to better influences.
See also n. 93 to 2:88.
... سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٦﴾
it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.
خَتَمَ
اللّهُ
عَلَى قُلُوبِهمْ
وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ
...
2: 7. Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing,
C31. All actions are referred to Allah. Therefore, when we get the penalty of our deliberate sin, and our senses become impervious to good, the penalty is referred to the justice of Allah.
... وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ...
and on their eyes is a veil;
... وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ ﴿٧﴾
great is the penalty they (incur).
C32. The penalty here is the opposite of the prosperity referred to in 2:5. As we go down the path of sin, our penalty gathers momentum, just as goodness brings its own capacity for greater goodness.
2: 6
Asad Behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth [note 6] -
Pickthall As for the disbelievers, whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.
Transliteration Innal lazina kafaru_ sawa_'un 'alaihim a'anzartahum am lam tunzirhum la_ yu'minu_n(a).
2: 7
Asad …..and over their eyes is a veil [note 7];
Pickthall Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.
Transliteration Khatamalla_hu 'ala_ qulu_bihim wa 'ala_ sam'ihim, wa 'ala_ absa_rihim gisya_watuw walahum 'aza_bun 'azim(un).
[[ Asad’s note 6 – In contrast with the frequency occurring term ‘al-kafirun’ (“those who deny the truth”), the use of the past tense in ‘alladhina kafaru” indicates conscious intent, and is , therefore, appropriately rendered as “those who are bet on denying the truth”. This interpretation is supported by many commentators, especially Zamakhshari [who in his commentary on this verse, use the expression, “those who have deliberately resolved upon their kufr”] ……..For an explanation of the terms ‘kufr’ (‘denial of the truth’), kafir (“one who denies the truth”), etc. see note 4 on 74:10, where this concept appears for the first time in Quranic revelation. ]]
[[ Asad’s note 7 - …….Since it is God who has instituted all laws of nature – which, in their aggregate, are called ‘sunnat Allah (“the way of God”) – this “setting” is attributed to Him: but it is obviously a consequence of man’s free choice and not an act of “predisposition”. ……]]
=====================================
5. [al-Maidah, Medina 112]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَقَدْ
أَخَذْنَا
مِيثَاقَ بَنِي
إِسْرَائِيلَ
وَأَرْسَلْنَا
إِلَيْهِمْ
رُسُلاً .
5: 70. We took the Covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them Messengers.
... كُلَّمَا جَاءهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُواْ وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ ﴿٧٠﴾
Every time there came to them an apostle with what they themselves desired not --
some (of these) they called impostors, and some they (go so far as to) slay.
وَحَسِبُواْ
أَلاَّ تَكُونَ
فِتْنَةٌ فَعَمُواْ
وَصَمُّواْ...
5: 71. They thought there would be no trial (or punishment); so they became blind and deaf:
C781. That is, they turned away their eyes from Allah's Signs and they turned a deaf ear to Allah's Message.
... ثُمَّ تَابَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ عَمُواْ وَصَمُّواْ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ ...
yet Allah (in mercy) turned to them: yet again many of them became blind and deaf.
... وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧١﴾
But Allah sees well all that they do.
Others version:
5: 70
Asad …………while others they would slay [note 87],
Pickthall We made a covenant of old with the Children of Israel and We sent unto them messengers. As often as a messenger came unto them with that which their souls desired not (they became rebellious). Some (of them) they denied and some they slew.
Transliteration Laqad akhazna_ misa_qa bani isra_'ila wa arsalna_ ilaihim rusulu_(n), kullama_ ja_'ahum rasu_lum bima_ la_ tahwa_ anfusuhum, fariqan kazzabu_ wa fariqay yaqtulu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 87 – Lit., “and some they are slaying”. Regarding the significance of the change from the past to the present tense (yaqtulun), see surah 2, note 72 (…..The change from the past tense observed throughout this sentence to the present tense in the verb ‘taqtulun’ (“you are slaying”) is meant to express a conscious intent I nthis respect and, thus, a persistent, ever-recurring trait in Jewish history (Manar 1, 377), to which also the New Testament refers (Matthew xx111, 34-35, 37), and I Thessalonians ii, 15) ]]
5: 71
Asad thinking that no harm would befall them; and so they became blind and deaf [of heart];
Pickthall They thought no harm would come of it, so they were willfully blind and deaf. And afterward Allah turned (in mercy) toward them. Now (even after that) are many of them willfully blind and deaf. Allah is Seer of what they do.
