Sleep and Hearing in the Qur'an
Recently scientists discovered the connection between hearing and sleeping. Let's take a look at one of the remarkable verses of the Qur'an and see how Allah uses words with great precision.
The Qur'an tells us everything, how could it not? After all, Allah said that His Book gives detailed interpretation of all things: "(The Qur'an) It is not a fictional narrative, but a confirmation of what has been revealed before, an explanation of every thing, a guidance and a mercy for people who believe." Yusuf:111
One of the amazing phenomena that Allah has described in the Qur'an is sleeping, which is a true miracle that testifies to the greatness of the Creator and to the astonishing accuracy of His creation.
After years of research, scientists have come to the conclusion that sleeping is a complex process, without which human life is simply impossible.
To begin, it should be noted that sleep is very important for the development and functioning of the human being.
Scientists have conducted a huge number of studies and experiments showing that sleep is a very complex process. And the more they learned, the more they realized how little they knew about it.
And here's why:
Allah made people aware of the limitations of their knowledge. "...Only a little knowledge has been given to you." The Night Jorney:85
The fact is that the human ear continues to function during sleep. It picks up sounds and transmits them to the brain, which processes this information, while the sleeping person feels nothing.
Hearing also maintains balance in the sleeping person. Thus, sleep is certainly a sign from Above that is worth thinking about.
Allah grants us countless benefits. Our ear is His amazing creation. And so the least we can do in gratitude is to use it to hear the Word of our Creator.
When we sleep, we close our eyes and see nothing because all five of our senses stop working, including sight and smell.
However, our ears continue to perceive sounds, which is why many people have dreams related to the words spoken next to them.
If we scan a sleeping person's brain using MTR, we can see that their brain responds to the sounds around them.
According to scientific research, the brain processes these sounds, and therefore we have every reason to believe that hearing continues to function during sleep.
Images of the brain of a sleeping person, obtained with an MRI scanning device, showed that the brain continues to function during sleep: it processes the information accumulated during the day, organizes and coordinates it in special cells.
In these drawings, the yellow color indicates the areas of the brain that are activated when a sleeping person is exposed to certain words.
Of course, these areas vary from person to person. Their location depends on the psychological state of the person and on what he sees in his sleep, as well as on the sounds he hears.
In connection with the above, we would like to point out a remarkable way to memorize information.
If you want to learn the Quran by heart without much effort, then listen to it while you sleep. You can use your computer, TV, cell phone, etc. for this purpose. You will find that the verses you hear while you sleep will become familiar and understandable to you, and it will be easy to memorize them.
I have tried this method myself, and I can say with confidence that it is one of the best ways to memorize the verses of the Quran!
The words of Allah come to mind here: ٍ"17. We have made the Qur'an easy to memorize. But are there any who memorize?" The Moon:17
So, sounds have a certain effect on the brain. According to scientific research, the activity of the brain depends on the type of sounds it perceives. This means that every word we utter, causes the brain to react in a specific way!
Exalted is Allah! Just think of the number of actions that occur in the brain with each sound we utter or hear. Undoubtedly, the functioning of the brain during sleep is one of the signs of the Almighty God.
Scientists confirm that the functions of the brain are very complex. During the studies, they are trying to draw brain maps, reflecting the impact of individual sounds on the consciousness in order to understand what a person is thinking about.
That is, they are trying to trace the reverse process by recording brain activity in order to convert it into words!
I would love for Muslim doctors to study the effect of the Quran on the human brain in order to understand what effect each word of the Almighty God has on it.
Why don't we, Muslims, do research on the effects of the Qur'an on a sleeping person? However, despite the simplicity of these experiments, no one conducts them!
People have always considered sleep to be something simple and straightforward, but it has recently been discovered that it is one of the most complex natural processes.
Scientists figured out that sleep involves several stages due to the fact that the brain emits electromagnetic waves of different frequencies during sleep.
That is why the Almighty in the Qur'an called sleep a sign, "And among His signs is your sleeping..." The Romans:23, which is a great benefit and a true miracle worthy of reflection.
This figure shows the five stages of sleep, each characterized by a particular frequency of electromagnetic waves. During the deep stage, which is very important for human healing and creativity, the brain emits very low frequency waves (less than 3 Hz).
