وَجَعَلُوا۟ بَيْنَهُۥ وَبَيْنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ ٱلْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ 158
Translations
And they have made [i.e., claimed] between Him and the jinn a lineage, but the jinn have already known that they [who made such claims] will be brought [to punishment].
Transliteration
Wa ja'aloō baynahū wa bayna al-jinnati nasaban wa laqad 'alimat al-jinnatu innahum la-muḥḍarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the pagan Arabs' claim that the jinn are offspring of Allah by establishing a genealogical relationship between Allah and the jinn. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that the Quran condemns this false attribution, while the second clause—'and indeed the jinn have known that they will be brought [before Him for judgment]'—affirms that the jinn themselves are aware of their servitude to Allah and accountability on the Day of Judgment, thereby contradicting any claim of divine kinship.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah As-Saffat, a Meccan chapter that comprehensively refutes polytheistic beliefs and idolatrous practices. The surah addresses various false doctrines held by the Meccan disbelievers, including their attribution of children to Allah and their claims about the jinn, making this ayah part of the broader Quranic polemic against shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the jinn's awareness and fear of Allah. Additionally, hadiths about the jinn's testimony to tawhid (monotheism) in various collections support the concept that the jinn acknowledge Allah's oneness and their own subjugation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that any claim attributing partners, offspring, or genealogical relations to Allah is fundamentally false and contradicts even the jinn's own awareness of their servitude; believers should be certain that all creation—visible and invisible—stands equal before Allah's justice on the Day of Judgment.