What is the literal meaning of the Arabic word (shouts)? It is a sound made by human being. For example, the shepherd makes a sound to gather his herd. This is called “Al- Naiiq“ in Arabic, then the herd follow him blindly.

( كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً ) (..that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries..): The herd cannot understand the words of their shepherd they only hear invocation, calling out, hollow sound, no thought, no mind, no convincement, no argument, it is just a sound for them.

( صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ ) (deaf, dumb and blind.): Why is deafness always mentioned before dumbness? A man who hears nothing will speak nothing because you speak what you hear. If you have an Arabic child born in France, for example, would he speak Arabic unless his parents speak to him in Arabic? Of course not; he speaks of what he hears, if he does not hear it he will not speak it.

“Deaf” Deafness means a hearing impairment. The disbeliever hears but does not comprehend the meaning of what is being said.

“Blind”: They are blind of truth, and do not see the true meaning.

( فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ ) (so they do not understand.): Those who follow blindly, who imitate their predecessors and say:

{إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ }

(Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following.)  (Az-Zukhruf: 23)

They follow without reason, science, research, or evidence. Whereas our religion is a religion of evidence, of research, of science, of civilization, and of thought.