Section on Listening

Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī said in the chapter on listening: Allah Most High says:

“So give good tidings to My servants who listen to speech and follow the best of it.” [Surah al-Zumar 18]

Abū al-Qāsim said: “The lām of the definite article in al-qawl (‘speech’) indicates generality and all-inclusiveness. The evidence for this is that He praised them for following the best of it.”

I say: This is mentioned by a group of writers, including Abū ʿAbd al-Rahmān al-Sulamī and others. It is erroneous, by the consensus of the Muslim community and its leading scholars, for several reasons.

First, by the consensus of the Muslims, Allah, glorified and exalted be He, does not command listening to every kind of speech, such that the definite article could be said to indicate all-inclusiveness and generality. Rather, some speech is forbidden to listen to, and some is disliked, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever listens to the conversation of people who dislike his doing so will have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.”