I was reminded
of two of Allah’s most beautiful names, and perfect attributes just
recently – As-Sami‘ (the all-Hearing) and al-Mujib (The
Answerer/Responsive).
My friend came over and was sharing
her experiences of Hajj with me, may Allah accept it from her (ameen).
She recalled tawaaf, and said that as she was going around the ka’bah,
and was calling upon Allah, making du’a to the Mighty, the Responsive,
she momentarily took in the scene around her. She thought: all the waves
of people around her, also encircling the ka’bah, were calling out to
Him too, making du‘a to Him too, and yet He, Most High, could not only
hear her, but could hear all of them. Subhan’Allah, how amazing is that?
Allah hears all of those people, and each and every
one of His creation, because he is perfect and unlike his creation in
His Hearing: He is as-Sami‘.
Whilst she was telling me
that, it reminded me of an incident from the life of our beloved
Messenger SAW where Umm-al-Mu’mineen, Aishah (RA) also noticed the
perfection of Allah’s attribute of being the All-Hearing. Khawlah bint
Tha’labah (RA) came to complain to Prophet Muhammad SAW about her
husband. Although, our mother, Aishah (RA) was fairly near to
Rasullullah SAW, she could barely hear the exchange of words between the
Messenger of Allah SAW and Khawlah (RA). Yet Allah SWT, from above the
seven heavens, not only heard Khawlah (RA), but also revealed an ayah
about her, that will be recited (and will remain) in the book of Allah
until the Day of Judgment.
Imam Ahmad recorded that after this
revelation, Aishah (RA), in awe of her All-Hearing Lord, remarked: “All
Praise be to Allah, Who hears all voices. ‘The woman who disputed’ came
to the Prophet SAW and argued with him while I was in another part of
the room, unable to hear what she said. Allah, the Exalted and Most
Honoured revealed:
“Indeed Allâh has heard the
statement of her (Khaulah bint Tha'labah) that disputes with you (O
Muhammad SAW) concerning her husband (Aus bin As¬Sâmit), and complains
to Allâh. And Allâh hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allâh
is All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (58:1)
This hadith is also
in Bukhari and other books of hadith. In the narration collected by Ibn
Abi Hatim, Aishah (RA) said ‘Blessed is He, Whose Hearing has
encompassed all things…’
Ibn al-Qayyim
rahimahullah in describing the greatness of Allah, says about His
hearing “…He hears all voices, and does not mistake one for another; He
hears them all, in all the different languages and with all their varied
requests and pleas. No voice distracts Him from hearing another, He
does not confuse their requests, and He never tires of hearing the pleas
of those in need.” Allahu Akbar!
You know, that quote is
particularly amazing to me because of my nature. I don’t possess the
quality that women are supposedly deemed to have: the ability to
multi-task. I can’t do it. If I’m in the kitchen cooking for example and
somebody is speaking to me, just one person, I’ll have to stop cooking
to listen to the person if I’m to digest what they’re saying.
Or at least slow down my chores quite drastically in order to follow
their story. My family will bear testament to the fact that I often ask
them to repeat things when they speak to me whilst I’m doing something
else! I usually cannot do two things at once, sometimes even the simplest of
things. But Allah, Most High, has no trouble hearing us all, all at
once. In all our different tongues, at different places subhan’Allah.
Whilst my friend was making Hajj, some of us were beseeching Allah at
some point too. Yet, He heard her, and hears us; and He responded to
her, and responds to us subhan’Allah.
I remember something
that Brother Nouman Ali Khan said which was that you shouldn’t feel
weird speaking to Allah. Speak to Him, ask of Him, praise Him and
glorify Him. Allah hears you, so let Him hear the best of speech from you: Qur’an, dhikr, speaking about Him, good words,
etc (I put an emphasis on good words because we really need to think
about the way we speak to one another and the things we mindlessly utter
subhan'Allah, Allah hears that too! A reminder to myself first...)
So
whether you whisper to Allah to help and guide you in a sad moment, or
recite His praises a little louder on days such as Eid, know that He
hears you. And govern your behaviour – specifically, your words – around
that.
