وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ ٱشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ 45
Translations
And when Allāh is mentioned alone, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but when those [worshipped] other than Him are mentioned, immediately they rejoice.
Transliteration
Wa-idha dhukira Allahu wahdahu ishma' azzat qulub alladhina la yu'minun bil-akhirah wa-idha dhukira alladhina min ddunihi idha hum yastabshirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the psychological response of disbelievers when Allah alone is mentioned versus when false deities or partners are mentioned. When Allah's oneness (tawhid) is proclaimed, their hearts shrink back in aversion and discomfort; conversely, when other deities are invoked, they rejoice and become delighted. Ibn Kathir explains this reflects the spiritual sickness of those who reject the Hereafter—their hearts are naturally repelled by pure monotheism because it contradicts their desires and false beliefs. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this aversion is a sign of their hearts being sealed (khatama Allahu 'ala qulubihim).
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zumar, revealed in Mecca during the early Meccan period when polytheism was rampant among the Quraysh. It addresses the Meccan context where idolaters openly worshipped false gods alongside Allah, and their emotional and spiritual attachment to shirk (associating partners with Allah) was evident. The surah broadly discusses the consequences of rejecting monotheism and the certainty of the Hereafter.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The heart becomes hardened by two things: excessive laughter and excessive worldly pursuits' (Tirmidhi). Related thematically is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet described how hearts become sealed when people persistently reject truth: 'When Allah desires good for a servant, He softens his heart for Islam; when He desires otherwise, He hardens it.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that resistance to monotheism often stems from spiritual illness rather than intellectual confusion alone—those who reject pure tawhid do so because their hearts are diseased and inclined toward worldly desires and falsehood. For modern readers, it serves as a sobering reminder that persistent rejection of Allah's signs hardens the heart, making guidance increasingly difficult, and underscores the importance of remaining receptive to divine truth.
Related Ayahs
إِن تَكْفُرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنكُمْ ۖ وَلَا يَرْضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلْكُفْرَ ۖ وَإِن تَشْكُرُوا۟ يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
If you disbelieve - indeed, Allāh is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves [i.e., likes] it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.
أَوْ تَقُولَ حِينَ تَرَى ٱلْعَذَابَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى كَرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Or [lest] it say when it sees the punishment, "If only I had another turn so I could be among the doers of good."
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allāh is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit]."
وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
And We have certainly presented for the people in this Qur’ān from every [kind of] example - that they might remember.