سورة الجن
Surah Al-Jinn
The Jinn
Surah Al-Jinn (The Jinn) is the 72nd surah of the Quran. It has 28 verses and is a Meccan surah. Below is the complete Arabic text with an English translation and transliteration, verse by verse.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبࣰا﴿١﴾
Qul oohiya ilayya annahu istamaʿa nafarun mina aljinni faqaloo inna samiʿna quranan ʿajaban
Say, [O Muḥammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’ān [i.e., recitation].
يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦ ۖ وَ لَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدࣰا﴿٢﴾
Yahdee ila alrrushdi faamanna bihi walan nushrika birabbina ahadan
It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.
وَ أَنَّهُۥ تَعَٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَٰحِبَةࣰ وَ لَا وَلَدࣰا﴿٣﴾
Waannahu taʿala jaddu rabbina ma ittakhatha sahibatan wala waladan
And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son
وَ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطࣰا﴿٤﴾
Waannahu kana yaqoolu safeehuna ʿala Allahi shatatan
And that our foolish one [i.e., Iblees] has been saying about Allāh an excessive transgression.
وَ أَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن تَقُولَ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَ ٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا﴿٥﴾
Waanna thananna an lan taqoola alinsu waaljinnu ʿala Allahi kathiban
And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allāh a lie.
وَ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ رِجَالࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمۡ رَهَقࣰا﴿٦﴾
Waannahu kana rijalun mina alinsi yaʿoothoona birijalin mina aljinni fazadoohum rahaqan
And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden [i.e., sin].
وَ أَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّواْ كَمَا ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدࣰا﴿٧﴾
Waannahum thannoo kama thanantum an lan yabʿatha Allahu ahadan
And they had thought, as you thought, that Allāh would never send anyone [as a messenger].
وَ أَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنَٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسࣰا شَدِيدࣰا وَ شُهُبࣰا﴿٨﴾
Waanna lamasna alssamaa fawajadnaha muliat harasan shadeedan washuhuban
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.
وَ أَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَٰعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِ ۖ فَمَن يَسۡتَمِعِ ٱلۡأٓنَ يَجِدۡ لَهُۥ شِهَابࣰا رَّصَدࣰا﴿٩﴾
Waanna kunna naqʿudu minha maqaʿida lilssamʿi faman yastamiʿi alana yajid lahu shihaban rasadan
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.
وَ أَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِيٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ أَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدࣰا﴿١٠﴾
Waanna la nadree asharrun oreeda biman fee alardi am arada bihim rabbuhum rashadan
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.
وَ أَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَ مِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدࣰا﴿١١﴾
Waanna minna alssalihoona waminna doona thalika kunna taraiqa qidadan
And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.
وَ أَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعۡجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَ لَن نُّعۡجِزَهُۥ هَرَبࣰا﴿١٢﴾
Wanna thananna an lan nuʿjiza Allaha fee alardi walan nuʿjizahu haraban
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allāh upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
وَ أَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ ۖ فَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسࣰا وَ لَا رَهَقࣰا﴿١٣﴾
Waanna lamma samiʿna alhuda amanna bihi faman yumin birabbihi fala yakhafu bakhsan wala rahaqan
And when we heard the guidance [i.e., the Qur’ān], we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden.
وَ أَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَ مِنَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ ۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدࣰا﴿١٤﴾
Waanna minna almuslimoona waminna alqasitoona faman aslama faolaika taharraw rashadan
And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allāh], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course.
وَ أَمَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبࣰا﴿١٥﴾
Waama alqasitoona fakanoo lijahannama hataban
But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.'
وَ أَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقࣰا﴿١٦﴾
Waallawi istaqamoo ʿala alttareeqati laasqaynahum maan ghadaqan
And [Allāh revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant rain [i.e., provision]
لِّنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِ ۚ وَ مَن يُعۡرِضۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِۦ يَسۡلُكۡهُ عَذَابࣰا صَعَدࣰا﴿١٧﴾
Linaftinahum feehi waman yuʿrid ʿan thikri rabbihi yaslukhu ʿathaban saʿadan
So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord He will put into arduous punishment.
وَ أَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣰا﴿١٨﴾
Waanna almasajida lillahi fala tadʿoo maʿa Allahi ahadan
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allāh, so do not invoke with Allāh anyone.
