Surah Araf ayat 179 Tafsir Quran 7:179

﴿وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ ۖ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 179]

7:179 And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.

And We have indeed urged unto Hell many of the jinn and mankind having hearts wherewith they do not understand the truth and having eyes wherewith they do not perceive the proofs of God’s power with a perception that entails reflection and having ears wherewith they do not hear the signs or the admonitions in a way so as to reflect and take heed. These they are like cattle in their failure to understand perceive or listen — nay rather they are further astray than cattle because at least they cattle seek what is beneficial to them and stay away from what is harmful to them these individuals on the other hand are proceeding towards the Fire out of sheer obstinacy. These — they are the heedless.

We have disposed to the abode in Hell many of the Jinn and mankind whom We had foreknown to be losers; they carry hearts stigmatized with dullness of comprehension and eyes lacking perception and they have no ears for admonition. These are they standing similitude exact of cattle, in fact even worse, and these are the heedless of all truth

Disbelief and the Divine Decree Allah said, وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ ( And surely, We have created for Hell ) We made a share in the Fire for, كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ ( many of the Jinn and mankind ) We prepared them for it by their performance of the deeds of its people.
When Allah intended to create the creation, He knew what their work will be before they existed.
He wrote all this in a Book, kept with Him, fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth.
Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلْقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء»
( Verily, Allah decided the destination and due measurement of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth, and His Throne was over the water. ) There are many Hadiths on this subject, and certainly, the matter of Al-Qadar is of utmost importance, yet this is not where we should discuss it.
Allah said, لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ ( They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not. ) meaning, they do not benefit from these senses that Allah made for them as a means of gaining guidance.
Similarly, Allah said, وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعاً وَأَبْصَـراً وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلاَ أَبْصَـرُهُمْ وَلاَ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُواْ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ( And We had assigned them the (faculties of ) hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat.) 46:26.
Allah also said about the hypocrites, صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ ( (They are ) deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not ( to the right path )) 2:18, and about the disbelievers, صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( (They are ) deaf, dumb and blind.
So they do not understand.) 2:171 However, they are not deaf, dumb or blind, except relation to the guidance.
Allah said; وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ( Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth ).) 8:23, فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تَعْمَى الاٌّبْصَـرُ وَلَـكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِى فِى الصُّدُورِ ( Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind. ) 22:46, and, وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ - وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ( And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah ), We appoint for him Shaytan to be an intimate companion to him.
And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!)43:36-37 Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ ( They are like cattle ), means, those who neither hear the truth, nor understand it, nor see the guidance, are just like grazing cattle that do not benefit from these senses, except for what sustains their life in this world.
Allah said in a similar Ayah, وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً ( And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of one who shouts to those who hear nothing but calls and cries. ) 2:171 meaning, their example, when they are called to the faith, is the example of cattle that hear only the voice of their shepherd, but cannot understand what he is saying.
Allah further described them بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ( nay even more astray ), than cattle, because cattle still respond to the call of their shepherd, even though they do not understand what he is saying.
As for the people described here, they are unlike cattle, which fulfill the purpose and service they were created for.
The disbeliever was created to worship Allah alone in Tawhid, but he disbelieved in Allah and associated others in His worship.
Therefore, those people who obey Allah are more honorable than some angels, while cattle are better than those who disbelieve in Him.
So Allah said; أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْغَـفِلُونَ ( They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. )

(7:179) And certainly We have created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind; *140 they have hearts with which they fail to understand; and they have eyes with which they fail to see; and they have cars with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle - indeed, even more astray. Such are utterly heedless.

And We have certainly created for Hell meaning

*140).
This does not mean that God has created some people for the specific purpose of fuelling Hell.
What it does mean is that even though God has bestowed upon men faculties of observation, hearing and reasoning, some people do not use them properly.
Thus, because of their own failings, they end up in Hell.

The words employed to give expression to the idea are ones which reflect deep grief and sorrow.
This can perhaps be grasped by the occasional outbursts of sorrow by human beings.
If a mother is struck by the sudden death of her sons in a war, she is prone to exclaim: 'I had brought up my sons that they might serve as cannon fodder!' Her exclamatory, utterance does not mean that that was the real purpose of the upbringing.
What she intends to convey by such an utterance is a strong condemnation of those criminals because of whom all her painful efforts to bring up her sons have gone to waste.

 

Disbelief and the Divine Decree Allah said, وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ ( And surely, We have created for Hell ) We made a share in the Fire for, كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ ( many of the Jinn and mankind ) We prepared them for it by their performance of the deeds of its people.
When Allah intended to create the creation, He knew what their work will be before they existed.
He wrote all this in a Book, kept with Him, fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth.
Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلْقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء» ( Verily, Allah decided the destination and due measurement of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth, and His Throne was over the water. ) There are many Hadiths on this subject, and certainly, the matter of Al-Qadar is of utmost importance, yet this is not where we should discuss it.
Allah said, لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ ( They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not. ) meaning, they do not benefit from these senses that Allah made for them as a means of gaining guidance.
Similarly, Allah said, وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعاً وَأَبْصَـراً وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلاَ أَبْصَـرُهُمْ وَلاَ أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُواْ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ( And We had assigned them the (faculties of ) hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat.) 46:26.
Allah also said about the hypocrites, صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ ( (They are ) deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not ( to the right path )) 2:18, and about the disbelievers, صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( (They are ) deaf, dumb and blind.
So they do not understand.) 2:171 However, they are not deaf, dumb or blind, except relation to the guidance.
Allah said; وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ( Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth ).) 8:23, فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تَعْمَى الاٌّبْصَـرُ وَلَـكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِى فِى الصُّدُورِ ( Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind. ) 22:46, and, وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ - وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ( And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah ), We appoint for him Shaytan to be an intimate companion to him.
And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!)43:36-37 Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ ( They are like cattle ), means, those who neither hear the truth, nor understand it, nor see the guidance, are just like grazing cattle that do not benefit from these senses, except for what sustains their life in this world.
Allah said in a similar Ayah, وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً ( And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of one who shouts to those who hear nothing but calls and cries. ) 2:171 meaning, their example, when they are called to the faith, is the example of cattle that hear only the voice of their shepherd, but cannot understand what he is saying.
Allah further described them بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ( nay even more astray ), than cattle, because cattle still respond to the call of their shepherd, even though they do not understand what he is saying.
As for the people described here, they are unlike cattle, which fulfill the purpose and service they were created for.
The disbeliever was created to worship Allah alone in Tawhid, but he disbelieved in Allah and associated others in His worship.
Therefore, those people who obey Allah are more honorable than some angels, while cattle are better than those who disbelieve in Him.
So Allah said; أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْغَـفِلُونَ ( They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. )

( Already have We urged unto ) We created for ( hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not ) the Truth, ( and having eyes wherewith they see not ) the Truth, ( and having ears wherewith they hear not ) the Truth. ( These are as the cattle ) in relation to understanding the Truth ( nay, but they are worse! ) because they are disbelievers ( These are the neglectful ) those who are oblivious to the matter of the Hereafter, deniers of it.

And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.

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