An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 155 of 176

An-Nisa 4:155

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـٰقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَلْ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

“And [We cursed them][230] for their breaking of the covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allāh and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, "Our hearts are wrapped" [i.e., sealed against reception]. Rather, Allāh has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.[231]”

Saheeh International

Essence

Covenants unravelled, signs denied, prophets killed, and hearts declared full: the Quran names each deed, shows the seal as their consequence, and keeps an exception.

A reflection

Hearts that claimed to be full

'Our hearts are ghulf.' The commentaries give the word two meanings, and the second is startling.

The first is 'wrapped': hearts in a covering, so nothing reaches them. The lexicons picture a sword pushed into its sheath, whole and sharp, but untouchable.

The second, reported from an early Companion, reads ghulf as vessels. Our hearts are containers of knowledge, already full. We need nothing beyond what we have.

That is the ego's quietest boast. Not 'I know nothing', but 'I know enough'. It closes the door with a smile.

Allah's answer is one word: ṭabaʿa. The root is a die struck onto a coin, a seal pressed into clay. One lexicon adds a striking sense: a water-skin filled until nothing more fits, then closed. They claimed to be full. The Majestic answers: yes, sealed shut, because of your disbelief.

The One who opens hearts and seals them is not threatened by our refusals. But He will not force entry into a heart that has declared itself complete.

Picture a seventy-year-old mechanic who refuses to plug in the diagnostic computer. 'I can hear what's wrong with an engine.' He replaces the alternator, then the starter motor, then the battery. The fault was a sensor, visible on the screen in thirty seconds. His pride cost the customer three weeks.

Every believer should fear the sentence 'I already know this'. The Prophet ﷺ often prayed, O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm on Your religion. Al-Tirmidhi records it and calls it ḥasan. If he asked, how much more do we need to?

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.