Al-Kahf 57: Who is a greater oppressor than the one who turns away from the verses of Allah when reminded of them, and who forgets about the things that Allah has bestowed? They had wished to be veiled on their hearts and their ears covered so as not to understand. Even if you call them for guidance, they will never come to guidance.

We have come to verse 57 of Surah Al-Kahf. This too is a verse that is explained wrongly. Let's see, in Surah Al-Kahf, verse 57 — how has this verse been explained wrongly?

Verse 57: "Than one who is reminded of his Lord's verses and turns away from them, than one who forgets what his own hands have done, more... than one who turns away, what his own hands have done, than one who forgets — who is more unjust?" it says. Let's read it once more. To him — this is the verse that is explained wrongly. "Who is more unjust than one who is reminded of his Lord's verses and turns away from them, than one who forgets what his own hands have done? We have placed on their hearts a heaviness that prevents them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears. Even if you call them to guidance, they will never be guided," it says.

Allah Almighty, here, they describe Him in this way. I commit a crime. Instead of serving my sentence, I say, the judge punished me. No, the judge did not punish you. You set your punishment yourself. Here too they explain the verses as if Allah had punished them. Now we will read the correct version of it. "Than one who is reminded of his Lord's verses and turns away from them, than one who forgets what was presented into his own hands, than one who forgets what was presented into his own hands" — what? Their books, Allah's laws — than one who forgets, who forgets. Does it resemble that at all? Who forgets.

"Who is more unjust?" They, in their hearts, a heaviness that prevents them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears, they have had put there themselves. "Even if you call them to guidance, they will never be guided." Because they have determined their own path themselves. Since Allah Almighty leaves every person free in their own will, He has given them that will of theirs as their destiny. Now, which Allah sealed their hearts, which Allah put a veil on them? They had it put there themselves. The One who puts it is Allah, yet they themselves had it put there. Yes. Allah Almighty invites people to guidance.

For this reason, people — He sends prophets and verses to people. If people turn away from these prophets and verses, and, forgetting the verses presented into their own hands, give themselves to the world and forget Allah and the hereafter, who could be more unjust against his own nafs than such people? No person can be as much an enemy to these people as they are enemies to themselves. The worst of people's enmity toward people is killing a person. Ending the life of a person who would perhaps have lived a few more years. Of course this too has its recompense. But the enmity a person does to himself by not believing in Allah and the hereafter, by leaving his endless life in the hereafter subject to punishment — no created being can do that. Such a person is one who wrongs his own nafs.

If this person had any good in him, he would save himself and turn to the Truth. Then, by following such people or envying them, do people not become wrongdoers against their own nafs? Reminding of this point, Allah Almighty reminds that there is no other way of salvation besides Allah and that only those who take refuge in Allah will find salvation. Now, a person who is no good to himself, a person who is no good to himself — if you follow him, you too will have followed the good-for-nothings. What does that mean? It means your mindset and understanding are such that you follow him. If your mindset and understanding were on the side of truth, you would take your place in the ranks of truth.

Yes.

If we pay attention to the explanation of the verse's meaning, Allah Almighty says the following. His saying "is reminded of his Lord's verses" — did Allah Almighty tell people His verses on earth, and people later forgot these verses, and does Allah Almighty tell people His verses again by reminding them? — such a question may come to our minds. The meaning in this verse: at Qalu Bala, in return for Allah Almighty's word "I am your Lord, I created you", He sent people to the realm of dominion, an unseen world — when He sent them, it is the reminding, in the realm of dominion, of the verse "I am your Lord" said to people at Qalu Bala.

In this way He declares that there is no other god besides Allah. The meaning of "what was presented into people's own hands": Allah Almighty, to people, to turn them to truth and guidance, sent them prophets and books. By turning away from the books in their hands, people wrong their own nafs. Such people are the ones who wrong their own nafs. There are none more unjust than these. Now, against their nafs, these people who are wrongdoers — in the first barzakh, in the world of spirits, when they made a covenant with Allah Almighty, they are the ones who betrayed Allah Almighty; although they knew they had been created, (?) for the Allah they imagined with their own minds, they denied the Allah who created them; with these feelings they had their own destiny written for themselves; against Allah Almighty, who created them, through their state of not believing in Allah, they have had veils drawn over their ears so they do not hear the truth, and over their eyes so they do not see the truth, and have had their hearts sealed.

Such people, even if you call them to truth and guidance, with these traits they can never attain guidance.