وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَآ إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنصِتُوا۟ ۖ فَلَمَّا قُضِىَ وَلَّوْا۟ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم مُّنذِرِينَ 29
Translations
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when We directed to you a few of the jinn, listening to the Qur’ān. And when they attended it, they said, "Listen attentively." And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners.
Transliteration
Wa-idh sarafnā ilayka nafaran min al-jinn yastamiʿūn al-Qurʾān falammā ḥaḍarūhu qālū anṣitū falammā quḍiya wa-llaww ilā qawmihim mundhirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Allah directed a group of jinn to listen to the Prophet Muhammad reciting the Qur'an. When they arrived at the recitation, they commanded each other to listen attentively, and upon its completion, they returned to their people as warners. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this event demonstrates the universal appeal of the Qur'an and that the jinn, despite their different nature, recognized its truth and became obligated to convey its message, paralleling the Prophet's mission among humans.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the broader narrative in Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:29-32) which details the encounter between the jinn and the Qur'an. While the exact occasion of revelation is not definitively documented in classical sources, it is thematically connected to Allah's statement that the Qur'an is a guidance for both humans and jinn, establishing the universal nature of the Prophet's message and the accountability of both communities.
Related Hadiths
The event alluded to in this ayah is supported by Tafsir al-Tabari's narrations from Ibn Abbas regarding the night the jinn listened to the Prophet reciting Qur'an. Additionally, Surah Al-Jinn (72:1-2) contains the jinn's own testimony: 'Say, [O Muhammad], it has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened [to the Qur'an],' which provides complementary prophetic context.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that the Qur'an's message transcends earthly boundaries and speaks to the hearts of all creation, inspiring us to listen to it with the same attentiveness and respect the jinn demonstrated, and to share its transformative wisdom with others as warners and guides. It reminds us that conveying the message of truth is a shared responsibility among all believers, regardless of their background or station.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
Say, "I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner."
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ هَـٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them, "This is obvious magic."
وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِيهِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَـٰرًا وَأَفْـِٔدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ وَلَآ أَفْـِٔدَتُهُم مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا۟ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allāh; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
يَـٰقَوْمَنَآ أَجِيبُوا۟ دَاعِىَ ٱللَّهِ وَءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
O our people, respond to the Caller [i.e., Messenger] of Allāh and believe in him; He [i.e., Allāh] will forgive for you your sins and protect you from a painful punishment.