Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL AN'AAM [46]

46. Say: ”Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight, and sealed up your hearts, is there a god other than Allah who could restore them to you'' See how variously We explain the Ayat, yet they turn aside. 47. Say: ”Tell me, if the punishment of Allah comes to you suddenly, or openly, will any be destroyed except the wrongdoing people'' 48. And We send not the Messengers but as givers of glad tidings and as warners. So whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve. 49. But those who reject Our Ayat, the torment will strike them for their rebelling.) Allah said to His Messenger, say, O Muhammad , to those rebellious liars,

(Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight.) just as He gave these senses to you. In another Ayah, Allah said;

(It is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing, seeing.) ï´¿67:23ï´¾. The Ayah above might also mean that Allah will not allow the disbelievers to benefit from these senses in religious terms. This is why He said next,

(and sealed up your hearts,.) He also said in other Ayat,

(Or who owns hearing and sight) ï´¿10:31ï´¾, and,

(And know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart.) Allah said;

(Is there a god other than Allah who could restore them to you) Meaning, is there anyone except Allah who is able to give you back these senses if Allah took them from you Only Allah is able to do so, and this is why He said here,

(See how variously We explain the Ayat,) and make them plain and clear, testifying to Allah's Oneness in lordship and that those worshipped besides Him are all false and unworthy.

(yet they turn aside.) After this explanation, they still turn away from the truth and hinder people from following it. Allah's statement,

(Say: ”Tell me, if the punishment of Allah comes to you suddenly...'') means, while you are unaware -- or during the night -- striking you all of a sudden,

(or openly) during the day, or publicly,

(will any be destroyed except the wrongdoing people) This torment only strikes those who commit injustice against themselves by associating others with Allah, while those who worship Allah alone without partners will be saved from it, and they will have no fear or sorrow. In another Ayah, Allah said;

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm, (wrong or Shirk).) ï´¿6:82ï´¾ Allah's statement,

(And We send not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as warners.) means, the Messengers bring good news to Allah's servants, as well as, command all that is good and righteous. They also warn those who disbelieve in Allah of His anger and of all types of torment. Allah said,

(So whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds.) meaning, whoever believes in his heart with what the Messengers were sent with and makes his works righteous by imitating them;

(upon such shall come no fear,) concerning the future,

(nor shall they grieve.) about what they missed in the past and left behind them in this world. Certainly, Allah will be the Wali and Protector over what they left behind. Allah said next,

(But those who reject Our Ayat, the torment will strike them for their rebelling.) The torment will strike them because of disbelieving in the Message of the Messengers, defying Allah's commands, committing what He prohibited and transgressing His set limits.