Quran Universe
39:18

ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَمِعُونَ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحۡسَنَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمۡ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

Allatheena yastamiAAoona alqawla fayattabiAAoona ahsanahu olaika allatheena hadahumu Allahu waolaika hum oloo alalbabi

Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.

Word by word
  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose who
  2. يَسۡتَمِعُونَthey listen (to)
  3. ٱلۡقَوۡلَthe Word
  4. فَيَتَّبِعُونَthen follow
  5. أَحۡسَنَهُۥٓۚthe best thereof
  6. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
  7. ٱلَّذِينَ(are) they whom
  8. هَدَىٰهُمُAllah has guided them
  9. ٱللَّهُۖAllah has guided them
  10. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَand those
  11. هُمۡare [they]
  12. أُوْلُواْthe men of understanding
  13. ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِthe men of understanding
Az-Zumar · 39:18Makkah

Listen to everything, follow the best of it.

How guided people listen

The listening habit
they listento the Word
then
follow the bestunderstand and act on it
they are
guidedpeople of understanding
What listening means
hearing onlynodding, then moving on
hearing then doingtaking the best of it

Ibn Kathir says these are the ones who understand the Word and act on it, like Musa told to take the Tawrah firmly and have his people take the best in it.

You finish a talk on your commute and think: that was good. By lunch you cannot remember one point. Pick the best line and live it today.

Hearing a good reminder is the same as benefiting from it.

Guidance is listening closely and then following the best of what I heard.

Try this

From the next reminder you hear, pick one line and act on it before the day ends.

Related7:145
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 39:17)

Those who avoid At-Taghut by not worshipping them and turn to Allah, for them are glad tidings; so announce the good news to My servants (17)Those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof, those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding (18)

Good News for the Righteous

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, narrating from his father:

وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا

(Those who avoid At-Taghut by not worshipping them) was revealed concerning Zayd bin 'Amr bin Nufayl and Abu Dharr and Salman Al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with them. The correct view is that it includes them and all others who avoided worshipping idols and turned to the worship of Ar-Rahman. These are the people for whom there is good news in this world and in the Hereafter. Then Allah says:

فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ - الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ

(so announce the good news to My servants – those who listen to the Word and follow the best thereof,) meaning, those who understand it and act in accordance with it. This is like the Words of Allah, may He be exalted, to Musa, peace be upon him, when He gave him the Tawrah:

فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا

(Hold unto these with firmness, and enjoin your people to take the better therein)(7:145).

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ 

(those are whom Allah has guided) means, those who are described in this manner are the ones whom Allah has guided in this world and the Hereafter.

وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

(and those are men of understanding.) means, they possess sound reasoning and an upright nature.