Translation:
They say: "Our hearts are 4465 under veils, (concealed) from that to which you do invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and you is a screen: so do 4466 you (what you wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"
They say: "Our hearts are 4465 under veils, (concealed) from that to which you do invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and you is a screen: so do 4466 you (what you wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"
Translation:
and so they say, [as it were:] “Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier. 4 Do, then, [whatever thou wilt, whereas,] behold, we shall do [as we have always done]!”
and so they say, [as it were:] “Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier. 4 Do, then, [whatever thou wilt, whereas,] behold, we shall do [as we have always done]!”
Commentary:
4 For this rendering of the term hijab, see note on the first sentence of 7:46 . See also 6:25 . The "saying" of those who turn away from the message of the Qur’an is, of course, figurative, describing only their attitude.
4 For this rendering of the term hijab, see note on the first sentence of 7:46 . See also 6:25 . The "saying" of those who turn away from the message of the Qur’an is, of course, figurative, describing only their attitude.
4465 The consequence of their wilful rejection is that a distance is created between Revelation and those for whom it is meant; their ears become deaf, so that the voice falls fainter and fainter on their ears: they feel a bar between themselves and the Messenger who comes to teach them (Cf. 6:25 ).
4466 This is either a superiority complex adopting the sarcastic tone of an inferiority complex, or it expresses calculated indifference to spiritual teaching. In effect it says: "Our hearts and minds are not intelligent enough to understand your noble ideas, nor our ears sufficiently acute to hear their exposition: you and we are quite different; there is a gulf between us. Why worry about us? You go your way, and we shall go ours!"