سُوْرَةُ الشُّعَرَآءِ
Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 223
يُلْقُونَ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ كَـٰذِبُونَ ﴿223﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Who gives ear (to the devils and they pour what they may have heard of the Unseen from the angels), and most of them are liars.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يُلْقُونَ
yul'qūna
They pass on
ٱلسَّمْعَ
l-samʿa
(what is) heard
وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ
wa-aktharuhum
and most of them
كَـٰذِبُونَ
kādhibūna
(are) liars
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 223) {يُّلْقُوْنَ السَّمْعَ وَ اَكْثَرُهُمْ كٰذِبُوْنَ: ’’ السَّمْعَ ‘‘} is a verbal noun in the meaning of a passive participle, that is, a thing that has been heard. It can have two meanings: one is that the devils bring the words they have heard from the angels to the ears of the soothsayers, in which they mix one hundred (100) lies of their own. The word heard from the angels turns out to be true, so no attention is paid to the one hundred (100) lies. The second is that those {’’افاك و اثيم‘‘} soothsayers tell people the words they have heard from the devils, in which they add even more lies, and most of what they say is false, except for that one thing which the devils have stolen and conveyed to them. In {’’ يُّلْقُوْنَ السَّمْعَ ‘‘}, {’’ السَّمْعَ ‘‘} can also be a verbal noun for the reason, meaning those devils eavesdrop on the conversation of the angels, or those soothsayers eavesdrop on the words of the devils. This meaning is also correct.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِذَا قَضَی اللّٰهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ، كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلٰی صَفْوَانٍ، فَإِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوْبِهِمْ قَالُوْا مَا ذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ قَالُوْا لِلَّذِيْ قَالَ الْحَقَّ، وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيْرُ، فَيَسْمَعُهَا مُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ وَمُسْتَرِقُوا السَّمْعِ هٰكَذَا بَعْضُهُ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ، وَصَفَهُ سُفْيَانُ بِكَفِّهِ فَحَرَفَهَا وَ بَدَّدَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ، فَيَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَيُلْقِيْهَا إِلٰی مَنْ تَحْتَهُ، ثُمَّ يُّلْقِيْهَا الْآخَرُ إِلٰی مَنْ تَحْتَهُ، حَتّٰی يُلْقِيَهَا عَلٰی لِسَانِ السَّاحِرِ أَوِ الْكَاهِنِ، فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهَا، وَرُبَّمَا أَلْقَاهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُّدْرِكَهُ، فَيَكْذِبُ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ فَيُقَالُ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ قَالَ لَنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا، كَذَا وَ كَذَا؟ فَيُصَدَّقُ بِتِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِيْ سُمِعَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب « حتی إذا فزع عن قلوبہم…» : ۴۸۰۰ ] "When Allah decides a matter in the heavens, the angels flutter their wings in humility before His command, and His word sounds to them like the clinking of a chain on a smooth stone. When the fear is removed from their hearts, they ask each other, 'What did your Lord say?' They say, 'He spoke the truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.' Then (sometimes) the eavesdropper hears it, and the eavesdroppers are piled one above the other." And (the narrator) Sufyan, while describing the state of the eavesdroppers, separated his fingers and placed them one over the other. "So that (devil jinn) hears the word and conveys it to the one below him, then the second conveys it to the one below him, until it reaches the tongue of the magician or soothsayer. Sometimes a flame catches him before he can convey it below, and sometimes he conveys it before the flame reaches him, so he mixes with it a hundred lies. Then it is said, 'Did he not tell us such and such on such and such a day?' So because of that word which was heard from the heavens, he is considered truthful."
Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: [ إِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَنْزِلُ فِي الْعَنَانِ، وَهُوَ السَّحَابُ، فَتَذْكُرُ الْأَمْرَ قُضِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَتَسْتَرِقُ الشَّيَاطِيْنُ السَّمْعَ فَتَسْمَعُهُ، فَتُوْحِيْهِ إِلَی الْكُهَّانِ، فَيَكْذِبُوْنَ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ] [بخاري، بدء الخلق، باب ذکر الملائکۃ… : ۳۲۱۰ ] "The angels descend in the clouds and mention the matter that has been decided in the heavens. The devils eavesdrop and hear it, and convey it to the hearts of the soothsayers, and they mix with it a hundred (100) lies of their own."
Safiyyah narrated from one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ أَتٰی عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةُ أَرْبَعِيْنَ لَيْلَةً] [مسلم، السلام، باب تحریم الکہانۃ… : ۲۲۳۰ ] "Whoever goes to an 'arraf (one who tells about thefts or lost things) and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights."
Abu Hurairah and Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ أَتٰی كَاهِنًا أَوْ عَرَّافًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُوْلُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ] [ مسند أحمد : 429/2، ح : ۹۵۴۸ ] "Whoever goes to a soothsayer or an 'arraf and believes what he says, he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)."
