The Jinn
Al-Jinn
الجِنّ
LEARNING POINTS
This surah tells the story of a group of jinn who submitted to Allah after listening to the Prophet's recitation of the Quran. This group shares some information about the beliefs and practices of jinn.
The idol-worshippers are asked to believe in Allah and the message of Muhammad, just like those jinn did.
SOME JINN ACCEPT ISLAM
1Say, 'O Prophet,' "It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened 'to the Quran,' and said 'to their fellow jinn': 'Surely we have heard an amazing recitation. 2It leads to Right Guidance so we believed in it, and we will never make anyone equal to our Lord. 3'Now, we believe that' our Lord—Highly Honoured—does not have a wife or children, 4yet our fools used to say offensive things about Allah! 5We definitely thought that humans and jinn would never speak lies about Allah. 6And some men used to ask some jinn for protection—so they increased each other in wickedness. 7And those humans thought, just like you 'jinn', that Allah would not bring anyone back to life 'for judgment'.
قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبٗا 1يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فََٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدٗا 2وَأَنَّهُۥ تَعَٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَٰحِبَةٗ وَلَا وَلَدٗا 3وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطٗا 4وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن تَقُولَ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا 5وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ رِجَالٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمۡ رَهَقٗا 6وَأَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّواْ كَمَا ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٗا7
BACKGROUND STORY
Before the time of the Prophet, some jinn used to listen secretly to what the angels would say in heaven. Now, jinn are not allowed anywhere near the heavens. Those who dare come close are chased away by fireballs. This is why the jinn can't predict what will happen in the future. {Recorded by Imam Ibn Kathir}
NO MORE SECRET LISTENING
8Earlier' we tried to reach heaven 'for news', only to find it filled with tough guards and shooting stars. 9We used to take up positions there for listening secretly, but whoever dares listen now will find a burning flame waiting for them. 10Now, we have no clue whether evil is intended for those on earth, or if their Lord intends 'to guide them to' what is right.
وَأَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنَٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسٗا شَدِيدٗا وَشُهُبٗا 8وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَٰعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِۖ فَمَن يَسۡتَمِعِ ٱلۡأٓنَ يَجِدۡ لَهُۥ شِهَابٗا رَّصَدٗا 9وَأَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِيٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ أَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدٗا10
GOOD AND EVIL JINN
11Among us are those who are good and those who are less so. We have been of different groups. 12'Now,' we truly know that we cannot escape Allah on earth, and we cannot run from Him 'into heaven'. 13When we heard the guidance 'of the Quran', we believed in it 'immediately. For whoever believes in their Lord will have no fear of being denied 'a reward' or wronged. 14And among us are those who have submitted 'to Allah' and those who went wrong. So 'as for' those who submitted, it is they who have achieved Right Guidance. 15And as for those who went wrong, they will be fuel for Jahannam."
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدٗا 11وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعۡجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَن نُّعۡجِزَهُۥ هَرَبٗا 12وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ فَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسٗا وَلَا رَهَقٗا 13وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدٗا 14وَأَمَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبٗا15
A MESSAGE TO THE DENIERS
16If those 'idol-worshippers' had followed the Right Way, We would have definitely given them a lot of rain to Drink 17as a test for them.' And whoever turns away from the remembrance of their Lord will be put through a horrible punishment by Him.
وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقٗا 16لِّنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِۚ وَمَن يُعۡرِضۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِۦ يَسۡلُكۡهُ عَذَابٗا صَعَدٗا17
WORDS OF WISDOM
According to verse 23 below, the Makkan idol-worshippers are warned that if they continue to disobey and disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger until they die, they will end up in Hell forever. Someone may ask, If Abu Jahl died after disbelieving for 12 years, how is it fair for him to stay in Hell forever, and not for 12 years only? To answer this question, let's say Mr. X killed Mr. Y in Canada. According to Canadian law, Mr. X should go to jail for life (25 years). Now, Mr. X protests in court, saying that it took him only 30 seconds to kill Mr. Y, and therefore he should go to jail for 30 seconds only. Logically, only the judge will decide how much you will pay for a speeding ticket, and how long you will stay in jail for robbing a bank or killing someone. The person who breaks the law is not in a position to choose how he or she will be punished. In the same way, Allah is the Judge-He decides how to punish those who disobey Him. Since disbelieving in Allah is the worst sin, it has the worst punishment. Even if Abu Jahl were to live in this world forever, he would still disbelieve in Allah. This is why he deserves to stay in punishment forever..
WORSHIP ALLAH ALONE
18The places of worship are 'only' for Allah, so do not pray to anyone besides Him. 19Yet when the servant of Allah 'Muhammad' stood up praying to Him 'alone', those 'idol-worshippers' were almost all over him. 20Say, "O Prophet,' "I pray only to my Lord, making no one His equal 'in Worship'." 21Say, "It is not in my power to harm or benefit you." 22Say, "No one can protect me from Allah 'if I ever disobeyed Him', and I cannot find any shelter other than Him. 23My duty is' only to deliver the truth' from Allah along with His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will definitely be in the Fire of Jahannam, to stay there for ever and ever.
وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدٗا 18وَأَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدۡعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِ لِبَدٗا 19قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدٗا 20قُلۡ إِنِّي لَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكُمۡ ضَرّٗا وَلَا رَشَدٗا 21قُلۡ إِنِّي لَن يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدٞ وَلَنۡ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدًا 22إِلَّا بَلَٰغٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِسَٰلَٰتِهِۦۚ وَمَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا23
WARNING TO IDOL-WORSHIPPERS
24When they see whatever 'punishment' they have been warned of, they will realize who is weaker in helpers and fewer in numbers. 25Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is soon or my Lord has set it for later. 26He is the' Knower of the unseen, revealing none of it to anyone, 27except messengers of His choice. Then He appoints angel-guards before and behind them 28to make sure that the messengers fully deliver the messages of their Lord—even though He 'already' knows all about them, and keeps count of everything."
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرٗا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدٗا 24قُلۡ إِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبٞ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمۡ يَجۡعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَمَدًا 25عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيۡبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا 26إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٖ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدٗا 27لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا28