Period o 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 Sura. 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 Hijrahin 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-Ahqaf29-32. 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 sura 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 acconipanied 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 Sura Al-Ahqafand Sura AlJinn
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 Sura Al-Ahqafis 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 sura 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 Sura 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 existenc of God
to say nothing of admitting any other unseen reality. Those of the Muslims who have bein 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 sepa- rate creations. For this
see Al Araf: 38
Hind : 119
Ha Mim As-Sajdah: 25
29
Ahqaf: 18
Adh Dhariyat: 56
and the entire sura Ar-Rahman
which bears such clear evidence as to leave no room to regard the jinn as a human species. In Sura 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 Sura 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 sura Al-Kahf: 50
it has been stated that Iblis belonged to the jinn. In sura 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 sura Al-Hijr: 16-l8
sura As- Saaffat: 6-10 and sura 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 conf
Theme and Topics
In this Sura 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. After this
in vv 16-l8
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 securty which does not admit of any external interference whatever.