Surah Al-Kahf 18:57 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِىَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ ۚ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًۭا ۖ وَإِن تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَلَن يَهْتَدُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًۭا

English: Who could be more wrong than the person who is reminded of his Lord’s messages and turns his back on them, ignoring what his hands are storing up for him [in the Hereafter]? We have put covers over their hearts, so they cannot understand the Quran, and We put heaviness in their ears: although you call them to guidance [Prophet] they will never accept it.

Bengali: তার চাইতে অধিক জালেম কে, যাকে তার পালনকর্তার কালাম দ্বারা বোঝানো হয়, অতঃপর সে তা থেকে মুখ ফিরিয়ে নেয় এবং তার পূর্ববর্তী কৃতকর্মসমূহ ভুলে যায়? আমি তাদের অন্তরের উপর পর্দা রেখে দিয়েছি, যেন তা না বোঝে এবং তাদের কানে রয়েছে বধিরতার বোঝা। যদি আপনি তাদেরকে সৎপথের প্রতি দাওয়াত দেন, তবে কখনই তারা সৎপথে আসবে না।

Meaning & Reflection

'And who is more wrong than one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then turns away from them and forgets what his hands have sent forth? We have placed coverings over their hearts, lest they understand it, and deafness in their ears.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the grave progression — being *reminded*, then *turning away*, then the heart itself becoming covered ('akinna') as a consequence of the repeated turning. Ask yourself: turning away from a reminder is not a neutral act with no cost. This verse shows it hardening, over time, into an actual *covering* of the heart — each refusal thickening the veil until understanding can no longer get through. The capacity to be moved is not permanent; it can be lost through neglect. Every reminder I brush aside makes the next one land a little less. What reminders am I in the habit of turning from — and am I aware that the turning itself is slowly sealing my heart?

Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.

Reflect with the Five Lenses

Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Kahf 18:57:

• Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
• Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
• Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
• Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
• General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?