مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى
اسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارًا ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَضَآءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهٗ ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُوۡرِهِمۡ
وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتٍ لَّا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ
17. Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire; then, when it illuminated all around him, Allāh removed their light and left them in darkness. (So) they could not see.
صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡىٌ فَهُمۡ
لَا يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ۙ
18. They are
deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not (to the right path).
The Examples of the Hypocrites
Allāh likened the hypocrites when they bought deviation with guidance, thus acquiring utter blindness, to the
example of a person who started a fire. When the fire was lit, and illuminated
the surrounding area, the person benefited from it and felt safe. Then the fire
was suddenly extinguished. Therefore, total darkness covered this person, and
he became unable to see anything or find his way out of it. Further, this
person could not hear or speak and became so blind that even if there were
light, he would not be able to see. This is why he cannot return to the state
that he was in before this happened to him. Such is the case with the
hypocrites who preferred misguidance over guidance, deviation over
righteousness. This parable indicates that the hypocrites first believed, then
disbelieved, just as Allāh stated in other parts of the Qur’ān.
Allāh’s
statement,
ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُوۡرِهِمۡ
<<Allāh
removed their light means>>, Allāh removed what benefits them, and this
is the light, and He left them with what harms them, that is, the darkness and
smoke. Allāh said,
وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتٍ
<<And
left them in darkness>>, that is their doubts, disbelief and hypocrisy.
لَّا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ
<<(So)
they could not see>> meaning, they are unable to find the correct path or
find its direction. In addition, they are,
صُمٌّۢ
<<deaf>>
and thus cannot hear the guidance,
بُكۡمٌ
<<dumb>>
and cannot utter the words that might benefit them,
عُمۡىٌ
<<and
blind>> in total darkness and deviation. Similarly, Allāh said,
فَاِنَّهَا لَا تَعۡمَى الۡاَبۡصَارُ
وَلٰـكِنۡ تَعۡمَى الۡـقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِىۡ فِى الصُّدُوۡرِ
<<Verily,it
is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts
that grow blind>> (22:46) and this why they cannot get back to the state
of guidance that they were in, since they sold it for misguidance.
~
Source: Tafsīr
Ibn Kathīr (Abridged) Volume 1, Sūrah 2 verse 17-18, page 140- 142, Darussalam Publications
