Tafseer of Luqman · Luqman · 31:7
And when our verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard them, as if there was in his ears deafness. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.
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.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا وَلَّى مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا كَأَنَّ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ وَقْرًا فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ("And when Our signs are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly, as though he had not heard them, as though there were a deafness in his two ears. So give him tidings of a painful punishment") (31:7).
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and when to this one who purchased idle talk in order to lead astray from the path of Allah, the signs of the Book of Allah are recited, and these are recited to him, وَلَّى مُسْتَكْبِرًا ("he turns away arrogantly") — He says: he turns away from it, and is haughty with great haughtiness, and turns away from hearing the truth and responding to it. كأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْها كأنَّ فِي أُذُنَيهِ وَقْرًا ("as though he had not heard them, as though there were a deafness in his two ears") — He says: heaviness, so that for that reason he is unable to hear it.
As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His saying: فِي أُذُنَيْهِ وَقْرًا ("in his two ears a deafness"), he said: heaviness.
And His saying: فَبشِّرْهُ بعَذَابٍ ألِيمٍ ("so give him tidings of a painful punishment") — the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: so give tidings to this one who out of haughtiness turns away from the signs of Allah when they are recited to him, of a punishment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection that is painful for him, and that is the punishment of the Fire.