They emanate from its frontal part (the frontal lobes, where the higher psychological centers responsible for thinking, will, initiative and decision-making are located), which in Arabic is called الناصية (naseya). It is this part of the brain that the Prophet Muhammad entrusted to the Almighty when he addressed Him in prayer: "...My mind is الناصية (naseyah) in Your hand..."
Perhaps the sounds of the words of the Qur'an are capable of affecting the human brain with low frequencies of electromagnetic waves, God alone knows how this can happen.
Let's see if the Quran contains any indication of a connection between sleeping and hearing?
The book of the Almighty God is distinguished by the fact that each sentence in it is in its own special place. Allah has compiled them in a certain way, creating a balanced system that is a true miracle, testifying that no one can change a single letter of the Qur'an. If that were to happen, then his wonderful system would be broken.
So, let's see if the Qur'an indicates a connection between sleeping and hearing.
Scientists have proved the existence of this relationship, but what does the Quran say about sleep? "And among His signs is your sleeping by night and day, and your seeking of His bounties..." The Romans: 23.
Let us pause here for a moment and try to anticipate what might follow these wonderful Divine words.
This verse of the Qur'an tells of the sign of the dream. The word "sign" in Arabic has another meaning, "miracle." That is, the interpretation of this verse sounds like this: one of His miracles is your sleeping at night and during the day.
It is noteworthy that the Almighty ended this verse with the words, "Verily, in this, are contained signs for people who hear." The Romans:23
Exalted is Allah! In this unusual way He indicated in the Qur'an that there is a connection between sleep and hearing. And perhaps this verse also indicates the importance of listening to the Qur'an while we sleep, this is known only to the Almighty God.
And this means that when we speak of sleeping, we mean hearing. Thus, Allah in the Qur'an has linked sleep: "...your sleeping is by night and by day..." and hearing: "...Truly, in this, are contained signs for people who hear." The Romans:23
In Surah Romans, many verses are divided into two parts, where the first phrase is related to the next in meaning. At the same time, they correspond to the overall meaning of the Qur'anic text, adding yet another wonder to the amazing balance of the Book of Almighty God.
For example, He says: "And among His signs is that He created spouses for you from among yourselves, that you may find comfort in them, and He established affection and mercy among you. Indeed, in this are signs for people who ponder." The Romans:21
Notice, this verse speaks of God's creation of marital life and the comfort that the wife brings to her husband. The phenomenon itself needs to be thought through, so the verse ends, "...In this is contained a sign for people who ponder "The Romans:21
And in the same surah, Almighty God says: "And of His signs is that He shows you lightning causing fear and hope, and He sends down water from heaven and revives the earth after its death...." The Romans:24
Lightning, rain, and plants growing out of the earth are all phenomena that need to be studied scientifically. In order to find out what laws of nature govern them, it is necessary to engage our minds. That is why this verse ends with the words, "...Verily in this are signs for people who use reason." The Romans :24
But when it comes to the sacred, to the future, to endow us with the necessities of life, human logic is powerless here. Allah says in the same sura: "37. Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provision for whom He wills, and straitens (it for whom He wills )...?"The Romans:37
Have they not seen that Allah gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills? Surely in this are signs for people who believe.
The distribution of the necessities of life is not subject to any particular law. Man cannot foresee what and when he will be endowed. So faith is needed in this matter. That is why this verse ends with the words, "...Verily in this are signs for people who believe (have faith)." The Romans: 37
Thus, we see that each verse ends with a specific phrase that corresponds to its linguistic meaning.
Many of those who memorize the Qur'an become confused between the endings of the verses. This can be avoided by recognizing the semantic relationship between the phrases of the verses.
A child's ear is sensitive to any sound change, no matter how slight. Scientists claim that sounds have the greatest impact on the formation of a child's brain immediately after birth.
We can now realize the profound wisdom of the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in which he ordered that the call to prayer beginning with the words "God is greatest" (Allahu Akbar) be uttered in the ear of a newly-born child (in a low voice of course, so as not to harm him) so that it would be the first words his brain would perceive!
These words tune the child's brain cells to the word of truth, so that this call "God is greatest" (Allahu Akbar) will be imprinted in his brain for life.
We can only ask the Almighty to help us learn the Qur'an by heart.
Finally, I want to ask you one question: what could be more beautiful than meeting with Allah on the Day of Judgment, if you stand before Him knowing His Book, the Quran, by heart?
Dr. Abdul.daem Al Ka.heel