بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
YOUR EARS OR YOUR EYES?
Stupefied? Have you ever heard such a question before? Between your ears and your eyes, which do you think is superior? Many ‘Ulamaa claim that your ears are superior. Put differently, the faculty of hearing is greater than the faculty of sight. Their arguments are:
1. While there were Ambiyaa who were deaf (for example, Ya’qoob alaihis-salaam who lost his eyesight due to excessive crying for his son Yusuf alaihis-salaam and Shu’ayb alaihis-salaam who went blind due to profuse crying as a result of his fear regarding how he would fare in front of Allah on the day of Qiyaamah), there is no evidence of any Nabi who was deaf.
2. Your ears hear in all directions; front, back, left, right, up and down. On the contrary, your eyes can only see in one direction.
3. Your ears function in light and darkness. However, your eyes can only see in light.
Other ‘Ulamaa feel that the faculty of sight is superior; your eyes are a greater ni’mah (bounty) from Allah than your ears. Their arguments are:
1. It is true that your eyes only function in the light. However, this does not signify any inferiority. Quite the opposite, it signifies nobility. The eyes are so noble that Allah has relieved them of having to function in the dark. On the contrary, your ears are not as noble as your eyes. Hence Allah has not relieved them of their duties due to darkness. This proves the superiority of your eyes and your faculty of sight.
2. There is more beauty in your eyes than in your ears. The appearances of people are enhanced more by their eyes than their ears. Referring to the beauty of the eyes, an Urdu poet said:
If you cherish the joy of the rain,
Then come and sit in these eyes.
They are white and black,
And they have a sky (the eyelids) and
Rain (tears) as well.
An Arab poet, Abu Nawaas, was asked to prove the existence of Allah. He replied:
تأمل فى نبات الأرض و انظر – الى آثار ما صنع المليك
عيون من لجين شاخصات – بأحداق هى الذهب السبيك
على قضب الزبرجد شاهدات – بأن الله ليس له شريك
Ponder over the plants (vegetation) of the earth
And look at the results of the creation of the Great King
Wells (eyes) of silver gazing
From pupils of casted gold
Upon pieces of chrysolite, bearing
Testimony that Allah has no partner
3. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that Allah says:
اذا ابتليت عبدى بحبيبتيه فصبر عوضت بهما الجنة
“When I test my servant with his two beloveds (i.e. his eyes) and he exercises sabr (patience), I substitute him with Jannah.”
There are two factors here:
a. Such a promise was not given to those who suffer from impaired hearing.
b. The ears have never been referred to as man’s two beloveds.
Ar-Raazi’s Judgment
Ar-Raazi’s judgment on this issue is that both groups are in error. This entire discussion is absurd! How can you compare the two (your ears and your eyes) whereas their domains are totally different? Does anybody ever question which is more important, eating or drinking? Definitely not! You eat when you are hungry. You drink when you are thirsty. Both of them, eating and drinking (irrespective of how much or how little), are essential for human existence. So too are our eyes and our ears. Both are indispensable for a comfortable life. Can you imagine life without your eyes or ears; unable to see or hear? What’s more is that without these two seemingly small yet most important organs, we would not be able to identify so many bounties of Allah and proofs of His existence, greatness and oneness. Would this not be an impediment in the path of Imaan? Therefore, always remember that your eyes, ears and every other organ and limb in your body are extremely great bounties from Allah. It is for this reason that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said:
“Everyday in which the sun rises, sadaqah (charity) is compulsory in lieu of every joint (limb and organ) in the body of the son of Aadam.”
ألم نجعل له عينين و لسانا و شفتين
“Did we not give him two eyes, a tongue and two lips?”
Mujaahid, one of the earliest commentators of the Qur’aan and a student of Ibn Abbaas radiallahu anhu, said: “These are clear bounties of Allah which He wants you to acknowledge so that you would be grateful.” Once Al-Fudail bin ‘Iyaad read this aayah and then spent the rest of the night crying. When questioned about this, he replied: “Did you ever spend the entire night thanking Allah for giving you two eyes with which you see? Did you ever spend the entire night thanking Allah for giving you a tongue with which you speak?” He continued mentioning a few more similar things. Bakr Al-Muzni said: “O son of Aadam! If you wish to know the extent of Allah’s bounty on you, just close your eyes. (Imagine life without the ability to see.)”
