سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 82
وَمِنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُۥ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـٰفِظِينَ ﴿82﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And of the Shayâtîn (devils from the jinn) were some who dived for him, and did other work besides that; and it was We Who guarded them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمِنَ
wamina
And of
ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ
l-shayāṭīni
the devils
مَن
man
(were some) who
يَغُوصُونَ
yaghūṣūna
would dive
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
وَيَعْمَلُونَ
wayaʿmalūna
and would do
عَمَلًۭا
ʿamalan
work
دُونَ
dūna
other than
ذَٰلِكَ ۖ
dhālika
that
وَكُنَّا
wakunnā
And We were
لَهُمْ
lahum
of them
حَـٰفِظِينَ
ḥāfiẓīna
Guardians
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 82) ➊ { وَ مِنَ الشَّيٰطِيْنِ مَنْ يَّغُوْصُوْنَ لَهٗ :} Allah Almighty subjected, in addition to the wind, many devilish jinn to Sulayman (peace be upon him). Thus, from the four elements, besides the wind, some creatures made of fire were also made subservient to him, and through these creatures, he was given the ability to obtain many maritime benefits by diving, and through them, he was able to make anything he wished from clay and the stones that come out of it. In other words, he was granted the wondrous blessing of mastery over the elements. (Biqā‘ī) Some deviant commentators say that the word "shayatin" applies to both jinn and humans, as mentioned in Surah Al-An‘am (112) {’’ شَيٰطِيْنَ الْاِنْسِ وَ الْجِنِّ ‘‘}, so in reality, these were rebellious and strong rural people whom Sulayman (peace be upon him) employed for diving and construction work. But in Surah Saba, it is explicitly stated: «{ وَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ مَنْ يَّعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِاِذْنِ رَبِّهٖ وَ مَنْ يَّزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ اَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيْرِ (12) يَعْمَلُوْنَ لَهٗ مَا يَشَآءُ مِنْ مَّحَارِيْبَ وَ تَمَاثِيْلَ وَ جِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَ قُدُوْرٍ رّٰسِيٰتٍ اِعْمَلُوْۤا اٰلَ دَاوٗدَ شُكْرًا وَ قَلِيْلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُوْرُ }» [ سبا : ۱۲، ۱۳ ] "And among the jinn were those who worked before him by the permission of his Lord. And whoever deviated among them from Our command, We made him taste of the punishment of the blazing fire. They made for him whatever he wished—palaces, statues, basins as large as reservoirs, and cauldrons fixed in their places. O family of Dawud, work in gratitude. And few of My servants are truly grateful." In Surah Saba (14), it is also mentioned that some people believed these jinn had knowledge of the unseen, but the jinn did not know of Sulayman’s (peace be upon him) death until the termite ate his staff, and when Sulayman (peace be upon him) fell, the reality of the jinn was exposed—that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in this humiliating punishment (the work of building structures, etc.). Clearly, all these things prove that Allah Almighty subjected some devilish jinn to Sulayman (peace be upon him) for diving and other difficult tasks. Otherwise, rebellious and strong rural humans used to build structures even before Sulayman (peace be upon him) and still do, so what became of Sulayman’s (peace be upon him) unparalleled kingdom, the like of which was not fit for anyone after him?
➋ { وَ يَعْمَلُوْنَ عَمَلًا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ :} Some details of this have passed in the previous benefit, and some will come in Surah Saba (12 to 14).
➌ { وَ كُنَّا لَهُمْ حٰفِظِيْنَ:} That is, Allah Almighty, by His power, subjected them to Sulayman (peace be upon him) and Himself guarded them so that they could neither escape, nor disobey, nor harm anyone, nor spoil anything or any work, because whoever deviated even slightly from his command would be punished by Allah Almighty with the blazing fire. He said: «{ وَ مَنْ يَّزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ اَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيْرِ }» [ سبا : ۱۲ ] "And whoever deviated among them from Our command, We made him taste of the punishment of the blazing fire." And those who were even more rebellious were arranged to be bound together in chains. He said: «{ وَ اٰخَرِيْنَ مُقَرَّنِيْنَ فِي الْاَصْفَادِ }» [ صٓ : ۳۸ ] "And others of them (We subjected), bound together in chains." Clearly, all this was from Allah Almighty, otherwise what power does a human have to control such terrifying forces?
➍ From this verse, it is also known that the jinn who were subjected to Sulayman (peace be upon him) were disbelievers, because the disbelief of shayatin is known. If they were Muslims, they would have willingly obeyed the Prophet of Allah, and there would have been no need for special protection.
➎ After the death of Sulayman (peace be upon him), if anyone captures a jinn, as Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) captured a shaytan three times while guarding the zakat of Fitr, there is no guarantee from Allah for protection from their harm. Once, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) captured a rebellious jinn and then let him go. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this incident from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ إِنَّ عِفْرِيْتًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ تَفَلَّتَ عَلَيَّ الْبَارِحَةَ لِيَقْطَعَ عَلَيَّ صَلاَتِيْ فَأَمْكَنَنِيَ اللّٰهُ مِنْهُ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْبُطَهُ عَلٰی سَارِيَةٍ مِنْ سَوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ حتَّی تَنْظُرُوْا إِلَيْهِ كُلُّكُمْ، فَذَكَرْتُ دَعْوَةَ أَخِيْ سُلَيْمَانَ : «{ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَهَبْ لِيْ مُلْكًا لَّا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِاَحَدٍ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِيْ }» [صٓ : ۳۵] FARADEDTUHU KHĀSI’AN ] "A rebellious jinn attacked me last night to interrupt my prayer, so Allah Almighty gave me power over him and I captured him, and I intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that you all could see him, but then I remembered the supplication of my brother Sulayman (peace be upon him): «{ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَهَبْ لِيْ مُلْكًا لَّا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِاَحَدٍ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِيْ }» 'My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me.' So I drove him away, humiliated." [ بخاري، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : « ووھبنا لداوٗد سلیمان …» : ۳۴۲۳ ]
➋ { وَ يَعْمَلُوْنَ عَمَلًا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ :} Some details of this have passed in the previous benefit, and some will come in Surah Saba (12 to 14).
