سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 29
وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَآ إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنصِتُوا۟ ۖ فَلَمَّا قُضِىَ وَلَّوْا۟ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم مُّنذِرِينَ ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) a group (three to ten persons) of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur’ân. When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: "Listen in silence!" And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
صَرَفْنَآ
ṣarafnā
We directed
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
نَفَرًۭا
nafaran
a party
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْجِنِّ
l-jini
the jinn
يَسْتَمِعُونَ
yastamiʿūna
listening
ٱلْقُرْءَانَ
l-qur'āna
(to) the Quran
فَلَمَّا
falammā
And when
حَضَرُوهُ
ḥaḍarūhu
they attended it
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
they said
أَنصِتُوا۟ ۖ
anṣitū
Listen quietly
فَلَمَّا
falammā
And when
قُضِىَ
quḍiya
it was concluded
وَلَّوْا۟
wallaw
they turned back
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
قَوْمِهِم
qawmihim
their people
مُّنذِرِينَ
mundhirīna
(as) warners
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.
29. And (remember) when We directed a group of jinn towards you, listening to the Quran [41]. When they attended it, they said to each other, "Be silent." Then, when it was finished [42], they returned to their people as warners [43].
[41]
The Population of Jinn on Earth Before Humans:
Out of all the creation of Allah Almighty, there are two types who are obligated to follow the Divine Law: one is the jinn, the other is humans. Before the creation of humans, only the jinn inhabited this earth. Prophets were also sent to them. And just as the majority of humans have remained disobedient to Allah Almighty, so too has the majority of the jinn, and this is still the case.
Afterwards, Prophethood Only Among Humans:
When Allah Almighty created Adam, He made him the noblest of all creation, and the status of the jinn became subordinate to that of humans. The chain of prophethood was closed among the jinn and transferred to humans. Now, the prophets whom Allah Almighty sent for the guidance of humans were also prophets for the jinn. Thus, our Prophet, the Last of the Prophets, was Allah’s messenger for us as well as for the jinn. The mention of the jinn listening to the Quran from you ﷺ is found at this place and also in Surah Al-Jinn. However, traditions indicate that during the Makkan period, about six times such an occasion arose when the jinn listened to the Quran from you ﷺ. We present a few of these traditions. Any differences found among them are only due to the different occasions.
1.
The Jinn Listening to the Quran from Your Tongue:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates: Once, you set out with some of your companions intending to go to the market of ‘Ukaz. In those days, the devils were prevented from receiving news from the heavens, and flaming fire was thrown at them. They returned (to the earth) and said among themselves: What has happened? We are prevented from receiving news from the heavens, and flaming fire is thrown at us. Surely, something must have happened because of which we are prevented from receiving news from the heavens. Now, do this: travel throughout the east and west of the earth and see what new thing has happened. Some of these devils came towards Tihamah (Hijaz) and reached you ﷺ. At that time, you ﷺ were in Nakhla and intended to go to the market of ‘Ukaz. You ﷺ were leading your companions in the Fajr prayer. When those jinn heard the Quran, they listened attentively. Then they said: This is the very thing because of which we have been prevented from receiving news from the heavens. Immediately, they returned to their people and said: ﴿اِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْاٰنًا عَجَبًا...احدا﴾ up to this point, and Allah Almighty revealed Surah Al-Jinn to you ﷺ. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, says that the conversation of the jinn was made known to you through revelation. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير۔ سورة الجن]
2.
The Food of the Jinn:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ narrates: Once, we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when suddenly he disappeared from us. We searched for you ﷺ in the valleys and ravines of the mountains, but could not find you. We thought that the jinn had taken you away or someone had secretly killed you, and we spent the night in great distress. When morning came, we saw that you were coming from the direction of Hira. We said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, last night you disappeared from us, we searched for you but could not find you, so we spent the night in great anxiety. You ﷺ said: A caller from among the jinn came to me, so I went with him and recited the Quran to the jinn. Then they took us with them and showed us their signs and the marks of their fire. Then the jinn asked you for provisions. You ﷺ said: Every bone of an animal slaughtered in the name of Allah is your food. As soon as it falls into your hands, it will become covered with meat. And every dung of a camel is food for your animals. Then you ﷺ said: Do not use bones and dung for istinja (cleaning after relieving oneself), because they are the food of your brothers, the jinn, and their animals. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ says: “I was not with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the night of the jinn, but I always wished I had been with you.” In another narration, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ says that the coming of the jinn to you ﷺ was informed by a tree. [مسلم۔ کتاب الصلوٰۃ۔ باب الجھر بالقرآۃ فی الصبح والقراءۃ علی الجن]
[42] The traditions narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ in various books of hadith indicate that the first appearance of the jinn, which is mentioned in this verse, took place in the valley of Nakhla. According to another narration, this incident occurred when you were returning to Makkah after being disappointed by the people of Ta’if. On the way, you stayed in the valley of Nakhla, and during the ‘Isha, Fajr, or Tahajjud prayer, you were reciting the Quran when a group of jinn passed by and stopped to listen to your recitation. On this occasion, the jinn did not appear before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor did you perceive their arrival, but later Allah Almighty informed you through revelation about their coming and listening to the Quran, as is evident from the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, or the aforementioned hadith number 1.
