Transliteration:( Wa izaa maaa unzilat Sooratun nazara ba'duhum ilaa ba'din hal yaraakum min ahadin thumman sarafoo; sarafal laahu quloobahum bi annahum qawmul laa yafqahoon )
“And whenever any Surah is revealed to them, they begin to look [361] at each other, asking, ‘Does anyone watch you?’ Then they turn away. Allah has left their hearts because they are a people who do not understand [362].”
This refers to the hypocrites, who upon hearing the revelation of a Surah, begin to look at one another—either to mock it with their glances or to find an excuse to escape the gathering. The second meaning holds stronger weight, as it indicates their discomfort in the presence of divine words. From this, it is understood that avoiding gatherings of Zikr or showing disdain for religious assemblies is a trait of hypocrisy.
Because of their persistent rejection and mockery, Allah turned their hearts away from guidance. This abandonment stems from their lack of understanding and spiritual sensitivity. It also signifies that one who is cut off from the blessed court and presence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is left in a state of spiritual ignorance and misguidance.
The tafsir of Surah Taubah verse 127 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Taubah ayat 126 which provides the complete commentary from verse 126 through 127.
(9:127) And whenever a surah is revealed, they glance at each other as though saying: “Is anyone watching?” Then they slip away.[126] Allah has turned away their hearts for they are a people who are bereft of understanding.[127]
126. This happened when the hypocrites had to attend a meeting that was specially held for the recital of some new Surah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite as an address every new Surah before the assembly. The true believers would listen to it very attentively and respectfully. But the hypocrites, who had to attend the meeting to show that they were Muslims, would sit listlessly in the meeting for they had no interest in the recital. But when they would be assured that their attendance had been marked, they would look for an opportune moment to slip away without being seen and noticed.
127. Allah has turned away their hearts from the Quran, because they do not understand that it is in their own interest to listen to the Quran and to act upon its teachings. These foolish people do not realize that by ignoring the Quran and the Prophet (peace be upon him), they in fact deprive themselves of a great blessing. As they are deeply engaged in their own narrow interests, they do not see that the great knowledge of the Quran and the right guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has the potentiality of making them the leaders of this world, and of bringing salvation to them in the next world. As a result of their folly and neglect of the great blessing, Allah has, in accordance with His law, deprived them of the capacity of making use of this blessing and turned away their hearts from it. That is why these unfortunate, people do not even feel the great loss they are suffering, while the blessed people are taking full advantage of this great fountainhead of power and strength and are preparing themselves for achieving the greatest success that human beings could ever achieve.
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