Can the Deceased Hear the Living in Islam? Quran and Hadith Evidence.
Query:
Can the Deceased Hear us? What are the Evidences from Quran and Hadith in this regard ? [Scholarly Opinions on Sama' al-Mawta]
Answer:
The Aqida of the Ahle Sunnah Wall Jama'at is that the dead have the power of hearing.
It is in the Qur’an Majeed that when Azaab came upon the people of Hazrat Thamood and they died, Hazrat Saleh (alaihis salaam) addressed them in this manner -
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ
“So (Saleh) turned his face away from them and said, 'O my people! Undoubtedly, I did deliver to you the messages of my Lord, and wished your well-being, but you do not approve the well wishers.”
[Surah Al A’raf Verse.79]
Likewise explaining the story of the people of Badeen, Almighty Allah says how the punishment came upon them and how they were destroyed and how Hazrat Shu'aib (Alaihis salaam) while conversing with this dead nation said -
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَـٰلَـٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ كَـٰفِرِينَ
“Then (Shu’aib) turned his face away from them and said, ' O my people, I have already delivered to you the messages of my lord and I advised for your own good, so how then should I grieve over the infidels.”
[Surah Al A’raf Verse.93]
To address a dead nation with the word “Yaa” is proof enough that they are aware and it should be noted that the one who is addressing them is a Nabi of Almighty Allah. In the battle of Badr when the Kufaar were defeated and they were thrown into a well, The Holy Prophet ﷺ stood beside the well and spoke to the dead. He said,
يَاقُلاَنَ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ يَا فُلاَنُ بْنُ فُلاَنٍ اَيَسُرُّكُمْ اَنَّكُمْ اَطَعْتُمُ الله وَرَسُوْلَهُ فَإِنَّ قَدْ وَجَدْناَ مَاوَعَدْناَ رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلْ وَجَدَتُّمُ مَا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا
“O certain person, son of certain person! O certain person son of certain person. Does this make you sad that you should have followed Allah and his Rasool ﷺ ” He then said, “Verily I have found the promise of my Creator to be true. Did you find the promise of your creator to be true?” On hearing this, Hazrat Umar Farouk رضى الله تعالى عنه said, “Ya Rasool’Allah! ﷺ Are you conversing which such bodies in which there are no souls?”
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِيْ نَفْسٌ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ مَا اَنْتُمُ بِاَسْمَعَ لِمَا أَقُوْلُ مِنْهُمْ
“I swear an oath on Him in whose Power is the life of Muhammad ﷺ you cannot hear better than them, that which I am saying.”
[Mishkaat Shareef Pg.345, Sahih Bukhari Shareef 1370, Sahih Muslim Shareef, Ash'atul Lam’aat Pg.398 Vol.3 - Mirkaat Shareef Pg.10/11 Vol.8 – Mazaahir e Haq Pg.391 Vol.3 - Fathul Baari - Umdatul Qaari - Irshaadus Saari - Kitaabur Rooh - Nasa’i Shareef Pg.639]
The Mu'jaza of Hazrat Esa (alaihis salaam) is famous that he used to bring the dead back to life. It is in the Holy Qur’an -
وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ
“And I cure the one who is born blind and the ones with leprosy, and I bring the dead back to life, through the command of Allah”
[Surah Al Imran Verse.49]
It is obvious from this verse of the Holy Qur’an that he ( Hazrat Esa) brings the dead back to life and in the Hadith it has been stated that he used to address the dead by saying,
قُمُ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ
قُمُ is a commanding tense and it means, “Stand up or Rise.” Thus when he would say قُمُ to the dead then they would immediately rise. Thus it can be understood that first the hearing of the dead is proven and then the Mu’jaza of Hazrat Esa (Alaihis salaam). If the deceased do not hear then it was not necessary for Hazrat Esa (alaihis salaam) to use the word قُمُ. The mere use of word قُمُ is proof enough that the dead hear. Sahabi e Rasool Hazrat Anas رضى الله تعالى عنه reports that the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ اِذَا وُضِعَ في قَبْرِهِ وَتَوَلَىَّ عَنْهُ اَصْحَابَهُ اِنَّهُ يَسْمَعُ قَرْ عَ نِعَالِهِمْ
“Verily when a person is placed in the grave and when his friends return from him, then he hears the sound of their shoes.”
[Mishkaat Shareef Pg.24 - Sahih Bukhari Vol.1 - Sahih Muslim Shareef Vol.1]
Hazrat Anas رضى الله تعالى عنه also states that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to pass through the graveyard then he would say,
السَّلَاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا اهْلَ الْقُبُوْرِ يَعْفِرُ اللهُ لَنَاَوَلَكُمُ وَاَنْتُمُ سَلَفْنَا وَنَحْنُ بِاْلاَثْرِ
“O Dwellers of the grave! Peace be upon you. (We Pray) for Allah to forgive you and us. You have gone before us and we are to come after you.”
[Jaame Tirmizi - Sharhus Sudoor - Kitaabur Rooh]
Even in this discussion, the words يَا اهْلَ الْقُبُوْرِ make it obvious that the dwellers of the grave are able to hear.
References:
Surah Al A’raf Verse. 79, 93
Surah Al Imran Verse. 49
Bukhari, Muslim, Mishkat, Tirmizi, Kitaabur Rooh, Nasai, Fathul Bari etc.
Proper sunni beliefs, Mufti Afthab Cassim, Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center, English translation of Ahle Sunnat Wa Jama’at Kaun by Maulana Zia’ullah Qadri
[ English Translation ]
Mufti Afthab Cassim al-Qadri Ridawi Noori,
Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center,
Durban, South Africa.