What Does It Mean That Allah Is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, and Man Is Hearing and Seeing?
نقرأ في القرآن وصف الله تعالى لنفسه "وهو السميع البصير" ووصفه للإنسان: "فجعلناه سميعا بصيرا"، فما هي دلالة كل وصف من هذه الأوصاف؟
Allah describes Himself as the All-Hearing, and He describes Himself as the All-Seeing. Also, He describes man as hearer and seer. Yet, the hearing of man is different from the hearing of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, Who says about His Exalted Character: "Nothing is like Him." [Ash-Shura 42:11]
This means He is Matchless. As for man, there are sounds which he cannot hear, while Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, says about His Exalted Character:
(Not ˹even˺ an atom’s weight is hidden from your Lord on earth or in heaven; nor anything smaller or larger than that, but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.) [Yunus 10:61]
Note: The earlier published Arabic gave the wording of Saba 34:3 under the label Yunus 10:61; the Arabic now gives Yunus 10:61, the verse quoted here.
(He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but they cannot encompass Him in ˹their˺ knowledge.) [Ta-Ha 20:110]
(If three converse privately, He is their fourth. If five, He is their sixth. Whether fewer or more, He is with them wherever they may be. Then, on the Day of Judgment, He will inform them of what they have done. Surely Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.) [Al-Mujadala 58:7]
(Indeed, Allah has heard the argument of the woman who pleaded with you ˹O Prophet˺ concerning her husband) [Al-Mujadala 58:1]
إن الله وصف نفسه بالسميع ووصف نفسه بالبصير، كما وصف الإنسان أنه سميع وأنه بصير، ولكن سمع الإنسان ليس كسمع الله عز وجل، الله قال عن ذاته العلية: (لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ) [الشورى 42: 11]
أي ليس يماثله شيء، فالإنسان قد تغيب عن سمعه بعض المسموعات، بينما الله عز وجل قال عن ذاته العلية:
(وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَا أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرَ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ) [يونس 10: 61]
ملاحظة: جاء في النص المنشور سابقا لفظ الآية الثالثة من سورة سبأ تحت رقم سورة يونس 10: 61، فوضعت آية يونس 10: 61 التي يترجمها النص الإنجليزي.
وقال: (يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا) [طه 20: 110]
وقال: (مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا ۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ) [المجادلة 58: 7]
قال تعالى: (قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا) [المجادلة 58: 1]
1. There Is Nothing Like Him | ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير
Allah says: There is nothing like Him, for He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing (42:11). Ibn Kathir explains: there is nothing like the Creator of all the pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master who has no equal. The verse denies any likeness and, in the same breath, affirms His hearing and sight, which is why the scholar can say that both Allah and man are described as hearing and seeing while the two are never alike. This is part of the types of monotheism.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ (سورة الشورى: 11)
قال تعالى: (ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير) (الشورى 42: 11)، قال ابن كثير: (ليس كمثله شيء) أي: ليس كخالق الأزواج كلها شيء؛ لأنه الفرد الصمد الذي لا نظير له، فنفت الآية المماثلة وأثبتت السمع والبصر.
2. He Whose Hearing Encompasses All Voices | الذي وسع سمعه الأصوات
The last verse the scholar quotes came down about a woman who argued with the Prophet about her husband. Aishah said: Praise be to Allah whose hearing encompasses all voices; the woman who pleaded came to the Prophet and spoke to him while I was in a corner of the house, and I could not hear what she said, then Allah revealed: Indeed, Allah has heard the argument of the woman who pleaded with you concerning her husband (58:1). Ibn Kathir cites it from Imam Ahmad and notes that al-Bukhari reported it in the Book of Tawhid without a chain; it is in Sunan an-Nasa’i 3460 and Sunan Ibn Majah 188, both graded sahih. This Name is explained in As-Sami’, the All-Hearing.
قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ (سورة المجادلة: 1)
قالت عائشة رضي الله عنها: الحمد لله الذي وسع سمعه الأصوات، لقد جاءت المجادلة إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تكلمه وأنا في ناحية البيت، ما أسمع ما تقول، فأنزل الله عز وجل: (قد سمع الله قول التي تجادلك في زوجها) (المجادلة 58: 1)، أورده ابن كثير من رواية الإمام أحمد، وقال: رواه البخاري في كتاب التوحيد تعليقا، وهو في سنن النسائي (3460) وسنن ابن ماجه (188) بإسناد صحيح.
3. Man’s Hearing and Sight Are Created | فجعلناه سميعا بصيرا
Man’s hearing and sight are gifts that Allah created: Indeed, We alone created humans from a drop of mixed fluids, in order to test them, so We made them hear and see (76:2). Ibn Kathir explains: We gave him hearing and sight by which he is able to obey or disobey, and to test him is like His words: to test which of you is best in deeds (67:2).
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا (سورة الإنسان: 2)
قال تعالى: (إنا خلقنا الإنسان من نطفة أمشاج نبتليه فجعلناه سميعا بصيرا) (الإنسان 76: 2)، قال ابن كثير: (نبتليه) أي: نختبره، كقوله: (ليبلوكم أيكم أحسن عملا) (الملك 67: 2)، (فجعلناه سميعا بصيرا) أي: جعلنا له سمعا وبصرا يتمكن بهما من الطاعة والمعصية.
4. Living Under His Sight | ألم يعلم بأن الله يرى
Allah asks about the one who forbids a servant from praying: Does he not know that Allah sees all? (96:14). Ibn Kathir explains: did he not know that Allah sees him, hears his words and will repay him fully for what he did? The Prophet described the highest rank of faith in the same way: Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you (Sahih al-Bukhari 50). This rank is explained in the ranks of ihsan.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ (سورة العلق: 14)
قال تعالى: (ألم يعلم بأن الله يرى) (العلق 96: 14)، قال ابن كثير: أي: أما علم هذا الناهي لهذا المهتدي أن الله يراه ويسمع كلامه وسيجازيه على فعله أتم الجزاء، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الإحسان: "أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك" (صحيح البخاري 50).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
If Allah and man are both described as hearing, are they alike?
No. There is nothing like Him, for He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing (42:11); man’s hearing is not like Allah’s.
What is the difference between Allah’s hearing and man’s?
Man cannot hear some sounds, while not even an atom’s weight is hidden from Allah on earth or in heaven (10:61).
What did Aishah say when 58:1 was revealed?
Praise be to Allah whose hearing encompasses all voices: she was in a corner of the house and could not hear the woman, yet Allah heard her (Sunan Ibn Majah 188).
Why did Allah give man hearing and sight?
Ibn Kathir explains 76:2: so that he is able to obey or disobey, as a test.