Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

210.”And the Satans have not brought it down.”

211. “And it behoves them not, nor they can do (it).”

212. “Verily they are banished from hearing it.”

Revelation is of two kinds:

A) The Divine revelation which is sent down to the Prophet's heart by the Faithful Spirit (Ruh-ul-’Amin). This kind of revelation is neither deserving for Jinn and Satens, nor can they receive and convey it.

B) Another kind of revelation is the satanic temptations and inspirations which Satans inspire unto their friends:

“...verily the Satans inspire unto their friends...”1

The Qur’an has got a firmness, a high rank of sanctity, and a particular protection, since it is Faithful Spirit. It is secured from any larceny, and its receiver is immaculate:

“Nor does he speak out of desire.”2

It has been guaranteed:

“Verily We Ourself have sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an) and verily We (Ourlself) will be its Guardian.”3

So, in this verse, it says:

“And the Satans have not brought it down.”

Yes, it is never appropriate for the Jinns and Satans to bring such verses down.

The verse says:

“And it behoves them not...”

That is, the content of this great Book, which is on the path of truth, invitation to purity, justice, piety and negation of any paganism, clearly shows that it never adapt to the Satanic considerations and evil inspirations, because Satans produce naught but vice and corruption.

This Book is goodness and righteousness, thus its clear content alone is the sign of its authenticity. Moreover, they are not able to do such a thing.

The verse continues saying:

“...nor they can do (it).”

If they had such a might, those who were in contact with them in the locality of the revelation of the Qur’an, such as some soothsayers or Satans (or, at least, the pagans whose communication with them was certain) could bring something like it (the Qur'an), but all of them were impotent and with their inability and frustration they proved that these verses were beyond their ability.

Moreover, the soothsayers confessed themselves that, after the birth of the Prophet (S) their communication with the Satans, who were in contact with them for the information of heavens, was ceased, and they were deposed from hearing the news of the skies, as the verse says:

“Verily they are banished from hearing it.”

Some of the verses of the Qur’an indicate that formerly the Satans used to go unto the skies and by eavesdropping they could take some matters, which were current between the angels, and occasionally transferred them to their friends.

But by the birth of the Prophet (S) and by his advent, the eavesdropping was absolutely ceased for them and that news communication was fully vanished. The pagans also knew this matter themselves, and suppose that the pagans did not know it, the Qur’an informed it.¹

It is for this reason that, as an evidence, the Qur’an has emphasized on it in the abovementioned verses.

Thus, this accusation has been answered and rejected in three ways:

A) The lack of conspiracy of the content of the Qur’an with Satanic inspirations.

B) The lack of ability of Satans to do such a thing.

C) The prohibition of the Satans from eavesdropping.