Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 22

(Ayah 22) ➊ { وَ مَا يَسْتَوِي الْاَحْيَآءُ وَ لَا الْاَمْوَاتُ :} This is the example of the believers and the disbelievers: the believers are like the living, and the disbelievers are like the dead. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Just as these mutually contradictory and different things are not equal—that the blind and the seeing are not equal, rather there is much difference and distance between them—and just as darkness and light are not equal, and shade and scorching heat are not equal, likewise the living and the dead are not equal. This is the example that Allah Almighty has given for the believers, that they are alive, and for the disbelievers, that they are dead, as Allah Almighty has said: «اَوَ مَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَاَحْيَيْنٰهُ وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهٗ نُوْرًا يَّمْشِيْ بِهٖ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَّثَلُهٗ فِي الظُّلُمٰتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا » [ الأنعام : ۱۲۲ ] “And is the one who was dead, then We gave him life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, like the one whose case is that he is in darknesses, never to emerge from them?” And He said: «مَثَلُ الْفَرِيْقَيْنِ كَالْاَعْمٰى وَ الْاَصَمِّ وَ الْبَصِيْرِ وَ السَّمِيْعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيٰنِ مَثَلًا » [ ھود : ۲۴ ] “The example of the two groups is like the blind and deaf and the seeing and hearing; are they equal in example?” Thus, the believer is one who hears and sees, walking on the straight path in light in this world and the Hereafter, until this journey brings him to the abode of gardens with shade and springs. And the disbeliever is blind and deaf, walking in darknesses, never able to come out of them. He wanders in his rebellion and misguidance in this world and the Hereafter, until this journey brings him to the scorching heat and boiling water of Hell, as He said: «وَ ظِلٍّ مِّنْ يَّحْمُوْمٍ (43) لَّا بَارِدٍ وَّ لَا كَرِيْمٍ » [ الواقعۃ : ۴۳، ۴۴ ] “And they will be in the shade of black smoke, neither cool nor honorable.”

➋ { اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُسْمِعُ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ :} The meaning of making hear is to make hear with the divine enablement (Tawfiq) to think, understand, and accept. That is, the will and wish of Allah Almighty is another matter; He can make whomever He wills hear, even make lifeless stones hear if He wills. No one else has this power, nor is it within the Messenger’s ability to instill his words into the hearts of those whose hearts have died, or to make the deaf ears of those who do not want to listen hear the voice of truth. He can only make those hear who are willing to listen to reasonable words and reflect upon them.

➌ { وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّنْ فِي الْقُبُوْرِ :} This is the example of the polytheists: they are like the dead who do not hear. That is, just as it is not within your power to make the dead buried in graves hear your words, likewise you cannot make those whose hearts have died hear the verses of Allah, nor can you guide them to the right path.

➍ This verse is also a clear proof that the dead do not hear. See Surah An-Naml (80, 81).

22. 1 By "the living" are meant the believers, and by "the dead" are meant the disbelievers; or scholars and the ignorant; or the intelligent and the unintelligent.

22. 2 That is, the one whom Allah intends to grant guidance and for whom Paradise is destined, He grants him the ability to listen to the argument or proof and then to accept it.

22. 3 That is, just as the dead in the graves cannot be made to hear anything, likewise, O Prophet, you cannot make those people hear the truth whose hearts have been brought to death by disbelief. The meaning is that just as after dying and being buried in the grave, the dead cannot benefit from anything, similarly, the disbelievers and polytheists for whom wretchedness is destined, do not benefit from invitation and preaching.

22. Nor are the living and the dead [28] alike. Allah makes whom He wills hear, but you cannot make those who are in the graves [29] hear.

[28] Here, "the living" refers to those whose hearts and consciences are alive. They recognize evil as evil and are in search of the path of righteousness. Then they also act upon it. And "the dead" refers to those with dead hearts or disbelievers. Their consciences and hearts are so dead that the message of guidance does not reach their hearts at all. Nor are they willing to listen to it. Obviously, your admonition to such people is fruitless.
[29]
Refutation of the Hearing of the Dead:

In terms of the context of the subject, it can also be understood that those lying in the graves refer to these disbelievers with dead hearts, but it is more correct to consider the apparent meaning of the words. That is, those who have gone into the graves—Allah can make them hear, but you cannot make them hear. Because those lying in the graves have reached the realm of Barzakh. They are not in the worldly realm. To understand this, consider the example of a sleeping person who cannot hear the conversation of people sitting beside him. This is because the world of dreams is a separate realm, and the world of wakefulness is a separate realm. Although both these realms are related to the worldly life, the realm of Barzakh is not related to the world at all; it is a completely separate realm. Therefore, those lying in the graves, all the more so, cannot hear the words of the people of the world. This verse proves the complete refutation of the hearing of the dead. As for the incident of the well of Badr, which is mentioned in authentic hadiths, that the bodies of seventy slain disbelievers were thrown into the well of Badr during the Battle of Badr, then on the third day, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood at the edge of that well and said: "Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?" The people said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Are you addressing the dead?" He ﷺ said: "You do not hear any better than they do, but they cannot reply." [بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب قتل ابی جھل۔۔ بخاری کتاب الجنائز۔ باب ماجاء فی عذاب القبر]
And Sayyiduna Qatadah, in the explanation of this hadith, said that Allah had revived those dead at that time for the purpose of rebuke, humiliation, retribution, and shaming. [بخاري۔ كتاب المغازي۔ باب قتل ابي جهل]
Thus, this was a miracle, and in reality, the One Who made them hear was Allah Almighty Himself. And this is the meaning of this verse.