(… وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا) (But those who deny Our verses …): Meaning, those who deny everything that the Holy Quran has brought of clear signs which prove the existence of Allah (swt) and the call of the Prophet (saws). They are:

(..صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ…) (…are deaf and dumb within darknesses.…): Deafness is an ailment which afflicts the ears, while dumbness is an ailment which afflicts the tongue.

In this verse, Allah (swt) mentions deafness, before dumbness, as the tongue will say out what it hears, for language is the child of its place. For instance, if an Arab is born in Britain, he will speak the language he hears from the people around him. So, each language is not subject to a particular nationality, blood-type or colour, but rather, it follows the place a person is found in, and is obtained through his hearing. Thus, the precedence given to hearing over speech. Even when a child is born, he first hears with his ears, and then learns how to speak from his parents, so he utters what he hears. Therefore, we find that the first time the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet (saws), while he was in the cave at the beginning of the revelation, he said to him: (Read!). So, he (saws) answered: (I am not one who reads). Gabriel repeated the same phrase thrice, and the Prophet (saws) repeated the same answer each time. This was because, he had not heard it such that he could read it. For a person to read something out, the text must either be written down in front of him, or he has heard it before. All of what has been mentioned proves that hearing comes before speaking with the tongue.

     Those people who had denied the signs of Allah (swt) had an ailment which stopped them from listening. This inability to listen in turn stopped them from speaking the truth, for they were deaf and dumb within darknesses.

(  مَن يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَن يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ … ) (…Whomever Allah wills – He leaves astray; and whomever He wills – He puts him on a straight path): Here, we return to the topic of general Will and say: Allah (swt) has said:

 وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

(For Allah does not guide the rebellious people) (Al-Maida: 108) And:

 وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

(Allah does not guide the disbelieving people) (Al-Baqara: 264)

 وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

(And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people) (Al-Baqara: 258)

Because they transgressed, Allah (swt) did not will to put them on the straight path. This is because, if a human being does not disbelieve, transgress, rebel or deny the truth, the road for guidance will be wide open in front of him. Thus, a person should not use the will of Allah (swt) as a reason for his misguidance, for it is in fact up to the choice that Allah (swt) leaves for a person. This choice is to be made from all the alternatives laid out, based on the intellect that has been given to him.