Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Tabarani and Bazzar have narrated from Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) that on the day of Badr, the number of the Muhajirun was seventy-seven men.

Hadith Commentary:
Previously, it was narrated from Hazrat Bara’ bin Azib radi Allahu anhu that in the Battle of Badr, the number of Muhajirun was more than sixty.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Maghazi, Hadith: 3956)
However, this number refers to those companions who actually participated in the Battle of Badr.
Some people were sent by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for reconnaissance, and some individuals remained in Madinah Tayyibah for leading prayers and supervision.
They too were considered as participants by legal ruling (hukman) and were given a share from the spoils of war (ghanimah).
In this regard, the spoils of war were divided into one hundred shares, but the actual number of Muhajirun who participated in Badr was eighty-one (81).
It is possible that in the hadith of Hazrat Bara’ radi Allahu anhu, only the free Muhajirun are mentioned, and in this hadith, free clients (mawali) and slaves, etc., are intended.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/406)

Hadith Commentary:
The Qur’anic verse is an explicit proof that you cannot make the dead hear.
This is the truth.
Making the slain of Badr hear was, for a limited time, among the special characteristics of Prophethood.
Other dead people cannot be analogized to this.
Yes, Allah Ta’ala, whenever He wills and to whatever extent He wills, can make the dead hear.
As is evident from the prescribed supplication in the hadith “as-salamu ‘alaykum ahla ad-diyar” (peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the graves) in the graveyard.
As for the belief of the people of innovation that whenever they go to worship at the graves of their buried elders, those elders hear their pleas and fulfill their needs—this is utterly false, and a belief of disbelief and polytheism, for which there is no basis in the Shari‘ah.
For further details on the views of both Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘A’ishah (radi Allahu anhuma), refer to the study of Fath al-Bari.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned these ahadith because they contain mention of the disbelievers of Quraysh who were consigned to Hell in the field of Badr.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself stood over an abandoned well and informed them of their entry into Hell, but the commentators have, at this point, elaborated on the issue of the hearing of the dead (sama‘ al-mawta), even though there is absolutely no need for it at this juncture.
We have already discussed this issue in detail in the Book of Funerals (Kitab al-Jana’iz).2.
Some scholars have raised the point that ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha reported (ya‘lamun – “they know”) instead of (yasma‘un – “they hear”).
According to them, if knowledge is established for the dead, then how can hearing be impossible? It is possible that both are present; if knowledge (their knowing) is as an extraordinary occurrence (khariq al-‘adah), then hearing (their listening) would also be such, or just as knowledge was given life, so too could hearing be given life.
According to our inclination, the answer to this subtlety is that knowledge (knowing) pertains to the soul (ruh), which exists and is not annihilated, and hearing (sama‘) pertains to the instrument of the soul (i.e., the ears). There is no doubt about the soul being alive, nor is this under discussion, because the knowledge of the soul, i.e., its knowing, is certain and remains.
The discussion concerns that hearing which is connected to the instrument of the soul, i.e., the ears—whether after death, hearing is acquired through the instrument of the soul (the ears) or not, when after death all the senses have ceased. It is also said that in the verse presented by ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha, there is negation of isma‘ (making to hear), not sama‘ (hearing), even though isma‘ is the root and sama‘ is its branch; when the root does not exist, how can the branch exist?
3.
In any case, the Qur’anic verse is a clear proof that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam cannot make the dead hear.
Making the slain of Badr hear was, for a limited time, among the special characteristics of Prophethood.
No one else can be analogized to this.
Yes, Allah, the Exalted, whenever He wills, to whomever He wills, and to whatever extent He wills, can make the dead hear.
The belief of the people of innovation (ahl al-bid‘ah) that the buried saints hear their pleas and fulfill their needs is utterly false, for which there is no evidence in the Shari‘ah.
And Allah knows best.

