The Dead's inability to hear
Creator: Abu Bilal Mustafah al-Kanadi
Date: 2007-08-11
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.islamworld.net/deadnohear.html
Language: en
Subject: death
Title: The Dead's inability to hear
Created on: Sat Aug 11 12:00:14 -0400 2007
Updated on: Sat Aug 11 12:00:14 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... ng the Prophet's address to the corpses of the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Quraysh who were slain by the believers in the Battle of Badr and then thrown into a dried well. The following two examples suffice for the purpose of the present discussion: Abu Talhah reported: "On the day of the Battle of Badr, Allah's Prophet (saws) ordered that the bodies of twenty-four leaders of the Quraysh be thrown into one of the foul, abandoned wells of Badr. On the third day after the battle the Prophet called for his mount and saddled it. Then he set out, so his companions followed him. They said amongst themselves, "He must be going to something important." When the Prophet (saws) arrived at the well[6], he stood at its edge and began addressing those therein by calling upon them by their names, "O so and so, son of so and so; and you, so and so, son of so and so! Would it not have been easier to have obeyed Allah and His Messenger? We have found that which our Lord promised us to be true[7]. Did you find what your Lord promosed you to be true?[8] Thereupon 'Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, what are you saying to these bodies without souls?! Do they hear? For Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, says, "Verily, you cannot make the dead hear."[Surah an-Naml 27:80] The Prophet (saws) answered, "By Him in whose hand lies the soul of Muhammad, you did not hear better than them and what i just said." Qatadah[9] added: "Allah brought them back[10] to life (momentarily) in order to make them hear as a means of scorn and belittlement and [so that they would feel] regret and remorse." [Authentically related by al-Bukhari and Muslim] In another narration of this incident there is a slight variation in the wording of the text which follows: "Ibn 'Umar related: "The Prophet (saws) stood at the edge of a well[11] at Badr and said, "Did you find the promise of your Lord to be true?" Then he added, "Verily at this moment they hear what I am saying." Later on[12], this was mentioned to 'A'ishah[13], whereupon she commented, "What the Prophet (saws) meant was, "Now they know that what I used to tell them is the truth." Then she recited, "Verily you cannot make the dead hear,"[Surah an-Naml 27:80] up to the end of the verse."[Related authentically by al-Bukhari and others] Some often misconstrue the texts of the two aforementioned hadiths as proof for the contention that the dead can hear. However, the following argumentation refutes such a claim. This miraculous circumstance in which the corpses of the slain Quraysh were made to hear the Prophet's address to them is a special case - an exception to the general rule that the dead do not hear.[14] By a miracle, Allah, the Almighty, made them hear the scolding from the Prophet (saws) - only for the moment he spoke to them![15] This is clearly proven by the second narration itself, for their hearing was said to be conditioned by the moment when the Prophet (saws) called out to them in scorn and rebuke. He said, "At this moment they hear what I am saying." Furthermore, in the first narration the Prophet (saws) does not deny 'Umar's sound understanding of the verse's general ruling that the does do not hear. Rather, the Prophet (saws)... [Full Article...]
