of Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 161)
Verses 6 and 7 of Surah Al-Baqarah (Indeed, those who disbelieveit is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn themthey will not believe. Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.
) reflect, like a clear mirror, the depth of human existence and its relationship with divine guidance. These verses address, in a profound and multi-layered manner, the subject of obstinate disbelief, the divine sealing of faculties, and its consequences. The present interpretation, employing a mystical and psychological approach, is composed for an educated audience at the research level and utilises refined allegories to elucidate the concepts within a scientific and systematic framework. The objective is to reveal the role of human free will, the responsibility entailed in disbelief, and the vastness of divine mercy which negates despair even in the face of persistent disbelief.
Verse 6 of Surah Al-Baqarah refers to obstinate disbelievers, a group who, due to stubbornness and obstinacy, refuse to accept faith. The phrase Indeed, those who disbelieve will not believe
emphasises this voluntary refusal.
This group, unlike disbelievers who may come to faith through divine guidance, resist faith due to adherence to particular schools or traditions (such as the Jewish scholars or the disbelievers of Quraysh) and do not enter the receptacle of guidance.
For researchers, this distinction necessitates psychological and sociological analysis of the impact of cultural and intellectual prejudices on beliefs.
It is all the same for themas a Parenthetical Clause
The phrase It is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them
acts as a parenthetical clause indicating the ineffectiveness of warning for obstinate disbelievers. The main message of the verse emphasises their voluntary refusal to believe.
From a rhetorical perspective, this clause indicates the intensity of obstinacy, and from a theological perspective, it underscores the universal offering of divine guidance and its dependence on human free will for acceptance.
Although narrations may specify examples of obstinate disbelievers, precise identification of such individuals is impossible. As long as a person is alive, the possibility of repentance and faith exists, just as a believer may also deviate.
This view poses, for an academic audience, the necessity to analyse the dynamics of belief and the possibility of human transformation.
The Holy Quran, described as a guidance for the God-conscious
(Al-Baqarah: 2) and a guidance for mankind
(Al-Baqarah: 185), offers guidance to all human beings. Yet, obstinate disbelievers, by their own choice, do not avail themselves of this guidance.
This point emphasises the universality of Quranic guidance and human responsibility in accepting or rejecting it.
Verse 7 states: Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil.
The seal, meaning to stamp and close, is the consequence of the disbelievers own deeds which Allah endorses.
The divine sealing is not by compulsion but by endorsement and confirmation of the disbelievers choice, who have by their free will reached a blockage in their perceptive faculties.
The agency of the sealing is attributed to Allah, but this agency is secondary, i.e., contingent upon human actions. Disbelievers, by continuous choice of disbelief, have caused the blockage of their faculties, and Allah confirms this condition.
This view raises for researchers the need to analyse the relationship between human free will and divine will.
Contrary to some interpretations that consider divine sealing as compulsion, this verse emphasises human free will. The sealing is the result of the disbelievers choice, not compulsion from God.
This principle aligns with verses such as We returned him to the lowest of the low
(At-Tin: 5), which are consequences of human actions.
The deterministic view, influenced by certain political currents, was propagated to justify domination and social passivity. This view conflicts with Quranic principles, especially those of justice and free will.
For an academic audience, this highlights the necessity to analyse the historical influence of politics on Quranic interpretations.
The phrase upon their hearts
can be interpreted in two ways: sealing upon the heart as a whole (collective description) or sealing upon the multiple hearts of an individual (unitary description). The heart in the Quran is described in multiplicity (Sadr, Fu'ad, Qalb) and can be in various states (disease, hardness, sealing).
For researchers, this multiplicity necessitates analysis of the perceptive layers of the heart from the perspective of religious psychology.
The heart is the management centre of the rational soul, and sealing it means blocking perceptive and emotional capacities. This blockage is the result of human deeds.
This perspective requires, for educated audiences, philosophical analysis of the rational soul and its role in perception.
Heart and sight, due to their activity (active perceptive power), are pluralised (their hearts, their eyes
), whereas hearing, due to passivity (passive reception), is singular (their hearing
). This distinction reflects the differing roles of faculties within the human perceptive system.
For researchers, this point requires psychological analysis of perceptive faculties and their role in guidance.
The human heart is like a flower that can remain a bud, blossom, or wither. Some hearts remain closed (sealed), some open and reach perfection, and some wither.
This analogy highlights, for an academic audience, the necessity of analysing the dynamics of the heart in the path of growth or blockage.
The heart, hearing, and sight are platforms for the activity of the rational soul. Proving the existence of the rational soul is a philosophical challenge that religious knowledge must pursue against materialistic views.
This view emphasises the necessity for scientific dialogue between theology and modern sciences for researchers.
The phrase over their eyes is a veil
refers to an external covering upon the eyes of disbelievers, preventing the perception of truth.
This veil is the result of perceptive blockage which the disbelievers themselves have caused through their choice of disbelief.
The phrase and for them is a great punishment
refers not only to the punishment of the hereafter but also to worldly punishment such as intellectual and emotional blockage and deprivation of felicity.
This interpretation requires, for researchers, analysis of the psychological and social consequences of disbelief.
Despair and hopelessness have no place in religion. Even obstinate disbelievers can embrace faith, a view consistent with divine mercy and the possibility of repentance.
This principle aligns with verses such as Do not despair of the mercy of Allah
(Az-Zumar: 53).
The discussion of divine sealing and perceptive faculties is related to the issue of the rational soul. Proving the rational soul as the origin of perception and human action is a scientific and philosophical challenge that religious knowledge must pursue.
For researchers, this challenge necessitates dialogue between theology, philosophy, and modern sciences.
Human beings can reach a level where they hear with their eyes, see with their ears, or act with their hands. This perceptive multiplicity demonstrates the immense existential capacity of humans.
This view, for an academic audience, necessitates analysing human perceptive capacities within the framework of religious psychology.
The perfect human is like a bouquet whose buds have all blossomed. Yet some hearts remain closed or wither, a consequence of human choice.
This analogy highlights for researchers the necessity to study the dynamics of spiritual growth and its obstacles.
The mystical and psychological interpretation of verses 6 and 7 of Surah Al-Baqarah (Indeed, those who disbelieveit is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn themthey will not believe. Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.
) reveals the depth of the relationship between divine guidance, human free will, and the responsibility of disbelief. Obstinate disbelief is the result of a self-willed human choice, and divine sealing is the endorsement of this choice, not divine compulsion. The heart, hearing, and sight, as perceptive faculties, play a central role in the existential system of humans, and perceptive multiplicity demonstrates the immense capacity of humans for flourishing or blockage. The great punishment refers not only to the hereafter but also to worldly deprivation. This interpretation, negating despair and emphasising divine mercy, invites humanity towards repentance and transformation. The necessity of scientific dialogue for proving the rational soul presents a challenge for religious knowledge against materialistic perspectives.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
