وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ لِمَ تُؤْذُونَنِى وَقَد تَّعْلَمُونَ أَنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓا۟ أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ 5
Translations
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you harm me while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allāh to you?" And when they deviated, Allāh caused their hearts to deviate. And Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qāla Mūsā li-qawmihi yā-qawmi lima tu'dhūnanī wa-qad ta'lamūn annī rasūlu Allāhi ilaykum fa-lammā zāghū azāgha Allāhu qulūbahum wa-Allāhu lā yahdī al-qawma al-fāsiqīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah recounts Prophet Musa's (Moses) complaint to his people about their persecution of him despite knowing he was Allah's messenger sent to them. When they deliberately turned away from the truth (zaghū), Allah caused their hearts to turn away from guidance as a consequence of their willful rejection (azygh). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as a divine principle: those who persistently reject the message and harm the messenger seal themselves from guidance, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this turning away of hearts is a just consequence of their deliberate deviation from truth.
Revelation Context
This surah (As-Saf, 'The Ranks') was revealed in Medina and discusses the qualities of the believers, their steadfastness, and historical examples of believers and disbelievers. This particular ayah fits within the broader Quranic theme of recounting stories of previous prophets and their peoples' responses, illustrating the consequences of rejecting divine guidance. The context relates to the Bani Isra'il's persecution of Musa despite the clear signs he brought.
Related Hadiths
The principle mentioned here relates to a hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'When Allah wills good for His servant, He hastens his punishment in this world, and when He wills bad for His servant, He withholds his sins from him until he meets Him on the Day of Resurrection.' Additionally, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:7 discusses the sealing of hearts as a consequence of disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of divine guidance and mistreatment of those who call to Allah can result in spiritual blindness and hardened hearts—a warning to remain humble toward truth and those who convey it. It reminds us that refusing guidance despite clarity is not without consequences, and that our choices determine the state of our hearts.