أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ ءَاذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِى فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ 46
Translations
So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
Transliteration
Afalam yasīrū fī al-arḍi fatakūnu lahum qulūbun yaʿqilūn bihā aw ādhānun yasmaʿūn bihā, fa-innahā lā taʿmā al-absāru wa-lākin taʿmā al-qulūbu allatī fī al-ṣudūr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who traverse the earth yet fail to reflect upon the signs of Allah and heed His message, asking rhetorically whether they possess hearts to understand and ears to hear the lessons evident in creation and the fate of previous nations. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that the blindness mentioned is not physical but spiritual—the real impediment to faith is the hardness and heedlessness of the heart, not the inability of the eyes to see physical phenomena. The ayah conveys that intellectual and spiritual perception are distinct from mere sensory faculties, highlighting that rejection of truth stems from willful closure of the heart rather than lack of evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Hajj's discussion of the signs of Allah throughout creation and history. It addresses the Meccan disbelievers who, despite witnessing the destruction of previous civilizations and the clear signs of God's power, refused to believe. The broader context emphasizes that traveling through lands and observing ruins should prompt reflection on divine power and accountability.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'Verily, in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Verily, it is the heart.' (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 52). This hadith emphasizes the heart's primacy in faith, directly supporting this ayah's message about spiritual blindness.
Themes
Key Lesson
True blindness is not of the eyes but of the heart—those who refuse to reflect on clear signs and lessons in creation and history do so by choice, not circumstance. Modern readers should examine whether their hearts remain open to divine guidance and willing to learn from observable truths, rather than closing themselves through arrogance or heedlessness.