Overview (Verse 25)

The sūrah goes on to describe how some of the unbelievers stubbornly block their minds as they listen to the Qur’ān. Having resolved to reject it altogether, they argue with the Prophet alleging that the Qur’ān is nothing but fables told by the ancients. They turn away from it and they forbid others to listen to it. Having depicted the attitude they adopt in this life, the Qur’ān describes their miserable state as they are made to stand before the fire of hell, facing the horror of their destiny, powerless, and without support. The only thing they can do is wish to go back to life in order to change those views and practices which led them to this horrible end. Their wishes, however, are rejected as petty and childish.
 
“Some of them listen to you. But over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from understanding what you say, and into their ears, deafness. Were they to see every sign, they would still not believe in it. When they come to you to contend with you, the unbelievers say: “This is nothing but fables of the ancients.” (Verses 25)
 
Here, we have two contrasting scenes: the one in this life is characterized by stubborn rejection, while the other, in the hereafter, is a situation of profound regret. They are portrayed in such a way so as to help awaken human nature that has been left to rust for a long time. If only human nature would open up to the Qur’ān and reflect on its message, it would gain the chance to be spared a fearful destiny.
 
“Some of them listen to you. But over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from understanding what you say, and into their ears, deafness. Were they to see every sign, they would still not believe in it.” (Verse 25) This is a description of a particular type of people who listen but do not understand as if they do not have minds to help them comprehend, or ears to help them hear. This type of person may exist any time, anywhere. Their listening to what is being said has no effect whatsoever. Their ears do not function and their comprehension is sealed, so that the meaning of what they hear does not register with them.
 
“Were they to see every sign, they would still not believe in it. When they come to you to contend with you, the unbelievers say: This is nothing but fables of the ancients.” (Verse 25) Their eyes are open, but they do not seem to see, or what they see delivers no message to their minds.
 
What has happened to them, then? What prevents them from responding when they have ears, eyes, and minds? God tells us: “Over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from understanding what you say, and into their ears, deafness. Were they to see every sign, they would still not believe in it.” (Verse 25) It is God who has willed that their faculty of comprehension remains unable to grasp the truth and that their hearing does not function. We should try, then, to understand the wisdom behind God’s will.
 
God, limitless is He in His glory, says: “Those who strive hard for Our cause, We shall most certainly guide onto paths that lead to Us.” (29: 69) He also says: “By the Soul and its moulding, and inspiration with wickedness and piety. Successful is the one who keeps it pure and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (91: 7-10) It is God’s will that He guides those who strive to follow His guidance, and that anyone who purges his soul from corruption will be successful. Those people have neither sought guidance nor tried to make use of their natural responses. These are the two things people need to do to ensure that God will guide them and help them give the proper responses. They started by knocking their nature out of action and, in consequence, God has placed a veil between them and His guidance. It is God’s will, then, that people should bear the consequences of their initial attitude and action. Everything occurs according to God’s will. It is His will to guide those who seek guidance and to grant success to those who work to purify themselves. It is also His will to place veils over the hearts and minds of those who turn away from His message and to make them deaf and unresponsive to the signs they see. Those who try to put the blame for their sins and their disbelief on God’s will surely make a fraudulent claim. God confronts them with the truth as He reports and derides their claims: “Those who associate partners with God say, ‘Had God so wished, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have declared anything forbidden without a commandment from Him.’ Those before them said the same. Do the Messengers have to do anything other than to clearly deliver the Message? Indeed, We have raised a Messenger in every community, [who said to them]: ‘Worship God and shun the Evil One.’ Among them were some whom God graced with His guidance, while others were inevitably doomed by their error. Go, then, about the earth and observe what was the end of those who gave the lie to the truth.” (16: 35-6) It is clear from these verses that God rejects their claims: it was inevitable that they should fall prey to grievous error after they had been given sufficient warnings to mend their ways.
 
People have often raised questions about predestination, compulsion and free choice, man’s will, etc. They have made of these topics an academic debate which they tackle on the basis of their own assumptions. Their approach is contrary to the simple and straightforward Qur’ānic exposition of these questions. The Qur’ān states that everything takes place by God’s will, and that man chooses the line he follows and that his choice is part of his nature, endowed to him by God. The direction he chooses to follow will entail certain consequences in this life and in the life to come. These consequences are part of God’s will. Hence, the ultimate power behind everything is God’s will which dictates the consequences of the freedom of choice God has given to man. Anything that goes beyond this simple statement is false.
 
All indicators to the truth and pointers to the right way and to faith were displayed in front of the idolaters. The Qur’ān repeatedly drew their attention to countless signs and indications which they recognise within themselves and in the world around them. Had they only thought objectively about these, they would have awakened to the truth and responded to it. But they have made no effort to receive guidance. On the contrary, they suppressed their own nature, and in consequence, God placed a veil between them and proper guidance. They did not go to the Prophet with open hearts, ears and eyes in order to listen, see and reflect. They went to argue and dispute: “When they come to you to contend with you, the unbelievers say: ‘This is nothing but fables of the ancients.’“ (Verse 25)
 
They were well aware that the Qur’ān bears no resemblance to such fables or legends which speak of supernatural events that happen to heroes and deities and which constitute a part of the beliefs of idolatrous communities. In their attempts to justify their rejection of the message of Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him), they give all types of false arguments. Since the Qur’ān recited to them by the Prophet contains stories about former prophets and their nations, as well as the fate of those who, in the past, denied God’s messages, the unbelievers claimed that the Qur’ān was no more than the fables of the ancients. What a futile claim based on the least convincing of arguments.