سُوْرَةُ الْجِنِّ
Surah Al-Jinn (72) — Ayah 12
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُۥ هَرَبًا ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
‘And we think that we cannot escape (the punishment of) Allâh in the earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَنَّا
wa-annā
And that we
ظَنَنَّآ
ẓanannā
[we] have become certain
أَن
an
that
لَّن
lan
never
نُّعْجِزَ
nuʿ'jiza
we will cause failure
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(to) Allah
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَلَن
walan
and never
نُّعْجِزَهُۥ
nuʿ'jizahu
we can escape Him
هَرَبًۭا
haraban
(by) flight
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 13,12) {وَ اَنَّا ظَنَنَّاۤ اَنْ لَّنْ نُّعْجِزَ اللّٰهَ … :} The polytheist nations consider the jinn to possess divine powers and regard them as knowers of the unseen, but the jinn themselves are admitting that we have understood that if Allah wants to seize us, neither can we hide anywhere in the earth to escape Him so that He cannot catch us, nor can we run away anywhere; in short, in no way can we save ourselves from Him. The result of this very belief of being completely powerless before Allah is that as soon as we heard the message of guidance, we immediately believed. {’’ بَخْسًا وَّ لَا رَهَقًا ‘‘} The loss is that the good deeds that have been done may be reduced, and the excess is that sins not committed may be imposed. In these verses as well, the believing jinn are advising their brothers that the Exalted Being from whom you can neither run nor hide, believe in Him, in that lies your well-being; then He is so merciful that whoever believes in Him has no fear of loss nor of excess.
