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4. TEN DEGREES OF GUIDANCE (3) The eighth degree of guidance mentioned by Ibn alQayyim al-Jawziyyah in his Madārij al-Sulūk (Steps of Divine Seekers) is Ismā‘ (اإلسماع, “to make listen”). There is distinction between “hearing” which is by ears, whereas “listening” is “hearing through heart.” It is the heart that listens. Similarly, there are two kinds of “seeing”: through the eyes, and through the heart. The kuffār, those who deny the truth of Islam do hear its message, but they do not listen to it, because their hearts are closed. Allah says in the Qur’an: )42 : آن أَ ْم َع َلى قُلُوب أَ ْق َفال ُ َها (محمد َ ُْون ْالقُر َ أَ َف َل َي َت َد َّبر Do they not then think deeply in the Qur’an or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it?) (Q. 47:24) It is a command from Allah to reflect upon the Qur’an, but their hearts are locked up, so that they cannot understand it. They have eyes, ears and hearts, but they do not use it spiritually, as if they are blind, deaf, and heartless. Allah says about them as follows: ْ ُون َ س لَ ُه ْم قُلُوب َل َي ْف َقه ِ اإل ْن ِ ْ َولَ َق ْد َذ َرأ َنا ل َِج َه َّن َم َك ِثيرً ا م َِن ْال ِجن َو ِك َ ُون ِب َها أُولَئ َ ُون ِب َها َولَ ُه ْم آ َذان َل َيسْ َمع َ ِب َها َو َل ُه ْم أَعْ يُن َل ُيبْصِ ر )971 :ون (اْلعراف َ ُ ك ُه ُم ْال َغا ِفل َ ضل أُولَ ِئ َ ََك ْاْلَ ْن َع ِام َب ْل ُه ْم أ And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. (Q. 7:179) Ibn al-Qayyim gives an example of a person who hears but does not listen to the truth, mentioning the following verse: ِين َ ِك َقالُوا لِلَّذ َ ك َح َّتى إِ َذا َخ َرجُوا مِنْ عِ ْند َ َو ِم ْن ُه ْم َمنْ َيسْ َت ِم ُع إِلَ ْي َّ ِين َط َب َع وب ِه ْم َ ك الَّذ َ أُو ُتوا ْالع ِْل َم َما َذا َقا َل آ ِن ًفا أُولَ ِئ ِ ُ ّللا ُ َعلَى قُل