Al-Baqarah: (18) Deaf, dumb, and blind...

It should be known that since it was established that they [the hypocrites] were capable of hearing, speaking, and seeing in reality, carrying these descriptions over to their literal meaning is impossible.

Therefore, nothing remains except to liken their state—due to their intense adherence to obstinacy and their turning away from what the Qur'an presents to their hearing and the proofs and signs the Messenger reveals—to that of someone who is truly deaf and thus cannot hear. If they cannot hear, they cannot respond. For this reason, they are likened to the mute (dumb). And if they do not benefit from the proofs and do not see the path of righteousness, they are like the blind.

As for His saying: {so they will not return}, there are several interpretations:

1. They will not return from what was previously mentioned, which is their clinging to hypocrisy. Because of their adherence to it, Allah the Exalted described them with these attributes, indicating that they will persist in their hypocrisy forever.
2. They will not return to guidance after they have sold it, nor will they return from misguidance after they have purchased it.
3. It means they are like those who are bewildered, remaining motionless in their place, not knowing whether to advance or retreat, and how they could possibly return to where they started.

{7 < Or like a rainstorm from the sky, in which there are darknesses, thunder, and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears because of the thunder, out of fear of death. And Allah encompasses the disbelievers. * The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Whenever it illuminates for them, they walk therein; but when darkness falls upon them, they stop. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. } > 7

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Commentary:

It is as if their situation is likened to those caught in a severe downpour from the sky, containing darknesses (plural, indicating intense darkness), thunder, and lightning.

1. Their Reaction to Thunder: They put their fingers in their ears out of fear of death due to the sound of the thunderclaps (lightning strikes). This illustrates their extreme fear and aversion when the truth (the warning) is presented forcefully.
2. Allah's Encompassment: And Allah encompasses the disbelievers. This means Allah has complete power over them, and their attempts to escape His decree or His punishment are futile.

The analogy continues with the lightning:

1. The Lightning (Proof/Revelation): The lightning almost snatches away their sight. The truth (the signs/revelation) is so clear and overwhelming that it nearly forces them to see.
2. Their Movement: Whenever it illuminates for them, they walk therein. When the proof becomes clear and the path of guidance is illuminated for them, they move forward (they accept the truth temporarily).
3. Their Stagnation: But when darkness falls upon them, they stop. When the proof is withdrawn, or when doubt/obscurity returns, they halt their progress and remain stuck. This shows their reliance is external (on the immediate illumination) rather than internal conviction.

Finally, the verse concludes with a statement of Divine Power:

• {And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight.} This emphasizes that their ability to perceive the truth is a temporary grace granted by Allah, not an inherent right.
• {Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.} This reaffirms His absolute power over their faculties and their ultimate fate.