As-Sami — The All-Hearer
السَّمِيعُ
Name 26 of the ninety-nine. The One who Hears all things by His Eternal Hearing
Allah is As-Sami (in Arabic: ٱلْسَّمِيعُ) the perpetual hearer.
The root
From the root sin-mim-ayn (س م ع), which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to hear, to listen, to accept, to receive, to be told, to pay attention to, pay regard, to understand the meaning.
Reflection
Learning about As-Sami is a reminder to ourselves to become better listeners. Just as Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ tells us He listens, can we say the same? How closely have we heard and understood the calling of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ? Could we do better in following what was shown to us for guidance? Go out and seek to hear things that will benefit the mind, body, and soul.
Listen and learn from the Qur'an, and seek knowledge that benefits your life, career, marriage, children, and your deen. Set aside a portion of your day, be it 10-20 minutes, to search for these things. From this, we also understand the importance of being watchful over our words and our actions. If in every moment we realized Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ was watching over us, then we would speak and act in the highest manner.
We would be diligent to avoid all that which displeases Him. Furthermore, it makes us reflect on the importance that good communication plays in our lives. How would you assess or grade your listening skills? It truly is an art form to be mastered. A mother who is upset with her son may not really be upset about the subject matter.
If it's a common occurrence, it may be seeking attention in the only way she knows the son will respond. Good communication is picking up on or asking ourselves if we're missing something other than what's being said. This goes back to human desire to be heard and understood. " The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Don't trouble yourselves too much!
" The world may misunderstand you, but Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ knows the purity and kindness that lives in your heart. He understands what's really being said and what we need.
Where it appears
[1] Sahih (Darussalam) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1062,[2] Sahih al-Bukhari 7386