(… مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ) (The example of the two parties is like the blind and deaf, and the seeing and hearing…): The word (party) refers to a group of people that meets at one goal and aim. Each of these parties has a goal, accordingly, one of them in Paradise and the other in the Hellfire.

In this verse, Allah (swt) gives an example using the most important human senses, which are the hearing and sight, as they are the primary means for obtaining information, whether auditory or visual. Then the human being has the ability to deduce from what he heard with his ear and saw with his eye

(…هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ) (…Are they equal in comparison…): Neither the blind nor the deaf doubt that the one who sees or hears would have an advantage over him. They cannot be compared. Allah (swt) uses the opposites so that the person who hears of reads this verse might use this judgement to realize the difference between the one who sees and the one who is blind, and between the one who hears and someone who is deaf. Naturally, that they are not equal.

(…أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ) (…Are they equal in comparison): That is, they should reflect on existence of these opposites. Allah (swt) says:

 فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

(it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.) (Al-hajj :46)

Meaning, a person may possess the capacity for seeing or hearing, but he does not use the sense of sight or the sense of hearing in the purpose of what it was created; for acquiring the intended knowledge about unknown things.

Allah (swt) gives a simile of the two parties; the party of faith, and on the other hand the party of polytheism and disbelief, as like the blind and the deaf, and on the hand the seeing, and the hearing. That is because faith is granted through knowledge and signs indicating the existence of Allah (swt), and must use the senses, as well, (hearing and sight) to reflect on the creation of Allah (swt) around him to strengthen his faith. Then Allah (swt) mentions the story of Noah (PBUH), which has many features and significances.  The Prophet Noah (PBUH) spent nine hundred and fifty years calling his people to faith, and their end was the drowning: