Human Body

Ear -


Ear -

Root: ء ذ ن: Ibn Faris [died 1005] stated its signification:

 متقارِبان في المعنى، متباعدان في اللفظ، أحدهما أُذُنُ كلِّ ذي أُذُن، والآخَر العِلْم  

That it has two convergent meanings but separate in word; firstly it signifies ears of creatures, and secondly knowledge gained by listening - auditory faculty.

This Root is also used to refer to pronouncement - proclamation; and permission. Pronouncement is targeted towards public. Their body organ for receiving pronouncement is described by the word: ears. Other Roots related to the concept "Ear" are:  س م ع Listening;  ص و ت Sound; "ج و ب" answering - responding; Root: ص م م : deaf; and: و ق ر load in ears - acoustic impedance;

 

Ear is the organ for faculty of listening and acquiring knowledge;

Ear has its own memory - Grand Qur’ān;

Ears can be purposely turned deaf as if heavy load is deposited therein - acoustic impedance;

Ears convey knowledge if hearts are not distracted in trifle matters.

Deaf can be taught if he about-faces not.

Let us Listen Qur’ān lest we loose the sense of balance and fall in the Pit.


Allah the Exalted has inserted faculties of learning and acquiring knowledge which Man lacks on birth:

  • Realize it; Allah the Exalted brought you people out of the bellies of your respective mothers

  • In the state that you had no knowledge about physical realm.

  • Realize it, He the Exalted have inserted the listening - acoustic faculty; and the observing - optical faculty; and of Processing-Integrating-Perceiving: Baking establishment: the Brains as locus of gaining knowledge and enlightenment for you people.

  • This realization might enable you people to express praises-thanks. [16:78] [let us respond الحمد لله]


  • It is a fact that Our Majesty has created the Man in his present state from a sub-set of a sperm. Its (sperm's) characteristic is that it is a set of gathering -concentration of multiple clusters of pairs (called chromosomes in biology).

  • Our Majesty keeps subjecting him (Man) to exposure trials. Therefore, We have rendered him a listening - acoustic and observing - optical person. [76:02]

The ascending order of placement of words representing faculties-senses [not organs] might be of interest for scholars and researchers who are interested in examining questions like the encoding, store, retrieval information, development of discrimination abilities, perceptual and conceptual category formation, problem solving, recognition and recall memory, language comprehension, and reasoning about the physical and social worlds, etc.

The first faculty is mentioned by definite Verbal Noun: followed by a plural Noun:. The use of this pair of a verbal noun and plural noun signifying two distinct sensory faculties is quite reflective and meaningful. A verbal noun signifies state or an act without time reference. Man is in a state of hearing sounds, voices all the time, whether or not he is wilfully interested in percipient listening of something. Therefore, sounds arriving in brain may remain just as "hearing" of pleasant or annoying noises; or may cause conceptual perception: knowledge when these are "listened". However, the brain does hear and analyze the incoming sound during sleep without person's conscious-voluntary effort.

The perception and meaning signified by Verbal Noun: as either "hearing sound-noise" or "listening as thought" depicts the first is just automatic-machine operated function while other is an operation done by someone of free will.

At nine weeks, the embryo's ballooning brain allows it to bend its body, hiccup, and react to loud sounds. At week ten, it moves its arms, "breathes" amniotic fluid in and out, opens its jaw, and stretches. Before the first trimester is over, it yawns, sucks, and swallows, as well as feels and smells. By the end of the second trimester, it can hear; toward the end of pregnancy, it can see. [Fetal Psychology]. In the same order words are mentioned in Qur’ān.


 : Ear has its own memory - Grand Qur’ān


The existence of sensory memory was demonstrated in 1960 in an experiment by American psychologist George Sperling. Bringing in and retention of information by the senses is what is known as sensory memory. Ears have Echoic memory.

This experiment only confirmed the characteristic of Ears mentioned in Qur’ān long before:

  • Indeed when the water had arisen to flood level Our Majesty uplifted you people sailing (in Ark); [69:11]

  • So that We may render that happening-episode a memory-narrative for you people;

  • And so that ears having characteristic of acting as retainer-receptacle may retain it. [69:12]

[فعل مضارع منصوب بأن مضمرة] Verb: Imperfect; third person; singular; feminine; Mood: Subjunctive; [ ضميرمتصل  فى محل نصب مفعول به مقدم]  Fronted Object Pronoun: Third person; singular; feminine, in accusative state, with prolongation sign;  مصدر وَعْىٌ Verbal Noun.

Adjectival Phrase: Noun: Indefinite; plural; masculine; nominative. (1)9:61(2)69:12=2

{اسم فاعل} Active participle; indefinite; plural; feminine; nominative;  مصدر وَعْىٌ Verbal Noun.

Both the verb and active participle are from Root "و ع ى". The basic perception infolded is to "keep or retain". Noun means is a receptacle for retaining things. An ear acts as receptacle for retaining, it has its own memory, retaining place.


Ears can be purposely turned deaf as if heavy load is deposited therein;

The semantic field Hearing - Listening is embedded in Root: س م ع. It signifies: ((هو إيناسُ الشيء بالأُذُن  acquaintance about a thing with the help of ears; sensing and perceiving faculty of ears:

  • Moreover, ears are inserted for them; but they intend not to listen with them.

  • They are in attitude like the mammals. Nay, in fact they are rather more indifferent-lost in their selves.

  • They are the people who are truly the heedless. [Refer 7:179]

Not anything of the shape of an ear is an ear since it cannot facilitate the listening. Idols/statues apparently have ears but:

  • Or such ears have they created for them (statues) with which they are capable to listen? [Ref 7:195]

Verbal information is saved in the memory only when we consciously and attentively listen and comprehend the message. It enables analysis-perception and safe storage. It happens only if the listener has such intention and desire. Therefore, listening is but translating and interpreting the articulated sounds-verbal narration whereby one can answer accordingly. Otherwise it is mere "hearing sound-noise" or a momentary storage in the memory of Ears only to get lost in few seconds

The sculpted statues, whom some people worship, do have an organ resembling an ear. However, the genuine ear has three parts; the Outer Ear, the Middle Ear and the inner Ear. The auricle (pinna) is the visible portion of outer ear. It collects sound waves and channels them into the ear canal (external auditory meatus) where the sound is amplified. The sound waves then travel toward a flexible membrane, oval membrane at the end of the ear canal called the eardrum (tympanic membrane). Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate.

The vibrations from the eardrum set the ossicles into motion, which are three tiny and smallest bones in human body. They further amplify the sound. The sound waves enter the inner ear and then to cochlea, a snail shaped organ. It has fluid. Sound waves make the fluid travel like ocean waves. These waves cause the hair cells in the cochlea to bend, The hair cells change the movement into electrical pulses, The electrical impulses are transmitted to the hearing/auditory nerve and up to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound and compared with earlier stored sound data.

The sound record is separately maintained and kept saved since all the three organs and faculties related to gaining knowledge are answerable to their Creator:

  • And you should not individually pursue-track that course, idea or thought, knowledge about which has not been in your access.

Root: ق ف و

  • Be aware; the faculty-sense of processing sounds and verbal information; and the faculty of gaze-visualization; and faculty of Processing-Integrating-producing Knowledge: Brain/Mind; they will be subjected individually to questioning-scrutiny. [17:36]

Root: ف ء د

One of the most surprising things is the speed at which the 20,000 micro-hairs in the channels in the ear react. The middle channel vibrates at 256 times a second. The channel immediately above it vibrates at 512 times a second, and the channel above that, at 1,024 times. The micro-hairs efficiency in analyzing such fast vibrations allows us to distinguish with great sensitivity the sounds reaching the ears. This constitutes one of the most sensitive and rapid reactions in the body.

Even during sleep the ear functions with incredible efficiency. Because the brain can interpret and select signals passed to it by the ear, a man can sleep soundly through noisy traffic and the blaring of a neighbour's television set and then awaken promptly at the gentle urging of a chime alarm clock. (Stevens S.S. [Professor of Psychophysics, Harvard University] & Warshofsky, Fred [science writer], "Life Science Library, Time-Life Books: Alexandria VA, Revised Edition, p.38)

The Grand Qur’ān mentions information about this phenomenon in the Episode of some young Believers/Muslims who had run away from their locality and taken refuge in the Cave.

  • Thereupon, We struck a veil-partition-barrier over their Ears in the Cave for a number of years. [18:11]

  • Afterwards a number of years, Our Majesty revived them to original position so that We may make evident which of the two parties better comprehended the period of time they stayed. [remained sleeping]. [18:12]

The object of the transitive verb: is omitted which was made to emerge. [The soundproofing object seems something invisible, perhaps a vacuum around them] However, the perception is quite vivid by the indication of the affected area upon which it emerged, i.e. "over the Ears of them".

Our faculty to pick up and understand the sounds (Root: ص و ت) and words emitted from the mouth of a person is dependent upon detecting sound waves.

Sound is a series of vibrations moving as waves through air or other gases, liquids, or solids. Detection of these vibrations, or sound waves, is called hearing. After being collected by the auricles, sound waves pass through the outer auditory canal to the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations of the eardrum are then transmitted through the ossicles, the chain of bones in the middle ear. As the vibrations pass from the relatively large area of the eardrum through the chain of bones, which have a smaller area, their force is concentrated. This concentration amplifies, or increases, the sound.

It is thus evident that some sort of barrier (say vacuum) had been created around their ears which suspended their hearing faculty.

The physical state of those young men is depicted/imaged in these picturesque words:

  • And you would have deemed them awake but the fact is they were fast asleep; [Refer 18:18]

The nature of their sleep also finds mention:

  • And We kept turning them on their right and left sides. [Refer 18:18]

Allah the Exalted is always mindful of the wellbeing of people. Medical experts might appreciate the consequence if their sides were not kept turning during long period of their remaining in such deep sleep.

Listening could become meaningful only when the stated thing has been interpreted and stored in the memory. About the Ears, Grand Qur’ān has also given this information:

  • Know it; Some oft them (elite) pretend listening to you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam]

  • While Our Majesty have rendered that what they claim covers upon their hearts as protection that hinders them comprehending it (Qur’ān).

  • And Our Majesty have rendered their so called (41:5) heavy load deposited within their ears as acoustic impedance persisting in their ears.

  • Take note, if they see every Ayah: unprecedented display, they will not accept and believe in it.

  • Despite this when they have come to you; they wrangle with you for it.

  • Those who have disavowed say to people:

  • "This (Qur’ān) is nothing but compilation of the tales of ancients." [6:25]

: The second object of preceding verb is from Root:  و ق ر : it leads to the perception of load - weight within a thing; it signifies load within ears.

Sounds reaching the tympanic membrane are in part reflected and in part absorbed. Only absorbed sound sets the membrane in motion. The tendency of the ear to oppose the passage of sound is called acoustic impedance. The magnitude of the impedance depends on the mass and stiffness of the membrane and the ossicular chain and on the frictional resistance they offer.
Hearing loss is due to a condition called otosclerosis or otospongiosis, in which an abnormal amount of spongy bone is deposited between the stapes and the oval window.
As a result, the stapes becomes immobilized and can no longer transmit sensations to the inner ear.

  • Know it, when You the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] read out the Qur’ān, We did render (a vacuum) as invisible partition between you and between them who believe not in the Hereafter; [17:45]

  • And Our Majesty have rendered that what they claim covers upon their hearts as protection that hinders them comprehending it (Qur’ān).

  • And Our Majesty have rendered their so called (41:5) heavy load deposited within their ears as acoustic impedance persisting in their ears. [Refer 17::46]


  • And reflect who could be a greater evil monger-a distorter-creator of imbalances, over stepping than him who; on being reminded with the Aa'ya'at: Verbal passages of the Book of His Sustainer Lord, purposely refrained-stayed away from them;

  • And he forgot what his hands have sent forward.

  • Indeed Our Majesty have rendered that what they claim covers upon their hearts as protection that hinders them comprehending it (Qur’ān).

  • And Our Majesty have rendered their so called (41:5) heavy load deposited within their ears as acoustic impedance persisting in their ears.

  • And if you the Messenger [Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] would invite them to come towards the Guidance-Guide (Qur’ān) they would purposely never ever wish to be guided. [18:57]


  • And when Our Aa'ya'at: verbal passages of Qur’ān were recited to him word by word: he turned back; in a state of mindset of arrogant self obsessed of pride; [Read with 23:66]

  • Showing like he did not hear them; as if a heavy load is deposited within both his ears: acoustic impedance is persisting in his ears.

  • Thereat you the Messenger announce for him "glad tidings" of painful punishment. [31:07]


  • And they said "Our hearts are in veil from that towards which you (the Messenger) invite us

  • And a heavy load is deposited within our ears;

  • And between us and between you is a barrier

  • Therefore, you act as you like, indeed we are acting the way we like." [41:05]


  • Know it, had Our Majesty rendered it (Qur’ān) as a text composed in a non-Arab: indistinct language, [contrary to their present assertions of teaching by a Non-Arab-16:103]

  • Certainly they would have said to people exclaiming: "Why its Aa'ya'at: Verbal Passages (of Qur’ān in non-Arabic language) are not rendered distinct?

  • Can a Non Arab: indistinct language and Arabic: distinct-eloquent language of the sons of soil of Arabian Peninsula be considered at par?"

  • You the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce;: "It (Qur’ān in Arabic) is guidance: regulatory information for aright conduct and healer for all those (whether Arab or Non Arab) who have heartily accepted it."

  • Know about those who do not heartily accept it heavy load is deposited within their ears: acoustic impedance is persisting in their ears.

  • And it (Qur’ān) is in black - obscured state not reflecting light upon them (Arabs and Non-Arab).

  • They are the people as if they are being called to listen it (Qur’ān) from a far distant place. [41:44]

We have seen the descriptions in the Grand Qur’ān dince 1400 years back about the Ears exactly corresponding to our knowledge in the 21st century. Should we not respond to this call:

  • Know the certain fact: Our Majesty have simplified-rendered the Qur’ān easy, open and facilitative for reading, comprehension and saving in memory to recall, take lesson and to relate.

  • Thereat, is there one who consciously and purposely saves it in memory, comprehends and recalls to mention-takes lesson and admonition? [54:17]

However, we should not expect that all will respond, because Grand Qur’ān tells us:

  •  It is a fact that only such people reasonably - rationally answer-respond who listen comprehensibly.  [Refer 6:36]

It is a simple sentence understandable by everyone. But for people, like learned Paul Broca, an anatomist celebrated for his discovery of the speech production centre of the brain, and for acousticians and speech experts, these four words embed much more information which is neither portrayed in any translation nor is explained in exegeses. The verb: in common parlance and understanding denotes answering, either affirmatively or negatively. It stems from Root: ج و ب  which signifies to cut a portion from the whole of something;; to make hole or tore something; perforate, pierce, carve or to excavate. And Form-X of verbs adds reflexive causative meanings of self assigning a task.

What happens when we wish to answer a question or what is done by Google and computer when we post a question to it? We cut relevant portion from our memory and Google and Computer cuts it from its memory to display it on screen.

When we cut relevant part from memory which we intend to express as answer, it is also firstly displayed on an invisible screen which is our rib cage. and a system in it instantly becomes operative to transform it into sound by vocal cords to make it reach our mouth from where we emit it syllable by syllable for the auditory faculty of questioner.  

In the same sentence the answering capability is restricted only to those who listen. Verbal information is saved in the memory only when we consciously and attentively listen and comprehend the message. It enables analysis-perception and safe storage. It happens only if the listener has such intention and desire. Therefore, listening is but translating and interpreting the articulated sounds-verbal narration whereby one can answer accordingly. Otherwise it is mere "hearing sound-noise" or a momentary storage in the memory of Ears only to get lost in few seconds. When he had stored nothing about the stated point, the question of cutting does not arise whereby he cannot answer affirmatively or negatively.

It is thus evident what seemed a simple statement it is in fact a picturesque portrayal of a scientific phenomenon.

