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The question

What is the wisdom behind singling out "hearing" (السمع) and "light" (النور) and pluralizing "sights" (الأبصار) and "darkness" (الظلمات) in the Qur'an?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Perhaps the singular form for 'hearing' (السمع) and the plural form for 'sights' (الأبصار) came for the sake of harmonious letters, lightness of movements, and the consistency of the context. Similarly, the plural form for 'darkness' (الظلمات) and the singular form for 'light' (النور) came in accordance with common usage, and because the word 'darkness' in the plural is lighter, and the word 'light' in the singular is lighter, and both indicate the generic class.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy