وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَـٰعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ ۖ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ ٱلْـَٔانَ يَجِدْ لَهُۥ شِهَابًا رَّصَدًا 9
Translations
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.
Transliteration
Wa-anna kunna naq'adu minha maqā'ida li-s-sam'i faman yastami'i l-ān yajid lahu shihāban rasadan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the jinn used to sit in various positions in the heavens to listen to divine revelation, but now whoever tries to listen finds a burning meteor (shihāb) guarding against them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this represents the intensification of heavenly guard following the advent of Prophet Muhammad, preventing the jinn from eavesdropping on the divine knowledge as they previously did. The 'shihāb rasad' (appointed flame) symbolizes the vigilant protection placed around the revelation, marking a significant change in the cosmic order with the final Prophethood.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the jinn's own narrative account of their situation, where they explain the drastic changes they witnessed after hearing the Qur'an. It provides context for why the jinn initially sought out the Prophet and his companions—they could no longer access heavenly information as they once did, prompting them to seek knowledge from the Qur'an directly.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3869): The Prophet said that every person has jinn assigned to him, and Aishah asked if the Prophet also had one, to which he replied affirmatively but Allah helped him against it so that it submitted to him and only commanded him to do good. This relates thematically to the jinn's loss of access to heavenly secrets.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of Allah's meticulous protection of His revelation and the elevated status of the Qur'an as a guarded divine message; it also illustrates how the coming of Prophet Muhammad fundamentally altered the spiritual realm, teaching us that his mission brought unprecedented divine safeguards and blessings to humanity.