Part 11

Comparison with the Deaf Allah (4%) says: (Osea tb 13) 2 ial all ats FY all LEY aD A+ Sell

1 This chapter draws heavily on “al-Ayat ul-Bayyinat” by al-Aliisi and al-Albani.

In this ayak, Allah (8%) compares the dead disbelievers to the deaf people. This obviously indicates that they share with them the characteristic of being unable to hear. Ibn Jarir at-Tabari (5) supports this understanding in his Tafsir (Quranic commentary) by saying:

“This is a parable meaning, ‘You cannot make these disbelievers understand, because Allah has sealed their hearing and has taken away their ability to understand the revealed lessons that are recited to them — just as you cannot make the dead understand by giving them hearing, because Allah has taken away their hearing faculty.’

He is further saying, ‘You cannot make the deaf hear after they turn their backs to you, because they have been deprived of the hearing faculty. Similarly, for those whom Allah has deprived of the ability to hear and understand the dyat of His Book, you cannot help them in hearing and understanding.’ ” ?

At-Tabari then reported that Qatadah (#85) said:

“Allah gives this parable for a kdfir (disbeliever). Just as the dead cannot hear the calls, so the kdfirs cannot hear. Thus He tells, ‘If a deaf person turns his back to you and you call him, he would not hear you. Similarly, a kafir would not hear, nor would he benefit from what he hears.’ ” *

An-Naml 27:80 and ar-Ram 30:52. 2. Tafsir at-Tabari 21:36. 3. Al-Albanf verifies that this report has an authentic isndd (chain of narrators) (al-Ayar ul-Bayyinat p. 30 of the introduction).

Life in Al-Barzakh 71 Communication with al-Barzakh

This is also the understanding of ‘A’ishah (t#%), as is documented in the books of Sunnah '. It is also the understanding of ‘Umar and others among the sahdbah.

Those Who Are Worshipped Beside Allah Allah (88) says: SypSles Go sid ge Gps Gell AIT Sts UT As WOELT Giga i Seles Latta Vibe 5) O peeled oye

The disbelievers used to worship a number of people who were righteous and noble during their lifetimes. After their death, Satan inspired their followers to commemorate them with statues. These statues eventually turned into idols that were worshipped instead of Allah (88).

The above dyah clearly denies that those whom the disbelievers invoked instead of Allah could hear them. The dyah does not refer to the idols themselves, but to the persons whom they were supposed to

1 Check al-Ayat ul-Beyyinat pp. 7, 10, 14, etc.

Therefore, this @yah indicates that the righteous people, as well as those who are of lesser virtue, cannot hear after their death.

The Ditch of Badr THE COMBINED REPORT

<O such and such, son of such and such! O such and such, son of such and such! ... Don’t you wish that you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? Indeed, we have found our Lord’s promises to us true; have you found you Lord’s promises true?>

them after having been dead for three nights, and when these bodies have no souls in them? Can they hear? Allah (9) says:

THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SALAF

When this incident was mentioned to ‘A’ishah (s#), she said, “The Prophet (8) only meant that they now realized that what he told them was the truth.” Then she recited the dyah:

(Wiese ‘ts 1 <tetul pall aad Yall ety wily

Commenting on the above hadith, Qatadah (8) said:

“Allah (88) gave them life in order to hear the Prophet's (8) words, as a reproach and scorn, and to make them feel the remorse and regret for what they did.”

Ibn ‘Atiyyah * said:

“Tt appears that the incident of Badr constitutes a miracle for Muhammad (8), whereupon Allah (88)

1 This is a combined report from three authentic hadiths recorded by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Ahmad.

2 This is recorded by al-Bukhari, Ahmad, and others.

Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

4 He is a knowledgeable scholar of Hadith and Islamic legislation from Grenada, alAndalus (Spain). He has a well-known book of tafsir called “Al-Muharrar ul-Wajiz ft Tafsir il-Kitab it“Aziz. He died on 542 H.

give them back the perception to be able to hear him. Had Allah’s Messenger (4%) not told us of this, we would have int¢rpreted his addressing them to carry the meaning of reproach for the living disbelievers, as well as a reassurance for the hearts of the believers.” '

Ibn Hajar al-‘Agqalani (<3) said:

“Tbn ut-Tin said, ‘There is no conflict between of Ibn “‘Umar’s hadith (of the Ditch) and the ayah. There is no doubt that the dead cannot hear. But Allah may enable that which does not normally hear to hear ...”” *

It is important to point out that the Prophet (4%) approved of the understanding of ‘Umar and others among the sahdbah that the dead cannot hear. We should assume that these companions have previously gained this understanding from the Prophet (4%) — otherwise, they would not have hastened to object to his action of addressing the dead. And even if we assume that they were hasty in objecting without knowledge, it would then be the Prophet’s (#8) obligation to clarify to them their misconception. However, he did not do any of that, but only indicated that those specific dead people were able to hear him at that specific time. Thus it is obvious that he (#8) approved of their general understanding in regard fo this issue.

And ‘A’ishah’s (>) above statement (p. 73) shows that she had a similar understanding to that of ‘Umar and the other companions.

This is important to emphasize, especially when we realize that some scholars misinterpret this incident of the Ditch. They use the Prophet’s (&) statement, <You cannot hear me better than they can, as a proof that the dead always hear what goes on around them.

1 Al-QurtubP’s Tafsir 13:232. 2 Fath ul-Bart 3:182.

Life in Al-Barzakh 75 Communication with al-Barzakh

They often neglect the fact that he (8) has approved of their understanding and did not object to it. Thus, they turn the exceptional case, which was a miracle granted to the Prophet (&) in that situation, into a general case conflicting with the clear texts of the Quran!

A SUNNAH OF THE PROPHETS It is interesting to indicate that addressing the disbeliever after they

have been destroyed by Allah (88) is an old practice of the prophets. For instance, Allah ($€) says in regard to the people of Salih:

Ibn Kathir commented on this by saying:

“This is a rebuke from Salih (84) to his people after

Allah had destroyed them because of their disobeying

him, rebelling against Allah, rejecting the truth, and

turning away from the guidance. Salih said this to them,

after their destruction, rebuking and reprimanding them;

and they heard him, as has been reported in the two

Sahihs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) ... ” He then cited the hadith of the Ditch. Note that the Quranic text does not express that they heard Salih. But Ibn Kathir assumed this based on the similar situation of the Ditch.

The Roaming Angels Ibn Mas'‘tid (<%) reported that the Prophet (88):

<Allah has angels that roam over the earth, delivering to me the salam from my Ummah. '

Similar hadiths have been cited earlier (p. 50). They clearly indicate that the Prophet (&) cannot independently hear the salam of the Mulsims, but needs angels to deliver it to him. This implies that he cannot hear other things as well. Also, the text of this hadith is general and makes no distinction based on distance.

Thus, if Allah’s Messenger (4) cannot hear after his death what goes on the earth, this should apply more appropriately to those who are lesser than him.

Hearing the Footsteps of His Companions

An important evidence used by those who believe that the dead hear what goes on the earth is the Prophet’s (&) description in the long hadith of al-Bara’ Bin ‘Azib (fully cited in Chapter 2):

However, this clearly applies to the time when the dead person is put into his grave and the angels come to question him. It cannot be generalized to other cases. This is the only way to reconcile between the general meaning of the above dyah (as understood by ‘Umar, ‘Aishah, and other companions) and this hadith,