وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَٱسْتَبَقُوا۟ ٱلصِّرَٰطَ فَأَنَّىٰ يُبْصِرُونَ 66
Translations
And if We willed, We could have obliterated their eyes, and they would race to [find] the path, and how could they see?
Transliteration
Wa-law nashā'u la-tamasna `alā a`yunihim fastabaqū aṣ-ṣirāṭa fa-annā yubṣirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a divine counterfactual: if Allah willed, He could have blinded the eyes of the disbelievers so that even if they rushed along the path (of life), they would not be able to see. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates Allah's complete power and sovereignty—He could have compelled belief or prevented disbelief through removing human faculties entirely, yet He chose to preserve human choice and accountability. The ayah emphasizes that disbelief is a choice made despite clear signs, not an inevitable condition imposed by Allah.
Revelation Context
Surah Ya-Sin addresses the Meccan disbelievers who rejected the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the message of tawhid despite clear signs. This ayah falls within a section discussing the power of Allah and the stubbornness of those who refuse guidance, highlighting that human blindness to truth is often spiritual and self-imposed rather than physical.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to Surah Al-A'raf 7:178: "Whoever Allah guides is the [rightly] guided; but whoever He leaves astray—those are the losers." Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that Allah does not wrong anyone, but people wrong themselves.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that Allah's greatest gift is the freedom to choose, and disbelief results from hardening one's heart despite clear signs—not from lack of capacity to understand. We should reflect on how we respond to divine guidance and ensure we do not willfully blind ourselves to truth.