{"id":139059,"date":"2020-04-12T03:59:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T03:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=139059"},"modified":"2020-04-12T03:59:06","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T03:59:06","slug":"one-hearing-but-many-sights-and-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=139059","title":{"rendered":"One Hearing but Many sights and hearts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran says that Almighty Allah as the\nCreator of man has bestowed on him the hearing, the sight and the heart. These\nsenses, or faculties, are meant to make man knowledgeable, productive and\nresponsible. With them, he is expected to understand himself, his physical\nsurroundings and, with the guidance and help of the revelation, some of the\nmost crucial metaphysical dimensions of the life reality in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These senses and their projected functions distinguish\nman, as the vicegerent on earth, from the rest of creation. They make him more\nrelevant than others and his actions more impactful and more consequential. They\nalso make him more accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran reminds: \u0153And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the\nhearing (sam<\/em>), the sight (basar<\/em>) and the heart (fuad<\/em>) –\nabout all those (one) will be questioned\u009d (al-Isra, 36).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qalb<\/em><\/strong>, fuad<\/em>\nand lubb<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a small digression, according to the\nQuranic vocabulary, there are two chief terms used for the heart: qalb<\/em>\nand fuad<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is the general meaning of the\nheart. It is that biological organ upon whose proper corporeal and spiritual functioning\na persons life depends. It is the essence and most important (inner) part of\nsomething. It can also mean the mind (aql<\/em>) with which people reason. It\nis almost synonymous with it. The Quran points out that hearts are engaged in\nthinking processes, and can be conscious as well as blind (al-Hajj, 46). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuad<\/em>, on the other hand, means the core of the\nheart (qalb<\/em>), or the \u0153heart\u009d of the heart, so to speak. If qalb<\/em>\nis the nucleus of the mind (\u02dcaql<\/em>), fuad<\/em> is the nucleus of qalb<\/em>.\nIt is more profound and more intense than qalb<\/em>. It is the \u0153burning side\u009d\nof the latter. It is the place where the most significant emotions and the\ndeepest forms of knowledge (enlightenment) take place and reside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuad<\/em> is the home of decision making. To it all processes\nlead, including the reasoning processes of both \u02dcaql<\/em> and qalb<\/em>,\nand those pertaining to the emotional fluctuations of qalb<\/em>. Fuad<\/em>\nis therefore often understood as ultimate human intelligence and consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why in the Hereafter, Hellfire will\npenetrate directly into the hearts (afidah<\/em>, plural of fuad<\/em>) of\nevil-doers, on account of their afidah<\/em> being the focal points and\nrepositories of all decisions (al-Humazah, 7). They were the prime causes of\npeoples ranks and stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the emotional dejection of Prophet\nMusas (Moses) mother when she had to send her newly born Musa away, the\nQuran best describes in the following words: \u0153And the heart (fuad<\/em>) of Moses mother became void and empty\n(of all thoughts and feelings except the thought of and feeling about Musa)\u009d\n(al-Qasas, 10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearts (afidah<\/em>) of the criminals on the Day of Judgment\nare likewise described as hawa<\/em> (air, nothing, void and empty from any useful\nthought, value and quality)\u009d (Ibrahim, 43). If the mind can undergo a\ncorruption and bankruptcy of ideas, the heart too can undergo a corruption and\nbankruptcy of emotions. That connotes the nadir of ones ruin. If and when it\nhappens, fuad<\/em> is the arena of ordeals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also the term lubb<\/em>, which\nmay remotely mean the heart as well. Nonetheless, lubb<\/em> is more about the\npure intellect as the highest and most discerning level of the mind and brain,\nthan about the heart itself. It is about the highest consequence to which the\nunion of the pure and properly functioning qalb<\/em> and fuad<\/em>\neventually leads. The Quran mentions 16 times the concept of ulul-albab<\/em>\n(people of understanding, or possessors of pure minds and intellects).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearing first, then the sight, and\nfinally the heart<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is noteworthy that in the Quranic verse\nmentioned earlier (al-Isra, 36),\nthe hearing\nis mentioned first. That is because the hearing is activated first in a human\nbeing. Before a child is able to see and think, it hears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearing is the most important faculty.\nWith a deaf person effective communication is extremely hard, which is not the\ncase with the blind and even the dumb. Man is created to know and act. However,\nall that depends on the power and effectiveness of his hearing. Man is supposed\nto listen first and also most. The quality of his life depends on the quality\nof his listening and the quality of what and who is listened to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, man is bidden to listen to the\nrevealed guidance of his Creator most importantly, hence the hearing being\nmentioned first in the verse. The authority of Almighty Allah and His revealed\nknowledge is supreme. Only after that can man follow other modes of knowledge\nacquisition, and only with the revealed knowledge on-board can other forms of\nuseful knowledge be considered. The revelation is not only a form of knowledge,\nbut also the Criterion for ascertaining other knowledge types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sight (basar<\/em>) is mentioned after\nthe hearing because, biologically, it is activated second. It is also a means\nby which a person establishes different and more direct contacts with the outside\nworld. What he hears can now be better understood, systematically verified and\nfurther enhanced. A window of epistemological as well as ontological\nopportunities gets significantly wider thereby. A person gets empowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the heart (fuad<\/em>) comes last,\nafter the sight. That is so because discernible emotions and rational as well\nas consciousness-driven undertakings are the last