Al-Jinn (The Jinn)
Verse 1 - 2
Table of Contents
Section (juz’) 29
Number of Verses: 28
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The blessed Chapter, revealed in Mecca, has 28 Verses. The designation of the Chapter reflects that it mainly treats of invisible creatures, the jinn, their belief in the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S), the Holy Qur’an, and Resurrection, and the groups of believers and disbelievers amongst them. The closing Verses concern the knowledge of the unseen unknown to all beings besides God Almighty.
The Merit of Reciting the Chapter
It is narrated from the Noble Imam Sadiq (as) as saying:
“One who recites Surah al-Jinn many a time will never suffer from the evil eye, magic, and ploys of the Jinn and magicians but will accompany Muhammad (S). O Lord! I believe in none besides him and I will never turn toward anyone but him.1
Reciting the blessed Chapter would be a prelude to the awareness of its contextual meaning and applying it to one’s life.
Surah al-Jinn - Verses 1-2
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَقالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنا قُرْآناً عَجَباً (1) يَهْدِي إِلَی الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ وَ لَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنا أَحَداً (2)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Say: “It has been revealed unto me that a group [of jinn] listened to me. Then, they said: 'We have heard a wondrous Qur’an,
2. 'That guides to the Straight Path. Thus, we have believed in it and we shall never associate anything with our Lord [in worship].
Occasion of Revelation
It is reported that the Noble Prophet (S) departed Mecca for the bazaar of ‘Ukkath in Ta’if, aiming to call unto people to convert to the Islamic faith, though it was of no avail. On his way back to Mecca, he stayed for the night at a vale called Jinn where he recited Qur’anic Verses.
A group of the jinn heard him and converted to Islam and returned to other jinn to propagate the faith.1 Another occasion of Revelation is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas as per which the Noble Prophet (S) was reciting Qur’anic Verses while performing his morning canonical prayers.
Upon hearing the Qur’anic Verses, a group of the jinn, engaged in investigating the reasons lying behind the disconnection of heavenly messages, said that the same was the reason. They returned unto other jinn and called them to convert to Islam.2
Having said the above, now let us turn to the exegesis of the Qur’anic Verses.
The first blessed Verse says:
“Say: 'It has been revealed unto me that a group [of jinn] listened to me. Then, they said: 'We have heard a wondrous Qur’an.”
The clause
“It has been revealed”
reflects that the Noble Prophet (S) had not seen the jinn in person, but his awareness of their listening to the Qur’anic Verses had derived from Divine Revelation. It is noteworthy that the blessed Verse in question clearly indicates that the jinn possess reason, understanding, perception, and linguistic knowledge, and they feel the responsibility.
They attend to the differences between “wondrous” Words and ordinary speech. Addressed by the Qur’anic Verses, they feel the obligation to propagate the Word of Truth. The aforesaid points reveal some of the characteristics of these invisible living creatures, though further characteristics of theirs will be mentioned below in the same discussion.
The jinn had a reason to regard the Holy Qur’an as
“wondrous Words,”
since the Holy Qur’an is wondrous in terms of tone, impressiveness, and significance.
The Noble Prophet (S) who was Divinely appointed to impart the Message was an illiterate person from amongst the illiterate people. Such Words, in terms of their outward and inward aspects, are wondrous and different from any other speech. Thus, the jinn confessed to the Inimitability of the Holy Qur’an.
The blessed second Verse is saying that the jinn proceeded to discuss further points, as reflected the following blessed Verses in twelve clauses opening with the Arabic emphatic conjunction an.
The blessed Verse is saying that the jinn said that the Holy Qur’an leads everyone to the Straight Path; thereby we believe in it and associate nothing with our Lord in worship. It is worthy of note that the Arabic nominal form rushd encompasses a comprehensive and broad semantic scope including any privilege. The word denotes a straight, even, and clear path leading t happiness and perfection.