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Know About Jinn

Topic: Know about Jinn

Name

Al-Jinn is the name of this Sura as well as the title of its subject matter for in it the event of the Jinn’s hearing the Qur’an and returning to their people to preach Islam to them has been related in detail.

Period o Revelation

According to a tradition related in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas once the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was going to Visit the Fair of Ukaz with some of his Companions On the way be led the Fajr Prayer at Nakhlah. At that time a company of the jinn happened to pass that way. When they heard the Quran being recited they tarried and listened to it attentively. This very event has been described in this Sura. Most of the commentators on the basis of this tradition believe that this relates to the Holy Prophet’s well known journey to Taif which had taken place three years before the Hijrahin the 10th year of the Prophethood. But this is not correct for several reasons. The jinn’s hearing the Qur’an during the journey to Taif has been related in Al-Ahqaf29-32. A cursory reading of those verses shows that the jinn who had believed after hearing the Qur’an on that occasion were already believers in the Prophet Moses and the previous scriptures. On the contrary vv. 2- 7 of this sura clearly show that the jinn who heard the Qur’an on this occasion were polytheists and deniers of the Hereafter and Prophethood. Then it is confirmed historically that in his journey to Taif none acconipanied the Holy Prophet except Hadrat Zaid bin Harithah. On the contrary concerning this journey Ibn Abbas says that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) was accompanied by some of his Companions. Furthermore the traditions also agree that in that journey the jinn heard the Qur’an when the Holy Prophet had stopped at Nakhlah on his return journey from Taif to Makkah and in this journey according to the traditions of Ibn Abbas the event of the jinn’s hearing the Qur’an occurred when the Holy Prophet was going to Ukaz from Makkah. Therefore in view of these reasons what seems to be correct is that in Sura Al-Ahqafand Sura AlJinn one and the same event has not been narrated but these were two separate events which took place during two separate journeys. As far as Sura Al-Ahqafis concerned it is agreed that the event mentioned in it occurred on the return journey from Taif in the 10th year of Prophethood. As for the question when this second event took place its answer is not given by the tradition of Ibn Abbas nor any other historical tradition shows as to when the Holy Prophet had gone to the Fair of Ukaz along with some of his Companions. However a little consideration of vv 8-10 of this sura shows that this could only be an event of the earliest stage of Prophethood. In these verses it has been stated that before the appointment of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to Divine Mission the jinn used to have one or another opportunity to eavesdrop in the heavens in order to hear news of the unseen but after it they suddenly found that angels had been set as guards and meteorites were being shot on every side so that they could find no place of safety from where they could hear the secret news. Thereupon they had set about searching for the unusual thing that had occurred on the earth or was going to occur because of which the security measures had been tightened up. Probably since then many companies of the jinn must have been moving about in search of the unusual occurrence and one of them after having heard the Qur’an from the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) must have formed the opinion that that was the very thing for the sake of which all the gates of the heavens had been shut against the jinn.

Reality of Jinn

Before one starts the study of this Sura one must clearly know what is the reality of the jinn so as to avoid any possible mental confusion. Many people of the modern times are involved in the misunderstanding that the jinn are not real but only a figment of the ancient superstition and myths. They have not formed this opinion on the basis that they have known all the realities and truths about the universe and have thus discovered that the jinn do not exist. They cannot claim to possess any such knowledge either. But they have assumed without reason and proof that nothing exists in the universe except what they can see whereas the sphere of human perceptions as against the vastness of this great universe is not even comparable to a drop of water as against the ocean. Here the person who thinks that what he does not perceive does not exist and what exists must necessarily be perceived in fact provides a proof of the narrowness of his own mind. With this mode of thought not to speak of the jinn man cannot even accept and acknowledge any reality which he cannot directly experience and observe and he cannot even admit the existenc of God to say nothing of admitting any other unseen reality. Those of the Muslims who have bein influenced by modernism but cannot deny the Qur’an either have given strange interpretations of the clear statements of the Qur’an about the jinn Iblis and Satan. They say that this does not refer to any hidden creation which may have its own independent existence but it sometimes implies man’s own animal forces which have been called Satan and sometimes it implies savage and wild mountain tribes and sometimes the people who used to listen to the Qur’an secretly. But the statements of the Qur’an in this regard are so clear and explicit that these interpretations bear no relevance to them whatever. The Qur’an frequently mentions the jinn and the men in a manner as to indicate that they are two sepa- rate creations. For this see Al Araf: 38 Hind : 119 Ha Mim As-Sajdah: 25 29 Ahqaf: 18 Adh Dhariyat: 56 and the entire sura Ar-Rahman which bears such clear evidence as to leave no room to regard the jinn as a human species. In Sura Al-Araf: 12 Al Hijr : 26-27 and Ar-Rahman : 14-19 it has been expressly stated that man was created out of clay and jinn out of fire. In Sura Al Hijr: 27 it has been said that the jinn had been created before man. The same thing is testified by the story of Adam and Iblis which has been told at seven different places in the Qur’an and at every place it confirms that Iblis was already there at the creation of man. Moreover in sura Al-Kahf: 50 it has been stated that Iblis belonged to the jinn. In sura Al-Araf: 27 it has been stated in clear words that the jinn see the human beings but the human beings do not see them. In sura Al-Hijr: 16-l8 sura As- Saaffat: 6-10 and sura Al-Mulk: 5 it has been said that although the jinn can ascend to the heavens they cannot exceed a certain limit; if they try to ascend beyond that limit and try to hear what goes on in the heavens they are not allowed to do so and if they try to eavesdrop they are driven away by meteorites. By this the belief of the polytheistic Arabs that the jinn possess the knowledge of the unseen or have access to Divine secrets has been refuted. The same error has a]so been refuted in Saba: 14. Al-Baqarah: 30-34 and Al- Kahf: 50 show that Allah has entrusted man with the vicegerency of the earth and the men are superior to the jinn. Although the jinn also have been given certain extraordinary powers and abilities an example of which is found in An-Naml 39 yet the animals likewise have been given some powers greater than man but these are no argument that the animals are superior to man. The Qur’an also explains that the jinn like men are a creation possessed of power and authority and they just like them can choose between obedience and disobedience faith and disbelief. This is conf

Theme and Topics

In this Sura in vv. 1-15 it has been told what was the impact of the Qur’an on the company of the jinn when they heard it and what they said to their fellow jinn when they returned to them. Allah in this connection has not cited their whole conversation but only those particular things which were worthy of mention. That is why the style is not that of a continuous speech but sentences have been cited so as to indicate that they said this and this. If one studies these sentences spoken by the jinn carefully one can easily understand the real object of the narration of this event of their affirming the faith and or mentioning this conversation of theirs with their people in the Qur’an. After this in vv 16-l8 the people have been admonished to the effect:”If you refrain from polytheism and follow the way of righteousness firmly you will be blessed; otherwise if you turn away from the admonition sent down by Allah you will meet with a severe punishment.” Then in vv. 19-23 the disbelievers of Makkah have been reproached as if to say: When the Messenger of Allah calls you towards Allah you surround and mob him from every side whereas the only duty of the Messenger is to convey the messages of Allah. He does not claim to have any power to bring any gain or cause any harm to the people.” Then in vv. 24-25 the disbelievers have been warned to the effect: “Today you are trying to overpower and suppress the Messenger seeing that he is helpless and friendless but a time will come when you will know who in actual fact is helpless and friendless. Whether that time is yet far off or near at hand the Messenger has no knowledge thereof but it will come to pass in any case.” In conclusion the people have been told: The Knower of the unseen is Allah alone. The Messenger receives only that knowledge which Allah is pleased to give him. This knowledge pertains to matters connected with the performance of the duties of Prophethood and it is delivered to him in such securty which does not admit of any external interference whatever.