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Bismillāh.
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ وَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
And there are those of them who hear you, but can you make the deaf to hear though they will not understand?
Sūrat Yūnus, No.10, Āyat 42
Among the five senses that human beings possess is the faculty of hearing. The ability to hear develops before sight in both humans and animals. While still in the mother’s womb, fetuses can detect vibrations and external sounds from around twenty weeks of gestation. One of the first ways a child recognizes his parents is by hearing their voices, even before entering the world. Imam al-Sajjad ʿalayhis-salām expresses his profound gratitude to the Almighty in Du‘āʾ ʿArafah for this faculty: “And I bear witness, O my God, with my true belief, … for the channels of my ear through which I hear.”
The sense of hearing is the first faculty for which a person will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection. “Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, all of them will be questioned.” (Q17:36) The Qur’an’s constant mention of the sequence of these three faculties, audition, vision, and perception, signifies a divine pattern in how human beings receive and internalize knowledge. The ear is not merely an organ of perception but one of moral responsibility. It receives truth, revelation, and reminders.
The Qur’an distinguishes between samʿa (to hear) and istimāʿ (to listen attentively). The intention behind listening is significant. Some listen with sincerity and reflection, seeking to benefit from the message, while others listen only to refute or criticize it. Thus, the faculty of hearing can serve as a pathway either to hidāyah (guidance) or to dalālah (deviation).
Beneficial listening is a means of divine guidance that conveys sound teachings, clear proofs, and miraculous signs. Āyatullāh Nāṣir Makārim Shīrāzī presents a beautiful similitude in Tafsīr al-Namūnah, explaining that just as the growth of plants and flowers requires not only good seeds but also fertile soil, the guidance of a human being depends on a reciprocal process of both giving and receiving. True guidance occurs when the divine message is conveyed and embraced with openness and humility. Such receptivity enables a person to recognize the Creator and comprehend the purpose of existence. An example from Islamic history can be seen when a group of jinn attentively listened to the Holy Prophet (S) reciting the Qur’an. They exclaimed, “Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qur’an” (Q72:1).
Adverse listening is when one listens attentively but gains no guidance. This is because the aim for listening was to cause destruction by criticising or ridiculing the message. In the Quran, such people are described as “deaf” . Their hearts’ ears have become deaf and they are unable to reflect upon the Qur’an. Mujtahida Bānū Amīn, explains this further in the book Makhzanul ‘Irfān, that one who is physically deaf, but still has intellect, is still at an advantage for communicating by observing the speaker’s lips or gestures . On the contrary, one whose intellect and heart are both sealed cannot perceive anything at all. The Qur’an describes them as:
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Deaf are they, and dumb, and blind: for they do not use their reason. (Q2:171)
During the early days of Islam, some leaders from the Quraysh such as Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl would secretly listen to the Prophet reciting the Qur’an at night. Although they were deeply moved by its beauty, their hardheartedness led them to use what they heard as a tool to strengthen their opposition.
We implore the Almighty, with the best of his names, Yā Asma‘ as-Sāmi‘īn -O the Most Hearing of all who hear, to enable us to appreciate this precious faculty of hearing and to strengthen our reasoning through it. May He respond to the cries of the people in Sudan, Yemen, Palestine and all those around the world who are suffering.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh; ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān; Mujtahida Bānū Amīn, Makhzanul ‘Irfān.
ALI 703: Quranic Arabic and Knowledge – Level 3
In this online course, specifically tailored for serious learners, we will simplify the Quranic language. To make it interesting, we will begin with a brief tafsir of short surahs. At this level, we will continue learning grammatical rules on nouns covered in Lesson 9 onwards in Qur’anic Language Made Easy by Hafiza Iffath Hasan.
Eligibility: All Muslims are welcome to join this course.
Schedule: 5 Wednesdays, November 19 to December 17, 2025
Timings: 4:00-5:10 pm in LA/Vancouver, 7:00pm – 8:10 pm in NY/Toronto
Instructor: Sh Hasanayn Kassamali
Fees: CAD $40.00
Registration: www.academyofislam.com/registrations/