Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about “devotional listening.”

He replied:

The listening commanded by Allah and His Messenger, and agreed upon by the early generations of this community and the masters of the spiritual path, is listening to the Quran. This is the listening practised by the prophets, the learned, those who know Allah, and the believers. Allah, glorified and exalted, says:

“Those were the ones upon whom Allah bestowed favour among the prophets, from the descendants of Adam, from those We carried with Noah, from the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and from those We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell down in prostration, weeping.”

He, exalted, also says:

“Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall upon their faces in prostration, saying, ‘Glory be to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.’ And they fall upon their faces, weeping, and it increases them in humility.”

He, exalted, also says:

“When they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they recognise. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so record us among the witnesses.’”

He, exalted, also says: “The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel fear in