فَٱلزَّٰجِرَٰتِ زَجْرًا 2
Translations
And those who drive [the clouds]
Transliteration
Fa alzzajirati zajran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, part of the opening oaths of Surah As-Saffat, refers to the angels who drive back (zajr) or rebuke the devils and evil forces. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret 'az-zajirati' as the angels who perform the function of restraining and repelling satanic whispers and evil from the believers. The oath emphasizes the divine protection and order maintained by these celestial beings in the execution of Allah's commands.
Revelation Context
Surah As-Saffat opens with a series of powerful oaths (37:1-5) establishing the absolute certainty of the Qur'an's message and the reality of the Day of Judgment. This ayah is part of that opening sequence, wherein Allah swears by His well-organized creation—including the angels who set the ranks and those who restrain evil—to affirm the truth being conveyed to humanity in this Meccan period.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sunan An-Nasa'i and other collections contain traditions about angels repelling evil whispers, such as the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet ﷺ described how angels and devils inspire human hearts—directly relating to the function described in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah has established a comprehensive system of divine protection through His angels, encouraging trust in Allah's sovereignty and the reality of spiritual forces at work. Understanding that angels actively work to restrain evil from us should strengthen our faith and inspire us to align ourselves with righteousness.