Transliteration Wa hasibu_ alla_ taku_na fitnatun fa 'amu_ wa sammu_ summa ta_balla_hu 'alaihim summa 'amu_ wa sammu_ kasirum minhum, walla_hu basirum bima_ ya'malu_n(a).
=====================================
6 . Surah al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
انظُرْ
كَيْفَ
كَذَبُواْ
عَلَى
أَنفُسِهِمْ
وَضَلَّ
عَنْهُم
مَّا
كَانُواْ
يَفْتَرُونَ
﴿٢٤﴾
6: 24. Behold! how they lie against their own souls!
But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch.
C852. The lies which they used to tell have now "wandered" from the channels which they use to occupy, and left the liars in the lurch. In denying the indubitable fact that they took false gods, they admit the falsity of their notions and thus are practically convicted out of their own mouths.
وَمِنْهُم
مَّن
يَسْتَمِعُ
إِلَيْكَ...
6: 25. Of them there are some who (pretend to) listen to thee;
...وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا...
but We have thrown veils on their hearts, so they understand it not, and deafness in their ears;
C852a. It: The Quran.
...وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَا...
if they saw every one of the Signs, not they will believe in them;
...حَتَّى إِذَا جَآؤُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾
in so much that when they come to thee, they (but) dispute with thee;
the unbelievers say: "These are nothing but tales of the ancients."
وَهُمْ
يَنْهَوْنَ
عَنْهُ
وَيَنْأَوْنَ
عَنْهُ
...
6: 26. Others they keep away from it, and themselves they keep away;
...وَإِن يُهْلِكُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾
but they only destroy their own souls, and they perceive it not.
Others version:
6: 24
Pickthall See how they lie against themselves, and (how) the thing which they devised hath failed them!
Transliteration Unzur kaifa kazabu_ 'ala_ anfusihim wa dalla 'anhum ma_ ka_nu_ yaftaru_n(a).
6: 25
Asad And there are among them such as [seem to] listen to you [O Prophet]: but over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears, deafness [note 18].
Pickthall Of them are some who listen unto thee, but We have placed upon their hearts veils, lest they should understand, and in their ears a deafness. If they saw every token they would not believe therein; to the point that, when they come unto thee to argue with thee, the disbelievers say: This is naught else than fables of the men of old.
Transliteration Wa minhum may yastami'u ilaik(a), wa ja'alna_ 'ala_ qulu_bihim akinnatan ay yafqahu_hu wa fi a_za_nihim waqra_(n), wa iy yarau kulla a_yatil la_ yu'minu_ biha_,hatta_ iza_ ja_'u_kayuja_dilu_naka yaqu_lul lazina kafaru_ in ha_za_ illa_ asa_tirul awwalin(a).
6: 26
Asad And they bar others there from, and go far away from it: but they destroy none but themselves, and perceive it not.
Pickthall And they forbid (men) from it and avoid it, and they ruin none save themselves, though they perceive not.
Transliteration Wa hum yanhauna 'anhu wa yan'auna 'anh(u), wa iy yuhliku_na illa_ anfusahum wa ma_ yasy'uru_n(a).
[[ Ruby’s note – These three verses hint what kind of people these are for whom God has placed the blinder and deafness [metaphorically] : they are arrogant and blindly confident on themselves and in their future because they argue and question even the presence of a prophet with revelation. They reject signs by ascribing these to the old stories. And not only that they are arrogant and audacious enough to hinder or forbid others from believing. They deliberately pursue others not to believe. This state of mind of arrogance, obstinacy and rejection, when these reach to the level to reject a prophet with revelation from God, God completely withdraw His Grace and Guidance from them. In other time, persistent obstinacy and rejection, could also lead to this state. ]]
[[ Asad’s note 18 – Regarding the problem of God’s “causing” this spiritual blindess and deafness, see 2:7 and the corresponding note, as well as note 4 on 14:4. ]]