Ear: Qur’an Verses

خَتَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلٰى سَمْعِهِمْۜ وَعَلٰٓى اَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌۘ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظ۪يمٌ۟

Allah; has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil; and awesome suffering awaits them.

اَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّمَٓاءِ ف۪يهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌۚ يَجْعَلُونَ اَصَابِعَهُمْ ف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ مِنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِۜ وَاللّٰهُ مُح۪يطٌ بِالْكَافِر۪ينَ

Or [the parable] of a violent cloudburst in the sky, with utter darkness, thunder and lightning: they put their fingers into their ears to keep out the peals of thunder, in terror of death; but Allah encompasses [with His might] all who deny the truth.

وَلَاُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَاُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ اٰذَانَ الْاَنْعَامِ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِۜ وَمَنْ يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِنْ دُونِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُب۪ينًاۜ

and shall lead them astray, and fill them with vain desires; and I shall command them – and they will cut off the ears of cattle [in idolatrous sacrifice]; and I shall command them – and they will corrupt Allah's creation!" But all who take Satan rather than Allah for their master do indeed, most clearly, lose all:

يَٓا اَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنْكَ الَّذ۪ينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ مِنَ الَّذ۪ينَ قَالُٓوا اٰمَنَّا بِاَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قُلُوبُهُمْۚ وَمِنَ الَّذ۪ينَ هَادُوا سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ اٰخَر۪ينَۙ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَۜ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِه۪ۚ يَقُولُونَ اِنْ اُو۫ت۪يتُمْ هٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَاِنْ لَمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُواۜ وَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللّٰهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَنْ تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ شَيْـًٔاۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ الَّذ۪ينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْۜ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظ۪يمٌ

O APOSTLE! Be not grieved by those who vie with one another in denying the truth: such as those who say with their mouths, "We believe," the while their hearts do not believe; and such of the Jewish faith as eagerly listen to any falsehood, eagerly listen to other people without having come to thee [for enlightenment]. They distort the meaning of the [revealed] words, taking them out of their context, saying [to themselves], "If such-and-such [teaching] is vouchsafed unto you, accept it; but if it is not vouchsafed unto you, be on your guard!" [Be not grieved by them-] for if Allah wills anyone to be tempted to evil, thou canst in no wise prevail with Allah in his behalf. It is they whose hearts Allah is not willing to cleanse. Theirs shall be ignominy in this world, and awesome suffering in the life to come-

سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ اَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِۜ فَاِنْ جَٓاؤُ۫كَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ اَوْ اَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْۚ وَاِنْ تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْـًٔاۜ وَاِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِط۪ينَ

those who eagerly listen to any falsehood, greedily swallowing all that is evil! Hence, if they come to thee [for judgment], thou mayest either judge between them or leave them alone: for, if thou leave them alone, they cannot harm thee in any way. But if thou dost judge, judge between them with equity: verily, Allah knows those who act equitably.

وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ ف۪يهَٓا اَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِۙ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالْاَنْفَ بِالْاَنْفِ وَالْاُذُنَ بِالْاُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّۙ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌۜ فَمَنْ تَصَدَّقَ بِه۪ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُۜ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَٓا اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ فَاُو۬لٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

And We ordained for them in that [Torah]: A life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and a [similar] retribution for wounds; but he who shall forgo it out of charity will atone thereby for some of his past sins. And they who do not judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed – they, they are the evildoers!,

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ اِلَيْكَۚ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلٰى قُلُوبِهِمْ اَكِنَّةً اَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًاۜ وَاِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ اٰيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَاۜ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا جَٓاؤُ۫كَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُٓوا اِنْ هٰذَٓا اِلَّٓا اَسَاط۪يرُ الْاَوَّل۪ينَ

And there are among them such as [seem to] listen to thee [O Prophet]: but over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears, deafness. And were they to see every sign [of the truth], they would still not believe in it-so much so that when they come unto thee to contend with thee, those who are bent on denying the truth say, "This is nothing but fables of ancient times!"

