الجن
Surah Al-Jinn
The Jinn · Surah 72 · Meccan · 28 verses
1قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبࣰا ١Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! we have heard a marvellous Qur’an.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, “nafar” in Arabic usually means three to ten people; here it is used for jinn as well.2يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدࣰا ٢Which guideth unto righteousness, so we believe in it and we ascribe no partner unto our Lord.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, how this and the following “anna”s are joined in this surah is an important question; the readings vary between fathah and kasrah.3وَأَنَّهُۥ تَعَٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَٰحِبَةࣰ وَلَا وَلَدࣰا ٣And (we believe) that He - exalted be the glory of our Lord! - hath taken neither wife nor son.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, on hearing the Qur’an, the jinn acknowledged that Allah is free of any wife or child.4وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطࣰا ٤And that the foolish one among us used to speak concerning Allah an atrocious lie.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the fool is Iblis or the rebellious among the jinn; “shatat” means speech that oversteps bounds, far from truth, absurd.5وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن تَقُولَ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا ٥And lo! we had supposed that humankind and jinn would not speak a lie concerning Allah.6وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ رِجَالࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمۡ رَهَقࣰا ٦And indeed (O Muhammad) individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn, so that they increased them in revolt against Allah.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is why the jinn dared to tell lies and gain power over people: people sought refuge in them.7وَأَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّواْ كَمَا ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدࣰا ٧And indeed they supposed, even as ye suppose, that Allah would not raise anyone (from the dead).InsightAccording to Elmalılı, there are two readings: either it is the jinn speaking to one another, or it is divine speech revealed directly.8وَأَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنَٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسࣰا شَدِيدࣰا وَشُهُبࣰا ٨And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur’an said): We had sought the heaven but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, “lams” originally means touching, feeling with the hand; here it is a figure for searching and probing.9وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَٰعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِۖ فَمَن يَسۡتَمِعِ ٱلۡأٓنَ يَجِدۡ لَهُۥ شِهَابࣰا رَّصَدࣰا ٩And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listeneth now findeth a flame in wait for him.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the jinn would steal secret news from the heavens and use it to mislead people; when revelation began, this path was closed.10وَأَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِيٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ أَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدࣰا ١٠And we know not whether harm is boded unto all who are in the earth, or whether their Lord intendeth guidance for them.11وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدࣰا ١١And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, among the jinn are righteous ones fit for faith and good, and lowly ones from whom good can hardly be expected.12وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعۡجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَن نُّعۡجِزَهُۥ هَرَبࣰا ١٢And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, “thought” here is certain knowledge: wherever on earth we are and wherever we flee, we cannot frustrate Allah.13وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ فَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسࣰا وَلَا رَهَقࣰا ١٣And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression.14وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدࣰا ١٤And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the Muslims are those who take the path of safety through faith in Allah’s oneness and obedience; the “qasitun” are those who swerve from faith into injustice.15وَأَمَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبࣰا ١٥And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell.16وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقࣰا ١٦If they (the idolaters) tread the right path, We shall give them to drink of water in abundance.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is not the jinn’s speech but divine speech revealed directly: had jinn and humans kept to the right path, they would have been given abundant provision.17لِّنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِۚ وَمَن يُعۡرِضۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِۦ يَسۡلُكۡهُ عَذَابࣰا صَعَدࣰا ١٧That We may test them thereby, and whoso turneth away from the remembrance of his Lord; He will thrust him into ever-growing torment.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this world is a world of testing; both its hardship and its ease are tests. Even on the right path they would not be left unattended.18وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣰا ١٨And the places of worship are only for Allah, so pray not unto anyone along with Allah.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the mosques all belong to Allah; so do not pray to or worship anyone beside Him, but worship Allah alone.19وَأَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدۡعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِ لِبَدࣰا ١٩And when the slave of Allah stood up in prayer to Him, they crowded on him, almost stifling.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, depending on the reading, this describes the jinn crowding round the Prophet to hear the Qur’an, or the idolaters gathering against him in hostility.20قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدࣰا ٢٠Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I pray unto Allah only, and ascribe unto Him no partner.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this means: “Why do you crowd upon me? There is no reason for your wonder or hostility; I only pray to my Lord.”21قُلۡ إِنِّي لَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكُمۡ ضَرࣰّا وَلَا رَشَدࣰا ٢١Say: Lo! I control not hurt nor benefit for you.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, mentioning “right direction” instead of benefit as the counterpart of harm is a rhetorical device: “I can neither harm nor benefit, neither mislead nor guide.”22قُلۡ إِنِّي لَن يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣱ وَلَنۡ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدًا ٢٢Say: Lo! none can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge beside Him.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, if I prayed to another and defied His command, Allah would punish me, and neither human, jinn nor angel could save me.23إِلَّا بَلَٰغࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِسَٰلَٰتِهِۦۚ وَمَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ٢٣(Mine is) but conveyance (of the Truth) from Allah, and His messages; and whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger, lo! his is fire of hell, wherein such dwell for ever.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this means: “I own nothing for you, neither harm nor guidance, except the notification and messages that come from Allah.”24حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرࣰا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدࣰا ٢٤Till (the day) when they shall behold that which they are promised (they may doubt); but then they will know (for certain) who is weaker in allies and less in multitude.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the rebels who thought the Prophet and his supporters weak and few will understand the truth when they see the punishment promised them.25قُلۡ إِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبࣱ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمۡ يَجۡعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَمَدًا ٢٥Say (O Muhammad, unto the disbelievers): I know not whether that which ye are promised is nigh, or if my Lord hath set a distant term for it.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this means: “Unless my Lord informs me, I do not know whether it is near or far; but it will certainly happen.”26عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيۡبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا ٢٦(He is) the Knower of the Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret.InsightElmalılı explains “ghayb” as what is absent from the senses, from knowledge or from existence: Allah knows both the relative and the absolute unseen.27إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولࣲ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدࣰا ٢٧Save unto every messenger whom He hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, if He wills, Allah reveals some of His unseen to a messenger He has chosen; these are the foundations and proofs of his mission.28لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا ٢٨That He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surroundeth all their doings, and He keepeth count of all things.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is so the messenger may know with certainty that the angels bringing him the unseen have truly conveyed their Lord’s messages.