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
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.
وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - and all were of the righteous.
وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
And this [Qur’ān] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَـٰدِهِمْ شُرَكَآؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
And likewise, to many of the polytheists their partners have made [to seem] pleasing the killing of their children in order to bring about their destruction and to cover them with confusion in their religion. And if Allāh had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent.