Audio discussion of the summary:

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/32063e7a-900c-4d03-aec8-f6eaeb761b1c/audio

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/32063e7a-900c-4d03-aec8-f6eaeb761b1c/audio

مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى اسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارًا ​ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَضَآءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهٗ ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُوۡرِهِمۡ وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتٍ لَّا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:17﴾صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿2:18﴾اَوۡ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ فِيۡهِ ظُلُمٰتٌ وَّرَعۡدٌ وَّبَرۡقٌ​ ۚ يَجۡعَلُوۡنَ اَصَابِعَهُمۡ فِىۡۤ اٰذَانِهِمۡ مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الۡمَوۡتِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ مُحِيۡطٌ​ۢ بِالۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:19﴾ يَكَادُ الۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ اَبۡصَارَهُمۡ​ؕ كُلَّمَاۤ اَضَآءَ لَهُمۡ مَّشَوۡا فِيۡهِۙ وَاِذَاۤ اَظۡلَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَامُوۡا​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَاَبۡصَارِهِمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ ﴿2:20﴾

(2:17) They are like him who kindled a fire, and when it lit up all around him, Allah took away the light (of their perception) and left them in utter darkness where they can see nothing. (2:18) They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind;¹⁷ they will never return (to the Right Way). (2:19) Or they are like those who encounter a violent rainstorm from the sky, accompanied by pitch-dark clouds, thunder-claps and flashes of lightning: on hearing thunder-claps they thrust their fingers into their ears in fear of death. Allah encompasses these deniers of the Truth.¹⁸ (2:20) It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt.¹⁹ If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight.²⁰ Surely Allah is All-Powerful. 

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Notes

17. They have become deaf to hear, dumb to utter and blind to perceive the truth. 

18. By thrusting their fingers into their ears they temporarily deceive themselves into believing that they can escape the catastrophic end that awaits them. However, they cannot escape that end since God with all His might, encompasses them.

19. The first parable refers to those hypocrites who disbelieved completely but had become Muslims merely, to further their worldly interests. The second parable refers to those who were prone to doubt and hesitation or whose faith was weak; who believed in the Truth but not to the extent of exposing themselves to hardships for its sake. The ‘violent rainstorm’ here alludes to Islam, which came to the world as a blessing. ‘Pitch-dark clouds, thunder and lightning’ refer to trials, tribulations and difficulties which confronted the Islamic movement, owing to the violent opposition and resistance of those committed to Ignorance. The last part of the parable portrays the state of mind of the hypocrites. They move a little ahead when circumstances seem favourable, but when either difficulties cloud the horizon, or when they are given directives which run counter to their desires or inherited prejudices, they are seized with alarm and come to a halt. 

20. Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their ‘light of perception’, He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not God’s way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear. Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth.