Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:88

Al-Baqarah (2:88): "And they say, 'Our hearts are covered (ghulf)...'"

There are three interpretations concerning the meaning of ghulf (غلف):

1. Covered/Veiled: It is the plural of aghlaf (أغلف), meaning hearts enclosed in a sheath or covering (ghilāf). This implies our hearts are shielded by coverings that prevent the impact of your call from reaching them.
2. Full of Knowledge: Al-Aṣamm narrated from some people that their hearts are covered (ghulf) with knowledge and filled with wisdom, making them feel they have no need for the law of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
3. Empty/Blank: Ghulf means like a sheath that is empty, containing nothing that would indicate the truth of your statement.

The Mu'tazila Stance:

The Mu'tazila preferred the first interpretation (hearts are covered). They argued that this verse proves that there is nothing inherently impossible for belief within the disbelievers' hearts—no inherent covering (ghilāf), knot (kann), or barrier (sadd), as the Jabriyya (determinists) claim.

If the disbelievers were truly prevented from believing (as the Jabriyya suggest), then their statement ("Our hearts are covered") would be truthful. In that case, God would not have refuted them by saying, "Rather, God has cursed them for their disbelief" (referring to the subsequent verse), because God only condemns the liar and the falsehood-speaker, not the truthful person who is excused.

They further argued that this supports their view on other verses where barriers are mentioned (like Surah Al-Kahf 57, and Surah Ya-Sin 8-9 regarding chains and barriers). They contend that the meaning there is not that they are absolutely prevented from belief, but rather that God either prevents the lutf (divine subtle guidance) or likens their state of persistent disbelief to someone compelled to disbelieve.

They noted that God's condemnation of the Jews for this statement is analogous to His condemnation of disbelievers for a similar claim in Surah Fussilat (41:5): "And they say, 'Our hearts are within coverings (akinnah) from what you invite us to, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a barrier.'" If the determinist view were true, these people would be truthful, and God would not have condemned them; rather, recounting their statement would serve to show their excuse and remove blame.

Our Response (Al-Razi's Counter-Argument):

We have already explained three interpretations of ghulf; thus, one should not be definitively chosen without proof. Even if we accept the first interpretation (that the hearts are covered), why do you conclude that the verse condemns this statement?

There are several answers to this:

1. This statement indicates that God cursed them because of their disbelief. You assume God cursed them because of this specific utterance. Perhaps God merely recounted their statement and then clarified that their inherent state is one of being cursed due to their disbelief.
2. The meaning of "And they say, 'Our hearts are covered'" might be an interrogative statement expressing denial. They are essentially saying: "Our hearts are not in coverings or veils; rather, they are strong, and our thoughts are illuminated. We have examined your proofs, O Muhammad, with these faculties and found nothing strong." Since they uttered this false arrogance, it is no wonder God cursed them for the disbelief resulting from this claim.
3. It is possible their hearts were not actually covered. They knew the truth of Muhammad's prophethood, just as God says, "They recognize him as they recognize their own sons" (Al-An'am 6:20). However, they denied that knowledge and falsely claimed their hearts were covered and unaware. Therefore, their disbelief was one of obstinate rejection (kifr al-'inād), making it appropriate for God to curse them for that disbelief.

This phrase involves two issues:

Issue 1: Interpretation of "So little do they believe"

There are three interpretations:

1. The Believers are Few: "Little" describes the believers; meaning, only a few among them truly believe. This is the view of Qatadah, Al-Aṣamm, and Abu Muslim.
2. The Belief is Little: They believe only in a small portion of what they are commanded, as they believed in God but disbelieved in the Messengers.
3. They Do Not Believe at All: It means they do not believe, neither little nor much. This is like the Arabic expression, qalīlan mā yaf'al (he rarely does it), meaning he never does it. Al-Kisā'ī stated that Arabs say, "We passed by land where it rarely grows," meaning it does not grow anything at all.

The first view is preferable because it parallels the verse: "Rather, God has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they will not believe except a little" (An-Nisa 4:155). Furthermore, since the preceding clause mentioned the people, the exception (illa qalīlan) must refer to some portion of those people.

Issue 2: Grammatical Analysis of the نصب (accusative case) of Qalīlan

There are several possibilities:

1. It means: They have a little belief (īmānan qalīlan), and mā is an extra particle (mā za'idah). This refers to their belief in part of the Book.
2. It is accusative by the omission of a preposition (bi-qalīlin yu'minūn), meaning "with little belief, they believe."
3. It means: They have become people who believe little (fa-ṣārū qalīlan mā yu'minūn).

(The translation ends here as the source text provided stops after the beginning of the next verse's commentary.)