(… إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ) (Only those who hear will respond …): Of course, only the one who hears a call will respond to it. If the verse had been ‘Only those who hear will reply, the meaning would totally change. This is due to the difference between the word reply and respond. When a person is told something and he reply, it means he answers with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or any other phrase. However, the word respond means that he will obey the command or prohibition. Thus, respond in this verse means that he will execute what he has been ordered to do. Thus, the ones who hear the Words of Allah (swt) understand them and respond to them, by obeying His commands and refraining from His prohibitions. Then, immediately after that, Allah (swt) brings the opposite:

(… وَالْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ… ) (…But the dead – Allah will resurrect them;): This is because, those who do not respond nor hear are akin to the dead. Whereas even the dead will be brought back to life and questioned regarding their lack of response to the commands of the Messengers (PBUT).

(  ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ… ) (…then to Him they will be returned): Beware of believing that the dead have died and the curtains over their lives have been drawn, thus ending their affairs. Allah (swt) will resurrect them and question them regarding their lack of responses to the call brought to them by their Prophets and Messengers.