Saturday, July 8, 2023

Some Information about the World of the Jinn

Surah Al-Jinn mentions that shooting stars were sent to burn those who eavesdrop on the conversation in heaven

English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Jinn Ayah 8-15 

72:8 And we sought to reach haven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars.

72:9 And we used to sit there in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a shooting star in wait for him.

72:10 And we know not whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends guidance for them.

72:11 And there are among us some that are righteous and some of us are otherwise; we are groups following different ways.

72:12 And we think that we can never escape from Allah on earth and we can never escape from Him by flight.

72:13 And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it; and whoever believes in his Lord, he shall fear neither loss nor oppression.

72:14 And there are among us some that are Muslims and some of us are unjust. So whoever has submitted –those are who have sought the right path.

73:15 And as for the unjust, they shall be firewood for Hell. 

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part mentions some information about the jinn. This part continues speaking about the same topics and gives more information about the world of the jinn.

Tafsir

72:8 And we sought to reach haven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars.

The ayah mentions what the jinn say when they came near heaven and tried to eavesdrop on the conversation there.

The jinn say, ‘We sought to reach heaven to eavesdrop on the conversation there as we used to do before we believe in the Oneness of Allah and the Quran, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars to prevent us from eavesdropping.’

If one of the jinn tries to eavesdrop on the conversation in heaven a shooting star will be sent against him. Thus, he will be burned.

Said Ibn Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘The jinn used to eavesdrop on the conversation in heaven. Then, shooting stars were sent against them. Thus, they said, ‘There is something that  has happened in heaven because of something that has happened on earth.’ Therefore, they set out to find out the reason. They found Messenger Muhammad leading his companions in Al-Fajr prayer after coming out of Okaz market. Thus, they went to their fellows among the jinn to inform them about the matter.’ 

 72:9 And we used to sit there in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a shooting star in wait for him.

The jinn say, ‘And we used to sit in heaven in positions where we could hear the conversation there. However, whoever listens now there will find a shooting star in wait for him to burn him.’ 

The intended meaning is that the jinn confirm their belief in the Oneness of Allah and Messenger Muhammad and motivate their fellows among the jinn to follow their example. 

Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘Allah, Exalted be He, mentions that when He sent Muhammad as His Prophet and Messenger and revealed the Quran to him, heaven was filled with strong guards that all its parts were guarded. The devils were expelled from heaven and were unable to reach the positions where they used to sit to eavesdrop on the conversation in heaven to prevent them from eavesdropping on the revelation of the Quran and taking it to the soothsayers. Thus, the matter would be unclear and the truth would be unknown. This indicates Allah’s bounty and mercy on His slaves and His great ability to guard His revelation. Therefore, the jinn say, ‘72:8 And we sought to reach haven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars.72:9 And we used to sit there in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a shooting star in wait for him.’ 

72:10 And we know not whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends guidance for them.

In this ayah, the jinn acknowledge that they do not know the news of the unseen. Only Allah knows the unseen and the seen and nothing in this universe is hidden from Him, Exalted be He.

The jinn say, ‘We do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends guidance for them by guarding heaven and preventing us from eavesdropping on its news.’

The jinn’s statement indicates their decent manner as they attribute guidance to Allah and do not attribute evil openly to Allah, Exalted be He. Thus, they combine decent a manner with sound belief by believing in the Oneness of Allah.

72:11 And there are among us some that are righteous and some of us are otherwise; we are groups following different ways.

The jinn say, ‘There are among us some that are righteous, who believe in the Oneness of Allah, do not worship any god besides Him, and obey His commands, and among us some that are disobedient to the commands of Allah. We are groups that follow different ways and have different levels of righteousness.’

In other words, the jinn describe their conditions. They mention that some of them are righteous and some are unrighteous. They have different attitudes and characters in the life of this world.

72:12 And we think that we can never escape from Allah on earth and we can never escape from Him by flight.

 In this ayah, the jinn acknowledge the perfect ability of Allah and that they can never escape from His authority.

The jinn say, ‘After believing in the Oneness of Allah, we believe that we can never escape from the authority of Allah on earth and we can never escape from Him in any other place no matter where it may be. We are under the power and authority of Allah everywhere.’

In other words, the jinn expressly admit the perfect power and authority of Allah, and that they can never escape from Him anywhere in the universe.

72:13 And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it; and whoever believes in his Lord, he shall fear neither loss nor oppression.

The jinn say, ‘When we heard the guidance of the Quran inviting us to follow the right path, we immediately believed in it. Whoever believes in his Lord and what He reveals to His Messenger Muhammad, he shall fear neither loss by decreasing his reward, nor oppression by increasing his sins. Rather, he shall be recompensed justly for all his deeds and rewarded immensely for his righteous deeds.’

The intended meaning of the ayah is affirming the perfect justice of Allah and that no one will be treated unjustly. 

72:14 And there are among us some that are Muslims and some of us are unjust. So whoever has submitted –those are who have sought the right path.

The jinn say, ‘There are among us some that are Muslims, who submit to Allah and worship Him alone, and some of us are unjust, who follow the path of misguidance. Whoever has submitted to Allah and obeyed His commands –those are who have sought the right path leading to happiness in the life of this world and the Hereafter.’

73:15 And as for the unjust, they shall be firewood for Hell. 

 As for the unjust, who follow the path of misguidance, they shall be firewood for Hell, where they will suffer severe and lasting punishment. They deserve such painful torment because they disobey Allah.

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Jinn Ayah 8-15

  • After sending Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, the jinn were prevented from eavesdropping on the news of heaven. Strong guards from the angels are put in to prevent them from reaching the news of heaven and shooting stars were sent against them if they eavesdropped on the news of heaven.
  • The jinn could not understand why heaven was guarded strongly. They did not know whether evil was intended for the inhabitants of the earth, or whether Allah wanted guidance for them. 
  • Before sending Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah, some of the jinn were righteous and others were otherwise. They followed different ways and have different attitudes and beliefs in the life of this world. 
  • The jinn admitted they could never escape from the punishment of Allah in heaven or earth because the authority and power of Allah are perfect.
  • The jinn’s immediate belief in Messenger Muhammad after listening to the recitation of the Quran is proof that he has been sent to both human beings and the jinn.
  • Whoever believes in the Oneness of Allah, obeys His commands, and avoids His prohibitions will never fear decreasing his righteous deeds or injustice by increasing his sins. Allah is just and He will recompense all creatures justly.
  • Some of the jinn have submitted to the commands of Allah and believed in His Oneness, while others are rebellious wrongdoers, who will suffer severe punishment in Hell on the Day of Judgment.

Introduction to Tafsir of Surah Yusuf

Some of the Jinn Believes in the Oneness of Allah and the Quran

The Noble Quran Surah Maryam English Translation and Tafsir Kindle Edition

Learn and Understand the meaning of Surah Meaning

  


 

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