Quran Universe
9:61

وَمِنۡهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡذُونَ ٱلنَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٞۚ قُلۡ أُذُنُ خَيۡرٖ لَّكُمۡ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَيُؤۡمِنُ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمۡۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡذُونَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Waminhumu allatheena yuthoona alnnabiyya wayaqooloona huwa othunun qul othunu khayrin lakum yuminu biAllahi wayuminu lilmumineena warahmatun lillatheena amanoo minkum waallatheena yuthoona rasoola Allahi lahum AAathabun aleemun

And among them are those who abuse the Prophet and say, "He is an ear." Say, "[It is] an ear of goodness for you that believes in Allah and believes the believers and [is] a mercy to those who believe among you." And those who abuse the Messenger of Allah - for them is a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. وَمِنۡهُمُAnd among them
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ(are) those who
  3. يُؤۡذُونَhurt
  4. ٱلنَّبِيَّthe Prophet
  5. وَيَقُولُونَand they say
  6. هُوَHe is
  7. أُذُنٞۚ(all) ear
  8. قُلۡSay
  9. أُذُنُAn ear
  10. خَيۡرٖ(of) goodness
  11. لَّكُمۡfor you
  12. يُؤۡمِنُhe believes
  13. بِٱللَّهِin Allah
  14. وَيُؤۡمِنُand believes
  15. لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
  16. وَرَحۡمَةٞand (is) a mercy
  17. لِّلَّذِينَto those who
  18. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  19. مِنكُمۡۚamong you
  20. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those who
  21. يُؤۡذُونَhurt
  22. رَسُولَ(the) Messenger
  23. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  24. لَهُمۡfor them
  25. عَذَابٌ(is) a punishment
  26. أَلِيمٞpainful
At-Tawbah · 9:61Madinah

They mocked him as all ears. He is an ear of good.

Mistaking kindness for gullibility

The mockery and the answer
he is an earbelieves anyone
answered
an ear of goodfor your benefit
a mercyto the believers
What listening is
weaknesseasy to fool
mercyhe knows truth from lies

Some hypocrites hurt the Prophet ﷺ by saying he is all ears: if we swear to him, he will believe us. The reply: he is an ear of good for you, believing in Allah, trusting the believers, and a mercy to those who believe. Ibn Kathir adds he knew who spoke truth and who lied.

You give people the benefit of the doubt and someone calls you naive. You listen patiently to the colleague who goes on and on. Being a good listener is a strength and a mercy, not a sign that you are easy to fool.

If I listen kindly to everyone, people will take advantage.

Listening well is a mercy, and it can go with a clear mind.

Try this

Give one person your full attention today, phone away, until they finish speaking.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And among them are men who annoy the Prophet and say: "He is (lending his) ear (to every news)." Say: "He listens to what is best for you; he believes in Allah; has faith in the believers; and is a mercy to those of you who believe." But those who annoy Allah's Messenger, will have a painful torment (61)

Hypocrites annoy the Prophet (ﷺ)

Allah says, some hypocrites bother the Messenger of Allah ﷺ by questioning his character, saying,

هُوَ أُذُنٌ

(he is (lending his) ear), to those who say anything about us; he believes whoever talks to him. Therefore, if we went to him and swore, he would believe us. Similar was reported from Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah. Allah said,

قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ

(Say: "He listens to what is best for you"), he knows who's saying the truth and who is lying,

يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(he believes in Allah; has faith in the believers), he believes the believers,

وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ

(and is a mercy to those of you who believe"), and a proof against the disbelievers,

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(But those who annoy Allah's Messenger, will have a painful torment.)