Linguistic and Shar‘i Differences Between Istimāʿ, Inṣāt, Sukūt, and Ismāʿ

Linguistic and Shar‘i Difference Between Istimāʿ, Inṣāt, Sukūt, and Ismāʿ


Source: Qur’an o Hadees Ki Roshni Mein Ahkam o Masail – Volume 01

1. استماع (Istimāʿ) – Listening Attentively with Intention​

• Definition: Istimāʿ refers to listening to something with full focus and deliberate intent.
• Linguistic note:
  
  «الأول (الاستماع) يقال لما كان يقصد لأنه لا يكون إلا بالإصغاء وهو الميل، والسماع يكون بقصد ودونه»
  Meaning: Istimāʿ is intentional listening, which cannot happen without attentive inclination. Samāʿ, however, may occur with or without intent.
  
  
• Another definition:
  
  «كل ما يستلذ الإنسان من صوت طيب»
  Whatever pleasant sound a person enjoys hearing is termed samāʿ.
  
  
• Important: Istimāʿ does not necessarily require silence.

2. انصات (Inṣāt) – Listening Attentively with Silence​

• Inṣāt is more than listening — it requires complete silence along with attention.
• Linguistic definition:
  
  «نصت نصتاً وانصت له سكت مستمعاً لحديثه»
  Meaning: To keep quiet in order to listen to someone’s speech is inṣāt.
  
  
• In the Qur’an:
  
  فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا
  (Listen attentively to it and remain silent.)
  
  This command was given because the disbelievers used to create noise during the recitation of Qur’an to prevent its effect on hearts.
• Example from Surah al-Aḥqāf (46:29):
  
  ﴿فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنْصِتُوا﴾
  When the group of jinn attended (the Qur’an recitation), they said: “Be silent.”
  

Here, istimāʿ was followed by inṣāt to emphasize that mere listening is not enough — silence is also essential.

3. Inṣāt in Hadith​

• The Prophet ﷺ said:
  
  «وَإِذَا قُلْتَ لِصَاحِبِكَ يَوْمَ الجُمُعَةِ أَنْصِتْ فَقَدْ لَغَوْتَ»
  “If you say to your companion on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon: ‘Be silent,’ you have engaged in idle talk.”

This shows inṣāt means giving undivided silent attention to someone’s speech.

4. سکوت (Sukūt) – Ceasing One’s Own Speech​

• Sukūt is used when a person stops speaking and remains silent.
• Common usage:
  
  “تكلّم الرجل ثم سكت” – The man spoke and then became silent.
  
  
• Explanation:
  
  “فإذا انقطع كلامه فلم يتكلم أو أُبهم، قيل: سكت”
  When speech stops and no further words are spoken, it is called sukūt.
  
  
• Example in Hadith:
  Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said about the Prophet ﷺ:
  
  «كان يسكت بين التكبير وبين القراءة»
  “He ﷺ would remain silent between the opening takbīr and the recitation.”
  

Here, the word sukūt is used, not inṣāt.

5. Inṣāt in Silent Prayers​

• Inṣāt refers only to silence adopted to listen to someone else’s words.
• Some people prohibit the follower’s recitation in silent prayers using the verse فَاسْتَمِعُوا — this is linguistically and technically incorrect, as inṣāt is specifically silence to hear another person.

6. مجازی (Figurative) Meaning of Sukūt​

• Sukūt can also mean speaking very softly.
• For example, Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه’s narration indicates that the Prophet ﷺ’s low voice recitation was described as sukūt because it was not aloud.

Summary:

• Istimāʿ: Listening with intent — silence not required.
• Inṣāt: Listening with intent and silence.
• Sukūt: Stopping one’s own speech.
• Ismāʿ: Causing another to hear (making someone listen).