وَمِنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُۥ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـٰفِظِينَ 82
Translations
And of the devils [i.e., jinn] were those who dived for him and did work other than that. And We were of them a guardian.
Transliteration
Wa mina ash-shayateeni man yaghoosuna lahu wa ya'maluna 'amalan duna dhalik wa kunna lahum hafizin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the jinn that Allah subjugated to Prophet Solomon (Sulayman), who would dive into the sea to retrieve pearls and perform other laborious tasks at his command. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that these were righteous jinn who willingly served Solomon by Allah's permission, while others performed various works beyond diving. The phrase 'and We were watching over them' indicates Allah's divine protection and oversight of Solomon's dominion over these supernatural beings.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Anbiya's discussion of Solomon's unique gifts and miracles granted by Allah. It is part of the broader narrative (ayahs 78-82) detailing Solomon's extraordinary abilities, including his command over wind, the jinn, and molten copper, which were unprecedented among previous prophets. The context emphasizes Allah's favor upon Solomon and His power to subject creation to righteous servants.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly narrates this event, Surah As-Saad (38:37) provides parallel Quranic confirmation of the jinn diving for Solomon: 'And [also] the jinn who worked for him by permission of his Lord.' The theme of Solomon's miraculous dominion is referenced in various tafsir compilations citing the Prophet's teachings about previous prophets' extraordinary gifts.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that extraordinary abilities and dominion over creation are gifts from Allah granted to His righteous servants, and that such power should be exercised responsibly under divine guidance. It also illustrates that even supernatural beings serve Allah's will and obey those whom He appoints, demonstrating the absolute sovereignty of the Divine over all creation.