What are the two types of hearing in Islam?

In Islam, hearing has two dimensions. The first is the physical sense, a divine gift from Allah. The second, and more crucial, is spiritual hearing: the heart's ability to listen to, accept, and obey divine guidance. Classical scholars emphasize that true faith depends on this spiritual receptivity.

What does Allah's name As-Samī' (The All-Hearing) mean?

As-Samī' means The All-Hearing, one of Allah's perfect attributes. It signifies His infinite ability to hear every sound, thought, and secret supplication without limit or impediment. This attribute assures believers that their prayers are always heard, providing comfort and reinforcing His complete omniscience.

Why will our hearing be questioned on the Day of Judgment?

According to the Quran (17:36), our faculty of hearing will be questioned to hold us accountable for how we used this divine gift. Tafsir by scholars like Ibn Kathir explains this means we will be asked about listening to falsehood, gossip, and blasphemy versus using our hearing for truth, knowledge, and the Quran.

Hearing in Islam - Quranic Concept of As-Sam' | Divine Attribute & Spiritual Faculty

Hearing

السمع

Explore Verses Related to Hearing

🕋Fussilat41:22 🕌Al-Baqarah2:7 🕌Al-Baqarah2:20 🕌Al-Baqarah2:75 🕌Al-Baqarah2:93 🕌Al-Baqarah2:104 🕌Al-Baqarah2:127 🕌Al-Baqarah2:137 🕌Al-Baqarah2:171 🕌Al-Baqarah2:181 🕌Al-Baqarah2:224 🕌Al-Baqarah2:227 🕌Al-Baqarah2:244 🕌Al-Baqarah2:256 🕌Al-Baqarah2:285 🕌Ali 'Imran3:34 🕌Ali 'Imran3:35 🕌Ali 'Imran3:38 🕌Ali 'Imran3:121 🕌Ali 'Imran3:181 🕌Ali 'Imran3:186 🕌Ali 'Imran3:193 🕌An-Nisa4:46 🕌An-Nisa4:58 🕌An-Nisa4:134 🕌An-Nisa4:140 🕌An-Nisa4:148 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:7 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:41 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:42 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:76 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:83 🕌Al-Ma'idah5:108 🕋Al-An'am6:13 🕋Al-An'am6:25 🕋Al-An'am6:36 🕋Al-An'am6:46 🕋Al-An'am6:115 🕋Al-A'raf7:100 🕋Al-A'raf7:179 🕋Al-A'raf7:195 🕋Al-A'raf7:198 🕋Al-A'raf7:200 🕋Al-A'raf7:204 🕌Al-Anfal8:8 🕌Al-Anfal8:17 🕌Al-Anfal8:20 🕌Al-Anfal8:21 🕌Al-Anfal8:23 🕌Al-Anfal8:31 🕌Al-Anfal8:42 🕌Al-Anfal8:53 🕌Al-Anfal8:61 🕌At-Tawbah9:6 🕌At-Tawbah9:47 🕌At-Tawbah9:98 🕌At-Tawbah9:103 🕋Yunus10:31 🕋Yunus10:42 🕋Yunus10:65 🕋Yunus10:67 🕋Hud11:20 🕋Hud11:24 🕋Yusuf12:31 🕋Yusuf12:34 🕋Ibrahim14:39 🕋Al-Hijr15:18 🕋An-Nahl16:65 🕋An-Nahl16:78 🕋An-Nahl16:108 🕋Al-Isra17:1 🕋Al-Isra17:36 🕋Al-Isra17:47 🕋Al-Kahf18:26 🕋Al-Kahf18:101 🕋Maryam19:38 🕋Maryam19:42 🕋Maryam19:62 🕋Maryam19:98 🕋Taha20:13 🕋Taha20:46 🕋Taha20:108 🕋Al-Anbya21:2 🕋Al-Anbya21:4 🕋Al-Anbya21:45 🕋Al-Anbya21:60 🕋Al-Anbya21:100 🕋Al-Anbya21:102 🕌Al-Hajj22:46 🕌Al-Hajj22:61 🕌Al-Hajj22:73 🕌Al-Hajj22:75 🕋Al-Mu'minun23:24 🕋Al-Mu'minun23:78 🕌An-Nur24:12 🕌An-Nur24:16 🕌An-Nur24:21 🕌An-Nur24:51 🕌An-Nur24:60 🕋Al-Furqan25:12 🕋Al-Furqan25:44 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:15 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:25 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:72 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:212 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:220 🕋Ash-Shu'ara26:223 🕋An-Naml27:80 🕋An-Naml27:81 🕋Al-Qasas28:36 🕋Al-Qasas28:55 🕋Al-Qasas28:71 🕋Al-'Ankabut29:5 🕋Al-'Ankabut29:60 🕋Ar-Rum30:23 🕋Ar-Rum30:52 🕋Ar-Rum30:53 🕋Luqman31:7 🕋Luqman31:28 🕋As-Sajdah32:9 🕋As-Sajdah32:12 🕋As-Sajdah32:26 🕋Saba34:50 🕋Fatir35:14 🕋Fatir35:22 🕋Ya-Sin36:25 🕋As-Saffat37:8 🕋Sad38:7 🕋Az-Zumar39:18 🕋Ghafir40:20 🕋Ghafir40:56 🕋Fussilat41:4 🕋Fussilat41:20 🕋Fussilat41:26 🕋Fussilat41:36 🕋Ash-Shuraa42:11 🕋Az-Zukhruf43:40 🕋Az-Zukhruf43:80 🕋Ad-Dukhan44:6 🕋Al-Jathiyah45:8 🕋Al-Jathiyah45:23 🕋Al-Ahqaf46:26 🕋Al-Ahqaf46:29 🕋Al-Ahqaf46:30 🕌Muhammad47:16 🕌Al-Hujurat49:1 🕋Qaf50:37 🕋Qaf50:41 🕋Qaf50:42 🕋At-Tur52:38 🕋Al-Waqi'ah56:25 🕌Al-Mujadila58:1 🕌Al-Munafiqun63:4 🕌At-Taghabun64:16 🕋Al-Mulk67:7 🕋Al-Mulk67:10 🕋Al-Mulk67:23 🕋Al-Qalam68:51 🕋Al-Jinn72:1 🕋Al-Jinn72:9 🕋Al-Jinn72:13 🕌Al-Insan76:2 🕋An-Naba78:35 🕋Al-Ghashiyah88:11

At a Glance

According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the concept of Hearing (السمع - as-Sam') in the Quran is a profound, dual-layered faculty. It is both the physical sense of hearing, bestowed by Allah as a divine gift and a sign of His creative power (Quran 67:23), and more significantly, the spiritual capacity of the heart (qalb) to accept and obey divine guidance. The tafsir of Ibn Kathir on verses like 2:7 highlights that spiritual 'deafness' is a state of rejecting truth, a seal placed on the hearts of the arrogant. This faculty is so central that humanity will be held accountable for its use, as stated in Quran 17:36, where the hearing, sight, and heart will all be questioned. Furthermore, the perfection of this sense is an attribute of God Himself; as As-Samī' (The All-Hearing), Allah's hearing is absolute and all-encompassing, perceiving every sound and supplication. This synthesis, spanning 167 verses, establishes hearing as a critical link between divine creation, human responsibility, and God's omniscience.

📖 Quranic Context

A foundational concept linking divine perception, human creation, spiritual receptivity, and ultimate accountability.

Hearing is both a gift from Allah to creation and a perfect attribute of Allah Himself (As-Samī').

References: Occurs in 167 unique verses, highlighting its central role in creation, guidance, and accountability.

💭 Theological Perspective

A primary faculty for receiving knowledge and divine revelation, for which humans are accountable.

The gateway to the heart (qalb); spiritual hearing determines the acceptance or rejection of truth.

The capacity to truly 'hear' the divine message is synonymous with accepting guidance.

📜 Hadith Perspective

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized guarding the hearing from sin and using it to absorb beneficial knowledge.

The accountability for the senses
The heart as the vessel that processes what is heard
The etiquette of listening to the Quran

Universal agreement among Islamic scholars on the dual nature of hearing: physical and spiritual.

💎 Deeper Insights

The Quranic principle of 'Hearing as Witness' (41:20) reveals a profound concept of embodied accountability. It's not just an external record being read; our very faculties become conscious witnesses. This transforms the sense from a passive receiver into an active participant in our moral journey, suggesting that every sound we process leaves an imprint that will be recalled by divine command.

— Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir

The divine attribute As-Samī' (The All-Hearing) functions as a theological 'anchor of hope'. In verses where prophets or believers are in distress and make Du'a (e.g., Zakariyya in 3:38), Allah's response is often linked to this attribute. This pattern establishes that the absolute certainty of being heard by Allah is the foundational pillar that makes supplication meaningful, transforming it from a hopeful request into a confident conversation.

— Theological consensus