We have further noted the mention of "hearts" that plays a role in such listening which yields understanding, comprehension and knowledge. Lack of desire in hearts and their volitional inattentiveness results in playful hearing:

  • They do not listen except hearing in a playful mood whatever warning - information comes to their notice anew quoted from the Reminder- Admonishment: Grand Qur’ān received from their Sustainer Lord. [21:02]

  • Their hearts are distracted and preoccupied in other trifle matters and thoughts. [Refer 21:3]

Resultantly, the sounds of speech which their ears had collected and retained for few seconds disintegrated from the Echoic memory. Therefore, only those can enable their selves to respond and answer the question who consciously listen.

The tympanic membrane of the Ears of a man in such state will not absorb the sound waves directed by his outer Ears and instead will reflect. Resultantly the membrane will not set in motion/vibration to transmit it onwards for ultimate analysis and storage in the memory. Such man’s depiction:

  • Know it; Some of them pretend attentively listening to you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam]

  • Until immediately after they had departed from your place;

  • They asked with wrinkled nose those bestowed with knowledge, "What has he said?"

  • They are the people Allah the Exalted has let the veil persist upon their hearts;

  • And they have consciously pursued their own lusts and conjectures. [47:16]

Deaf can be taught if he about-faces not.

  • It is true that you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] cannot make the dead listen you.

  • And neither can you make the deaf listen/comprehend the call/word the moment they reflexively about-faced on their backs. [27:80]


  • Thereby, It is true that you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] cannot make the dead listen you.

  • And neither you can make the deaf men listen/comprehend the call/word the moment they reflexively about-faced on their backs. [30:52]

The safety of intellectual property of Divine Discourse is ensured as permanent evidence of second part of its Thesis Statement "مُحَمَّدٚ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ" "Muhammad (Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam) is the Messenger of Allah the Exalted" in every-present. Therefore, the relevant question is whether our brainstem is functional and alive to get warned about the eminent and perpetual harm by carefully listening him. What and how should we listen?

  • Moreover, recall when Our Majesty diverted a group of individuals of pious nature belonging to Species Jinn to come to you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] so that they attentively listen the Qur’ān.

Root: ص ر ف; ن ف ر

  • Thereby, when they had reached for it they said, "Keep yourself in state of quiet both inwardly and outwardly."

Root: ن ص ت; ح ض ر

  • Thereat, when recitation was completed, they turned back to their nation/people to beware them. [46:29]

This is how a truly living person listens.

  • Take note, when the Grand Qur’ān is read

  • Thereat, since it is the source of guidance and forewarning, you people sincerely and desirously remain attentive for listening it

  • And keep yourself in state of quiet both inwardly and outwardly  

  • So that you hopefully become the people blessed with clemency. [7:204]

Our sense of balance is also associated with our Ears. It is also essential to our sense of balance: the organ of balance (the vestibular system) is found inside the inner ear. It is made up of three semicircular canals and two otolith organs, known as the utricle and the saccule. The semicircular canals and the otolith organs are filled with fluid. Each of the three semicircular canals is responsible for a specific direction of head movement: One of the canals responds to the head.



Those who have lost sense of balance seldom react to forewarnings of the life of Hereafter

  • Know it, they said, "Is it plausible that when we would have become bones and decayed, disintegrated as crumbled particles, would we be revived as anew creation?" [17:49]

Root: ج د د

  • You the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce: "Even if you people would have become stones or iron [17:50]

  • Or whatever creation of sort you consider adamantine: extremely hard or unyielding in your thoughts; you will certainly be revived."

  • In response they will say, "Who will revert us to original position?"

Root: ع و د

  • You the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce, "He the Exalted Who brought you into being in the first place".

Root: م ر ر;  ف ط ر

  • Thereat by little time lag they will be nodding their heads forwarding towards you and will say, "When will that accomplish?"

Root: ر ء س; ن غ ض

  • You the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce, "May be, it might have come nearer [17:51]

Root: ع س ى

This non listening and nodding will become all time remorse and they would admit:

  • Listen it; they further said: "Had we the habit of listening or applying intellect-reasoning

Root: ع ق ل

  • We would not have been in the company of residents of scorching Hell-Prison." [67:10]

We should ponder and reflect to be sure it is not we who are saying lest we are in their company. Let us stop listening junk noises and listen ever-present exalted Messenger Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam while carefully reading Qur’ān.