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَث۪يرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْاِنْسِۘ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَاۘ وَلَهُمْ اَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَاۘ وَلَهُمْ اٰذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَاۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ كَالْاَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ اَضَلُّۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

And most certainly have We destined for hell many of the invisible beings and men who have hearts with which they fail to grasp the truth, and eyes with which they fail to see, and ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle -nay, they are even less conscious of the right way: it is they, they who are the [truly] heedless!

اَلَهُمْ اَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَاۘ اَمْ لَهُمْ اَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَاۘ اَمْ لَهُمْ اَعْيُنٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَاۘ اَمْ لَهُمْ اٰذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَاۜ قُلِ ادْعُوا شُرَكَٓاءَكُمْ ثُمَّ ك۪يدُونِ فَلَا تُنْظِرُونِ

Have these [images], perchance, feet on which they could walk? Or have they hands with which they could grasp? Or have they eyes with which they could see? Or have they ears with which they could hear? Say [O Prophet]: "Summon to your aid all those to whom you ascribe a share in Allah's divinity, and thereupon contrive [anything you may wish] against me, and give me no respite!

وَمِنْهُمُ الَّذ۪ينَ يُؤْذُونَ النَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ اُذُنٌۜ قُلْ اُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِن۪ينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا مِنْكُمْۜ وَالَّذ۪ينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَل۪يمٌ

AND AMONG those [enemies of the truth] there are such as malign the Prophet by saying, "He is all ear." Say: "[Yes,] he is all ear, [listening] to what is good for you! He believes in Allah, and trusts the believers, and is [a manifestation of Allah's] grace towards such of you as have [truly] attained to faith. And as for those who malign Allah's Apostle – grievous suffering awaits them [in the life to come]!"

قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَٓاءِ وَالْاَرْضِ اَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْاَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الْاَمْرَۜ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللّٰهُۚ فَقُلْ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

SAY: "Who is it that provides you with sustenance out of heaven and earth, or who is it that has full power over [your] hearing and sight? And who is it that brings forth the living out of that which is dead, and brings forth the dead out of that which is alive? And who is it that governs all that exists?" And they will [surely] answer: "[It is] Allah." Say, then: "Will you not, then, become [fully] conscious of Him-

اِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَاَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُب۪ينٌ

so that anyone who seeks to learn [the unknowable] by stealth is pursued by a flame clear to see.

اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ الَّذ۪ينَ طَبَعَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَاَبْصَارِهِمْۚ وَاُو۬لٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

They whose hearts and whose hearing and whose sight Allah has sealed -it is they, they who are heedless!

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِه۪ عِلْمٌۜ اِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤٰادَ كُلُّ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُ۫لًا

And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge: verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart – all of them – will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!

وَجَعَلْنَا عَلٰى قُلُوبِهِمْ اَكِنَّةً اَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًاۜ وَاِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْاٰنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلٰٓى اَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا

for, over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from grasping its purport, and into their ears, deafness. And so, whenever thou dost mention, while reciting the Qur'an, thy Sustainer as the one and only Divine Being, they turn their backs [upon thee] in aversion.

فَضَرَبْنَا عَلٰٓى اٰذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِن۪ينَ عَدَدًاۙ

And thereupon We veiled their ears in the cave for many a year,

وَمَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِاٰيَاتِ رَبِّه۪ فَاَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُۜ اِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلٰى قُلُوبِهِمْ اَكِنَّةً اَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًاۜ وَاِنْ تَدْعُهُمْ اِلَى الْهُدٰى فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُٓوا اِذًا اَبَدًا

And who could be more wicked than he to whom his Sustainer's messages are conveyed and who thereupon turns away from them, forgetting all [the evil] that his hands may have wrought? Behold, over their hearts have We laid veils which prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears, deafness; and though thou call them onto the right path, they will never allow themselves to be guided.

اَفَلَمْ يَس۪يرُوا فِي الْاَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَٓا اَوْ اٰذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَاۚ فَاِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْاَبْصَارُ وَلٰكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّت۪ي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and causing their ears to hear? Yet, verily, it is not their eyes that have become blind – but blind have become the hearts that are in their breasts!

وَهُوَ الَّذ۪ٓي اَنْشَاَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْاَبْصَارَ وَالْاَفْـِٔدَةَۜ قَل۪يلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

[O MEN! Pay heed to Allah’s messages,] for it is He who has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!