[43]
Through the Preaching of the Listening Jinn, Many Jinn Embraced Faith:
When this group of jinn heard the Quran, they were greatly affected by it and immediately believed in the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah and in the divine origin of the Quran. (This incident is being narrated to those disbelievers of Makkah who, despite inwardly acknowledging the greatness of the Quran, were determined not to accept it.) These jinn did not just accept faith themselves, but also went to their people and conveyed the message of the Quran to them. Which verses of the Quran did the jinn hear? This is not specified anywhere, but from this verse it appears that they were verses in which the disobedient and polytheists were warned of their evil end. As a result of the preaching of the jinn to their people, a large number of jinn became Muslim, who later continued to come to you in delegations.
[41]
The Population of Jinn on Earth Before Humans:
Out of all the creation of Allah Almighty, there are two types who are obligated to follow the Divine Law: one is the jinn, the other is humans. Before the creation of humans, only the jinn inhabited this earth. Prophets were also sent to them. And just as the majority of humans have remained disobedient to Allah Almighty, so too has the majority of the jinn, and this is still the case.
Afterwards, Prophethood Only Among Humans:
When Allah Almighty created Adam, He made him the noblest of all creation, and the status of the jinn became subordinate to that of humans. The chain of prophethood was closed among the jinn and transferred to humans. Now, the prophets whom Allah Almighty sent for the guidance of humans were also prophets for the jinn. Thus, our Prophet, the Last of the Prophets, was Allah’s messenger for us as well as for the jinn. The mention of the jinn listening to the Quran from you ﷺ is found at this place and also in Surah Al-Jinn. However, traditions indicate that during the Makkan period, about six times such an occasion arose when the jinn listened to the Quran from you ﷺ. We present a few of these traditions. Any differences found among them are only due to the different occasions.
1.
The Jinn Listening to the Quran from Your Tongue:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrates: Once, you set out with some of your companions intending to go to the market of ‘Ukaz. In those days, the devils were prevented from receiving news from the heavens, and flaming fire was thrown at them. They returned (to the earth) and said among themselves: What has happened? We are prevented from receiving news from the heavens, and flaming fire is thrown at us. Surely, something must have happened because of which we are prevented from receiving news from the heavens. Now, do this: travel throughout the east and west of the earth and see what new thing has happened. Some of these devils came towards Tihamah (Hijaz) and reached you ﷺ. At that time, you ﷺ were in Nakhla and intended to go to the market of ‘Ukaz. You ﷺ were leading your companions in the Fajr prayer. When those jinn heard the Quran, they listened attentively. Then they said: This is the very thing because of which we have been prevented from receiving news from the heavens. Immediately, they returned to their people and said: ﴿اِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْاٰنًا عَجَبًا...احدا﴾ up to this point, and Allah Almighty revealed Surah Al-Jinn to you ﷺ. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, says that the conversation of the jinn was made known to you through revelation. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير۔ سورة الجن]
2.
The Food of the Jinn:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ narrates: Once, we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when suddenly he disappeared from us. We searched for you ﷺ in the valleys and ravines of the mountains, but could not find you. We thought that the jinn had taken you away or someone had secretly killed you, and we spent the night in great distress. When morning came, we saw that you were coming from the direction of Hira. We said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, last night you disappeared from us, we searched for you but could not find you, so we spent the night in great anxiety. You ﷺ said: A caller from among the jinn came to me, so I went with him and recited the Quran to the jinn. Then they took us with them and showed us their signs and the marks of their fire. Then the jinn asked you for provisions. You ﷺ said: Every bone of an animal slaughtered in the name of Allah is your food. As soon as it falls into your hands, it will become covered with meat. And every dung of a camel is food for your animals. Then you ﷺ said: Do not use bones and dung for istinja (cleaning after relieving oneself), because they are the food of your brothers, the jinn, and their animals. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ says: “I was not with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the night of the jinn, but I always wished I had been with you.” In another narration, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ says that the coming of the jinn to you ﷺ was informed by a tree. [مسلم۔ کتاب الصلوٰۃ۔ باب الجھر بالقرآۃ فی الصبح والقراءۃ علی الجن]
[42] The traditions narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud ؓ in various books of hadith indicate that the first appearance of the jinn, which is mentioned in this verse, took place in the valley of Nakhla. According to another narration, this incident occurred when you were returning to Makkah after being disappointed by the people of Ta’if. On the way, you stayed in the valley of Nakhla, and during the ‘Isha, Fajr, or Tahajjud prayer, you were reciting the Quran when a group of jinn passed by and stopped to listen to your recitation. On this occasion, the jinn did not appear before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor did you perceive their arrival, but later Allah Almighty informed you through revelation about their coming and listening to the Quran, as is evident from the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, or the aforementioned hadith number 1.
[43]
Through the Preaching of the Listening Jinn, Many Jinn Embraced Faith:
When this group of jinn heard the Quran, they were greatly affected by it and immediately believed in the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah and in the divine origin of the Quran. (This incident is being narrated to those disbelievers of Makkah who, despite inwardly acknowledging the greatness of the Quran, were determined not to accept it.) These jinn did not just accept faith themselves, but also went to their people and conveyed the message of the Quran to them. Which verses of the Quran did the jinn hear? This is not specified anywhere, but from this verse it appears that they were verses in which the disobedient and polytheists were warned of their evil end. As a result of the preaching of the jinn to their people, a large number of jinn became Muslim, who later continued to come to you in delegations.
