The Dead Hearing the Speech of the Living
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Question:
From the honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. How do we respond to those who say that the default is that the dead hear the speech of the living? They cite the story of the disbelievers of Quraysh when they were thrown into the well of Badr, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed them. They also cite that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returns the salam to those who greet him. So, is it said that the default is that the dead do not hear, or that they do hear? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you.
Answer:
What is your concern with whether the dead hear or do not hear? You are prohibited from shirk (associating partners with Allah), from the means of shirk, and from lingering at graves, whether they hear or they do not hear. What business do you have with this? You are prohibited from it; if they were to hear you, they would hate you and associate you with them. It is not permissible, even if they were to hear. Although they do hear, you are prohibited from shirk, prohibited from the means of shirk, prohibited from praying at graves, and prohibited from sitting at graves. You are prohibited from all of this. The situations you mentioned, such as the killing at Badr and the dead hearing the striking of the donkeys, are special circumstances at specific times. The killing at Badr was specific to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) through his prophetic miracle (mu'jizah); it is not a general rule for every dead person. And the fact that he hears is when he is first placed in his grave; he does not always hear. There is no evidence that he always hears; this is a special state. But as I mentioned first, even if it were established that they hear, you are prohibited from asking them, from visiting them, and from relying on them. The Companions who went to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when many problems arose in their time did not go to the grave of the Prophet to ask him to provide for them. Rather, they would gather and consult with one another, recalling the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then they would be patient and deliberate among themselves. They had scholars of knowledge among them, so they would rush to them, and they would continue to hear them say to their mothers... So the fact that they hear is not evidence for the permissibility of supplicating to them, asking them, or relying on them. Yes.
The presenter:
Thank you.
From the honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. How do we respond to those who say that the default is that the dead hear the speech of the living? They cite the story of the disbelievers of Quraysh when they were thrown into the well of Badr, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed them. They also cite that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returns the salam to those who greet him. So, is it said that the default is that the dead do not hear, or that they do hear? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you.
Answer:
What is your concern with whether the dead hear or do not hear? You are prohibited from shirk (associating partners with Allah), from the means of shirk, and from lingering at graves, whether they hear or they do not hear. What business do you have with this? You are prohibited from it; if they were to hear you, they would hate you and associate you with them. It is not permissible, even if they were to hear. Although they do hear, you are prohibited from shirk, prohibited from the means of shirk, prohibited from praying at graves, and prohibited from sitting at graves. You are prohibited from all of this. The situations you mentioned, such as the killing at Badr and the dead hearing the striking of the donkeys, are special circumstances at specific times. The killing at Badr was specific to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) through his prophetic miracle (mu'jizah); it is not a general rule for every dead person. And the fact that he hears is when he is first placed in his grave; he does not always hear. There is no evidence that he always hears; this is a special state. But as I mentioned first, even if it were established that they hear, you are prohibited from asking them, from visiting them, and from relying on them. The Companions who went to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when many problems arose in their time did not go to the grave of the Prophet to ask him to provide for them. Rather, they would gather and consult with one another, recalling the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then they would be patient and deliberate among themselves. They had scholars of knowledge among them, so they would rush to them, and they would continue to hear them say to their mothers... So the fact that they hear is not evidence for the permissibility of supplicating to them, asking them, or relying on them. Yes.
The presenter:
Thank you.
Source
شرح قرة عيون الموحدين [26] — alfawzan.live (1:01:48)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.