يُلْقُونَ السَّمْعَ وَاَكْثَرُهُمْ كَاذِبُونَۜ

who readily lend ear [to every falsehood], and most of whom lie to others as well.

وَاِذَا تُتْلٰى عَلَيْهِ اٰيَاتُنَا وَلّٰى مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَاَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا كَاَنَّ ف۪ٓي اُذُنَيْهِ وَقْرًاۚ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ اَل۪يمٍ

For, whenever Our messages are conveyed to such a one, he turns away in his arrogance as though he had not heard them – as though there were deafness in his ears. Give him, then, the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come].

ثُمَّ سَوّٰيهُ وَنَفَخَ ف۪يهِ مِنْ رُوحِه۪ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْاَبْصَارَ وَالْاَفْـِٔدَةَۜ قَل۪يلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

and then He forms him in accordance with what he is meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit: and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا ف۪ٓي اَكِنَّةٍ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَٓا اِلَيْهِ وَف۪ٓي اٰذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِنْ بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ اِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَ

and so they say, [as it were:] “Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness, and between us and thee is a barrier. Do, then, [whatever thou wilt, whereas,] behold, we shall do [as we have always done]!”

فَاَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ ر۪يحًا صَرْصَرًا ف۪ٓي اَيَّامٍ نَحِسَاتٍ لِنُذ۪يقَهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَاۜ وَلَعَذَابُ الْاٰخِرَةِ اَخْزٰى وَهُمْ لَا يُنْصَرُونَ

and thereupon We let loose upon them a storm wind raging through days of misfortune, so as to give them, in the life of this world, a foretaste of suffering through humiliation: but [their] suffering in the life to come will be far more humiliating, and they will have none to succour them.

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْاٰنًا اَعْجَمِيًّا لَقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ اٰيَاتُهُۜ ءَاَۭۘعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّۜ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَٓاءٌۜ وَالَّذ۪ينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًىۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَع۪يدٍ۟

Now if We had willed this [divine writ] to be a discourse in a non-Arabic tongue, they [who now reject it] would surely have said, “Why is it that its messages have not been spelled out clearly? Why – [a message in] a non-Arabic tongue, and [its bearer] an Arab?” Say: “Unto all who have attained to faith, this [divine writ] is a guidance and a source of health; but as for those who will not believe – in their ears is deafness, and so it remains obscure to them: they are [like people who are] being called from too far away.

وَاِذْ صَرَفْنَٓا اِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْاٰنَۚ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُٓوا اَنْصِتُواۚ فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا اِلٰى قَوْمِهِمْ مُنْذِر۪ينَ

AND LO! We caused a group of unseen beings to incline towards thee, [O Muhammad,] so that they might give ear to the Qur’an; and so, as soon as they became aware of it, they said [unto one another], “Listen in silence!” And when [the recitation] was ended, they returned to their people as warners.

اِنَّ ف۪ي ذٰلِكَ لَذِكْرٰى لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ اَوْ اَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَه۪يدٌ

In this, behold, there is indeed a reminder for everyone whose heart is wide-awake -that is, [every­one who] lends ear with a conscious mind –

وَاسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنَادِ الْمُنَادِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ قَر۪يبٍۙ

And [always] listen for the day when He who issues the call [of death] shall call [thee] from close-by;

اِنَّٓا اَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ ر۪يحًا صَرْصَرًا ف۪ي يَوْمِ نَحْسٍ مُسْتَمِرٍّۙ

Behold, We let loose upon them a raging storm wind on a day of bitter misfortune:

قُلْ هُوَ الَّذ۪ٓي اَنْشَاَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْاَبْصَارَ وَالْاَفْـِٔدَةَۜ قَل۪يلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

SAY: "[Allah is] He who has brought you [all] into being, and has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and hearts: [yet] how seldom are you grateful!"

وَاِنّ۪ي كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُٓوا اَصَابِعَهُمْ ف۪ٓي اٰذَانِهِمْ وَاسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَاَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًاۚ

And behold, whenever I called unto them with a view to Thy granting them forgiveness, they put their fingers into their ears, and wrapped themselves up in their garments [of sin]; and grew obstinate, and became [yet more] arrogant in their false pride.