According to some verses of the glorious Qur'an, Allah, the almighty, causes to hear whom He wills, even those whose bodies are lying in the grave.
Question:
In the Holy Qur'an, it is stated that the people who are in the graves cannot hear and you can't make them hear saying that "وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ" (you cannot make hear those in the graves) [1]. But Shia Muslims believe that the Imams (A) are witnessing and observing our deeds and actions, they hear our voice and see whatever we do, even after the death. Doesn't it make contrast with the mentioned verse of the Holy Qur'an?
Answer:
According to the beginning of this verse, the hearing and witnessing does not depend on being alive or dead, rather, on God's willing: " وَ ما يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْياءُ وَ لاَ الْأَمْواتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ ما أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُور; And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves".
It is understood from the first section of the verse that in accordance with the Qur'an's point of view, it is not true that all the dead people are deaf necessarily. Rather, some of them can hear. So, this claim of Shia Muslims is completely consonant with the Holy Qur'an's teachings.
Note:
[1] Surah FATIR, verse 22