فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ 125
Translations
So whoever Allāh wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islām; and whoever He wants to send astray - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allāh place defilement upon those who do not believe.
Transliteration
Faman yurid-illahu an yahdiyahu yashrah sadruhu lil-islam wa man yurid an yudilluhu yaj'al sadruhu dayyiqan harajak annamaa yassaw'adu fi as-sama'. Kadhalika yaj'al-illahu ar-rijsa 'ala alladhina la yu'minun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the spiritual states of those whom Allah wills to guide versus those He wills to leave astray. For the guided, Allah expands their hearts (yashrah sadruhu) with ease, clarity, and receptiveness to Islam, while for the misguided, He narrows and constricts their hearts with difficulty and burden—comparable to the crushing pressure one experiences ascending to the heavens. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this describes the natural psychological and spiritual consequence of one's choices: those who seek guidance find their hearts opened to faith, while those who resist find their hearts increasingly hardened and closed off from truth.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca, this ayah addresses the polytheists' persistent rejection of the Prophet's message despite clear signs. The context of Surah Al-An'am centers on monotheism and refuting idolatry, and this verse explains the spiritual mechanism behind why some accept guidance while others remain in disbelief—not due to lack of evidence, but due to the state of their hearts which Allah seals based on their own choices and attitudes.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Verily, when a slave commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart, and when he repents and gives it up, his heart is polished clean; but if he returns to the sin, the blackening increases.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2501). Also relevant: 'The heart becomes hardened by two things: playing and lying.' (at-Tirmidhi)
Themes
Key Lesson
Our spiritual state is not arbitrary but is directly connected to our choices and attitudes toward truth; when we sincerely seek guidance and remain humble, Allah opens our hearts to understanding and belief, while arrogance and rejection progressively harden the heart. This teaches accountability: we must guard our hearts through righteous deeds and constant seeking of knowledge, knowing that our persistent choices shape our spiritual trajectory.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people.
قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَحْزُنُكَ ٱلَّذِى يَقُولُونَ ۖ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
We know that you, [O Muḥammad], are saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do not call you untruthful, but it is the verses of Allāh that the wrongdoers reject.
وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَٰدَىٰ كَمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُم مَّا خَوَّلْنَـٰكُمْ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ ۖ وَمَا نَرَىٰ مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۚ لَقَد تَّقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
[It will be said to them], "And you have certainly come to Us alone [i.e., individually] as We created you the first time, and you have left whatever We bestowed upon you behind you. And We do not see with you your 'intercessors' which you claimed that they were among you associates [of Allāh]. It has [all] been severed between you, and lost from you is what you used to claim."
وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ أَن تَبْتَغِىَ نَفَقًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُم بِـَٔايَةٍ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
And if their evasion is difficult for you, then if you are able to seek a tunnel into the earth or a stairway into the sky to bring them a sign, [then do so]. But if Allāh had willed, He would have united them upon guidance. So never be of the ignorant.