1. Assalaam alaikum.

2. Walaikum assalaam wa Rehmatullah wa Barakatuh.

1. Yes brother, what brought you here?
2. I have a question and need its solution.
1. Yes please, what’s the matter?
2. Do the dead ones hear or not?
1. Brother, it is not a question at all. It is a simple observable
phenomenon. Try talking to a dead person. You would realize on your
own whether he really hears or not. A dead would not be called a
dead if he is able to hear. Hearing is the quality of the living and not
of the dead. The one who dies leaves the world and enters Barzakh.
So from worldly point of view he is dead. He neither hears nor speaks.
In the next world, i.e., in Barzakh, he is alive but his life in Barzakh
has big differences with his life on earth. It is not possible that we can
call out to someone in Barzakh and he can hear it.
2. Can a dead hear nothing?
1. After all he is dead, that’s why he doesn’t hear anything. If you are in
doubt then try speaking to a dead.
2. I know he will not respond?
1. Why not? He should if he is able to hear.
2. He will not respond because dead ones do not speak.
1. Why?
2. Because they are lifeless, that’s why.
1. If they are lifeless, then how can they hear? Do you mean to say that
life is required to hear and not required to speak?
2. I know that life is required to hear but I have heard that the dead
hear but do not speak.
1. If they can’t speak then why do they hear? Allah (swt) has given the
hearing capability to humans so that they can hear and respond. If it
was not that they should respond then the hearing would have been
useless.
Allah (swt) states in Quran:
‫انما يستجيب الذين يسمعون والموتى يبعثهم اللـه ثم اليه يرجعون‬
Only those who listen can respond to a call; and as for the dead, Allah
(alone) can raise them from the dead, whereupon unto Him they shall
return. [Surah Al-An’am (6): 36]

ALLAH Says in Sura Al Ahqaf (Translation: Malik)

 5: And who could be more astray than the one who invokes those
deities
besides Allah who cannot answer him till the Day of Resurrection -
which, in
fact, are not even aware that they are being invoked?

In fact, hearing is only meant to respond and speaking capability is to

make someone hear. The two are supplement to each other. If one is
absent then the other is useless. Both are necessary.
2. This is a strange thing as I do not know the exact thing. But I have
heard that the dead can hear.
1. Who told you that?
2. My Peer Sahab.
1. Had your Peer Sahab ever spoken to a dead person?
2. This I don’t know but he says that the dead hear.
1. I request you to not to take your Peer Sahab’s view for granted
because the offerings, either earned through legal or illegal sources,
that someone makes on the grave of the dead are the only way to
earn their livelihood. They also say that the souls of the dead do visit
them and it won’t be a surprise when they say that they speak to the
dead. If you really want to know the truth then try speaking with the
dead. Everything would become clear to you, insha’Allah.
2. Our Peer Sahab is a learned scholar. He is through from renowned
Madrasa (School for Arabic Studies).
1. No doubt he is through, that’s why he says like that.
2. He says that it is mentioned in Ahadeeth that the dead do hear.
1. Ahadeeth also mentions that the dead do speak. Moreover their
ability to speak is also proven from Quran. So does he also believe in
their speaking capability?
2. Can you show me where it is mentioned in Quran that the dead do
speak?
1. Yes, please refer the following verse:

Allah (swt) states in Quran:

‫ بما غفرلى ربى‬.‫قيل ادخل الجنه قال يا ليت قومى يعلمون‬
‫وحعلنى من المرمين‬.
Consequently they killed that man and it was said to him: "Enter
paradise."
He exclaimed: "Would that my people knew that what I know! How my
Rabb has granted me forgiveness and included me among the honored
ones." [Surah Ya-Sin (36): 26-27]
Also at one more place the incident of the murdered man coming
back to life and speaking about his murderer is depicted in Quran:
 ‫ فقلنا‬.‫واذ قتلتم نفسا فادا راتم فيها والله مخرج ما كنتم تكتمون‬
‫اضربوه ببعضها كذلك يحيى الله الموتى ويريكم آياته لعلكم تعقلون‬.
And remember another incident when you killed a man and started
disputing as to who killed him, Allah made it known what you
concealed.
So We said: "Strike the dead body with a piece of the slaughtered
cow." That's how Allah brought the dead to life to show you His Signs
so that you may understand His power to restore life. [Surah Al-
Baqarah (2): 72-73]

2. It was because of the piece of the slaughtered cow that the man
came back to life and informed about his murderer.
1. Can the dead be brought to life by striking it with a piece of the
slaughtered cow and they start speaking? If that is true then you too
should experiment it.
2. It is a sign of the Allah (swt). How can we do that?
1. So if the dead can speak by the command of Allah (swt) then the
dead can hear too by the command of Allah (swt). Else how a dead
person can hear on his own?
2. He hears on his own. Isn’t it is mentioned in ahadeeth that the dead
hear the footsteps. Here it is not mentioned that Allah (swt) makes
them hear. Ahadeeth dictates that the person hears the footsteps.
1. In those ahadeeth where it is mentioned that the dead person
speaks, it is not stated in there that Allah (swt) makes them hear. The
ahadeeth says that:

“The Prophet said, "When a funeral is ready and the men carry the
deceased on their necks (shoulders), if it was pious then it will say,
'Present me quickly', and if it was not pious, then it will say, 'Woe to it
(me), where are they taking it (me)?' And its voice is heard by
everything except mankind and if he heard it he would fall
unconscious."
(Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri – Sahih Al-Bukhari 2.400, 2.402, 2.462)

