This channel exists because the Jahmiyyah and the Mutazila use to deny hearing and seeing for Allah ﷻ and said it refers to his knowledge. The prophet ﷺ refuted this belief when he said allah ﷻ hears and sees then pointed to his eye and ear proving the reality of these attributes.
Imam Abu Dawud says this refutes them
This hadith of Aisha رضي الله عنها saying that Allah ﷻ’s encompasses all voices proves the reality of this attribute not that it refers to knowledge
Abū Maʿmar Al-Huḏhalī (d. 236 AH) who was from the Atbāʿ al-Tābiʿīn (the students of the Tābiʿīn, last generation of the salaf) said those who deny that Allah ﷻ hears and sees are disbelievers.
Translation: Imām ‘Abdullah Ibn Ahmad (d.241AH) said: I heard Abū Ma’mar Al-Hudhali (d. 236 AH) saying: Whoever claims that Allah does not speak, hear, see, become angry, or become pleased – and he mentioned other attributes-, then he is a disbeliever in Allah. If you see him standing by a well, cast him into it. By this I worship Allāh, for they are kuffar (disbelievers) in Allāh.
This is also found in Kitab At-Tawhid by Ibn Mandah (d. 395 AH) and al-Radd… by Ibn al-Najjad (d. 348 AH), both through the chain of the compiler (al-musannif), the wording is:So they betrayed the religion of Allah because they are kuffär Also recorded in Siyar ‘A’lām Al-Nubalā’ (11/70) | Kitāb At-Tawhid by Ibn Mandah, Page 810 | Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā (2/431) | Ar-Rad ‘alā man Yaqūl Al-Qur’an Makhlūq, Page 32 | Tārīkh Baghdad (6/269)
Kitāb As-Sunnah by ‘Abdullah Pg 269
Imam Abu Yala refutes the understanding of the Jahmiyyah and says ifthe meaning of hearing and sight were merely knowledge, the prophet ﷺ would have pointed to the heart, which is the locus of knowledge, to indicate this meaning.
But since He pointed to the eye and ear—both of which are loci for sight and hearing—this affirms the distinction between hearing and sight on the one hand and knowledge on the other and also proves the reality of the sifaat, the pointing to his eye and ear doesn’t mean he has organs like we do to hear and see as this is impossible for Al Qadeem.
Translation: It was narrated by Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Khallal (d. 439 AH) in both of his works on the traditions regarding the akhbar al-sifāt through his chain from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah recited: Indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing [Qur’an 17:1). He then placed his finger of his hand near his ear and the other near his eye.
In another narration: “He placed his thumb on his ear and the other (finger) on his eye.” Abu Muhammad said: “This hadith has a chain of narration that meets the conditions of Muslim; it is incumbent upon him to include it in his Sahih. It is a hadith that has no defect (‘illah). Know that the intent behind this gesture is not to affirm a physical limb or body part (jarihah) for Allah, which would not be a praiseworthy attribute to affirm. This is because it is impossible for the Pre-Eternal (al-Qadim), Exalted is He, to possess such attributes. Rather, the purpose of this gesture is to affirm hearing and sight which indicate that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, sees the visible with His sight and hears the audible with His hearing.
Therefore, He pointed to the ear and the eye to affirm hearing and sight, as these are the loci of hearing and sight. A place is sometimes referred to by the name of the attribute associated with it due to their proximity and connection. Moreover, this report affirms that Allah’s attribute of being All-Hearing and All-Seeing, is not synonymous with His attribute of being All-Knowing, as some speculative theologians (ahl al-nazar) claimed. They did not affirm for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, any specific meaning or additional significance in describing Him as All-Hearing or All-Seeing beyond the meaning of All-Knowing. This report affirms the reality of hearing and sight and that these are additional attributes beyond knowledge. + If the meaning of hearing and sight were merely knowledge, He would have pointed to the heart, which is the locus of knowledge, to indicate this meaning. But since He pointed to the eye and ear-both of which are loci for sight and hearing -this affirms the distinction between hearing and sight on the one hand and knowledge on the other.
