Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Jaathiya, Ayah 23
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Tafsir
Have you then seen inform Me about him who has taken as his god his own desire that is whatever new stone he may desire after having desired some other stone considering this new one to be better and whom God has led astray knowingly on His part exalted be He that is to say knowing him to be of those who follow misguidance before he was created and set a seal upon his hearing and his heart so that he cannot hear guidance or understand it and laid a covering a darkness over his sight? so that he cannot perceive guidance here one should understand as implied the second direct object of the verb a-ra’ayta ‘have you seen’ namely a-yahtadī ‘can he find guidance?. So who will guide him after God? that is to say after His leading him astray? In other words he will not find guidance. Will you not then remember? will you not then be admonished? tadhakkarūna one of the two tā’ letters of the original form tatadhakkarūna has been assimilated with the dhāl.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(Hast thou seen) O Muhammad (him who maketh his desire his god) the one who worships a deity because of the whim of his ego; whenever his ego desires something, he worships it-this refers to al-Nadr Ibn al-Harith-and it is also said that this refers to Abu Jahl; as it is said that this refers to al-Harith Ibn Qays, (and Allah sendeth him astray) from faith (purposely) as Allah knows he is among the folk of error, (and sealeth up his hearing) and Allah places a covering on his hearing so that he does not hear the Truth (and his heart) and a covering on his heart so that he does not understand the Truth, (and setteth on his sight a covering) and places a covering on his sight so that He does not see the Truth? (Then who will lead him) who will guide him to the religion of Allah (after Allah) has sent him astray? (Will ye not then heed) by means of the Qur'an and understand that Allah is one, without partners?