2. It does not signify that dead is speaking. It is his condition which is

explained by the Prophet (saw) in his words and it is not the words of
the dead himself. Else it would mean that he speaks with his tongue.
And even if we consider that these are his own words then it is
related to Barzakh. It has no relation with this worldly life. On the
contrary his hearing is related to this worldly life because when a
human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he
hears their foot steps. It means that he hears the worldly noise. And
so we can say for sure that he has the hearing capability.
1. The way he hears this worldly noise, likewise we can say that when
he says something his voice his heard by everything except mankind.
In that ahadeeth we have the following words:
"‫ن‬
ُ ‫سا‬
َ ‫لن‬
ِ ‫شىٍء ِالّـا ا‬ ّ ‫صو تـَها كـ‬
َ ‫ل‬ َ ُ ‫مع‬
َ ‫"َيس‬
“And its voice is heard by everything except mankind”

2. Why do humans can’t hear his voice?

1. Prophet (saw) stated two reasons for it in ahadeeth. He said:
“………and if he [humans] heard it he would fall unconscious.”[As
above]
And
“If it were not for the fact that you would stop burying (your dead) in
the graves if you heard the torment in the grave, which I hear, I
should have certainly made you listen to it.” [Sahih Muslim: 1333]

2. But we do not see that the dead are speaking.

1. So are you able to know that the dead are hearing?
2. No even that we can’t know.
1. So how can you say that the dead do hear?
2. I say so because ahadeeth narrates it.
1. Ahadeeth also quotes regarding their speaking capacity. So why is
this that you agree with their hearing and not their speaking
capacity?
2. So should we agree with both?
1. When both these things are not evident with respect to a dead body
then why should we agree with them?
2. You yourself have proved that they have speaking capability, now
you are rejecting both.
1. O servant of Allah! I said it because of allegation. Else who can say
that the dead can hear and speak? You asked me whether the dead
hear or not? I said try speaking with the dead. You said that they
cannot speak. I said that’s why they can’t hear either. You said that it
is proven from ahadeeth that the dead can hear. I replied that
likewise it is proven from Quran and ahadeeth that the dead can
speak. So now if you believe in their hearing capability from Quran
and ahadeeth then also believe in their speaking capability, else
reject both.
2. If it is stated in ahadeeth then how can we reject?
1. It is not mentioned in ahadeeth that the dead can hear and speak.
Only certain special occasions are mentioned which means that Allah
(swt) grants these capabilities to the dead. A dead cannot do it
himself. Have a look at the reality of a dead person, whether it can
hear or speak.
2. What is the reality of a dead person?
1. The reality is that when the body has become lifeless, its palpitation
has vanished, all his energy has ceased, even its sensations have
withered away then how can it listen. That body is not called as dead
if it has the sensation of hearing and lacks speaking faculty. A dead is
that which can do nothing. Quran has rightly portrayed the sketch of
a dead in this ayah:

"‫الهم ارجل يمشون بها ام لهم ايد يبطشون بها ام لهم اعين‬
‫يبصرون بها ام لهم آذان يسمعون بها‬..."
Have they feet to walk with? Have they hands to hold with? Have
they eyes to see with? Have they ears to hear with? [Surah Al-A’raf
(7): 195]

It means that after death, though they have these things, they
cannot do anything as the body is lifeless. Moreover if the body is
disfigured, fire or earth decomposes it, then there is no question of
hearing or speaking, because the organ is impaired or absent so the
means are absent and hence the faculty. If Allah (swt) wills, he can
make the dead hear and speak even without these things. But the
dead attain those things himself as he lacks ears and tongue. That’s
why, Allah (swt) has mentioned in Quran:

"‫"فنك ل تسمع الموتى ول تسمع الصم الدعاء اذا ولوا مدبرين‬

(O Prophet (saw)), you cannot make the dead hear you, nor can you
make the deaf hear your call especially when they have turned their
backs and are running away; [Surah Ar-Rum (30): 52]

A deaf has ears but his hearing power is impaired, so when a deaf
cannot hear anything then how can a dead hear anything, when he
lacks even those ears. But if Allah (swt) wills he can very well make
the dead hear even in that condition. None other than Him can make
it hear. That’s why Allah (swt) states in Quran:

"‫ ول الظل ول‬.‫ ول الظلمات ول النور‬.‫وما يستوى العمى والبصير‬

‫الحرور‬.
‫وما يستوى الحياء ول الموات ان الله يسمع من يشاء وما انت‬
‫"بمسمع فى القبور‬
The blind and the seeing are not alike; nor the darkness and the
Light; nor the shade and the heat; nor the living and the dead.
Certainly Allah can make anyone hear if He so wills; but, (O Prophet
(saw)), you cannot make those who are in the graves hear
you. [Surah Fatir (35): 19-22]
 That means, you cannot make those who are dead hear you. So after
such a clear-cut explanation, can anyone say that the dead do hear?
That’s why this belief is falsehood.
2. How can this belief be falsehood? When we visit the grave, didn’t we
offer Salaam? So that means that the dead do hear.
1. No they do not listen.
2. If they do not listen then why do we say "‫ "اسلم عليكم‬when we
visit the grave.
1. When you write a letter then why do we write "‫ "اسلم عليكم‬in the
beginning? At that time does that person hear what you write?
2. No, the person doesn’t hear that. But since we are referring to the
person, that’s why we consider that the person is present right in
front of us.
1. Similarly, we consider the dead when we make Dua. This is what is
called as Salaam-a-Dua.
2. But our letter reaches that person?
1. Our Salaam is also conveyed to the dead person by the power of the
all-mighty, Allah (swt).
2. Do the dead do not answer our Salaam?
1. The fact is that they don’t, because our Salaam is not Salaam-a-
Tahaiya as it does not requires to be answered. Rather it is Salaam-a-
Dua which reaches them in terms of Dua. But if we believe that they
do answer then it is considered the same as the case with the letter,
wherein it is not required that it should be heard. Because they are
away from each other so the point here is that the Salaam should
reach them.