40:35

ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَٰدِلُونَ فِيٓ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ سُلۡطَٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمۡۖ كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِندَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلۡبِ مُتَكَبِّرٖ جَبَّارٖ

Allatheena yujadiloona fee ayati Allahi bighayri sultanin atahum kabura maqtan AAinda Allahi waAAinda allatheena amanoo kathalika yatbaAAu Allahu AAala kulli qalbi mutakabbirin jabbarin

Those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without an authority having come to them - great is hatred [of them] in the sight of Allah and in the sight of those who have believed. Thus does Allah seal over every heart [belonging to] an arrogant tyrant.

Word by word
  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose who
  2. يُجَٰدِلُونَdispute
  3. فِيٓconcerning
  4. ءَايَٰتِ(the) Signs
  5. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  6. بِغَيۡرِwithout
  7. سُلۡطَٰنٍany authority
  8. أَتَىٰهُمۡۖ(having) come to them
  9. كَبُرَ(it) is greatly
  10. مَقۡتًاhateful
  11. عِندَnear Allah
  12. ٱللَّهِnear Allah
  13. وَعِندَand near
  14. ٱلَّذِينَthose
  15. ءَامَنُواْۚwho believe
  16. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  17. يَطۡبَعُAllah sets a seal
  18. ٱللَّهُAllah sets a seal
  19. عَلَىٰover
  20. كُلِّevery
  21. قَلۡبِheart
  22. مُتَكَبِّرٖ(of) an arrogant
  23. جَبَّارٖtyrant
Ghafir · 40:35Makkah

Arguing against truth with no proof seals the heart.

Dispute without authority, and what it does to a person


The slide
dispute the signswith no proof
becomes
arrogancehateful to Allah
then
a sealed heartcannot follow the truth
What arguing costs
just debatingharmless fun
the heart hardensstops seeing good

Ibn Kathir says those who dispute the proof without any evidence are hateful to Allah and to the believers. Whoever is like this, Allah seals his heart so that he no longer acknowledges good or rejects evil.

You argue online for the win, not for the truth. You say things you do not even believe to beat the other person. Do it long enough and you lose the ability to tell the difference. The heart stops listening.

Arguing to win is just a game; it does not change me.

Arguing against what I know is true slowly closes my heart to truth.

Try this

In your next argument, say once: you have a point there. Mean it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 40:30)

And he who believed said: "O my people! Verily, I fear for you an end like that day (of disaster) of the groups (of old)! (30)"Like the end of the people of Nuh, and 'Ad, and Thamud and those who came after them. And Allah wills no injustice for (His) servants. (31)"And, O my people! Verily, I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling. (32)A Day when you will turn your backs and flee having no protector from Allah. And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide (33)And indeed Yusuf did come to you, in times gone by, with clear signs, but you ceased not to doubt in that which he did bring to you, till when he died, you said: "No Messenger will Allah send after him." Thus Allah leaves astray him who is a transgressor and a skeptic (34)Those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority that has come to them, it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who believe. Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant, tyrant (35)

Here Allah tells us that this righteous man, the believer from among the family of Fir'awn, warned his people of the punishment of Allah in this world and the Hereafter, saying,

 يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِثْلَ يَوْمِ الْأَحْزَابِ

(O my people! Verily, I fear for you an end like that day (of disaster) of the groups (of old)!) meaning, those of the earlier nations who disbelieved the Messengers of Allah, such as the people of Nuh, 'Ad, Thamud and the disbelieving nations who came after them, how the punishment of Allah came upon them and they had no one to protect them or ward off that punishment.

وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِلْعِبَادِ

(And Allah wills no injustice for (His) servants.) means, Allah destroyed them for their sins and for their disbelief in and rejection of His Messengers; this was His command and His decree concerning them that was fulfilled. Then he said:

وَيَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمَ التَّنَادِ

(And, O my people! Verily, I fear for you the Day when there will be mutual calling.) meaning, the Day of Resurrection.

يَوْمَ تُوَلُّونَ مُدْبِرِينَ

(A Day when you will turn your backs and flee) means, running away.

كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ - إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ

(No! There is no refuge! Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.)(75:11-12) Allah says:

مَا لَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ

(having no protector from Allah.) meaning, 'you will have no one to protect you from the punishment and torment of Allah.'

وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

(And whomsoever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide.) means, whomever Allah sends astray will have no other guide except Him. Allah's saying:

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ يُوسُفُ مِنْ قَبْلُ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(And indeed Yusuf came to you, in times gone by, with clear signs,) refers to the people of Egypt. Allah sent a Messenger to them before the time of Musa, peace be upon him, in the person of Yusuf, peace be upon him, who attained a high position in the government of the people of Egypt. He was a Messenger who called his people to Allah with justice, but they did not obey him in matters of worshipping Allah, they only obeyed him in worldly matters that pertained to his position in the government. Allah says:

فَمَا زِلْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا جَاءَكُمْ بِهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا هَلَكَ قُلْتُمْ لَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رَسُولًا ۚ 

(but you ceased not to doubt in that which he brought to you, till when he died, you said: "No Messenger will Allah send after him.") means, 'you despaired, and said by way of wishful thinking,'

لَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رَسُولًا

(No Messenger will Allah send after him.) This was because of their disbelief and rejection (of the Messengers).

كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُرْتَابٌ

(Thus Allah leaves astray him who is a transgressor and a skeptic.) means, this is the state of the one whom Allah sends astray because of his sinful actions and the doubts in his heart.

الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۖ 

(Those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority that has come to them,) means, those who attempt to refute truth with falsehood and who dispute the proof without evidence or proof from Allah, Allah will hate them with the utmost loathing. Allah says:

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ 

(it is greatly hateful and disgusting to Allah and to those who believe.) meaning, the believers too will despise those who are like this, and whoever is like this, Allah will put a seal on his heart so that after that he will not acknowledge anything good or denounce anything evil. Allah says:

كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ 

(Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant.) meaning, so that they cannot follow the truth.

جَبَّارٍ

(tyrant.)