s-m-'

Description

The Arabic root س-م-ع (s-m-ʿ) carries the core meaning of hearing, listening, and perceiving sound, appearing 185 times throughout the Quran in various derived forms. In the Quranic context, this root encompasses not merely the physical act of auditory perception but extends to the deeper concepts of understanding, heeding, and obedient response to what is heard, particularly in relation to divine revelation and guidance. The root's significance lies in its frequent pairing with seeing (baṣar) as essential human faculties for which people are accountable, and its use in describing both Allah as As-Samīʿ (the All-Hearing who responds to supplications) and believers who are called to truly listen and submit to God's message rather than merely hear it passively like those who hear but do not comprehend.