things that mature in a\nperson. However, such can happen only as a result of the functioning of the\nhearing and the sight. The quality and dynamism of the functioning of fuad <\/em>is\npredicated on the quality and dynamism of the functioning of those two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here the word fuad<\/em>, rather than qalb<\/em>, is used for the heart because the seat of the final outcomes of human affections and of their cognisant along with premeditated actions, is intended thereby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearing as a singular noun, the sight\nand the heart as plural ones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the above mentioned verse (al-Isra, 36), each of the hearing, the sight and the heart is\nmentioned as a singular noun. The reason for this is that ones personal condition\nin this world and his personal accountability in the Hereafter are implied. It\nis man alone who is the architect of his spiritual destiny, and he alone will\nbe fully responsible for it. The singular form for the three senses indicates\nfreedom, individuality and answerability. Everyone is unique in connection with\nthose concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when the Quran speaks about\nhumankind as a whole, presenting a macro existential reality in the process,\nthings are viewed differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran says for example: \u0153And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers while you\nknew nothing, and gave you the hearing, the sight(s), and intelligence(s)\n(minds or hearts), so perhaps you would be thankful\u009d (al-Nahl, 78).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gist of this verse is repeated six times in six different contexts\nin the Quran. The emphasis is made in order to bring home the verses critical\nmessage. However, in all of them a nuance is featured which tends to evade many\nstudents of the Quran. Even a great many translations are rendered inaccurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hearing (sam<\/em>) is mentioned first\nand as a singular noun. That is so \u201c and Allah knows best – because there is\nonly one source of knowledge and truth, which is Almighty Allah. All other\nsources of knowledge are secondary, and they still belong to Him. Thus, there\nshould be only one form of hearing and listening that is absolutely\nauthoritative. That right belongs to nobody else but Allah and His Holy Words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is an Islamic tenet therefore to declare\n\u0153We hear and we obey\u009d whenever Allahs commands (knowledge) are communicated\nand \u0153heard\u009d. As said before, this exclusive heavenly source is not merely to be\nlistened to, but to be a point of reference as well. All other secondary sources\nand authorities are to be regularly referred to it for the sake of their\nauthentication and recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the hearing, the sight and the\nheart are mentioned second and third respectively. They are mentioned as plural\nnouns, that is, sights (absar<\/em>) and hearts or intelligences (afidah<\/em>).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the case because people naturally\nsee different things in different aspects of the actual world. There are so\nmany things to be seen differently. If hearing is knowing, then seeing is cautiously\ntrusting (believing). It furthermore means validating. Interpretations of what\nis seen are also bound to be different, leading then to different stances and\noutlooks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is all normal, though, and constitutes\na segment of existential moral laws. Allah the Creator of all said: \u0153And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one\ncommunity; but they will not cease to dispute and differ. Except whom your Lord\nhas given mercy, and for that He created them\u00a6\u009d (Hud, 118-119).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here legitimate disagreements in legitimate matters are implied,\ntoo. Jurisprudential and other ijtihadi<\/em> (independent reasoning) differences\nare some of them. It is all too expected that certain dimensions of the single\nhearing will generate dissimilar implications when related to different life circumstances.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tolerable differences in the domain of application (different\nsights and hearts, or intelligences) are inevitable. This should serve as a\ncatalyst for developing a comprehensive code of ethics of disagreement. The\nlone hearing should work as an overseer of those differences in sights and\nhearts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are more easily fooled by optical (visual) illusions than by\nauditory (hearing) illusions. The anatomy of human hearing, or auditory system,\nis \u0153extremely complex\u009d. It is \u0153one of the human bodys most complex and\ndelicate sensory systems.\u009d While people can still \u0153see\u009d without vision, they\ncannot hear without hearing, or auditory perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The single hearing is like the single trunk and the common roots of\na tree, while the multiple sights and hearts are like the multiple branches of\nthe same tree. The branches can be trimmed, manipulated or removed altogether,\nif deemed inappropriate or malfunctioning, all in the interest of the health of\nthe tree en bloc.<\/em> But the roots and the trunk must always remain intact.\nThey, in fact, comprise the tree. This is a principle of unity in diversity, i.e.,\nthe unity of fundamental sources and purposes, and the diversity of practical expressions\nand functions.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inaccurate translations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The matter of the singularity of the\nhearing and the plurality of sights and hearts in the Quran is very important.\nMore than a few vital issues depend on it. Nonetheless, due to its subtlety,\nnot everyone pays close attention to it. Which is unfortunate, given the\ntreasure of meanings entailed therein. As a result, when dealing with the six verses\nin question, scores of translations in different languages are rather imprecise,\ndepriving the reader of a significant portion of knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, no major English translation\nof the Quran does justice to the verses. By and large, they are somewhat inconsistent\nthroughout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Sahih International, e.g., in surah\nal-Nahl<\/em>, verse 78, all three senses are rendered in the singular form: \u0153He made for you hearing and vision and intellect.