وَلَوْ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ 23
Translations
Had Allāh known any good in them, He would have made them hear. And if He had made them hear, they would [still] have turned away, while they were refusing.
Transliteration
Wa-law `alima Allahu fihim khayran la-asma`ahum wa-law asma`ahum la-tawallaw wa-hum mu`ridun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that if Allah had found any good in the disbelievers, He would have made them hear and understand the truth, but even if He had enabled them to hear, they would have turned away in aversion. The verse illustrates the principle of divine wisdom: Allah's knowledge of human hearts is absolute, and those destined for misguidance cannot be forced to believe, as faith requires sincere inclination of the heart. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this demonstrates both divine justice and human free will—Allah does not withhold guidance from those with genuine capacity for good, but those with hearts sealed in disbelief will reject even clear signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Anfal (revealed in Medina, primarily addressing the Battle of Badr and its spiritual lessons). The ayah follows discussion of the hypocrites and those weak in faith, reflecting the early Islamic community's struggles with internal disbelief and hypocrisy in Medina. It emphasizes that guidance depends on Allah's wisdom and the readiness of hearts, not merely on hearing the message.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of sealed hearts: Hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet ﷺ said, 'When Allah wishes good for someone, He grants him understanding of the religion.' This connects to the principle that guidance follows divine wisdom about who possesses capacity for good. Also relevant: the hadith about the heart turning away forty times a day (Sunan Ibn Majah), illustrating human inclination toward aversion.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that intellectual understanding alone does not guarantee faith—the heart's willingness to accept truth is essential, and we should pray for sincerity and openness rather than blame external circumstances for spiritual failures. For believers, it encourages reliance on Allah's wisdom in guiding others, recognizing that our role is to convey the message clearly while ultimate guidance belongs to the Almighty.