CHAPTER 72: AL-JINN (THE JINN)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of 28 verses. Jinn are spiritual, subtle beings. According to the 56th verse of Surah Adh-Dhariyat, they are responsible [to Allah] just like humans. There are Muslims and disbelievers among them. Their disbelievers are wicked. Satan is also from the group of disbelievers. This surah describes how a group of jinn came, listened to the Quran from the Prophet, and believed. (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/571)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

72/1-7 WE WILL NEVER ASSOCIATE ANY PARTNER WITH OUR LORD

Translation

1- Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.

2- It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.'

3- And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son

4- And that our foolish one [Iblis] used to speak about Allah an excessive transgression;

5- And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie.

6- And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden [and rebellion].

7- And they thought, as you thought, that Allah would never raise [anyone from the dead] or [send a messenger].'"

Commentary

(1, 2) According to the report from Abdullah b. Abbas (ra), on a day before the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was going towards the Ukaz district with a few of his companions. In those days, the devils were prevented from receiving news from the heavens, and when they wanted to ascend to the sky, flames began to be thrown at them. Upon this, their people said to them: "There must be a new event that prevents you from receiving news from heaven; travel the earth and find out the reason for this." Then the jinn dispersed across the earth. A group of devils passing through Ukaz heard the Quran recited by our Prophet (pbuh), who was leading his companions in the morning prayer, and said: "This is what prevents you from receiving news from heaven!" When they returned to their people, they said: "We have heard an extraordinarily beautiful Quran. It shows the right way in every respect; and we have believed in it. From now on, we will no longer associate anyone as a partner with our Lord." (Bukhari Tafsir 72/1, Muslim Salat 149; O. CELIK, 5/255)

When the jinn who listened to the Prophet's (pbuh) recitation of the Quran returned to their people, they said the following: (S. HAWWA, 15/371) (The speeches of the jinn are reported until the end of the 15th verse, M. SELMAN)

‘We have heard an extraordinarily beautiful Quran.’ "Qur’anan ajaban." Ajab means "very astonishing, admirable, extraordinarily beautiful." With this, they expressed the uniqueness of the Quran both in terms of language, eloquence (fasahat and balaghat), and in terms of meaning and subject matter. Their second observation about the Quran is that it is "a book that shows the right way in every respect; teaching what is right in belief, action, and morality." Based on these truths they understood, the jinn believed, understood the oneness of Allah, and said they would never associate partners with Him again. (See also Ahkaf 46/29-32; O. CELIK, 5/256, 257)

As a term, jinn refers to a type of being created from fire, which cannot be perceived by the senses, possesses consciousness and will, is obliged to obey divine commands, and has good and bad individuals like humans. (...) Like humans, jinn also marry and reproduce among themselves; they possess a superior power compared to humans. For example, they can cover long distances in a short time, they see humans even though humans do not see them, and they know some matters that humans do not know; however, they cannot know the ghayb (unseen). The Quran categorically rejects the wrong belief that jinn know the unseen (see Saba 34/14). Although they want to secretly receive news from the conversations of the angels in heaven, they are not allowed to do so. (see Hijr 15/18). The Quran states that some jinn entered the command of Prophet Solomon, served in his army, and worked together with humans. (see Saba 34/12-13, QUR’AN WAY, 5/472)

Some of the pre-Islamic Arabs believed that Satan was the god of evil, and they considered angels to be Allah's soldiers and jinn to be Satan's soldiers. (see En’am 6/100). The Holy Quran rejected these false beliefs and reported that jinn, like humans, were created to serve Allah. (Zariyat 51/56). Prophets were also sent to them; just as there were those who believed among them, there were also those who denied. (En’am 6/130). The Prophet (pbuh) also conveyed the divine commands to the jinn. (Ahkaf 46/29, En’am 6/100; Hijr 15/27; Kehf 18/50; QUR’AN WAY, 5/473)

In the Quran, it is stated that those who consume interest (riba) will rise on the Day of Judgment like the rising of those whom Satan has struck. (2/275). They can circulate in the human body just as blood circulates. (Bukhari Ahkam 21). The Prophet (pbuh) recommended reciting Surahs al-Falaq and an-Nas and Ayat al-Kursi to be saved from the influence of jinn over humans and to render them ineffective. (Bukhari Wakalah 10, Tirmidhi Fezailü’l Kur’an 2, 3; I. KARAGOZ,8/244)

