Surah Maryam — Verse 38

Word Meanings:

• أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ – "How sharp is their hearing and their sight!" This is an expression of astonishment at the intensity of their perception on that Day.
• يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا – "The Day they come to Us" – meaning the Day of Resurrection when they stand before Allah for judgment.
• الظَّالِمُونَ – "The wrongdoers" – those who persisted in disbelief, shirk (associating partners with Allah), and transgression against themselves and others.
• ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ – "A clear and manifest error" – a deviation from the truth so obvious that no one with sound reason could miss it.

Explanation of the Verse:

Allah, the Exalted, draws our attention to a profound and sobering reality: on the Day of Judgment, the wrongdoers will be granted the sharpest hearing and the clearest vision—far beyond anything they possessed in this worldly life. They will see the truth with unmistakable clarity: the reality of the Hereafter, the consequences of their deeds, the angels, the scales, the Fire, and the Garden. They will hear the truth with absolute precision: the call of accountability, the testimony of their own limbs, and the decree of their Lord.

Yet—and here lies the tragedy—this extraordinary perception will come at a time when it can no longer benefit them. Their hearing and sight on that Day will only increase their regret and sorrow, for they will realize what they had denied, mocked, and turned away from. In the worldly life, they had ears but refused to hear the call of truth; they had eyes but refused to see the signs of Allah in creation, in revelation, and in the messengers. Now, they see and hear everything—but the door of repentance has been sealed, and the time for action has passed.

Allah then says: "But the wrongdoers today are in clear error." In this present life—the life of opportunity, the life of choice, the life of repentance—they wander in a manifest misguidance. They are not merely mistaken; their deviation is glaring and unmistakable. They have turned away from the straight path despite its clarity, despite the signs, despite the messengers, and despite the innate disposition (fitrah) placed within them. They are like travelers who possess a map, a guide, and a bright sun—yet insist on walking into the abyss.

A Call to Reflection and Action:

Dear reader, pause and reflect deeply on this verse. The very faculties that the wrongdoers will be granted on that Day—sharp hearing and clear sight—are the same faculties you possess right now, in this very moment. The difference is that your hearing and sight today are opportunities, not regrets. Today, you can hear the words of the Qur'an and let them transform your heart. Today, you can see the signs of Allah in the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of night and day, in your own creation, and in the beauty of existence—and be moved to gratitude and obedience.

Do not wait until the Day when your perception becomes perfect but utterly useless. Do not be among those who say, "If only we had listened or reasoned" (Qur'an 67:10)—for on that Day, their wish will be met with nothing but loss.

The path of guidance is clear, and the mercy of Allah is vast. He has sent messengers, revealed scriptures, and left no excuse for humanity. The door of repentance is open until the moment of death. So, turn to your Lord today, with a sincere heart, and let your ears and eyes serve you in this life—not as witnesses against you, but as means of drawing closer to the One who created you.

Indeed, the most successful person is the one who uses his sight and hearing in this world to see the truth and hear the call of his Lord—and who responds with submission, love, and action. Let this verse be a wake-up call, a mercy from Allah, urging you to seize the moment before it slips away. For tomorrow, the sharpness of perception will only magnify the joy of the believers and the sorrow of the wrongdoers. Choose today which of the two you wish to be.