Unlike taste, smell, and touch—which can only register their objects through direct contact—hearing, although it perceives mere sounds, fulfils its noblest function by grasping speech and the knowledge conveyed by those who speak.

Because of this, a group of scholars, among them Ibn Qutaybah, preferred hearing to sight. The majority, however, maintain that sight is superior, and the correct view is that visual perception is indeed more complete, as the majority affirm. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “The one who is merely informed is not like the one who sees with his own eyes.”

Nevertheless, through hearing we acquire a greater quantity of knowledge than we do through sight. Sight, then, is the stronger and more perfect faculty, while hearing is wider in range and more comprehensive.

These two senses are the primary means by which human beings obtain the knowledge that distinguishes them from animals. For this reason Allah frequently couples them with the heart, as in His words:

“Indeed, hearing, sight, and the heart—each of these shall be questioned.” (Qur’an 17:36)

“Allah brought you forth from your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing, and He endowed you with hearing, sight, and hearts so that you might give thanks.” (Qur’an 16:78)

“We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and humankind: they have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. Such people are like cattle; indeed, they are even further astray. They are the heedless.” (Qur’an 7:179)

“We granted them hearing, sight, and hearts, but their hearing, sight, and hearts availed them nothing, for they habitually denied the signs of Allah, and that which they used to ridicule enveloped them.” (Qur’an 46:26)