➌ { وَ كُنَّا لَهُمْ حٰفِظِيْنَ:} That is, Allah Almighty, by His power, subjected them to Sulayman (peace be upon him) and Himself guarded them so that they could neither escape, nor disobey, nor harm anyone, nor spoil anything or any work, because whoever deviated even slightly from his command would be punished by Allah Almighty with the blazing fire. He said: «{ وَ مَنْ يَّزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ اَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيْرِ }» [ سبا : ۱۲ ] "And whoever deviated among them from Our command, We made him taste of the punishment of the blazing fire." And those who were even more rebellious were arranged to be bound together in chains. He said: «{ وَ اٰخَرِيْنَ مُقَرَّنِيْنَ فِي الْاَصْفَادِ }» [ صٓ : ۳۸ ] "And others of them (We subjected), bound together in chains." Clearly, all this was from Allah Almighty, otherwise what power does a human have to control such terrifying forces?
➍ From this verse, it is also known that the jinn who were subjected to Sulayman (peace be upon him) were disbelievers, because the disbelief of shayatin is known. If they were Muslims, they would have willingly obeyed the Prophet of Allah, and there would have been no need for special protection.
➎ After the death of Sulayman (peace be upon him), if anyone captures a jinn, as Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) captured a shaytan three times while guarding the zakat of Fitr, there is no guarantee from Allah for protection from their harm. Once, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) captured a rebellious jinn and then let him go. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this incident from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ إِنَّ عِفْرِيْتًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ تَفَلَّتَ عَلَيَّ الْبَارِحَةَ لِيَقْطَعَ عَلَيَّ صَلاَتِيْ فَأَمْكَنَنِيَ اللّٰهُ مِنْهُ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْبُطَهُ عَلٰی سَارِيَةٍ مِنْ سَوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ حتَّی تَنْظُرُوْا إِلَيْهِ كُلُّكُمْ، فَذَكَرْتُ دَعْوَةَ أَخِيْ سُلَيْمَانَ : «{ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَهَبْ لِيْ مُلْكًا لَّا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِاَحَدٍ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِيْ }» [صٓ : ۳۵] FARADEDTUHU KHĀSI’AN ] "A rebellious jinn attacked me last night to interrupt my prayer, so Allah Almighty gave me power over him and I captured him, and I intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that you all could see him, but then I remembered the supplication of my brother Sulayman (peace be upon him): «{ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَهَبْ لِيْ مُلْكًا لَّا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِاَحَدٍ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِيْ }» 'My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me.' So I drove him away, humiliated." [ بخاري، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : « ووھبنا لداوٗد سلیمان …» : ۳۴۲۳ ]
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
82. 1. The jinn were also subjugated to Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) ؑ, who, by his command, would dive into the seas and extract pearls and jewels, and likewise performed other construction works as he desired.
82. 2. That is, the rebelliousness and corruption inherent within the jinn—we protected Sulaiman ؑ from it, and they did not have the audacity to disobey him.
82. 2. That is, the rebelliousness and corruption inherent within the jinn—we protected Sulaiman ؑ from it, and they did not have the audacity to disobey him.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And We subjected the devils to him, who dived for him (to extract pearls and gems from the sea) [71], and performed other tasks as well; and We alone were their keepers [72].
[71]
By whom are meant the rural people, dominion over the jinn:
Those who are accustomed to interpreting miracles and are not satisfied until they subject them to natural phenomena, take the devils in this verse to mean powerful rural people. However, powerful rural people are also human; their being rural or powerful does not change their species. All the skyscrapers in the world or heavy tasks are performed by these powerful rural people. This is not the work of delicate city dwellers. And powerful rural people are easily available to every king and even every capitalist. Then what distinction would remain for Prophet Sulaimanؑ, in whose servants Allah has specifically mentioned the jinn?
[72] That is, We had made those devils obedient to Sulaimanؑ. They could neither disobey his orders nor escape from him, and this was not any personal excellence of Sulaimanؑ. Rather, the devils were compelled to remain obedient to him because We Ourselves were their keepers.
[71]
By whom are meant the rural people, dominion over the jinn:
Those who are accustomed to interpreting miracles and are not satisfied until they subject them to natural phenomena, take the devils in this verse to mean powerful rural people. However, powerful rural people are also human; their being rural or powerful does not change their species. All the skyscrapers in the world or heavy tasks are performed by these powerful rural people. This is not the work of delicate city dwellers. And powerful rural people are easily available to every king and even every capitalist. Then what distinction would remain for Prophet Sulaimanؑ, in whose servants Allah has specifically mentioned the jinn?
[72] That is, We had made those devils obedient to Sulaimanؑ. They could neither disobey his orders nor escape from him, and this was not any personal excellence of Sulaimanؑ. Rather, the devils were compelled to remain obedient to him because We Ourselves were their keepers.
