Surah 41

Surah 41:44

"If We had made it a foreign Qur’ān, they would indeed have said, ‘Why are its signs not made distinct? Foreign and Arabic?’ Say: ‘It is a guidance and healing for those who believe, but those who do not believe – (there is) a heaviness in their ears, and for them it is a blindness. Those – (it is as if) they are being called from a place far away.’"
Rejection of the Qur'an is pure Stubbornness Verses 41:44-45
Show Full Scripture Context (41:44-45) — 2 Verses
Verse 44

وَلَوۡ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ قُرۡءَانًا أَعۡجَمِيّٗا لَّقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا فُصِّلَتۡ ءَايَٰتُهُۥٓۖ ءَا۬عۡجَمِيّٞ وَعَرَبِيّٞۗ قُلۡ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدٗى وَشِفَآءٞۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ فِيٓ ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَقۡرٞ وَهُوَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ عَمًىۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوۡنَ مِن مَّكَانِۭ بَعِيدٖ

If We had made it a foreign Qur’ān, they would indeed have said, ‘Why are its signs not made distinct? Foreign and Arabic?’ Say: ‘It is a guidance and healing for those who believe, but those who do not believe – (there is) a heaviness in their ears, and for them it is a blindness. Those – (it is as if) they are being called from a place far away.’

Verse 45

وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ فَٱخۡتُلِفَ فِيهِۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهُ مُرِيبٖ

Certainly We gave Moses the Book, and then differences arose about it. Were it not for a preceding word from your Lord, it would indeed have been decided between them. Surely they are in grave doubt indeed about it.

Allah tells us that the Qur'an is so eloquent and perfect in its wording and meanings, yet despite that the idolators do not believe in it. He tells us that their disbelief is the disbelief of stubbornness, as He says elsewhere:

Quoted Scripture
"[And if We had revealed it unto any of the non-Arabs, and he had recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it.](quran/26/198-199)}."

If the Qur'an had been revealed in the language of the non-Arabs, they would have said, because of their stubbornness:

Quoted Scripture
"Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! not in Arabic and an Arab?"

meaning, why is it not revealed in detail in Arabic? And by way of denunciation they would have said, "What! not in Arabic nor from an Arab? - i.e., how can foreign words be revealed to an Arab who does not understand them? This interpretation was reported from Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi and others.

Quoted Scripture
"Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a cure...""

means, 'say, O Muhammad: this Qur'an, for the one who believes in it, is guidance for his heart and a cure for the doubts and confusion that exists in people's hearts.'

Quoted Scripture
"And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears,"

means, they do not understand what is in it.

{and it is blindness for them.} means they are not guided to the explanations contained therein. This is like the Ayah:

Quoted Scripture
"[And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss.](quran/17/82)}."

"They are called from a place far away."

Mujahid said, "Far away from their hearts." Ibn Jarir said, "It is as if the one who is addressing them is calling to them from a distant place, and they cannot understand what he is saying." This is like the Ayah:

Quoted Scripture
"[And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.](quran/2/171)"

Taking Musa as an Example

Quoted Scripture
"And indeed We gave Musa the Scripture, but dispute arose therein."

means, they disbelieved in him and did not show him any respect.

Quoted Scripture
"[Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will](quran/46/35)}."

"And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord,"

i.e., to delay the Reckoning until the Day of Resurrection,

Quoted Scripture
"the matter would have been settled between them."

means, the punishment would have been hastened for them. But they have an appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape.

{But truly, they are in grave doubt thereto.} means, their words of disbelief are not due to any wisdom or insight on their part; rather they spoke without any attempt at examining it thoroughly. This was also the interpretation of Ibn Jarir, and it is a plausible interpretation. And Allah knows best.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 550-552)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.