قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ 46
Translations
Say, "Have you considered: if Allāh should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allāh could bring them [back] to you?" Look how We diversify the verses; then they [still] turn away.
Transliteration
Qul ara'aytum in akhadha Allahu samʿakum wa absarakum wa khatama ʿala qulubikum man ilahun ghayru Allahi ya'tikum bihi. Undhur kayfa nuṣarrifu al-ayati thumma hum yaṣdifun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a rhetorical question challenging the polytheists: if Allah were to take away their hearing, sight, and seal their hearts, who besides Allah could restore these blessings? According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes Allah's absolute control over all faculties of perception and the impossibility of any deity other than Allah possessing such power. The ayah concludes by noting how Allah clearly expounds His signs, yet people turn away—a recurring theme in Surah Al-An'am demonstrating humanity's stubborn rejection despite clear evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the Meccan period discourse addressing idolaters who attributed powers to their false gods while denying Allah's ultimate sovereignty. It falls within a section of Surah Al-An'am that refutes polytheism through logical argumentation about Allah's exclusive divine attributes and control over creation.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (2857): The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The hearts of all the sons of Adam are between the two fingers of the Merciful as one heart. He turns them wherever He wishes.' This hadith relates to the concept of Allah's control over hearts mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to recognize our complete dependence on Allah for all our faculties and blessings, and to never associate partners with Him or attribute divine powers to anyone or anything other than the One God. It also serves as a warning against intellectual arrogance and willful rejection of clear truth, encouraging believers to maintain open hearts and minds to Allah's guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَٰتِ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمُ ۖ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allāh revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allāh other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant."
وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ٱلْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ ۖ وَخَرَقُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَنِينَ وَبَنَـٰتٍۭ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
But they have attributed to Allāh partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.
وَمَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِۦ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُۥ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنتُمْ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
And they did not appraise Allāh with true appraisal when they said, "Allāh did not reveal to a human being anything." Say, "Who revealed the Scripture that Moses brought as light and guidance to the people? You [Jews] make it into pages, disclosing [some of] it and concealing much. And you were taught that which you knew not - neither you nor your fathers." Say, "Allāh [revealed it]." Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves.
مَّن يُصْرَفْ عَنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمَهُۥ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
He from whom it is averted that Day - [Allāh] has granted him mercy. And that is the clear attainment.