Do the dead hear? And what are the places and times of their hearing, if they do hear?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah.
May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh: A question arose in the Dawah office in al-Dawadimi regarding one of the Hindus who raised a doubt. He says: Do the dead hear? And if they do hear, does their hearing occur in a specific place, in specific locations, for example, or is it general hearing?
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that when the dead person is buried and the two angels come to him, he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 3231Sahih (Al-Albani) meaning, turning away from him. This is hearing at the time of burial. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) stood over the slain of Quraysh in the well of Badr and began calling out to them by their names and the names of their fathers. When the Companions questioned him about that, he said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2075Sahih (Darussalam) It is also narrated from the Prophet (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) that he said: The scholars differed regarding the authenticity and weakness of this hadith. Some of them weakened it, and if it is weak, then there is no evidence in it. Some of them said that it is good, and some of them authenticated it. So we say: What the Sunnah has brought, we believe in it, and what the Sunnah has not brought, we say, Allah knows best. Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : But even on the assumption that they hear, they do not benefit others. That is to say, they do not supplicate to Allah for them, nor seek forgiveness from Allah for them, nor ask for intercession for them. I only said that so that these grave-worshippers do not cling to what I said and claim: Since they hear, then this is one of the awliya (close friends of Allah), so we ask him to ask Allah for us, or to intercede for us with Allah. This is not established at all, because when a person dies, his deeds are cut off, even the Prophet (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him); when he died, his deeds were cut off. But the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) left behind for his Ummah the great knowledge by which everyone acts, and from the Ummah are those who respond to the call. And he said (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him):Riyad as-Salihin 1383 And no one has bequeathed to creation knowledge by which they benefit more than what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) bequeathed to his Ummah.
May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh: A question arose in the Dawah office in al-Dawadimi regarding one of the Hindus who raised a doubt. He says: Do the dead hear? And if they do hear, does their hearing occur in a specific place, in specific locations, for example, or is it general hearing?
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that when the dead person is buried and the two angels come to him, he said:
he hears the stepping sound of their shoes
إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهمYou do not hear what I say any better than they do
ما أنتم بأسمع لما أقول منهمNo man passes by the grave of a man he knew in this world and then greets him, except that Allah returns his spirit to him, and he returns the greeting to him.
ما من رجل يمر بقبر رجل يعرفه في الدنيا ثم يسلم عليه إلا رد الله عليه روحه فرد عليه السلامThe questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : But even on the assumption that they hear, they do not benefit others. That is to say, they do not supplicate to Allah for them, nor seek forgiveness from Allah for them, nor ask for intercession for them. I only said that so that these grave-worshippers do not cling to what I said and claim: Since they hear, then this is one of the awliya (close friends of Allah), so we ask him to ask Allah for us, or to intercede for us with Allah. This is not established at all, because when a person dies, his deeds are cut off, even the Prophet (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him); when he died, his deeds were cut off. But the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) left behind for his Ummah the great knowledge by which everyone acts, and from the Ummah are those who respond to the call. And he said (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him):