Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
الجن
Al-Jinn
The Jinn · Meccan · 28 ayahs
71:27–72:7Page 572
قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبٗا ١
Say, [O Muḥammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’ān [i.e., recitation].
يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدٗا ٢
It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.
وَأَنَّهُۥ تَعَٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَٰحِبَةٗ وَلَا وَلَدٗا ٣
And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son
وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطٗا ٤
And that our foolish one [i.e., Iblees]1 has been saying about Allāh an excessive transgression.
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن تَقُولَ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا ٥
And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allāh a lie.
وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ رِجَالٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمۡ رَهَقٗا ٦
And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden [i.e., sin].
وَأَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّواْ كَمَا ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٗا ٧
And they had thought, as you thought, that Allāh would never send anyone [as a messenger].
In this world, in addition to human beings and angels, there is another set of creatures known as jinn. Human beings cannot see them but, in the Quran, they have been mentioned at several places. These verses show that among the jinn also there are guided and misguided types. Just as there are foolish leaders who misguide the common people, similarly there are foolish leaders among the jinn, who go on misguiding them with deceitful utterances. So far as the angels are concerned, they are not being put to the test, and thus do not have free will. They simply follow the commands given by God.
72:8–15Page 572
وَأَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنَٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسٗا شَدِيدٗا وَشُهُبٗا ٨
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.
وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَٰعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِۖ فَمَن يَسۡتَمِعِ ٱلۡأٓنَ يَجِدۡ لَهُۥ شِهَابٗا رَّصَدٗا ٩
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing,1 but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.
وَأَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِيٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ أَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدٗا ١٠
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدٗا ١١
And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.1
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعۡجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَن نُّعۡجِزَهُۥ هَرَبٗا ١٢
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allāh upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ فَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسٗا وَلَا رَهَقٗا ١٣
And when we heard the guidance [i.e., the Qur’ān], we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden.1
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدٗا ١٤
And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allāh], and among us are the unjust.1 And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course.
وَأَمَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبٗا ١٥
But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.'
The jinn who heard the Quran not only accepted it immediately, but also became its propagators. This shows that whenever a true discourse reaches the ears of living people, it creates a two-fold effect—first, an open-hearted admission of its truth and second, a willingness to propagate its teachings.
72:16–23Page 573
وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقٗا ١٦
And [Allāh revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant rain [i.e., provision]
لِّنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِۚ وَمَن يُعۡرِضۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِۦ يَسۡلُكۡهُ عَذَابٗا صَعَدٗا ١٧
So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord1 He will put into arduous punishment.
وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدٗا ١٨
And [He revealed] that the masjids1 are for Allāh, so do not invoke2 with Allāh anyone.
وَأَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدۡعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِ لِبَدٗا ١٩
And that when the Servant [i.e., Prophet] of Allāh stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass."1
قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدٗا ٢٠
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone."
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكُمۡ ضَرّٗا وَلَا رَشَدٗا ٢١
Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَن يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدٞ وَلَنۡ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدًا ٢٢
Say, "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allāh anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.
إِلَّا بَلَٰغٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِسَٰلَٰتِهِۦۚ وَمَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ٢٣
But [I have for you] only notification from Allāh, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.
The entire system of the present world has been formulated with the aim of putting human beings to the test. Therefore reality is revealed here solely to the extent of conveying the divine message. Had there been no human trial to be considered, and had the concealing veils been removed, the people would have seen that, from the angels to the righteous among the jinn, all acknowledge the god-head of God and the whole universe testifies to this.
72:24–28Page 573
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرٗا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدٗا ٢٤
[The disbelievers continue] until, when they see that which they are promised, then they will know who is weaker in helpers and less in number.
قُلۡ إِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبٞ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمۡ يَجۡعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَمَدًا ٢٥
Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period."
عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيۡبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا ٢٦
[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٖ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدٗا ٢٧
Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before him [i.e., each messenger] and behind him observers1
لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا ٢٨
That he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] may know1 that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number.
The messenger of Truth is apparently a common man. Therefore, the people who are affected by his call turn upon him. They forget that any action against him amounts to action against God Himself. And who can be successful by taking action against God?
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences