2:88

Salaam all,

This is 2:88
وَقَالُواْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلاً مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Waqaloo quloobuna ghulfun ballaAAanahumu Allahu bikufrihim faqaleelan mayu/minoona

Note:
The Aya says “And they (Israelites) said: Our hearts and minds are enveloped (in our message). But GOD distanced them (from good) by their disbelief (covering their hearts from the message), so few/little that they makethemsleves selves safe (in GOD)/believe

My personal note:
The Aya respond to the ones amongst the Israelite that would say that their hearts are in the envelope of their message. This, to GOD is an inappropriate answer for it means that they covered their hearts from hearing the new message and that caused them to be distanced from the good (distanced from GOD). The AYA keeps the possibility that some, although few will believe and feel safe in GOD and his messages.

This passage is a message to all. It says that we always have to keep our hearts open to GOD and his messages.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Waqaloo: And they said
Note: the root is Qaf-W-L and it means to say. QALOO is the third person plural past tense of the verb.
Quloobuna: Our hearts and minds
Note: the root is Qaf-L-B and it means heart, or the centre of something that stays stable when whole is turned in 180 degrees angle. The verb means to turn 180 degrees upside down and so forth. So the QALB is the stable center of the body and it used to mean heart and mind.
Ghulfun: Enveloped (so may not be able to accept a new message)
Note: the root is GH-L-F and it means to envelop. GHULF means enveloped and it means covered, so may not be able to accept a new message.
Bal: But
laAAanahumu: distanced them (from good)/expelled them
Note: the root is L-Ain-N and it means to distance (someone) from something good or to expel from good.. LaAANA is the third person singular past tense of the verb. HUM means them.
Allahu: The GOD
Bikufrihim:By their disbelief/their closing of their hearts to the message
Note: BI means By/with. KUFRIHIM is derived of the root K-F-R and it means to cover for the concrete and to disbelieve for the abstract. KUFRIHIM is their disbelief or their covering of their hearts from the message.
Faqaleelan: So little/few
Note: Fa means So. QALEELAN is derived of the root Qaf-L-L and it means to become few or little (in number and in quality). QALEELAN means few or little in quality or quantity.
mayu/minoona: That they make selves safe (in GOD)/make selves believe.
Note: MA means that. YU/MIOON is derived from the root Hamza-M-N and it means to become safe. YU/MINOON is the third person plural past tense of a derived verb that means to make self safe (in GOD) and is used to mean believe.

Salaam all and have a great weekend


Hussein