Quran Universe
46:26

وَلَقَدۡ مَكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمۡ فِيهِ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُمۡ سَمۡعٗا وَأَبۡصَٰرٗا وَأَفۡـِٔدَةٗ فَمَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ سَمۡعُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَفۡـِٔدَتُهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِذۡ كَانُواْ يَجۡحَدُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

Walaqad makkannahum feema in makkannakum feehi wajaAAalna lahum samAAan waabsaran waafidatan fama aghna AAanhum samAAuhum wala absaruhum wala afidatuhum min shayin ith kanoo yajhadoona biayati Allahi wahaqa bihim ma kanoo bihi yastahzioona

And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allah; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. مَكَّنَّـٰهُمۡWe had established them
  3. فِيمَآin what
  4. إِنnot
  5. مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمۡWe have established you
  6. فِيهِin it
  7. وَجَعَلۡنَاand We made
  8. لَهُمۡfor them
  9. سَمۡعٗاhearing
  10. وَأَبۡصَٰرٗاand vision
  11. وَأَفۡـِٔدَةٗand hearts
  12. فَمَآBut not
  13. أَغۡنَىٰavailed
  14. عَنۡهُمۡthem
  15. سَمۡعُهُمۡtheir hearing
  16. وَلَآand not
  17. أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡtheir vision
  18. وَلَآand not
  19. أَفۡـِٔدَتُهُمtheir hearts
  20. مِّنany
  21. شَيۡءٍthing
  22. إِذۡwhen
  23. كَانُواْthey were
  24. يَجۡحَدُونَrejecting
  25. بِـَٔايَٰتِ(the) Signs
  26. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  27. وَحَاقَand enveloped
  28. بِهِمthem
  29. مَّاwhat
  30. كَانُواْthey used to
  31. بِهِۦ[at it]
  32. يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَridicule
Al-Ahqaf · 46:26Makkah

They had eyes, ears and hearts, and used none of them.

Strength and senses did not save them

What they were given
powermore than Makkah had
hearing, sight, heartsthe tools to see
but
denied the signsmocked what came
What the tools did
they protect meI am smart and strong
availed nothingwhen used to deny

Ibn Kathir says earlier nations had wealth and children far beyond what the Makkans had. They also had hearing, sight and hearts. None of it helped, because they used them to deny Allah's signs. The listeners are told to beware of becoming like them.

You are clever. You can out-argue anyone at dinner. You have a degree, a good salary, a sharp eye. All of that can be used to avoid the one question that matters. The verse asks what your senses are actually for.

Being smart and capable keeps me from being misled.

Intelligence only helps if I use it to see the truth, not to dodge it.

Try this

Use your eyes for one sign today: look closely at something living and thank Allah for it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule (26)And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways so that they might return (27)As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them Nay, but they vanished completely from them. And that was their falsehood, and what they were fabricating (28)

Allah says, 'We have granted the earlier nations wealth and offspring in the worldly life. That which We granted them, we did not give you anything similar or close to it.' Furthermore,

وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَارًا وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah's signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!) meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted. This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter. Allah then says,

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَىٰ

(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you,) This is addressed to the people of Makkah. Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as 'Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen, Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), Saba' who were in Yemen, the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well. Allah then says,

 وَصَرَّفْنَا الْآيَاتِ

(and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways) meaning, 'We explained and clarified them.'

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ - فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا آلِهَةً ۖ

(so that perhaps they might return. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them?) meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them?

بَلْ ضَلُّوا عَنْهُمْ

(but they vanished completely from them.) Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.

وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ

(And that was their falsehood,) meaning, their lie.

وَمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ 

(and what they were fabricating.) which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them – and Allah knows best.