Al-Jinn
سُورَةُ الجِنِّ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah Al-Jinn
Meccan · 28 verses
Main Themes
The jinn's conversion to Islam, divine unity, the unseen, the Prophet as the final messenger, divine knowledge
Significance
Al-Jinn recounts the remarkable event of a group of jinn who overheard the Prophet ﷺ reciting the Quran and immediately embraced Islam, returning to their people as da'ees. This establishes the Quran's universal appeal beyond the human realm. The surah's assertion that the Prophet ﷺ does not possess knowledge of the unseen except what Allah discloses is one of the most important checks on excessive veneration of the Prophet in Islamic theology.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 18 ("The masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone") is used by Islamic scholars to establish the principle that places of worship must be free from any form of shirk (polytheism). The verse is cited in discussions of the prohibition of building shrines over graves inside mosques, and more broadly against any practice within a mosque that might blur the exclusive monotheism of Islamic worship.
Related Practices
The surah's account of the jinn hearing and immediately responding to the Quran (72:1–2) is used in Islamic da'wah training to illustrate the Quran's intrinsic persuasive power. The practice of seeking protection from jinn through Quranic recitation — particularly Al-Baqarah and Al-Falaq and An-Nas — is rooted in the theological framework this surah establishes about the jinn's nature and their relationship to the Quran.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا 1
Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.
يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ ۖ وَلَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنَا أَحَدًا 2
It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.
وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدًا 3
And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ شَطَطًا 4
And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression.
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَنْ لَنْ تَقُولَ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا 5
And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie.
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقًا 6
And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden.
وَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا كَمَا ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنْ لَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا 7
And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger].
وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا 8
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.
وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ ۖ فَمَنْ يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَصَدًا 9
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.
وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا 10
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدًا 11
And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَنْ لَنْ نُعْجِزَ اللَّهَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَنْ نُعْجِزَهُ هَرَبًا 12
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعْنَا الْهُدَىٰ آمَنَّا بِهِ ۖ فَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِرَبِّهِ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخْسًا وَلَا رَهَقًا 13
And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden.
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ ۖ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا 14
And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course.
وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا 15
But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.'
وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقًا 16
And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision
لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يُعْرِضْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ يَسْلُكْهُ عَذَابًا صَعَدًا 17
So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord He will put into arduous punishment.
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا 18
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا 19
And that when the Servant of Allah stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَدْعُو رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ أَحَدًا 20
Say, [O Muhammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone."
قُلْ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا رَشَدًا 21
Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
قُلْ إِنِّي لَنْ يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَنْ أَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا 22
Say, "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allah anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.
إِلَّا بَلَاغًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِسَالَاتِهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا 23
But [I have for you] only notification from Allah, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا رَأَوْا مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَضْعَفُ نَاصِرًا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدًا 24
[The disbelievers continue] until, when they see that which they are promised, then they will know who is weaker in helpers and less in number.
قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ رَبِّي أَمَدًا 25
Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period."
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا 26
[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا 27
Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers
لِيَعْلَمَ أَنْ قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا 28
That he may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number.