Sealing of the hearts

Question:

Some Nazarenes claim that according to the Qur’an, people are forced to disbelieve because of the sealing of their hearts.

Response:

The Qur’an states:

“It is the truth from your Lord. Now whoever wants to, let him believe, and whoever wants to, let him disbelieve.” [Al-Kahf 18:29]

الحق من ربكم فمن شاء فليؤمن ومن شاء فليكفر

“Those who open their chests to disbelief, on them comes the wrath of God and a mighty punishment is destined for them. This is because they love this life more than the hereafter and because God does not guide the unbelieving people. These are the ones, whose heart, hearing and eyesight God has sealed. And these are the ones, who leave everything disregarded.” [An-Nahl 16:106-108]

من شرح بالكفر صدرا فعليهم غضب من الله ولهم عذاب عظيم ذلك بأنهم استحبوا الحياة الدنيا على الآخرة وأن الله لا يهدي القوم الكافرين أولئك الذين طبع الله على قلوبهم وسمعهم وأبصارهم وأولئك هم الغافلون

Ibrahim ibn Abi Mahmud reported that he asked Imam Ar-Rida (a.) about the verse: “God has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their sight is a covering and for them a mighty punishment is destined.” (2:7) He said: “The seal is the sealing on the hearts of the unbelievers as a punishment for the disbelief they have practiced, as the Exalted says: “Rather, God has sealed them because of their disbelief, so that they believe very little.” (4:155) [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 5 page 201 Hadith 26]

عيون أخبار الرضا عليه الصلاة والسلام السناني عن محمد الأسدي عن سهل عن عبد العظيم الحسني عن إبراهيم بن أبي محمود قال سألت الرضا عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل ختم الله على قلوبهم وعلى سمعهم قال: الختم هو الطبع على قلوب الكفار عقوبة على كفرهم كما قال تعالى:  بل طبع الله عليها بكفرهم فلا يؤمنون إلا قليلا

Comment:

The cause of the disbelief is the will of the person, not the seal. The seal is the consequence of the will of the person, as long as he chooses to continue to persist in his disbelief.

The Bible states:

“But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, so that he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had told Moses.” [Genesis 9:12]

لكن الرب قسى قلب فرعون فلم يسمع لهما كما قال الرب لموسى

“Then the Lord said to Moses: ,,Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may do these signs of mine among them.” [Genesis 10:1]

وقال الرب لموسى: امثل أمام فرعون لأنني قد قسيت قلبه وقلوب حاشيته لكي أجري آياتي هذه بينهم

“And why will you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?” [1 Samuel 6:6]

فلماذا تصلبون قلوبكم كما صلب المصريون وفرعون قلوبهم