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that some people asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about soothsayers (those who tell about the unseen), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لَيْسُوْا بِشَيْءٍ، قَالُوْا يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! فَإِنَّهُمْ يُحَدِّثُوْنَ أَحْيَانًا بِالشَّيْءِ يَكُوْنُ حَقًّا، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَخْطَفُهَا الْجِنِّيُّ فَيَقُرُّهَا فِيْ أُذُنِ وَلِيِّهِ قَرَّ الدَّجَاجَةِ فَيَخْلِطُوْنَ فِيْهَا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ كَذْبَةٍ] [بخاري، الأدب، باب قول الرجل للشيء …: ۶۲۱۳ ] "They are nothing." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah! Sometimes they tell us something that turns out to be true." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is a true word which a jinn snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend like the cackling of a hen, then they mix with it a hundred (100) lies."
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِذَا قَضَی اللّٰهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ، كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلٰی صَفْوَانٍ، فَإِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوْبِهِمْ قَالُوْا مَا ذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ قَالُوْا لِلَّذِيْ قَالَ الْحَقَّ، وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيْرُ، فَيَسْمَعُهَا مُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ وَمُسْتَرِقُوا السَّمْعِ هٰكَذَا بَعْضُهُ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ، وَصَفَهُ سُفْيَانُ بِكَفِّهِ فَحَرَفَهَا وَ بَدَّدَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ، فَيَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَيُلْقِيْهَا إِلٰی مَنْ تَحْتَهُ، ثُمَّ يُّلْقِيْهَا الْآخَرُ إِلٰی مَنْ تَحْتَهُ، حَتّٰی يُلْقِيَهَا عَلٰی لِسَانِ السَّاحِرِ أَوِ الْكَاهِنِ، فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهَا، وَرُبَّمَا أَلْقَاهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُّدْرِكَهُ، فَيَكْذِبُ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ فَيُقَالُ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ قَالَ لَنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا، كَذَا وَ كَذَا؟ فَيُصَدَّقُ بِتِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِيْ سُمِعَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب « حتی إذا فزع عن قلوبہم…» : ۴۸۰۰ ] "When Allah decides a matter in the heavens, the angels flutter their wings in humility before His command, and His word sounds to them like the clinking of a chain on a smooth stone. When the fear is removed from their hearts, they ask each other, 'What did your Lord say?' They say, 'He spoke the truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.' Then (sometimes) the eavesdropper hears it, and the eavesdroppers are piled one above the other." And (the narrator) Sufyan, while describing the state of the eavesdroppers, separated his fingers and placed them one over the other. "So that (devil jinn) hears the word and conveys it to the one below him, then the second conveys it to the one below him, until it reaches the tongue of the magician or soothsayer. Sometimes a flame catches him before he can convey it below, and sometimes he conveys it before the flame reaches him, so he mixes with it a hundred lies. Then it is said, 'Did he not tell us such and such on such and such a day?' So because of that word which was heard from the heavens, he is considered truthful."
Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: [ إِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَنْزِلُ فِي الْعَنَانِ، وَهُوَ السَّحَابُ، فَتَذْكُرُ الْأَمْرَ قُضِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَتَسْتَرِقُ الشَّيَاطِيْنُ السَّمْعَ فَتَسْمَعُهُ، فَتُوْحِيْهِ إِلَی الْكُهَّانِ، فَيَكْذِبُوْنَ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ] [بخاري، بدء الخلق، باب ذکر الملائکۃ… : ۳۲۱۰ ] "The angels descend in the clouds and mention the matter that has been decided in the heavens. The devils eavesdrop and hear it, and convey it to the hearts of the soothsayers, and they mix with it a hundred (100) lies of their own."
Safiyyah narrated from one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ أَتٰی عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةُ أَرْبَعِيْنَ لَيْلَةً] [مسلم، السلام، باب تحریم الکہانۃ… : ۲۲۳۰ ] "Whoever goes to an 'arraf (one who tells about thefts or lost things) and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights."
Abu Hurairah and Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ أَتٰی كَاهِنًا أَوْ عَرَّافًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُوْلُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ] [ مسند أحمد : 429/2، ح : ۹۵۴۸ ] "Whoever goes to a soothsayer or an 'arraf and believes what he says, he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)."
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that some people asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about soothsayers (those who tell about the unseen), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لَيْسُوْا بِشَيْءٍ، قَالُوْا يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! فَإِنَّهُمْ يُحَدِّثُوْنَ أَحْيَانًا بِالشَّيْءِ يَكُوْنُ حَقًّا، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَخْطَفُهَا الْجِنِّيُّ فَيَقُرُّهَا فِيْ أُذُنِ وَلِيِّهِ قَرَّ الدَّجَاجَةِ فَيَخْلِطُوْنَ فِيْهَا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ كَذْبَةٍ] [بخاري، الأدب، باب قول الرجل للشيء …: ۶۲۱۳ ] "They are nothing." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah! Sometimes they tell us something that turns out to be true." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is a true word which a jinn snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend like the cackling of a hen, then they mix with it a hundred (100) lies."