(3) ‘Indeed, exalted is the majesty of our Lord. He has taken neither a wife nor a son.’ Allah Almighty is far above taking a wife or a child. I say: This statement of the jinn shows that they were previously in a Christian environment. In the narration of Salman al-Farisi, there is an indication that Nasibin was an old Christian country. Because the jinn clearly understood that Allah is far above taking a wife and a child just by listening to the Quran. (S. HAWWA, 15/372)

(4) ‘Indeed, our foolish one (Iblis and his followers) used to say unreal/false things about Allah.’ According to Mujahid, what is meant by the "foolish one" who invited the jinn to worship others besides Allah by saying baseless things about Allah is Iblis. (Qurtubi) Iblis used to attribute a spouse, partner, and child to Allah, and the jinn used to believe him; but after listening to the Quran and becoming conscious, they gave up believing him. (Tabari) The "foolish one" is explained not only as Iblis but as "those of the jinn who are deniers and disobedient." (Shawkani, QUR’AN WAY, 5/474)

(5) ‘And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak a lie against Allah.’ What the jinn stated in these words is considered one of the most important reasons for falling into deviance in human history. This is when a person gives the attribute of infallibility to those who are not qualified and goes to extremes in trusting them. The jinn learned through the Quran that trust can only be felt for things that are in accordance with the Quran. This truth is one of the greatest truths of Islam. (S. HAWWA, 15/372)

(6) ‘And it is a fact that some men from mankind used to seek refuge in some men from the jinn (in fearful situations and places), and they only increased them in rebellion and insolence.’ When a man wanted to sleep or pass through a desolate valley and feared that a danger would befall him, he would say loudly: "O the master of this valley! I seek refuge in you from the foolish ones under your obedience," and thus he believed that the jinn of that valley would protect him. Undoubtedly, people with this belief would first seek refuge in the jinn whenever they were in trouble or wanted to reach any goal. (ELMALILI, 8/376)

The sentence meaning "they increased them in their confusion" describes how these jinn became arrogant and rebellious because people sought refuge in them. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/474)

(7) This verse states that the disbelievers among the jinn, like the Meccan pagans, did not believe that Allah sent a prophet [or would resurrect anyone]. (I. KARAGOZ,8/248)

72/8-17 WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CAUSE ALLAH FAILURE

Translation

8- "And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.

9- And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.

10- And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.

11- And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.

12- And we have become certain that we can never cause failure to Allah [while we are] on earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.

13- And when we heard the guidance [the Qur'an], we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or injustice.

14- And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And those who have submitted—it is those who have sought out the right course.

15- But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood."

16- And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant water [provision]

17- So that We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord He will thrust into an arduous punishment.

Commentary

(8) ‘And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.’ "We believed that the assumption 'Allah will not send any messenger' was wrong; we understood that a supreme person was sent as a prophet. For we touched the heaven, that high realm, and found it filled with intense guards, powerful guardian angels, and flames like fire ready to be thrown." (ELMALILI, 8/378)

After our Prophet (pbuh) was sent and the Quran began to be revealed, the jinn were prevented from ascending to heaven. Thus, they no longer had the opportunity to sit in the places where they used to sit and listen to the news of the heavens. The main reason for this is understood to be preventing the intervention of jinn and devils in the Quranic revelation and ensuring that the revelation reaches the Prophet in a healthy, pure, and pristine way. (O. CELIK, 5/259)

(9) ‘And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing. But whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.’ Today, whoever wants to eavesdrop finds a flame waiting for him. He cannot escape this flame; it burns and destroys him. Here, Allah Almighty informs about the jinn at the time when He sent His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and revealed the Quran to him. He reports that the Quran is under protection, with the heaven filled with strong guards, other corners protected, and the devils being expelled from the places they previously sat so that they do not hear anything from the Quran and report it to the soothsayers. (From Ibn Kathir; S. HAWWA, 15/373)

Hadith: "Angels descend to the clouds and speak of the things decreed in heaven; the devils eavesdrop and hear some of them, and report these to the soothsayers. The soothsayers then add a hundred lies of their own to them." (From Bukhari Bed’ül Halk 6; I. H. BURSEVI, 22/361)

