{And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance – they will never be guided, then – ever.} (Al-Kahf 18:57)

In this verse Allah Almighty talks about people who are given a reminder but they ignore it. But before discussing the ayah, let’s think about this physical phenomenon: our bodies have been gifted with different limbs and muscles. If you fail to exercise a muscle for an extended period of time, you may lose the ability to use that muscle.

So, for instance, if a person is laid in bed because of some sickness for months and months then, six months or a year later, try to get out of bed, they may not have the strength left their legs and stand up again. It may also be that they lose the ability to walk altogether as a result of not having exercised that muscle.

Borrowing from that analogy, there is some truth to our spiritual ability to benefit from a reminder. So Allah Almighty says in this Ayah who could be more of a wrongdoer than someone who was continually reminded of the Ayat, the revelations, and the miracles then he knowingly and deliberately ignored it; he does not really care.

They are exposed to something that can benefit them but they disregard it. Now, our hearts, our spiritual hearts, have the ability to take the reminder and benefit from it. Just like a muscle, if you do not exercise it; if the reminder comes and you refuse to put it to work, the muscle loses its ability.