Quran Universe
10:74

ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِمۡ فَجَآءُوهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ بِهِۦ مِن قَبۡلُۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَطۡبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ

Thumma baAAathna min baAAdihi rusulan ila qawmihim fajaoohum bialbayyinati fama kanoo liyuminoo bima kaththaboo bihi min qablu kathalika natbaAAu AAala quloobi almuAAtadeena

Then We sent after him messengers to their peoples, and they came to them with clear proofs. But they were not to believe in that which they had denied before. Thus We seal over the hearts of the transgressors

Word by word
  1. ثُمَّThen
  2. بَعَثۡنَاWe sent
  3. مِنۢafter him
  4. بَعۡدِهِۦafter him
  5. رُسُلًاMessengers
  6. إِلَىٰto
  7. قَوۡمِهِمۡtheir people
  8. فَجَآءُوهُمand they came to them
  9. بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِwith clear proofs
  10. فَمَاBut not
  11. كَانُواْthey were
  12. لِيُؤۡمِنُواْto believe
  13. بِمَاwhat
  14. كَذَّبُواْthey had denied
  15. بِهِۦ[it]
  16. مِنbefore
  17. قَبۡلُۚbefore
  18. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  19. نَطۡبَعُWe seal
  20. عَلَىٰ[on]
  21. قُلُوبِthe hearts
  22. ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ(of) the transgressors
Yunus · 10:74Makkah

Rejecting from the start seals the heart.

When early refusal becomes a lock

After Nuh
messengerswith clear proofs
but
already rejecteddecided beforehand
so
hearts sealedof the transgressors
Why proof did not help
weak evidencenot convincing enough
minds made upbefore it arrived

After Nuh, messengers came to their peoples with clear proofs. Ibn Kathir says they would not believe because they had rejected it from the beginning. He calls it a serious warning to the Makkans who rejected the last Messenger ﷺ.

You decided years ago that a certain relative is always wrong. Now even when they say something wise, you cannot hear it. An early no hardens into a lock. Keep the door open.

Once I have decided, nothing needs revisiting.

Rejecting before listening can seal my own heart.

Try this

Revisit one opinion you formed long ago. Ask Allah to show you the truth about it.

Related6:11017:17
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Then after him We sent Messengers to their people. They brought them clear proofs, but they would not believe what they had already rejected beforehand. Thus We seal the hearts of the transgressors (74)

Meaning, then after Nuh We sent Messengers to their people.

They brought them clear proofs. and evidences of the truth that they came with.

فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا بِهِ مِن قَبْلُ

(But they would not believe what they had already rejected beforehand) meaning the nations did not believe what their Messengers brought to them because they already rejected it from the beginning. Allah said:

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance).)(6:110) He then said here,

كَذَٰلِكَ نَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

(Thus We seal the hearts of the transgressors.)

This means that as Allah has set seals on the hearts of those people, such that they would not believe since they previously rejected faith, He would also set seals on the hearts of the people that are like them, who will come after them. They would not believe until they see the severe torment. This means that Allah destroyed the nations after Nuh. He destroyed the nations that rejected the Messengers and saved those who believed from among them.

From the time of Adam to Nuh, people followed Islam. Then they invented the worship of idols. So Allah sent Nuh to them. That is why the believers will say to him on the Day of Resurrection, "You are the first Messenger Allah sent to the people of the earth." Ibn 'Abbas said: "There were ten generations between Adam and Nuh, and all of them were following Islam." Allah also said:

وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ

(And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh!)(17:17) This was a serious warning to the Arab pagans, who rejected the leader and last of the Messengers and Prophets. If the people before them who rejected their Messengers had received this much punishment, then what did they think will happen to them since they perpetrated even greater sins than others before them?