(10) ‘And we do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.’ From this verse, it is understood that jinn do not know the ghayb (unseen). As explained in the commentary of verses 17 and 18 of Surah Al-Hijr, it is pointed out here that the revelation is protected, no power other than Allah's will can reach the knowledge of the unseen, and the satanic powers that attempt to learn revelatory information for evil purposes such as soothsaying or sorcery are blocked by fireballs. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/476)

A point of interest here is that the jinn do not specify who willed the evil, but they attribute the good to Allah. Ibn Kathir says: "This is part of the etiquette in their expressions. Because they did not specify who willed the evil, but they attributed the goodness to Allah Almighty." (S. HAWWA, 15/374)

(11) ‘And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] below that; we were of divided ways.’ By "those below that," they meant either the middle-level jinn who are not perfect in righteousness and piety or the jinn who are not righteous at all. "We have split into various ways." We are followers of different sects and various religions. (S. HAWWA, 15/374)

(12) ‘And we have become certain that we can never cause failure to Allah [while we are] on earth.’ Wherever we are on earth, however much we hide, whether we remain in such conflict or unite, whatever we do, there is no possibility or chance for us to oppose Allah and escape Him. ‘Nor can we escape Him by flight.’ If we do not stay on earth but flee to heaven, we still cannot cause Him failure. Wherever we are, unless we believe and obey Him, He will catch us. We have understood this through experience. (ELMALILI, 8/379)

(13) ‘And when we heard the guidance [the Qur'an], we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or injustice.’ That is, he will not suffer injustice by having his rights taken away or his reward diminished; nor will he fall into humiliation by being brought under the rule of someone else, whether human or jinn. None of these fears remain. For Allah has no partner. There is no one who can oppose His power and strength. In short, those who take refuge in humans and jinn cannot save themselves. Only those who believe in Allah and take refuge in Him reach peace. (ELMALILI, 8/380)

(14) ‘And among us are Muslims, and among us are the unjust.’ Muslims are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, submit to them, and enter the religion of Islam. The unjust are those who deviate from the truth. ‘And those who have submitted—it is those who have sought out the right course.’ Nesefi says, "The word 'taharri' means searching for what is priority." (S. HAWWA, 15/375)

(15) ‘But as for the unjust, they will be firewood for Hell.’ They became the fuel with which Hell will be kindled. Nesefi says: "This verse is evidence that the disbelieving jinn will also be punished in Hell." (S. HAWWA, 15/375)

(16, 17) ‘If they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant water.’ "Abundant rain" expresses the abundance of blessings. Because water is life. A place is settled only if there is water there. Agriculture, sowing, and planting are done with water. Without water, life does not continue, and no basic needs can be obtained. (O. CELIK, 5/260)

In the Holy Quran, it is stated elsewhere that those whose faith is correct and whose lifestyle is upright will be rewarded with blessings and a good life (e.g., Nahl 16/97; Nuh 71/10-12); but these favors will also carry the risk of being a test (e.g., Enfal 8/28; Taha 20/131; Zümer 39/49). Verse 16 is also interpreted as: If they continue in the denial they are in, We will increase their provision as istidraj (leading them step by step to ruin), and finally, if they fall into fitna by trusting their wealth and power and become completely deviant, We will punish them both in this world and the hereafter. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/479)

You may say that there are many wealthy nations in the world that swim in prosperity although they do not follow the right path of Almighty Allah. This observation is correct. However, such societies are punished with other calamities. They suffer losses in their humanity, security, psychological peace, values, and dignity. So much so that because of these losses and depressions, their prosperity and wealth lose their meaning, and their lives turn into an ominous curse working against their humanity, human morality, human dignity, security, and peace. (S. KUTUB, 10/233)

‘So that We might test them therein.’ That is, We were not going to leave them alone just because they all took the right path. Since this world is a world of testing, both its narrowness and its breadth are a test. It is a walk toward a goal within hardship. But there is a difference between being tested in poverty and being tested in abundance. Therefore, if they had gone in that direction, We would have tested them not in narrowness but in abundant provisions and raised them for that reason. But they, those humans and jinn, did not do so; most of them did not listen to that advice and turned away. (ELMALILI, 8/380)

‘Whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord’ from worshiping Him or from the advice He gave or from His revelation, ‘his Lord will thrust him into a harsh’ very difficult ‘punishment.’ This punishment becomes so dominant and so victorious over the one being punished that the person cannot endure it. (I. H. BURSEVI, 22/371)

72/18-28 I ONLY SUPPLICATE TO MY LORD

Translation

18- And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.

