Surah Al-A'raf 7:101 — translation and meaning

الأعراف · Verse 101 / 206 · Page 163

ۚ ۚ تِلْكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِن قَبْلُ كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Word by Word

ۚ
ۚ
تِلْكَ
til'ka
These
الْقُرَى
al-qura
(were) the cities
نَقُصُّ
naqussu
We relate
عَلَيْكَ
alayka
to you
مِنْ
min
of
أَنبَائِهَا
anbaiha
their news
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
جَاءَتْهُمْ
jaathum
came to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ
bil-bayinati
with clear proofs
فَمَا
fama
but not
كَانُوا
kanu
they were
لِيُؤْمِنُوا
liyu'minu
to believe
بِمَا
bima
in what
كَذَّبُوا
kadhabu
they (had) denied
مِن
min
from
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
كَذَلِكَ
kadhalika
Thus
يَطْبَعُ
yatba'u
(has been) put a seal
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
(by) Allah
عَلَى
ala
on
قُلُوبِ
qulubi
(the) hearts
الْكَافِرِينَ
al-kafirina
(of) the disbelievers

Transliteration

Tilkal quraa naqussu 'alaika min ambaaa'ihaa; wa laqad jaaa'at hum Rusuluhum bilbaiyinaati famaa kaanoo liyu'minoo bimaa kazzaboo min qabl; kazaalika yatba'ul laahu 'alaa quloobil kaafireen

Translation

Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muhammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before. Thus does Allah seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

These previous nations, of the peoples of Noah, Hūd, Sāliḥ, Lot and Shu’ayb- I relate their narrative to you O Messenger, concerning their rejection of the truth and their stubbornness, and the destruction that befell them, to serve as an example for those who reflect, and a warning for those who take advice. Messengers came to the people of these cities with clear signs of the truth of what they brought, but Allah did not guide them to the truth because of their rejection of it the first time, a just recompense for their rejection despite seeing the clear signs and proofs. In the same way that Allah closed the hearts of the peoples of these cities who rejected their prophets, Allah closes the hearts of those who reject Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), so that they are not guided to faith. In the same way that God sealed the hearts of the peoples of these towns which rejected their prophets, God seals the hearts of those who reject Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, so that they are not guided to faith.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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