\u009d Khattab and\nMalik in their respective translations follow suit. Most other translations\n(Pickthall, Asad, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin Khan and Arberry) render the first\ntwo (the hearing and the sight) in the singular form, and only the last one\n(hearts or intelligences or affections) in the plural form. Bosnian and\nIndonesian translations, generally, also translate all three as singular nouns.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As another example, in surah al-Mulk<\/em>, verse 23, the same three senses are translated in\nSahih International as follows\n\u0153\u00a6and made for you hearing and vision and hearts.\u009d The difference is that afidah<\/em>\nare now \u0153hearts\u009d (plural), but in the earlier surah<\/em>, they were\n\u0153intellect\u009d (singular). Only Khattab and Arberry are consistent. Most of other\ntranslators inconsistencies revolve around translating sam<\/em> (singular) as\neither \u0153hearing\u009d or \u0153ears\u009d, absar<\/em> (plural) as \u0153seeing\u009d, \u0153sight\u009d or\n\u0153eyes\u009d, and afidah<\/em> (plural) as \u0153hearts\u009d, \u0153feeling and understanding\u009d\nand \u0153intellect\u009d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue is straightforward. The three God-given senses are to be\ntranslated in the singular form only when they are mentioned as such in the\noriginal Arabic text. However, they are to be rendered in the plural form if\nthey are mentioned as such in the original text. In addition, there should be\nan accompanying enlightening commentary as to why the subject is like that. As\nexplained earlier, there is a reason why the singular and plural forms are\nemployed differently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In passing, ears and eyes are not the hearing and seeing\nrespectively. They are merely the organs of the hearing and seeing, same way as\nthe heart (qalb<\/em>) is the organ, or agency\u009d of fuad<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran affirms: \u0153And We have certainly created for Hell many of\nthe jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they\nhave eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not\nhear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who\nare the heedless\u009d (al-Araf, 179).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of Arabic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All things considered, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The example clearly demonstrates how invaluable knowing Arabic and studying the Quran contingent on that knowledge for Muslims are. It is impossible for a person to be an exemplary Muslim if his relationship with the Quran is not passionate, continuous and reciprocal (that the Quran is not read, understood, internalised and acted upon). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do so successfully the adequate knowledge of Arabic plays a vital role. For that reason were most non-Arab Muslims during the golden age(s) of Islamic civilisation bilingual. They might have been of Turkish, Persian or Indian origins, but Arabic was their second language. They needed it, for it was the language of their Islam, their Quran and their Prophets Sunnah. It was as important to them as their native languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding and practicing Islam without knowing Arabic \u201c as much\nas possible of course \u201c may become too one-dimensional, too formalist, too uninspiring,\nand too dull. The beauty and depth of the Islamic message may remain elusive\nforever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The enemies of Islam knew this all too well. Thus, whenever they\ncould, they worked tirelessly on disconnecting non-Arab Muslims from the\nsources of their strength and identity, that is, from Islam, the Quran and\nSunnah, by alienating them from Arabic as a means of Islamic spiritual,\nethical, cultural and even intellectual communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the Arabs were targeted as fervently – and as successfully – by\nencouraging the use of their endless local dialects, and by aggressively\npromoting the languages of their colonial masters. All this happened in the\nname of rebirth, modernity, cultural transformation and progress. As outlandish\nas it may seem, in some instances many Arabs became as estranged from the pure\nArabic language as their non-Arab counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The desired results are obvious. Instead of understanding and\nstudying in-depth the Quran with the aim of implementing it in the spheres of\nvarious life systems, most of todays especially non-Arab Muslims spend their whole\nlife learning no more than the Arabic alphabet. They want to be able at least\nto read the Quran as it was revealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are so obsessed about the matter, and to all that seems such a\nbig deal, that rarely anybody raises the subjects of properly understanding the\nQuran and implementing it completely. Muslims are so handicapped that just\nknowing how to read the Quran, mechanically and superficially though, is deemed\na success. The prospects of genuine knowledge and application remain\nfarfetched. The same condition, however, during some earlier times would have\nbeen regarded as a serious spiritual weakness and a grim intellectual failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undeniably, there is no future for Muslims without Islam, and no Islam as a complete cultural and civilisational force without pure Arabic. Muslims ought to become again bilingual, and if possible even trilingual, bearing in mind that this is the age of globalisation whose soul is knowledge and information. That is the only way forward, and is the only formula for truly leading the way. If only people in power would listen. *** <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Spahic Omer The Quran says that Almighty Allah as the Creator of man has bestowed on him the hearing, the sight and the heart.… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":139083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,8,21],"tags":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[111,12,134,5],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2017-06-facilities.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139059"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=139059"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139082,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139059\/revisions\/139082"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/139083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=139059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=139059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=139059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}