Allah commands His believing servants to obey Him and His Messenger and warns them against defying him and imitating the disbelievers who reject him. Allah said,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظˆظژظ„ظ‘ظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ﴾

(and turn not away from him...), neither refrain from obeying him or following his commands nor indulge in what he forbade,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†طھظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(while you are hearing.) after you gained knowledge of his Message,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظƒظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط³ظژظ…ظگط¹ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And be not like those who say: "We have heard,'' but they hear not.)

Ibn Ishaq said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites, who pretend to hear and obey, while in fact they do neither. Allah declares that these are the most wicked creatures among the Children of Adam,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط´ظژط±ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظژظˆظژط§ط¨ظ‘ظگ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظڈظ…ظ‘ظڈ﴾

(Verily, the worst of living creatures with Allah are the deaf) who do not hear the truth,

﴿ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظڈظƒظ’ظ…ظڈ﴾

(and the dumb) who cannot comprehend it,

﴿ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ‚ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(who understand not. ) These indeed are the most wicked creatures, for every creature except them abide by the way that Allah created in them. These people were created to worship Allah, but instead disbelieved. This is why Allah equated them to animals, when He said,

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط«ظژظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظƒظژظ…ظژط«ظژظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ظٹظژظ†ظ’ط¹ظگظ‚ظڈ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط¯ظڈط¹ظژط¢ط،ظ‹ ظˆظژظ†ظگط¯ظژط¢ط،ظ‹﴾

(And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those that hear nothing but calls and cries.) ﴿2:171﴾, and,

﴿ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ظƒظژط§ظ„ط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ…ظگ ط¨ظژظ„ظ’ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژط¶ظژظ„ظ‘ظڈ ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط؛ظژظ€ظپظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.) ﴿7:179﴾

It was also said that the Ayah (8:22) refers to some of the pagans of Quraysh from the tribe of Bani `Abd Ad-Dar, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Ibn Jarir. Muhammad bin Ishaq said that this Ayah refers to hypocrites, as we stated. There is no contradiction here, because both disbelievers and hypocrites are devoid of sound comprehension, in addition to having lost the intention to do good. Allah states here that such are those who neither have sound understanding nor good intentions, even if they have some type of reason,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظگظ…ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظ‹ط§ ظ„ط£ظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen.)

He would have helped them understand. However, this did not happen because there is no goodness in such people, for Allah knows that,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(even if He had made them listen...) and allowed them to understand,

﴿ظ„ظژطھظژظˆظژظ„ظ‘ظژظˆط§ظ’﴾

(they would but have turned...), intentionally and out of stubbornness, even after they comprehend,

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظڈط¹ظ’ط±ظگط¶ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(with aversion.), to the truth.

﴿ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ط³ظ’طھظژط¬ظگظٹط¨ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظگظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظگظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظگ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط¯ظژط¹ظژط§ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظگظ…ظژط§ ظٹظڈط­ظ’ظٹظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط§ط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظٹظژط­ظڈظˆظ„ظڈ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط،ظگ ظˆظژظ‚ظژظ„ظ’ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ طھظڈط­ظ’ط´ظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(24. O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His) Messenger when he (the Messenger) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes between a person and his heart. And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.)