My dear brothers and sisters, there are moments in life when a person feels that no one truly hears him. He may carry a burden too heavy to describe, a grief too deep for words, or a pain that even those closest to him cannot fully comprehend. Yet the believer possesses a certainty that transforms every hardship: there is never a moment in which his Lord does not hear him.
Reflect upon the moving story of Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrated by the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and authenticated by Imam al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah (no. 1691). After spending her youth with her husband, bearing him children and dedicating her life to him, he pronounced ẓihār upon her (a pre-Islamic practice whereby a husband declared his wife to be like the back of his mother, thereby treating her as unlawful for him like his mother).
With a heart weighed down by sorrow, she came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, pouring out her distress before him and saying, “O Messenger of Allah, he consumed my youth, and I bore him many children. Then, when my age advanced and I could no longer bear children, he pronounced ẓihār upon me.” Finding no refuge except her Lord, she repeatedly turned her complaint to Him, saying, “O Allah, I complain to You.”
This conversation took place inside the house of the Prophet ﷺ. The Mother of the Believers, ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), was present nearby. Despite being within the same house and close enough to hear Khawlah’s voice, some of her words escaped ʿĀʾishah because of how softly she spoke. Yet the words that escaped the hearing of the one nearest to her were heard in their entirety by Allah, the Lord above the seven heavens. Before Khawlah had even finished her complaint, Jibrīl descended with revelation:
﴿قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ﴾
“Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of she who disputes with you concerning her husband and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the dialogue between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (Sūrah al-Mujādilah, 58:1)
Witnessing this remarkable event, ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed:
«تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، إِنِّي لَأَسْمَعُ كَلَامَ خَوْلَةَ بِنْتِ ثَعْلَبَةَ، وَيَخْفَى عَلَيَّ بَعْضُهُ»
“Blessed is the One whose hearing encompasses all things. Indeed, I could hear the speech of Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah, yet some of her words were hidden from me.”
How profound is this lesson for every believer. If Allah heard the quiet complaint of a distressed woman inside a house in Madinah and preserved it forever in His Book, then what of your supplication? What of the duʿāʾ you whisper in the depths of the night? What of the tears that fall when no eye sees you? What of the plea that never leaves your lips but remains imprisoned within your heart? Allah hears it all. No voice is too low, no language too unfamiliar, no sorrow too hidden, and no servant too insignificant for His perfect hearing.
Therefore, fill your heart with certainty in Allah’s beautiful Name, As-Samīʿ (the All-Hearing). Know that every supplication reaches Him, every whisper is heard by Him, and every sigh of the heart is known to Him. When this magnificent attribute becomes truly alive within your heart, loneliness gives way to tranquillity, anxiety is replaced with certainty, and your dependence upon the creation diminishes. You no longer seek relief through the pity of people before seeking it from your Lord, for you know that the One who heard Khawlah hears you as well. So complain to Him before you complain to the creation, raise your hands to Him before extending them to the people, and pour your heart out to Him with complete certainty, for no sincere supplication is ever lost with the One whose hearing encompasses all things.
AllaahuI I Musta'aan
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