The ear: the man who believes everything he hears. [Mahamud said: "The ear: the man who believes everything he hears... He named the man by the organ which is the tool of hearing..." etc. Ahmad said: There is nothing more eloquent than responding to them in this manner, for at first it entices them with agreement, then it strikes at their desire with a decisive blow and follows up their diminishment with despair from it. This is similar to what is used by the jurists: the saying of the obligation, for in its beginning there is an enticement for acceptance through submission, then it cuts off the desire for closeness. There is nothing more decisive than desires followed by despair, and Allah is the Guide.] And he accepts the words of everyone. He is named by the organ which is the tool of hearing, as if his entirety is a hearing ear. An analogous expression is their saying for the leader [the term 'leader' in the dictionaries: the leader is the forefront]. Eye. And their harm to him: it is their saying about him: 'He is an ear.' And an ear for good, as you say: a truthful man, meaning of quality and righteousness. As if it were said: Yes, he is an ear, but it is a good ear. It may be intended: he is an ear for good and truth and for what must be heard and accepted, and not an ear for other than that. This is indicated by Hamzah's reading of وَرَحْمَةٌ with the genitive case, in conjunction with it, meaning: he is an ear for good and mercy, not hearing anything else nor accepting it. Then it was explained that being an ear for good means that he believes in Allah, due to the evidence that stands before him, and he accepts from the sincere believers among the emigrants and the helpers. And he is a mercy for those who believe among you, meaning: he shows faith, O hypocrites, as he hears from you and accepts your apparent faith, and does not uncover your secrets nor expose you, nor does he do to you what he does to the polytheists, considering what Allah saw of the benefit in keeping you. He is an ear as you said, but he is an ear for good for you, not an ear for evil. So accept their words about him, not that it is explained as praise for him and commendation upon him, even if they intended by it blame and deficiency regarding his intelligence and nobility, and that he is among those who have sound hearts and purity.

And it was said: That a group among them criticized him, blessings and peace be upon him, and this reached him, so their hearts became preoccupied, and some of them said:

'You have no concern, for he is merely a hearing ear who has heard the words of the messenger, so he listened, and we come to him and apologize to him, and he hears our excuse as well and is pleased.' So it was said: He is an ear for good for you. And it was read: A good ear for you, on the basis that 'ear' is the subject of a deleted predicate, and 'good' likewise, meaning: he is an ear, he is good for you, meaning: if it is as you say, then he is good for you, for he accepts your excuses and does not retaliate against you for your bad entrance. [The phrase 'for your bad entrance' means your blame. In the dictionaries, it is mentioned that the entrance of a man in the singular: the inner matter of him, and it may have predominated in blame.] And Nafi read with a lightening of the 'dhāl'. If you say: Why is the action of faith transitive with 'bi' to Allah, and with 'li' to the believers? I say: Because he intended belief in Allah, which is the opposite of disbelief in Him, so it was transitive with 'bi', and he intended hearing from the believers, and that he accepts what they say and believes it, due to their being truthful in his view, so it was transitive with 'li'. Do you not see to His saying وَما أَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صادِقِينَ? What he informed him about with 'bi' and similar? And similar is: فَما آمَنَ لِمُوسى إِلَّا ذُرِّيَّةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ. Do we believe you while the most despicable of people follow you? You believed in him before he permitted you. If you say: What is the reason for the reading of Ibn Abi Abilah: and mercy in the accusative? I say: It is a reason for which its cause is omitted, its meaning being: and mercy for you, he permits you, and it was omitted because his saying 'A good ear for you' indicates it.