Surah Al-Anfaal
Chapter 8 · Verse 22 · Revealed in Madinah
“Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.”
Translation: Saheeh International
Listen to recitation
Mishary Rashid Alafasy
Reflection — Ibn Kathir
The Command to obey Allah and His Messenger
Allah commands His believing servants to obey Him and His Messenger and warns them against defying him and imitating the disbelievers who reject him. Allah said,
وَلاَ تَوَلَّوْاْ عَنْهُ
Reflection — Maarif ul Quran
The third verse (22) strongly condemns those who do not listen to what is the truth thoughtfully and let it go unaccepted. The Qur'an has declared such people to be worse than animals. The words used are: إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّـهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿22﴾ (Surely, the worst of all animals in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb who do not understand).
The word: دوابّ (dawabb) is the plural form of: دَآبَّۃ (dābbah). Literally, everything that walks on the earth is called 'dābbah.' But, in usage, only quadruped animals are called 'dābbah.' So, the sense of the verse is that the worst quadrupeds in the sight of Allah are the ones deaf against listening to the truth and dumb when it comes to accepting it. Even someone deaf and dumb could, if he has the least fund of reason in him, make himself understood by simple gestures in a two-way communication. But, these people are not only deaf and dumb, they are short on reason also. It is obvious that for a person, who is deaf, dumb; and devoid of reason too, the lines of communication shall remain blocked and there will be no way they would understand or be made to understand.
What does this verse bring up for you today?