إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ ٱلصُّمَّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ 80
Translations
Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating.
Transliteration
Innaka laa tusmi'u al-mawta wa laa tusmi'u as-summa ad-du'aa idha wallaw mudbirin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cannot make the spiritually dead hear the message of Allah, nor can he make the deaf hear his call when they turn away in rejection. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret 'the dead' as those whose hearts are sealed by disbelief, while 'the deaf' refers to those who obstinately reject guidance. The ayah emphasizes that the Prophet's role is to convey the message clearly, but belief and acceptance ultimately depend on Allah's will and the listener's openness of heart.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah An-Naml, which addresses the challenges the Prophet faced in calling people to Islam during the Meccan period. It provides solace to the Prophet by clarifying the limits of his responsibility—he is a messenger, not responsible for forcing belief upon those who deliberately close their hearts and ears to the truth.
Related Hadiths
The principle is supported by Surah 30:52-53 and the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'The example of one who listens to the Quran and does not act upon it is like a garden that is watered but produces no fruit.' This illustrates the necessity of receptiveness alongside hearing.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that while we have the responsibility to convey Islamic truth sincerely and clearly to others, we cannot force acceptance—true understanding requires both sincere communication and the recipient's willingness to listen with an open heart. It also provides comfort in knowing that our spiritual effort's results are ultimately in Allah's hands, freeing us from frustration when people reject guidance despite our best efforts.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ عِلْمًا ۖ وَقَالَا ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And We had certainly given to David and Solomon knowledge, and they said, "Praise [is due] to Allāh, who has favored us over many of His believing servants."
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of them are not grateful."
أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلَـٰلَهَآ أَنْهَـٰرًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but most of them do not know.
وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَٰخِرِينَ
And [warn of] the Day the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified except whom Allāh wills. And all will come to Him humbled.