19- And that when the servant of Allah [Muhammad] stood up supplicating Him, they almost became upon him a compacted mass [in eagerness or opposition].

20- Say, [O Muhammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone."

21- Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."

22- Say, "Indeed, there can never protect me from Allah anyone [if I should disobey], nor can I find in other than Him a refuge.

23- But [I have for you] only notification from Allah, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger—then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.

24- [The disbelievers will continue] until, when they see that which they are promised, they will know who is weaker in helpers and less in number.

25- Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will appoint for it a distant term.

26- [He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone

27- Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers

28- That He may make evident that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number."

Commentary

(18) ‘And indeed, [all] places of prostration / masjids are for Allah (to draw near to Him and show submission). So do not worship (seek refuge in) anyone along with Allah.’ Al-Hasan al-Basri said that the word "masajid" in this verse refers to "the entirety of the earth." Because in a hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) declared that "the earth was made a masjid for him." (Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasai; M. DEMIRCI, 3/437)

Surah Al-Jinn, in which this verse is located, is a surah revealed during the middle period of Mecca; therefore, it is unlikely that it brought up a "masjid" perception in the modern sense for its first addressees. For at that time, the idea of a masjid had not yet formed in the minds of Muslims. (...) The earth was created by Almighty Allah, and every element of a masjid points to a part of the earth. In this case, the entire earth means a masjid. Accordingly, the expression "and that the masajid are for Allah..." means "do not worship anyone other than Allah on earth." (M. DEMIRCI, 3/438)

(19) ‘And that when the servant of Allah (Muhammad) stood up to supplicate (and worship) Him, they almost became like felt around him (stuck tightly to each other).’ It is stated that Al-Hasan al-Basri (...) narrated the following: "Whenever the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, came before the pagans to convey the truth, they would immediately surround the Messenger of Allah intensely. Their aim was to extinguish the light of Allah by supporting each other." (M. DEMIRCI, 3/439)

The hostile attitude of the Meccan pagans toward Prophet Muhammad was actually directed at all Muslims along with the prophet. As a result, the pagans committed oppression against Muslims from time to time by keeping them under pressure in Mecca. Thus, verse 72/19 of Surah Al-Jinn speaks of these hostile attitudes of the Meccan pagans. As is known, their primary goal was to make the Prophet give up his cause and to extinguish the light of Islam. (M. DEMIRCI, 3/441)

When the Prophet (pbuh), while going to the Ukaz Fair with a few companions, led the morning prayer at a place called Nahla (Bukhari Tafsir 72), the jinn who heard the verses he recited in the prayer approached the Prophet to listen to the Quran, almost piling on top of each other. (I. KARAGOZ,8/259)

(20) ‘Say: 'I only worship my Lord!'‘ Ibn Kathir says: "When they tormented the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), denied him, demonstrated against him, and united in hostility against him to invalidate the religion he brought, he said to them: 'I only pray to my Lord.' That is, I only worship my Lord who has no partner, I seek salvation only from Him, I trust Him, and I do not associate anything with Him as a partner." (S. HAWWA, 15/379)

(21) ‘Say: 'Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or benefit.'‘ Here, he is as if saying: "Say, O pagans! I possess neither the power to benefit nor to harm, neither to mislead nor to guide. All these are not in my hands; on the contrary, they are in the hand of Almighty Allah. Only He is the one who harms, benefits, guides to the right path, and leads to deviance." (I. H. BURSEVI, 22/378, 379)

(22) ‘Say: 'Indeed, (if I stray) no one can protect me from Allah's (punishment)'‘ That is, while Allah says "do not pray to anyone other than Allah," if I were to pray to and worship someone else and not obey His command, Allah would punish me, and no one—neither human, jinn, angel, nor anyone else—could save me from Allah. For this reason, there is no benefit in praying to and worshiping someone else; there is great harm. (ELMALILI, 8/385)

‘And I cannot find a refuge besides Him’ Only He is the place of refuge and the one to be sought refuge in, both from His own greatness and from the hostility and harm of others. Everything must do what He wants. Prayer and worship can only be for Him. (ELMALILI, 8/385)

(23) ‘(What is in my power) is only the notification from Allah and the delivery of (with it) the duties of prophethood. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, certainly for him is the fire of Hell in which they will abide forever.’ Here, the provision "ebeden: forever" explains that this rebellion means disobeying by associating partners with Allah and denying Him. (ELMALILI, 8/386)

