Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:53
And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [in submission to Allah].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement: And you cannot guide the blind out of their error (30:53). The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and you, O Muḥammad, cannot rightly guide the one whom Allah has blinded to steadfastness and to the way of the truth, and to whom He has not granted the guidance to attain the straight path — so that you might turn him away from his error in which he is, and from treading the misguided ways, toward the way of right guidance. He says: that is not in your hand, nor with you, and none other than I is capable of it, for I am the One who has power over all things.
And it is said: bi-hādi al-ʿumyi ʿan ḍalālatihim (guiding the blind away from their error), and He did not say "min ḍalālatihim" (out of their error), because the meaning of the statement is what I have described, namely: and you cannot turn them away from it; so it was directed to the meaning. And if it had been said "min ḍalālatihim," that too would have been correct, and its meaning would be: you cannot hold them back from their error.
And His statement: You can only make hear those who believe in Our signs. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says to His Prophet: you can only make hear that hearing from which the hearer profits, so that he understands it, namely those who believe in Our signs; for the one who believes in Our signs reflects upon the Book of Allah when he hears it, and understands and grasps it, and acts according to what is in it, and adheres to the limits of Allah that He has set therein. He is the one who hears the profitable hearing.
And His statement: so that they submit (fa-hum muslimūn). He says: so that they submit themselves to Allah by obeying Him, humbly bowing before the admonitions of His Book.
