Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:88

Allah says;

وقالوا قلوبنا غلف

And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn Abbas said that it, means, "Our hearts are screened.'' Mujahid also said that it means, "They are covered.''` Ikrimah said, "There is a stamp on them.'' Abu Al-Aliyah said, "They do not comprehend.'' Mujahid and Qatadah said that; Ibn Abbas read the Ayah in a way that means, "Our hearts contain every type of knowledge and do not need the knowledge that you (O Muhammad) have.'' This is the opinion of Ata and Ibn Abbas.

بل لعنهم الله بكفرهم

Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, meaning, "Allah expelled them and deprived them of every type of righteousness.''

فقليﻼ ما يومنون

So little is that which they believe. Qatadah said that the Ayah means, "Only a few of them believe.'' Allah's statement,

وقالوا قلوبنا غلف

(And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf.'') is similar to His statement,

وقالوا قلوبنا فى أكنة مما تدعونا إليه

And they say: "Our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us. (41:5). This is why Allah said here,

بل لعنهم الله بكفرهم

فقليﻼ ما يومنون

(Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe), meaning, "It is not as they claim. Rather, their hearts are cursed and stamped,'' just as Allah said in Surah An-Nisa,

وقولهم قلوبنا غلف بل طبع الله عليها بكفرهم فﻼ يومنون إﻻ قليﻼ

And of their saying: "Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say) ـ nay, Allah has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little. (4:155) There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of Allah's statement,

فقليﻼ ما يومنون

(So little is that which they believe.) and His statement,

فﻼ يومنون إﻻ قليﻼ

(So they believe not except a few), (4:155). Some scholars said that; the Ayat indicate that a few of them would believe, or that their faith is minute, because they believe in Resurrection and in Allah's reward and punishment that Musa foretold. Yet, this faith will not benefit them since it is overshadowed by their disbelief in what Muhammad brought them. Some scholars said that; the Jews did not actually believe in anything and that Allah said,

فقليﻼ ما يومنون

(So little is that which they believe), meaning, they do not believe. This meaning is similar to the Arabic expression, "Hardly have I seen anything like this,'' meaning, "I have never seen anything like this.''