A Note on the Saying of Allah the Exalted: “In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their disease, and for them is a painful punishment for what they used to lie,” along with mentioning the benefits of the verse.

The student : Also, did you say that we remind you of it when we come to it?
The Shaykh : Yes, so we begin with it. Allah the Exalted said: The disease is of two types: a disease of doubt and a disease of desire. As for the disease of doubt, it is ignorance, for ignorance is blindness, and it is a disease. The ignorant person commits errors without realizing it. As for the disease of desire, it is generally a disease of arrogance. The disease of the hypocrites is either a disease of doubt or a disease of desire. If a matter is confusing to him, his disease is a disease of what? Doubt. And if a matter is not confusing to him, his disease is a disease of desire.
Among the diseases of the hearts is what befalls a person from the disease of desire for women, such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: . As for the two verses I mentioned, the first is in the first [verse] where He said: and the second is where He said: . What is the point of distinction between the first and second [verses]? The point of distinction is clear to one who reflects upon them. Corruption on earth is perceived by the senses, or is it perceived by the intellect? By the senses. For this reason, He negated sensation in it, and sensation relates to tangible things. For this reason, you say, “I did not sense this thing,” meaning I did not perceive it with my senses. As for foolishness, it is perceived by knowledge and reflection, so one looks to see if this person is a fool or not. For this reason, He negated knowledge regarding it, because foolishness is among rational matters, not tangible ones. I pointed this out because verses in the Noble Qur’an come in this manner, meaning that Allah changes the expression and brings two expressions that the one who thinks assumes are the same, but upon reflection, a great difference is found. It is similar to how Allah the Mighty and Majestic brings what a person does not expect, such as His saying: . It was expected that it would be said, “They judge by falsehood against the truth,” but to make clear the incapacity of those whom they call upon besides Him, and that they have no judgment at all, He therefore said: neither truth nor falsehood, because they are too incapable to judge anything.