فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ 10
Translations
In their hearts is disease, so Allāh has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.
Transliteration
Fī qulūbihim maraḍun fa-zādahumu -llāhu maraḍan wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīmun bimā kānū yakthibūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how those who harbor disbelief and hypocrisy in their hearts suffer from spiritual disease (maraḍ), which Allah increases as a consequence of their obstinacy and rejection of truth. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring primarily to the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) during the Prophet's time, whose hearts became progressively hardened and closed to faith due to their persistent denial and deception. The 'painful punishment' mentioned is both a spiritual reality in this life and an eternal consequence in the Hereafter for those who continue to lie and reject divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the opening section of Surah Al-Baqarah (verses 1-20) which describes the characteristics of believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites in Medina after the Prophet's migration. It specifically addresses the condition of the hypocrites who outwardly professed Islam while concealing disbelief in their hearts, a phenomenon unique to the Medinan period.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'Verily, when the servant commits a sin, a black spot appears upon his heart; and if he repents and turns back [to Allah], his heart is cleansed.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2567). This relates to how sins accumulate and harden the heart unless there is repentance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of truth and deliberate deception do not go unnoticed by Allah; rather, they result in progressive spiritual degradation where the heart becomes increasingly sealed to guidance. For believers, it serves as a reminder of the importance of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and maintaining an open, receptive heart to divine guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ هُزُوًا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
And when you divorce women and they have [nearly] fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allāh in jest. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you and what has been revealed to you of the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom [i.e., the Prophet's sunnah] by which He instructs you. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Knowing of all things.
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَىٰلَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
Whoever is an enemy to Allāh and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allāh is an enemy to the disbelievers.
قَالُوا۟ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ ٱلْبَقَرَ تَشَـٰبَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ
They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allāh wills, will be guided."
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا۟ كَفَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ۚ فَلَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And when there came to them a Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] from Allāh confirming that which was with them - although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved - but [then] when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allāh will be upon the disbelievers.