Does the Dead Hear Footsteps? Qur’ān, Ḥadīth, and Narrator Analysis

Does the Dead Hear the Sound of Footsteps? Ḥadīth, Qur’ān, and Narrator Analysis
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – ʿAqāʾid ka Bayān, Vol. 1, p. 66

1. Is the Ḥadīth “The Dead Hear the Sound of Footsteps” a Khabar al-Āḥād, and Is Khabar al-Āḥād Valid in ʿAqīdah?​

• Yes, the ḥadīth is khabar al-āḥād (a report narrated by one chain in some levels).
• However, according to the principles of ḥadīth and ʿaqīdah, a khabar al-āḥād which reaches the level of authenticity (ṣaḥīḥ) is a valid proof in matters of creed as well.
• This narration is recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and is authentic, thus it can be used as a basis for belief.

2. Is the Ḥadīth in Conflict with the Following Qur’ānic Verses?​

The ḥadīth states:


“When a person is buried and people walk away, he hears the sound of their sandals.” (Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Janāʾiz)


The verses in question are:

• ﴿لَا يَسْمَعُوْا دُعَآءَكُمْ﴾ – “…they do not hear your call.” [Fāṭir: 14]
• ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾ – “Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.” [al-Rūm: 52]
• ﴿وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ – “…and you cannot make those in the graves hear.” [Fāṭir: 22]

Explanation:

• These āyāt speak about general conditions — the dead do not hear people’s conversations, calls, or daʿwah.
• The ḥadīth describes a specific scenario — right after burial, when the deceased hears the sound of the departing footsteps.
• There is no contradiction; the Qur’ān does not deny this specific occurrence.
• Since there is no contradiction, the concept of naskh (abrogation) does not apply here.

3. Analysis of the Narrator ʿAbd al-Aʿlā and the Ibn Mājah Report​

• In one isnād of the Bukhārī ḥadīth “hears the sound of sandals” (khabq al-niʿāl), the narrator ʿAbd al-Aʿlā appears.
• However, in another isnād within Bukhārī, this same ḥadīth is transmitted without ʿAbd al-Aʿlā.
  
  • This means the authenticity of the ḥadīth is not dependent on ʿAbd al-Aʿlā alone.
• Regarding Ibn Mājah’s narration about “the verse of stoning and verse of adult breastfeeding being eaten by a goat”:
  
  • This narration also contains ʿAbd al-Aʿlā.
  • Scholars have graded that particular isnād as ḍaʿīf (weak).
  • The weakness of one narration in which a narrator appears does not invalidate all narrations he transmits, especially when the other narration is supported by stronger, independent chains — as in the case of the khabq al-niʿāl ḥadīth in Bukhārī.

Conclusion:

• The “hears the sound of sandals” narration is authentic and a valid proof, even in ʿaqīdah.
• It does not contradict the Qur’ān because the Qur’ānic negation concerns general hearing, whereas the ḥadīth describes a specific event after burial.
• The narrator ʿAbd al-Aʿlā’s presence in a weak Ibn Mājah narration does not affect the soundness of the Bukhārī narration, as it has multiple authentic chains.