سُوْرَةُ فَاطِرٍ
Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 22
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nor are (alike) the living (i.e. the believers) and the dead (i.e. the disbelievers). Verily, Allâh makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
equal
ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ
l-aḥyāu
(are) the living
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ
l-amwātu
the dead
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يُسْمِعُ
yus'miʿu
causes to hear
مَن
man
whom
يَشَآءُ ۖ
yashāu
He wills
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَنتَ
anta
you
بِمُسْمِعٍۢ
bimus'miʿin
can make hear
مَّن
man
(those) who
فِى
fī
(are) in
ٱلْقُبُورِ
l-qubūri
the graves
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
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.
[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.
