NAME: الجن, Al-Jinn.
Name applied to whole Surah as in it there is an account of a party of Jinn and their dialogues between themselves regarding hearing of Quran etc.
ENGLISH NAME: The Jinn.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 72
SURAH JINN TOTAL VERSES: 28
SURAH JINN TOTAL WORDS: 286
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 201
TOTAL LETTERS: 1,109
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 615 – 620 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, Jinns, Humans, Guardians with Messengers.
SURAH JINN MAIN TOPICS:
An Assembly of Jinn Heard The Quran, Their Dialogues With Each other regarding God, Their Beliefs and Regarding Some Important Event Because of which They Found The Heaven More Guarded Than Before, God May Tell Unseen To His Messengers, Then He Put Guardians Over Them.
SURAH JINN KEY VERSES:
١ قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا
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.
٥ وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَنْ لَنْ تَقُولَ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا
5 And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie.
١١ وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدًا
11 And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.
٢٦ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا
26 [He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
٢٧ إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا
27 Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-3(Wahi/Revelation To Prophet Muhammad, That An Assembly of Jinn Heard The Quran, And Much Inspired), 4-5(Jinn Dialogues With Each other: We will never associate with our Lord anyone), 6(Jinn Dialogues With Each other: Their are Humans Who Sought Protection In Jinns, Thus Increased Us In Transgression), 8-10(Jinn Dialogues With Each other: This Time When We Sought Heaven We Found It Guarded, A Burning Flame In Wait For Us, No Knowledge Of Whats Going To Happen On Earth), 11(Jinn Dialogues With Each other: Among Us There are Some Righteous And Some Of Different Religions), 12(We Know That We Cannot Escape God), 14(Jinn Dialogues With Each other: Among Us Some Are Muslims And Some Unjust), 16-23 (Mosques Are For Allah Invoke No One Else Besides Him, Muhammad Has No Power Of Harm Or Benefit For People, Even Muhammad Will Not Be Saved Excpet By God’s Mercy And Refuge), 25-28(Muhammad Don’t Know Ghaib/ Unseen, God May Tell Unseen To His Messengers, Then He Put Guardians On Their Front And Back, God Has Counted Everything)
SURAH JINN BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 28 verses divided into 2 Rukus/Sections. Name applied to whole Surah as in it there is an account of a party of Jinn and their dialogues between themselves after hearing of the Quran. This Surah was revealed in Mecca most probably during the early years of Muhammad’s proclamation of his prophethood.
This is mentioned in a hadith narrated in Bukhari:
Book: Prophetic Commentary on the Qur’an (Tafseer of the Prophet (PBUH)) – كتاب التفسير
Global Id: 4764 (49)
English reference: Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 443
Arabic reference: Book 65, Hadith 4970
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ انْطَلَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَامِدِينَ إِلَى سُوقِ عُكَاظٍ، وَقَدْ حِيلَ بَيْنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ، وَأُرْسِلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّهُبُ فَرَجَعَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَقَالُوا مَا لَكُمْ فَقَالُوا حِيلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ وَأُرْسِلَتْ عَلَيْنَا الشُّهُبُ. قَالَ مَا حَالَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ إِلاَّ مَا حَدَثَ، فَاضْرِبُوا مَشَارِقَ الأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا فَانْظُرُوا مَا هَذَا الأَمْرُ الَّذِي حَدَثَ. فَانْطَلَقُوا فَضَرَبُوا مَشَارِقَ الأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا يَنْظُرُونَ مَا هَذَا الأَمْرُ الَّذِي حَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ. قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ الَّذِينَ تَوَجَّهُوا نَحْوَ تِهَامَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِنَخْلَةَ، وَهْوَ عَامِدٌ إِلَى سُوقِ عُكَاظٍ، وَهْوَ يُصَلِّي بِأَصْحَابِهِ صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعُوا الْقُرْآنَ تَسَمَّعُوا لَهُ فَقَالُوا هَذَا الَّذِي حَالَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ. فَهُنَالِكَ رَجَعُوا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَقَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ، وَلَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنَا أَحَدًا. وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم {قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ} وَإِنَّمَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ قَوْلُ الْجِنِّ.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
Allah’s Messenger PBUH (went out along with a group of his companions towards `Ukaz Market. At that time, something intervened between the devils and the news of the Heaven, and flames were sent down upon them, so the devils returned. Their fellow-devils said, “What is wrong with you? ” They said, “Something has intervened between us and the news of the Heaven, and fires (flames) have been shot at us.” Their fellow-devils said, “Nothing has intervened between you and the news of the Heaven, but an important event has happened. Therefore, travel all over the world, east and west, and try to find out what has happened.” And so they set out and travelled all over the world, east and west, looking for that thing which intervened between them and the news of the Heaven. Those of the devils who had set out towards Tihama, went to Allah’s Messenger PBUH at Nakhla (a place between Mecca and Taif) while he was on his way to `Ukaz Market. (They met him) while he was offering the Fajr prayer with his companions. When they heard the Holy Qur’an being recited (by Allah’s Messenger PBUH, they listened to it and said (to each other). This is the thing which has intervened between you and the news of the Heavens.” Then they returned to their people and said, “O our people! We have really heard a wonderful recital (Qur’an). It gives guidance to the right, and we have believed therein. We shall not join in worship, anybody with our Lord.” (See 72.1-2) Then Allah revealed to His Prophet (Surat al-Jinn): ‘Say: It has been revealed to me that a group (3 to 9) of Jinns listened (to the Qur’an).’ (72.1) The statement of the Jinns was revealed to him.
Similar as angels are invisible, Jinn are beings that are invisible to the naked human eye. In the Quran, it is written in more than one instance that humans are created from the dust and Jinn from a smokeless flame of fire. The first 15 verses give a report and account of a group of Jinn and their discussion after they heard the recitation of the Quran. This Surah narrates how the message of God seems to those from a different world. The Meccans accused Prophet Muhammad of learning Quran and his new religion from the Jinns. However, in this Surah, the message is given that its the other way around and it’s actually Jinns who not only heard Qurah from Muhammad PBUH but also accepted the message.
