Tafsir of An-Naml 27:81

(And you are not the one to guide the blind out of their error): That is, you are not the one to divert the blind from their misguidance, nor are you a guide for them—a guidance that leads to the intended objective—due to the absence of the normal condition for guidance, which is sight. The particle "from" (an) is connected to "guidance" in the sense that it implies the meaning of diversion, as we have indicated. Abu al-Baqa’ permitted its connection to "the blind," meaning that the blindness proceeds from their misguidance; however, there is remoteness in this view. The use of the nominal sentence serves to emphasize the negation of guidance.

Yahya ibn al-Harith and Abu Haywah recited it as bihadin (with tanwin), with al-‘umyi in the accusative case. Al-A’mash, Talhah, Ibn Wathab, Ibn Ya’mar, and Hamzah recited it as tahdi (the present tense of hada), with al-‘umyi in the accusative. Ibn Mas’ud recited it as wa ma anta tahtadi (with the addition of an after ma), as in the saying of Imru’ al-Qays: "I swore to her by God, an oath of a treacherous man / That they would sleep; for there is no talk nor union," where tahtadi is the present tense of ihtada, and al-‘umyi is in the nominative case.

(Indeed, you [can only] make hear...): That is, you do not make them hear in a way that provides any benefit to the listener, (except those who believe in Our signs): that is, those whose nature is to believe in them; they are those who are not dead, nor deaf, nor blind.

Some eminent scholars said: It means except those who are such in the knowledge of God Almighty. This was objected to on the grounds that even if the future tense is valid considering the connection of divine knowledge to what will come to pass, the past tense would have been more appropriate. The objector chose the meaning: "except those who believe that the Qur’an is the speech of God Almighty," for at that point, his (the Prophet’s) prophethood is established, so his word is accepted, and his making them hear becomes beneficial.

This was countered by the claim that the exclusivity (hasr) is invalidated if the form denotes the present (concerning those who believe in the future) or if it denotes the future (concerning those who believe in the present). If one pushes away the necessity of this invalidation by making it apply to both, it would require the use of a polysemous word (mushtarak) in both of its meanings simultaneously, or combining the literal and the metaphorical. It was answered that the intent is the present, and others are included therein by the implication of the text without difficulty.

Some investigators said: The present tense may denote the future, which encompasses all times. Since the future can be considered relative to the time of judgment and speech—as has been verified in the principles of jurisprudence—it is permissible for it to be relative to the knowledge of the Speaker as well. Thus, it includes those who believe now, as it includes those who will believe in the future. Therefore, there is no ambiguity in the meaning chosen by that objector from this perspective.

Indeed, it has been said: There is in this a resemblance to "obtaining the obtained" (tahsil al-hasil), because believing in the Qur’an is the very act of hearing it beneficially. Perhaps the one who turned away from this interpretation did so for this reason, and did not pay heed to the distinction between those two things, which is evident after proper consideration. The truth is that what was mentioned regarding the resemblance to "obtaining the obtained" is at the furthest extreme, because of the clear difference between the "making hear" intended in the verse and the "believing that the Qur’an is the word of God," as is not hidden.

It is permitted that the "signs" refers to the miraculous signs that God Almighty manifested at his hand (peace and blessings be upon him), which include both the revealed signs (tanziliyyah) and the creative signs (takwiniyyah). Or that it refers only to the creative signs, and belief in them is the acknowledgment that they are signs of God Almighty and not sorcery. If "beneficial hearing" is intended in this context as the hearing of the revealed signs, so that what they contain of beliefs and actions may be brought forth, then the speech is even further removed from having any resemblance to "obtaining the obtained." However, this is not entirely free of some issue.

In Irshad al-‘Aql al-Salim, it is stated that the mention of "hearing" in both the negation and the affirmation, rather than "guidance"—despite its proximity—is because the path of guidance is the hearing of the revealed signs. So understand this.

And His saying: (And they are Muslims [submitting to God]): It is said: This is a justification for their belief in them, as if it were said: "For they are submissive to the truth at all times." It is also said: "They are sincere to God Almighty," from His saying: "Yes, whoever submits his face to God." It is also said: It is a justification for what the speech implies—that they hear in a way that is beneficial to them. The singular pronoun and then the plural are used out of regard for the word man (who) and its meaning.

The saying of the Exalted: (Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear) has been used as evidence that the dead do not hear the speech of people at all. A detailed discussion on this will follow, if God wills, in Surah Ar-Rum in the most complete manner.