Ibtāl al-Ta’wīlāt li-Akhbar al-Şifāt by Abu Yala Pg 337-338
Even Abu Hasan Al Ashari refutes the understanding of the Jahmiyyah and likens them to some of the christians who also affirmed that hearing and seeing refers to knowledge. I will now quote church father Augustine who actually says that hearing and seeing for the holy spirit refers to his knowledge.
Some asharis and maturidis even hold this view so if they say this to you let them know they’re just following the understanding of their salaf (the church fathers) that Allah ﷻ in reality doesn’t hear and see.
Translation: And Allah, the Almighty, said: And be patient for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are under Our Eyes (bi-a’yuninā)” [Qur’an 52:48]. And He said: That you would be brought up under My Eye [Qur’an 20:39]. And He said:And Allah is ever Hearing, Seeing [Qur’an 4:58]. And Mūsā and Hārūn said: Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see [Qur’an 20:46]. Thus, He informed of His hearing (sam’), sight (başar), and seeing (ru’yah). The Jahmiyyah denied that Allah has a face (wajh), as He said, and they nullified that He has hearing, sight, and eyes. They agreed with the Christians for the Christians do not affirm that Allah is Hearing and Seeing except in the sense that He is merely Knowing. Likewise, this is what the Jahmiyyah said. Thus, in reality, the Jahmiyyah’s statement is that they say: “Allah is Knowing,” but they do not say “Hearing” or “Seeing” except in the sense of Knowing. This is also the statement of the Christians.
Al Ibanah An Usool As Deeniyah by Abu Hasan Al Ashari Pg 441
Augustine saying hearing and seeing is knowledge – https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701099.htm
Ibn Hajar mentions that the mutazila argued that Allah ﷻ can’t hear or see because it would entail that he has organs like an ear canal so audio goes into his ears. He quotes Al Bayhaqi also affirming that hearing and seeing are distinct attributes that do not refer to knowledge.
All 3 ,Abu Hasan Al Ashari, Al Bayhaqi and Ibn Hajar refute the few asharis and maturidis that believe hearing and seeing refers to his knowledge.
Translation: The Mu’tazili argued that hearing results from the arrival of audible airwaves to the nerve spread at the base of the eardrum, and Allah is far above possessing organs. It was answered that this is merely a custom that Allah, has established for living beings, causing hearing to occur when air reaches the aforementioned location. However, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, hears all audible things without intermediaries, and He sees all visible things without needing physical confrontation or the emission of rays. The essence (dhat) of the Creator, while being alive (hayy) and existing (mawjūd), does not resemble created essences, and likewise, His attributes do not resemble the attributes of others. Al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH) stated in Al Asma’ Wa-sifāt: “The All-Hearing is the one who possesses hearing by which He perceives all audible things, and the All-Seeing is the one who possesses sight by which He perceives all visible things. Both of these, in relation to Allah, are attributes inherent to His essence (qā’imah bi-dhatihi).” The verse and the hadiths in this chapter refute those who claim that Allah’s attributes of hearing and sight merely mean knowledge.
Al-Bayhaqi then mentioned the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (d. 59 AH), which was recorded by Abu Dawud (d. 275 AH) with a strong chain meeting Muslim’s conditions, narrated by Abu Yūnus from Abu Hurayrah: “I saw the Messenger of Allah reciting [the verse], meaning: ‘Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to their owners… Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing’ [Qur’an 4:58].” He placed his fingers; Abu Yūnus said that Abu Hurayrah placed his thumb on his ear and his forefinger on his eye. Al-Bayhaqi commented: “The intent of this gesture was to affirm hearing and sight for Allah by demonstrating their loci in humans, to indicate that Allah possesses hearing and sight, not merely knowledge. If hearing and sight merely meant knowledge, he would have pointed to the heart, as it is the locus of knowledge. However, the Prophet pointed to the ear and eye, which are associated with hearing and sight, to affirm these attributes specifically. He did not intend to affirm organs, for Allah, Exalted is He, is far above the attributes of created beings.
Fath Al Bari by Ibn Hajar (13/373)
