10:42

وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَسۡتَمِعُونَ إِلَيۡكَۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُسۡمِعُ ٱلصُّمَّ وَلَوۡ كَانُواْ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ

Waminhum man yastamiAAoona ilayka afaanta tusmiAAu alssumma walaw kanoo la yaAAqiloona

And among them are those who listen to you. But can you cause the deaf to hear, although they will not use reason?

Word by word
  1. وَمِنۡهُمAnd among them
  2. مَّن(are some) who
  3. يَسۡتَمِعُونَlisten
  4. إِلَيۡكَۚto you
  5. أَفَأَنتَBut (can) you
  6. تُسۡمِعُcause the deaf to hear
  7. ٱلصُّمَّcause the deaf to hear
  8. وَلَوۡeven though
  9. كَانُواْthey [were]
  10. لَا(do) not
  11. يَعۡقِلُونَuse reason
Yunus · 10:42Makkah

They hear your words, but can you make the deaf hear?

Listening is not the same as hearing


The listeners
they listento beautiful words
but
hearts closedthey will not reason
so
guidance is Allah'snot yours to force
What guidance needs
better wordsif I explain enough
Allah opening heartsonly if He wills

Ibn Kathir says some listened to the Prophet ﷺ, his beautiful speech and the Quran. But guiding people to the truth was not up to him or them. You cannot make the deaf hear, except if Allah wills.

You have explained it to your brother five times, each time better. He nods and changes nothing. It is not your eloquence that opens hearts. Keep being kind, and make dua for him.

If I find the perfect words, they will change.

I do my part. Opening hearts belongs to Allah.

Try this

Make one dua today for someone you have been trying to convince.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 10:41)

And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do! (41)And among them are some who listen to you, but can you make the deaf to hear – even though they apprehend not (42)And among them are some who look at you, but can you guide the blind – even though they see not (43)Truly, Allah wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves (44)

The Command to be Free and Clear from the Idolators

Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ: 'If these idolators belie you, then be clear from them and their deeds.'

فَقُل لِّي عَمَلِي وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ

(Say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds!") Similarly, Allah said:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ - لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ

(Say: "O you disbelievers! I worship not that which you worship.")[109:1-2] to the end of the Surah. Ibrahim Al-Khalil (the Friend) and his followers said to the idolators among their people:

إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ 

(Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allah)[60:4] Allah then said:

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ

(And among them are some who listen to you,)

They listen to your beautiful talk and to the Glorious Qur'an. They listen to your truthful, eloquent and authentic Hadiths that are useful to the hearts, the bodies and their faith. This is indeed a great benefit and is sufficient. But guiding the people to the truth is not up to you or to them. You cannot make the deaf hear. Therefore you cannot guide these people except if Allah wishes.

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنظُرُ إِلَيْكَ

(And among them are some who look at you,)

They look at you and at what Allah has given you in terms of dignity, noble personality and great conduct. There is in all of this clear evidence of your prophethood to those who have reason and insight. Other people also look but they do not receive guidance like them. Believers look at you with respect and dignity while disbelievers regard you with contempt.

وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا

(And when they see you, they treat you only in mockery.)[25:41]

Then Allah announces that He is never unjust with anyone. He guides whomever He wills and opens the eyes of the blind, makes the deaf hear and removes neglect from the hearts. At the same time He lets others go astray, moving away from faith. He does all of that yet He is always Just, for He is the Ruler and has full authority over His kingdom. He does whatever He wills without any restrictions. No one can question Him as to what He does while he will question everyone else. He is Omniscient, All-Wise, and All-Just. So Allah said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلَٰكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

(Truly, Allah wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves.)

In the Hadith narrated by Abu Dharr, he states that the Prophet ﷺ related that His Lord, Exalted and High is He, said:

يَا عِبَادِي! إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا

(O My servant! I have prohibited oppression for Myself and made it prohibited for you, so do not oppress one another...) Until He said at the end of the Hadith:

يَا عِبَادِي! إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ، ثُمَّ أُوفِيكُمْ إِيَّاهَا، فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَهُ

(O My servants! It is but your deeds that I reckon for you and then recompense you for. So let him who finds good (in the Hereafter) praise Allah. And let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.) The complete version was recorded by Muslim.