SURAH AL-JINN (STRANGERS/UNKNOWN CREATURES)

MECCAN PERIOD

Division: 89123

1-15Say: “It has been revealed to me that a group of strangers heeded to the Qur’an and said: “Surely we have heeded a fascinating Qur’an that guides to the righteous path. Therefore, we have believed it and we will never associate our Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] with anyone else. 3The truth is that our Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] is Exalted in Glory. He has not taken a wife and a child.

4And surely, “our fool one” tells nonsense about Allah. 5Truly, we thought that those who we know and those we do not would never say lies about Allah.

6Indeed, some from ins [mankind]; people we know well, sought refuge in jinn; those we do not know. Thus, those we do not know increased their transgression and foolishness.

7Truly, they thought, as with you, that Allah would never send/resurrect another person as His Prophet.

8And truly, we have touched to the Heavens and found it filled with mighty guardians and bright flames. 9And surely, we sat therein to hear from the Heavens. Now, whoever tries to hear will find a flaming fire that observes him. 10We do not know if evil is intended for those living on the earth or their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] intends good for them.124

11Surely, we; some of us are among those who are righteous, and some of us inferior. We chose different routes.

12And we have become certain that we can never fail Allah on the earth, and we can never escape by running. 13And when we heeded that guide/the Qur’an, we have believed. Therefore, whoever believes his Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] will never fear that he will be deprived of his right or be burdened with a heavy weight.

14And truly, as for our situation; some among us are Muslims; and some among us are wrong-doers; some among us act to their own disadvantage. However, whoever has become a Muslim, he is among those who seek for the good, the beautiful, the truth. 15However, whoever acts against the religion; whoever acts to their disadvantage, they shall surely be wood for the fire of Jahannah [Hell]”.

(40/72; Al-Jinn/1-15)

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Division: 90

16,17And had they gone directly to the righteous path, then We would have given them plenty of water to make them purify themselves. Whoever turns away from the remembrance/admonition of their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer], they shall be in a continuously increasing agony.

18And surely, those masjid125 are for Allah. Therefore, do not worship anyone but Allah.

19And the truth is that when the servant of Allah/the Prophet stands up/moves and invokes Him, a group of those strangers will surround him, almost being clamped together.

20Say: “I surely pray to my Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] and will never associate Him with others”.

21And say: “Surely, I am not capable of leading you to evil or good, to what is right”.

22,23Say: “The truth is that no one but being His messenger and the tasks assigned upon me by Him can save me from Allah. I can never seek refuge in one of His subordinates. So, whoever denies and defies Allah and His messenger, the fire of Jahannah [Hell] is for them. They shall be kept there eternally.

24And finally, as soon as they see what they have been threatened with, they shall know who is weaker in helpers and fewer in number.

25-28And say: “I do not know whether what you have been threatened with is close, or your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] will give you a long respite. My Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] is the One Who sees all what is unseen, unheard, unfelt, and the One Who knows the past and the future. And He never informs anyone other than those He chooses as His messengers about that which is unseen, unheard and unfelt, and about the past and the future. Because, He sends observers after His messengers to ensure that they accurately convey what is sent by their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. He surrounds all that is with them, He counts everything in numbers”.

(40/72; Al-Jinn/16-28)

123 When the Messenger of Allah was conveying the messages that had been revealed to him, Yathribians (Medinans) became aware of this and sent a committee to secretly meet the Messenger of Allah in Mecca and he recited the Qur’an for them. In the preamble of the Surah mentioned was the secret meeting and its consequences. This incident was the Pledges at Aqabah,

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which was a milestone in the history of Islam. The group of jinn, as mentioned in the Ayah, has no correlation with the folkloric view on the jinn. Detailed definition of the term Jinn is given in the Footnote 49 above.

124 As can be understood from the expressions given in this Ayah, there was a secret organization that allegedly used to encourage people who lived in the region the organization originated to receive education and thus enlighten themselves. Here, those foreigners who were recited the Qur’an and realized the Truth criticize themselves and state that before they know about the Qur’an they have been distracted and deceived by the nonsensical inculcations of that organization. Because, narrating jinn states that they used to deal with astrology, pin their hopes upon the information they expected to get from the stars, sit in observatories for this purpose but they saw that the sky is full of stars and meteors so they could not receive the information they sought after and consequently they failed to know what future will bring for them. The information deciphered from this paragraph, the secret organization, origins of which is attributed to David and Solomon, and the information submitted are all “initiation/rite of passage/” of them.

125 See Footnote No. 100

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