Ibn Abid-Dunya narrated from Salmaan Al-Faarsi radiallahu anhu that there was a man who possessed a great amount of wealth. He gradually began loosing this wealth until he was left with only one straw mat. However, throughout this time he never stopped praising Allah. At the same time there was another man whose wealth was increasing all the time. Noticing the gradual decrease in the former’s wealth, he asked him: “For what do you still praise Allah?” He replied: “I still praise Him because He has given me something so valuable that I would never swop it for the wealth of the entire creation.” “What is that?” asked the latter. He replied “Your sight, your tongue, your hands and your feet.”
A man complained to Yunus bin ‘Ubaid about his difficult circumstances. Yunus asked him, “Would be happy if you were given one hundred thousand dirhams in exchange for your eyes with which you see?” “No!” replied the man. “What if you were offered one hundred thousand dirhams for one of your hands?” continued Yunus. Again the man replied in the negative; he would never be happy to sell just one of his hands even if he was offered such a high price for it. “What about one foot?” added Yunus, “Would you sell it for that amount of money?” Yunus asked the man a few more similar questions and then told him: “I think that you possess hundreds and thousands yet you complain of need!” What Yunus meant is that the creator of your difficulties is only Allah. Remember that all comfort and discomfort is created by Allah. Hence, by complaining of your difficulty you are actually complaining of Allah! Considering the priceless value of the organs and limbs in our bodies, how can we complain of Allah? Is that not being ungrateful?
On the Day of Qiyaamah we will be questioned whether we were grateful for these bounties or not.
ثم لتسئلن يومئذ عن النعيم
“On that day you will be questioned about the bounties.”
Imaam Tirmidhi has recorded a Hadith from Abu Hurairah radiallahu anhu in which Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: “The first (bounty) about which man will be questioned on the Day of Qiyaamah is that it will be said to him, ‘Did we not give you a sound body? Did we not quench you with cool water?’ Ibn Abbaas radiallahu anhu said that النعيم (the bounties) includes healthy bodies and sound ears and eyes. “The servants will be questioned about how they utilised all of this.”
Inability
However, the truth is that man is unable to sufficiently thank Allah for any of these bounties. On one occasion Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that whoever reads لا اله الا الله receives a pledge (of salvation) from Allah and whoever reads سبحان الله و بحمده receives one hundred and twenty four thousand rewards. Somebody in the gathering asked: “How can we perish after that, O Rasulullah?” Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam replied: “A man will come on the Day of Qiyaamah with weightier ‘amal (actions) than the mountains. A bounty from the bounties of Allah will then rise and almost exhaust all that ‘amal unless Allah intervenes with His mercy.” Ibn Abid-Dunya narrated from Anas radiallahu anhu that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Allah’s bounties and man’s good and bad deeds will be brought on the Day of Qiyaamah. Allah will then tell just one of His bounties, ‘Take your share in his good deeds!’ Thus it will take away all his good deeds.” In fact, it is understood from a weak Hadith recorded by Al-Haakim that not even five hundred years of ‘ibaadah is sufficient to thank Allah for the bounty of sight.
Do not Despair!
Most certainly, in spite of these Ahaadith, there is no need to despair. The aim of such Ahaadith is to highlight the importance of gratitude to Allah and not to create despondency. Thus, when Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam mentioned that daily we should be giving charity in lieu of every joint (limb and organ) in our bodies, he thereafter said that being just between two people, helping a man mount his animal or load his goods thereon and good speech are all forms of charity. Every step taken towards salaah and removal of an obstacle from the road are also equivalent to charity. In another narration it is mentioned that “every utterance of Subhaanallah, Al-hamdulillah, Laa ilaaha illallah and Allahu Akbar is charity. Telling people to do good deeds and abstain from evil is charity. Two rak’aats of salaah performed at the time of duhaa (forenoon) suffices for all of the above. In yet another narration it is mentioned that helping a person in distress is charity. And if one is unable to do that, he should avoid harming others because that is also equal to charity.
Finally, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that whoever reads the following du’aa in the morning has discharged the shukr (thanks) for that day. Similarly, whoever reads it in the night has discharged the shukr (thanks) for that night. The du’aa is:
اللهم ما أصبح بى من نعمة أو بأحد من خلقك فمنك وحدك لا شريك لك
فلك الحمد و لك الشكر
“O Allah! There is not a single bounty which I or anybody else among your creation enjoys except that it is from you alone – and you have no partner – therefore all praise and thanks are to you.”
May Allah guide us to understand and rectify our actions, aameen.
Abu Hudhaifa Muhammed Karolia
16 Rajab 1431 \ 29 June 2010
Al-Jaami’ah Al-Mahmoodiah