(24) ‘Finally, when the disbelievers see the (punishment) they are threatened with, they will know whose helpers are weaker and whose number is fewer.’ Nesefi says: "Is it them, or the believers? That is, on that day, the disbeliever has no helper. But Allah, His angels, and His prophets will help the believer." (S. HAWWA, 15/381)

The background of this verse is this: At that time, when the Quraysh heard the Messenger of Allah's call to Allah, they would attack him. They thought that their own group was crowded and strong and that there were only a few people with the Messenger, and therefore they could easily overcome him. (MAWDUDI, 6/449)

(25) ‘Say: 'I do not know whether the (punishment) you are threatened with is near, or whether my Lord will appoint a long term for it.'‘ It was reported that it would definitely happen, but its nearness or distance was not reported. This aspect of the matter is unknown; this aspect is the ghayb (unseen). (ELMALILI, 8/386)

(26-28) ‘(He is) the Knower of the Unseen.’ Only Allah knows the unseen. Therefore, only He knows when the Resurrection will occur and when He will punish those disbelievers. ‘But He does not reveal His unseen to anyone.’ He does not make any of His creatures knowledgeable except a messenger He approves and chooses. Allah informs him of some things from the unseen so that the news He gives about it may be a miracle for him. (S. HAWWA, 15/382)

‘But He does not reveal His unseen to anyone.’ He does not open His unseen to anyone with a definitive discovery that will show it clearly and precisely. Therefore, neither human, jinn, angel, nor any other being knows the absolute unseen with certainty. The fact that it is so cannot be contrary to being able to obtain some information about the relative unseen (idafi ghayb), nor is it contrary to being able to sense some things about the absolute unseen through dreams, inspiration, miracles (karamat), or some hidden reasons. Nevertheless, none of these can be a definitive knowledge in the sense of a complete discovery and revelation free from suspicion and delusion. (ELMALILI, 8/387)

‘Except the messengers He is pleased with (to inform).’ That is, the Messenger himself cannot be the knower of the unseen. But because Allah chose them for the duty of message (risalat), He can give them some truths of the knowledge of the unseen when He wishes. (MAWDUDI, 6/449)

One aim of Allah informing His prophets about some unseen subjects such as the states of the resurrection and the hereafter is to prove their prophethood with this information, which is in the nature of a miracle. These verses also belie those who say they reach extraordinary information through astrology. Mu'tazilite scholars like Zamakhshari have argued the impossibility of karamat (miracles of saints) based on these verses, stating that what is said to be karamat is baseless. However, Razi stated that this refers specifically to unseen information about the hereafter and found the Mu'tazila's derivation of this meaning from this verse to be groundless. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/481)

‘Because He sends observers before him and behind him,’ What is meant by guardians here are the angels. That is, when Allah (cc) sends the knowledge of the unseen to the Messenger of Allah by means of revelation, angels take him under protection from all sides so that it reaches the Messenger completely and no one touches it. The same thing was explained above in verses 8 and 9. Namely, when all the doors to the heavens were closed for the jinn after the mission (bi'set) of the Messenger of Allah, the jinn saw that there was a very strict control by the angels and that it was not possible for them to hear anything. (MAWDUDI, 6/449)

‘So that He may know,’ (...) Almighty Allah lines up those observers so that the messenger (our Prophet, pbuh) may know: so that he may know the following clearly and with certainty with all its witnesses. (ELMALILI, 8/388)

‘that they have delivered the messages of their Lord.’ So that the messengers who brought it to him from Allah's unseen have indeed reported the word of Almighty Allah, their Lord, and the trusts He sent, as they are, as they deserve. ‘Allah has encompassed everything that is with them’ And Almighty Allah, who explained and sent that word, has encompassed with His knowledge everything that happens in the presence of both those observers and that messenger, ‘and has counted everything one by one.’ And He has recorded and counted everything with its number and all its details. Thus, Allah lines up those observers Himself so that the messenger (our Prophet, pbuh) may know all these with certainty and fulfill his duty accordingly. (ELMALILI, 8/388)

‘He has counted everything.’ That is, both the Messengers and the angels are under the encompassment of Allah's power. If they go out of Allah's command by even a hair's breadth, they are immediately caught. The messages sent by Allah are counted point by point. Neither the angels nor the prophets have the courage to remove or add even a single letter to it. (MAWDUDI, 6/449)