Benefits and Issues:
↰ This is an exception. In this hadith as well, there is mention of a specific hearing by the disbelievers of Makkah, just as in:
Sahih Bukhari [567/2، :3981-3980]:
«انهم الان يسمعون ما اقول» “At this moment, they are hearing my words.”
↰ From this, it is understood that the dead do not hear. This was also the belief of the noble Companions. That is why Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, “Why are you speaking to the dead? They do not hear!” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam informed him that the incident of the disbelievers in the well of Badr hearing was made an exception to the legal principle of the dead not hearing in the Shariah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not say that the dead hear after death; rather, he said: «الآن» meaning, “At this moment, they are hearing my words.” There is no mention of continuous hearing in this; in fact, continuity is negated.

◈ Hafiz Nawawi rahimahullah (631–676 AH), quoting from Allamah Mazari, writes:
«قال (أبو عبدالله محمد بن على - 453-536هـ -) المازري : قال بعض الناس : الميت يسمع عملا بظاهر هذا الحديث، ثم أنكرهٔ المازري، وادعى أن هذا خاض فى هؤلاء.»
“Allamah (Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ali) Mazari (453–536 AH) says that some people, looking at the apparent words of this hadith, have said that the dead hear. After this, Allamah Mazari refuted this and claimed that this hearing was specific to those disbelievers.” [شرح صحيح مسلم : 387/2]

◈ Allamah Nasir al-Din al-Albani rahimahullah (1332–1420 AH) says regarding this hadith:
«ونحوه قوله صلي الله عليه وسلم لعمر حينما ساله عن منادته لاهل قليب بدر ما انتم باسمع لما اقول منهم هو خاص ايضا باهل القليب»
“When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called out to the slain in the well of Badr, Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu asked about this, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ‘You do not hear my words any better than they do.’ In the same way, this statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is also specific to the people of Badr.” [سلسلة الأحاديث الضعيفة : 286/3، ح : 1148]

Benefit: The famous Tabi‘i Imam Qatadah ibn Di‘amah rahimahullah (61–118 AH) says:
«أحياهم الله حتي أسمعهم قوله، توبيخا وتصغيرا ونقمة وحسرة وندما .»
“Allah, the Exalted, brought those disbelievers to life and made them hear the statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam so that they would be humiliated and disgraced, and so that they would be drowned in regret and remorse.” [مسند الإمام أحمد : 459/19، ح : 12417، صحيح البخاري : 3976]

◈ Allamah Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Khalaf ibn Abd Allah, Ibn Battal (d. 449 AH) says:
«وعلى تأويل قتادة فقهاء الأئمة وجماعة أهل السنة.»
“The jurists, imams, and the community of Ahl al-Sunnah are established upon the meaning explained by Imam Qatadah.” [شرح صحيح البخاري : 358/3]
↰ It is thus clear that none of the Companions or the pious predecessors believed that the dead hear. If there had been any evidence in the Qur’an and hadith for the hearing of the dead, the predecessors of the Ummah would certainly have held this belief. That is why we consider the original rule to be the non-hearing of the dead, and wherever hearing is proven with authentic evidence, we consider those cases as exceptions.
The door of exceptions is open in matters of belief and actions. To say, “Negation of hearing, then exception—what difference does it make? The result is, in any case, the hearing of the dead…” is sheer ignorance and foolishness.

◈ The commentator of Bukhari, Allamah Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahid Ibn Tin al-Maghribi (d. 611 AH) says:
«ان الموتي لا يسمعون بلا شك .» “Certainly, the dead do not hear.” [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 235/3]

◈ The commentator of Bukhari, Muhallab ibn Ahmad ibn Asid al-Tamimi (d. 435 AH) says:
«لا يسمعون، كما قال تعالى : ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾» [27-النمل:80], «﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾» [35-فاطر:22]
“The dead do not hear, as is the statement of Allah, the Exalted: «﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾» (O Prophet!) ‘Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.’ And He also said: «﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾» ‘(O Prophet!) You cannot make those in the graves hear.’” [شرح صحيح البخاري لابن بطال : 320/3]
↰ It is thus established that there is no proof in the Qur’an and Sunnah for the hearing of the dead, and for this reason, none of the pious predecessors believed in the hearing of the dead. The true religion is that which the pious predecessors understood and practiced. Everything else is innovation and superstition. May Allah, the Exalted, grant us safety in our religion and faith, and enable us to follow the footsteps of the pious predecessors throughout our lives. Ameen!