Quran Universe
13:19

۞أَفَمَن يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلۡحَقُّ كَمَنۡ هُوَ أَعۡمَىٰٓۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

Afaman yaAAlamu annama onzila ilayka min rabbika alhaqqu kaman huwa aAAma innama yatathakkaru oloo alalbabi

Then is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like one who is blind? They will only be reminded who are people of understanding -

Word by word
  1. ۞أَفَمَنThen is (he) who
  2. يَعۡلَمُknows
  3. أَنَّمَآthat which
  4. أُنزِلَhas been revealed
  5. إِلَيۡكَto you
  6. مِنfrom
  7. رَّبِّكَyour Lord
  8. ٱلۡحَقُّ(is) the truth
  9. كَمَنۡlike (one) who
  10. هُوَ[he]
  11. أَعۡمَىٰٓۚ(is) blind
  12. إِنَّمَاOnly
  13. يَتَذَكَّرُpay heed
  14. أُوْلُواْmen
  15. ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ(of) understanding
Ar-Ra'd · 13:19Madinah

Knowing the truth and being blind to it are not the same.

Who actually takes the reminder

Two people
the one who knowswhat came is the truth
not like
the blind onecannot see what benefits him
Who is reminded
anyone who hearsjust listening is enough
people of understandingthey reflect and take lessons

The verse asks if a person who knows the revelation to the Prophet ﷺ is true can be like a blind person. Ibn Kathir says they are never equal. Only people of sound understanding take the reminder, and he adds a prayer: we ask Allah to make us among them.

Two people sit in the same Friday khutbah. One scrolls under the table. The other walks out thinking about one sentence for the rest of the day. Same words, different hearts.

Hearing the Quran is enough; the rest will happen on its own.

The reminder works on those who stop and think about it.

Try this

Pick one verse you heard this week and spend two minutes thinking about what it asks of you.

Related6:11559:20
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you from your Lord is the truth, be like him who is blind? But it is only the men of understanding that pay heed (19)

The Believer and the Disbeliever are never Equal

Allah says, 'They could never be equal; those among people who know that what,

أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ

(has been revealed unto you), O Muhammad,

مِن رَّبِّكَ

(from your Lord) is the truth about which there is no doubt and in which there is no confusion, vagueness or contradiction. Rather, they believe that all of it is the truth, each part of it testifying to another. They believe that none of its parts contradicts the others, that all its information is true and that all its commandments and prohibitions are just,

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا

(And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice.)[6:115] It is accurate in its information and stories and just in what it orders. Therefore, the Ayah says, those who believe in the truth that you brought, O Muhammad, are not at all similar to those who are blind and cannot find guidance to what benefits them, which they cannot even comprehend. And even if they comprehend the guidance, they will not follow it, believe in it or abide by it.' Allah said in another Ayah,

لَا يَسْتَوِي أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ ۚ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ

(Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful.)[59:20] Allah said in this honorable Ayah,

أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰ

(Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you from your Lord is the truth, be like him who is blind?) They are not equal. Allah said next,

إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

(But it is only the men of understanding that pay heed.) meaning, it is those who have sound minds who draw lessons, gain wisdom and understand. We ask Allah to make us among them.