وَ أَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدۡعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِ لِبَدࣰا﴿١٩﴾
Waannahu lamma qama ʿabdu Allahi yadʿoohu kadoo yakoonoona ʿalayhi libadan
And that when the Servant [i.e., Prophet] of Allāh stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass."
قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّي وَ لَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدࣰا﴿٢٠﴾
Qul innama adʿoo rabbee wala oshriku bihi ahadan
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone."
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكُمۡ ضَرࣰّا وَ لَا رَشَدࣰا﴿٢١﴾
Qul innee la amliku lakum darran wala rashadan
Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَن يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣱ وَ لَنۡ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدًا﴿٢٢﴾
Qul innee lan yujeeranee mina Allahi ahadun walan ajida min doonihi multahadan
Say, "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allāh anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.
إِلَّا بَلَٰغࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَ رِسَٰلَٰتِهِۦ ۚ وَ مَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُۥ فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا﴿٢٣﴾
Illa balaghan mina Allahi warisalatihi waman yaʿsi Allaha warasoolahu fainna lahu nara jahannama khalideena feeha abadan
But [I have for you] only notification from Allāh, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرࣰا وَ أَقَلُّ عَدَدࣰا﴿٢٤﴾
Hatta itha raaw ma yooʿadoona fasayaʿlamoona man adʿafu nasiran waaqallu ʿadadan
[The disbelievers continue] until, when they see that which they are promised, then they will know who is weaker in helpers and less in number.
قُلۡ إِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبࣱ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمۡ يَجۡعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَمَدًا﴿٢٥﴾
Qul in adree aqareebun ma tooʿadoona am yajʿalu lahu rabbee amadan
Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period."
عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيۡبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا﴿٢٦﴾
ʿalimu alghaybi fala yuthhiru ʿala ghaybihi ahadan
[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولࣲ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَ مِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدࣰا﴿٢٧﴾
Illa mani irtada min rasoolin fainnahu yasluku min bayni yadayhi wamin khalfihi rasadan
Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before him [i.e., each messenger] and behind him observers
لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَ أَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَ أَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا﴿٢٨﴾
Liyaʿlama an qad ablaghoo risalati rabbihim waahata bima ladayhim waahsa kulla shayin ʿadadan
That he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number.
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
"Al-Jinn " is the name of this Surah 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 of 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 Surah.
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 Hijrah in 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-Ahqaf 29-32. 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 surah 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 accompanied 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 Surah Al-Ahqaf and Surah Al Jinn, 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 Surah Al-Ahqaf is 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 surah 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 Surah 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 existence of God, to say nothing of admitting any other unseen reality.
Those of the Muslims who have been 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 separate creations. For this, see Al Araf: 38, Hud: 119, Ha Mim As-Sajdah: 25,29, Ahqaf: 18, Adh Dhariyat: 56, and the entire surah Ar-Rahman, which bears such clear evidence as to leave no room to regard the jinn as a human species.
In Surah 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 Surah 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 surah Al- Kahf: 50, it has been stated that Iblis belonged to the jinn.
In Surah 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 Surah Al Hijr: 16-18, Surah As-Saaffat: 6-10 and Surah 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 confirmed by the story of Satan and the event of the jinn affirming the faith as found in Surahs Al-Ahqaf and Al-Jinn.
At scores of places in the Qur'an, it has also been stated that Iblis at the very creation of Adam had resolved to misguide mankind, and since then the Satanic jinn have been persistently trying to mislead man, but they do not have the power to overwhelm him and make him do something forcibly. However, they inspire him with evil suggestions, beguile him and make evil seem good to him. For this, see An-Nisa: 117-120, Al-Araf: 11-17, Ibrahim: 22, Al-Hijr: 30-42, An-Nahl: 98-100, Bani Israil 61-65.
The Qur'an also tells us that in the pre Islamic ignorance the polytheistic Arabs regarded the jinn as associates of God, worshiped them and thought they were descended from God. For this, see Al-An'am: 100, Saba: 40-41, As Saffat: 158.
From these details, it becomes abundantly clear that the jinn have their own objective existence and are a concealed creation of an entirely different species from man. Because of their mysterious qualities, ignorant people have formed exaggerated notions and concepts about them and their powers, and have even worshiped them, but the Qur'an has explained the whole truth about them, which shows what they are and what they are not.
Theme and Topics
In this Surah 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. The explanations that we have given of their statements in our Notes will be of further help in understanding this object.
After this, in vv. 16-18, 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 security which does not admit of any external interference whatever.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran