Opening the ayah…
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍۢ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ
Wa mā yas'tawī l-'aḥ'yā'u walā l-'am'wātu . 'inna -llaha yus'miʻu man yashā'u . wamā 'anta bimus'miʻin mman fī l-qubūri
Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Looking for reflections…
Shared reflections are reviewed before they appear. We feature ones that follow the spirit of the 4-I journey and suit families of all backgrounds.
Guided by the 4-I journey: Inspire, Investigate, Integrate, Impart. Use it as a starting point and make it your own.
Opening the guide…
No reflections for this ayah yet. Be the first, by reflecting with the 4-I journey below!
4-I guide
The living and the dead are not alike, and only Allah can make a closed heart hear.
Start with bismillah.
Ask: "How can you tell a plant is alive?"
Watch the Mufti Menk video This Is What Happens When You Read Quran.
Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "Who can make people hear?"
Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "What makes a heart alive?" Younger children can draw theirs.
Find it in the mushaf: Surah Fatir is surah 35. Find ayah 22. The key word al-ahya' means the living. Scholars explain that a believing heart is alive, while a heart that refuses is like one that cannot hear, as still as someone at rest in the ground. The Prophet could call, but only Allah opens hearts. Reading the Quran keeps our hearts alive.
Fact: What are the seven life processes scientists use to tell if something is living?
Ages 5–8: Alive or not. Sort a pile of objects and pictures into living and not living.
Ages 9–12: Life signs. Write the signs of life and match each to a sign of a living heart.
Finish with: "I found that living things ___."
Talk together:
Make a small plan: "This week, I will read or listen to the Quran every day, even one ayah."
Action: Read or listen to the Quran every day, even one ayah.
