تَبَارَكَ الَّذِيَُْ ْ 1436 اَلْجِنّ
قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا ﴿۱﴾
﴾1﴿ Qul oohiya ilaiya annna hustama'a nafarum minal jinni faqaalooo innaa sami'naa quraanan ajaba
﴾1﴿ Say, It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened attentively, and they said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran
Its other name is Qul Uhiya ("Say: It has been revealed").
Relevancy:
This Surah (Al-Jinn) relates to Surah Nuh in several ways:
First, in the previous Surah (Nuh), textual evidence for Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) was presented through Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him), while in this Surah (Al-Jinn), textual evidence is presented through the jinn.
Second, in Surah Nuh, encouragement for conveying the message was illustrated through the story of Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him), whereas in this Surah, encouragement is illustrated through the incident involving the jinn.
Claim of this surah:
This Surah refutes polytheism (shirk) through the incident involving the jinn, supported by revelation received by the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace). It provides a general refutation of shirk and specifically counters:
Attributing a child to Allah (Ittikhadh al-Walad)
Shirk in Knowledge (Shirk fil-‘Ilm)
Shirk in Supplication (Shirk fid-Du‘a)
Shirk in Management or Control of Affairs (Shirk fit-Tasarruf)
Shirk in Seeking Refuge (Shirk fil-Isti‘adhah)
Summary of the surah:
Within this Surah (Al-Jinn), there are eight proofs based on revelation (Wahy):
First proof (Verses 1-15): Reports the statements of the jinn, consisting of thirteen points:
(1) Affirmation of the Qur'an.
(2) General rejection of polytheism (shirk).
(3) Denial of Allah having a wife or child.
(4) Calling polytheists foolish.
(5) Criticism of blind imitation of ancestors.
(6) Mention of shirk in seeking refuge (isti‘adhah).
(7) Rejection of belief in resurrection or prophethood.
(8-9) The condition of the jinn before and after hearing the Qur'an.
(10) Admission of ignorance regarding the unseen (Ghayb).
(11) Description of their divisions prior to revelation.
(12) Confession of their powerlessness, refuting shirk in management of affairs (tasarruf).
(13) Their faith in the Qur'an and its glad tidings.
(14-15) Their dispersion after hearing the Qur'an.
Second proof (Verse 16): Encouragement toward Tawhid (monotheism) by highlighting the abundance of sustenance (Rizq) and warnings against turning away.
Third proof (Verse 18): Emphasizing that prostration (Sujud) is exclusively for Allah, thus refuting shirk in supplication (du‘a).
Fourth proof (Verse 19): Addressing the opposition of polytheists to the Messenger (Da‘i).
Fifth proof (Verse 20): Explicit refutation of shirk in supplication (du‘a).
Sixth proof (Verse 21): Refutation of shirk in control or managing affairs (tasarruf).
Seventh proof (Verse 22): Refutation of shirk in seeking refuge (isti‘adhah), followed by warnings of worldly and hereafter punishments in verses (23-24).
Eighth proof (Verses 25-26): Refutation of shirk in knowledge (‘ilm), mentioning the exalted status of the messengers.
[1] The phrase "قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ" ("Say: It has been revealed to me") indicates that when the jinn listened to the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace) neither saw nor was aware of them at the time. He only learned about their listening through revelation from Allah afterward. This clarifies that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) did not have inherent knowledge of the unseen (‘ilm al-ghayb).
The words "اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ" ("a group of jinn listened") describe the event detailed in Surah Al-Ahqaf (29), specifying the manner in which these jinn listened. These jinn came from Nineveh (Nīnawā). Regarding their number, some scholars mention that they were seven—three from Harran and four from Nasibin.
Benefits of this incident:
It affirms that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace) was sent as a messenger to both humanity and the jinn.
It indicates that the jinn understand human languages just as humans do.
It highlights the miraculous nature of the Qur'an, as even the rebellious jinn felt compelled to believe upon hearing it.
"عَجَبًا" ("Amazing"): This emphasizes the unparalleled eloquence and rhetorical power of the Qur'an. The amazement may also refer to the remarkable message of Tawhid (monotheism) conveyed by the Qur'an—something the jinn had not previously encountered from the Jews or Christians of their era. Similarly, the polytheists expressed amazement, as indicated in Surah Sad (5): "هذا لشيء عجاب" ("This is indeed an astonishing thing").