The phrase "We sealed their ears" from the Qur'an has a metaphorical meaning of "We have made them sleep". Recent science shows that the ear is the only sensory organ active while a person is asleep, and this explains why an alarm clock is needed to wake up. This suggests that Allah closed the hearing of certain people, causing them to remain in a deep sleep for years. Therefore, the text is about how ears can be sealed to induce a long and deep sleep.

Note 176. Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur'an, 108.