Transliteration:( Wa qaaloo quloobunaa feee akinnatim mimmaa tad'oonaaa ilaihi wa feee aazaaninaa waqrunw wa mim baininaa wa bainika hijaabun fa'mal innanaa 'aamiloon )
And they say: "Our hearts are in covers from that to which you invite [6] us, and in our ears is a heaviness, and between us and you there is a veil [7]. So, you do your deed and we do our [8] deeds."
The disbelievers uttered these words mockingly and arrogantly, implying that they were so deeply entrenched in disbelief that the Prophet’s ﷺ words had no impact on their hearts.
This shows how, during times of misguidance, people may mistake spiritual weakness for pride or confidence.
Even today, some Muslims mock those who observe Salaah, while taking pride in going to cinemas or indulging in vain activities. May Allah protect us from such heedlessness.
Though their claim of a barrier between them and the Prophet ﷺ was true in a sense—Qur’an itself mentions such veils in other verses—uttering this truth with a defiant heart became an act of disbelief.
An example: Iblis said, “O Allah, You made me an infidel”—a truthful statement, yet made with arrogance, which made him a kafir.
In contrast, Hazrat Adam عليه السلام said with humility:
"O our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not and have not mercy on us, then surely we are among the losers" (Surah Al-A‘raf, 7:23).
Though seemingly self-blaming, his words were filled with repentance and submission, establishing the path of faith and divine love. Great Sufis have derived profound lessons from this.
This statement reflects their obstinacy:
“You follow your path, and we will follow ours” — meaning: you act according to your faith, and we will persist in our disbelief.
It could also mean: “Do your worst to harm us, and we will retaliate likewise” — a clear indication of their hostile intent and rebellious nature.
The tafsir of Surah Fussilat verse 5 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Fussilat ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 5.
(41:5) They say: “Our hearts are securely wrapped up against what you call us to,[2] and in our ears is a heaviness, and between you and us there is a veil.[3] So act; we too are acting.”[4]
2. That is, it has no way open to reach our hearts.
3. That is, this invitation has divided us. It has cut us off from you. It has become a hindrance for us to join you.
4. It has two meanings:
(1) That we have nothing to do with you.
(2) That if you do not desist from your preaching, you may go on doing your mission, we will also not stop our opposition to you, and we will do whatever we can to defeat and frustrate your mission.
[1383]- For your own religion or work against us.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics