45:8

يَسۡمَعُ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسۡتَكۡبِرٗا كَأَن لَّمۡ يَسۡمَعۡهَاۖ فَبَشِّرۡهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ

YasmaAAu ayati Allahi tutla AAalayhi thumma yusirru mustakbiran kaan lam yasmaAAha fabashshirhu biAAathabin aleemin

Who hears the verses of Allah recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. يَسۡمَعُWho hears
  2. ءَايَٰتِ(the) Verses
  3. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  4. تُتۡلَىٰrecited
  5. عَلَيۡهِto him
  6. ثُمَّthen
  7. يُصِرُّpersists
  8. مُسۡتَكۡبِرٗاarrogantly
  9. كَأَنas if
  10. لَّمۡnot
  11. يَسۡمَعۡهَاۖhe heard them
  12. فَبَشِّرۡهُSo give him tidings
  13. بِعَذَابٍ(of) a punishment
  14. أَلِيمٖpainful
Al-Jathiyah · 45:8Makkah

He hears the verses, then acts as if he did not.

Hearing without letting it in


What happens
verses recitedhe hears them
then
persistsproud, unmoved
as if unheardno change
Hearing and listening
I heard itso I am fine
it changed methat is listening

Ibn Kathir says this person hears the verses recited, yet persists in his disbelief, denial, pride and rebellion, as if he never heard them. The sound reached his ears. Nothing reached his heart.

The imam's Friday reminder hits exactly your habit. You nod. By the car park you are back to normal. As if you had not heard.

Hearing a reminder counts as taking it in.

A reminder I hear and do not act on is one I did not really hear.

Try this

Take one line from the last talk or reminder you heard and act on it today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 45:6)

These are the Ayat of Allah, which We recite to you with truth. Then in which speech after Allah and His Ayat will they believe (6)Woe to every sinful liar (7)Who hears the Ayat of Allah Tutla (recited) to him, yet persists with pride as if he heard them not. So announce to him a painful torment (8)And when he learns something of Our Ayat, he makes them a jest. For such there will be a humiliating torment (9)In front of them there is Hell. And that which they have earned will be of no profit to them, nor those whom they have taken as protective friends besides Allah. And theirs will be a great torment (10)This is guidance. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of their Lord, for them there is a painful torment of Rijz (11)

The Description of the Sinful Liar and His Requital

Allah the Exalted says,

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ

(These are the Ayat of Allah) – in reference to the Qur'an with the proofs and evidences that it contains,

نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ

(which We recite to you with truth.) for they contain the truth from the Truth (i.e., Allah). Therefore, if they do not believe in Allah's Ayat nor abide by them, what speech after Allah and His Ayat will they then believe in? Allah said next,

وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ

(Woe to every sinful liar.) who lies in his speech, often swears, who is worthless, commits and utters sinful acts and statements, and disbelieves in Allah's Ayat,

يَسْمَعُ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ

(Who hears the Ayat of Allah Tutla (recited) to him,) meaning, being recited to him,

ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ

(yet persists) in his disbelief, denial, pride and rebellion,

كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا

(as if he heard them not.) as if he did not hear them being recited to him,

فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(So announce to him a painful torment!) convey the news to him that on the Day of Resurrection, he will have a painful, severe torment from Allah. Allah said,

وَإِذَا عَلِمَ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا شَيْئًا اتَّخَذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ 

(And when he learns something of Our Ayat, he makes them a jest.) if he learns anything from the Qur'an, he disbelieves in it and takes it as the subject of jest and ridicule,

أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ 

(For such there will be a humiliating torment.) as recompense for ridiculing the Qur'an and jesting about it. In the Sahih, Muslim recorded from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited traveling with the Qur'an to enemy lands for fear that the Qur'an might be desecrated by the enemy.

Allah explained the type of torment that these people earn on the Day of Return;

مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ 

(In front of them there is Hell.) meaning, all those who have these evil characteristics will end up in Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection,

وَلَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ مَا كَسَبُوا شَيْئًا 

(And that which they have earned will be of no profit to them,) their wealth and children will not avail them,

 وَلَا مَا اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۖ 

(nor those whom they have taken as protecting friends besides Allah.) nor will the false gods that they worshipped besides Allah benefit them in the least,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 

(And theirs will be a great torment.) Allah the Exalted said,

هَٰذَا هُدًى ۖ 

(This is Huda (guidance).) in reference to the Qur'an,

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِنْ رِجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ

(And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of their Lord, for them there is a painful torment of Rijz.) that is agonizing and severe. Allah knows best.