Authored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (حفظه الله)
Do jinn possess knowledge of the unseen (ghayb)?
Only Allah Almighty is the Knower of the unseen.
Whoever claims to possess knowledge of the unseen is a liar.
Allah Almighty says:
"وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَاهَا رُجُومًا لِّلشَّيَاطِينِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابَ السَّعِيرِ"
"Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles for the devils, and We have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze."
[Sūrah al-Mulk: 5]
This means the sky has been adorned with stars, and even with meteors, through which devils (shayāṭīn) are repelled.
Allah further states:
"فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ"
"Then when We decreed death for him (Sulaymān), nothing indicated to them his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff. But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating torment."
[Sūrah Saba’: 14]
Sayyiduna Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
The companions of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told me that one night they were sitting with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when a shooting star flashed and lit up the sky. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked:
"When something like this occurs, what do you say?"
They replied: "We say that either a great personality has been born or passed away."
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"This star is not thrown because of someone’s birth or death, but rather, when our Lord decrees a matter, the angels who carry the Throne glorify Him, and the inhabitants of the heavens near them continue glorifying Him, until the praise reaches the inhabitants of the heaven closest to the earth. Then the angels inquire of one another about what their Lord said. Eventually, the news reaches the lowest heaven. The jinn try to eavesdrop on this news and pass it to their friends. Whatever truth they hear is real, but they mix it with lies and additions."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth No. 2229]
Conclusion:
Jinn do not possess knowledge of the unseen. They steal snippets of heavenly information but mix truth with lies, and even that is limited and flawed.
❖ Question:
Do jinn possess knowledge of the unseen (ghayb)?
❖ Answer:
Only Allah Almighty is the Knower of the unseen.
Whoever claims to possess knowledge of the unseen is a liar.
Allah Almighty says:
"وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَاهَا رُجُومًا لِّلشَّيَاطِينِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابَ السَّعِيرِ"
"Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles for the devils, and We have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze."
[Sūrah al-Mulk: 5]This means the sky has been adorned with stars, and even with meteors, through which devils (shayāṭīn) are repelled.
Allah further states:
"فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ"
"Then when We decreed death for him (Sulaymān), nothing indicated to them his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff. But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating torment."
[Sūrah Saba’: 14]
Sayyiduna Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
The companions of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told me that one night they were sitting with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when a shooting star flashed and lit up the sky. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked:
"When something like this occurs, what do you say?"
They replied: "We say that either a great personality has been born or passed away."
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"This star is not thrown because of someone’s birth or death, but rather, when our Lord decrees a matter, the angels who carry the Throne glorify Him, and the inhabitants of the heavens near them continue glorifying Him, until the praise reaches the inhabitants of the heaven closest to the earth. Then the angels inquire of one another about what their Lord said. Eventually, the news reaches the lowest heaven. The jinn try to eavesdrop on this news and pass it to their friends. Whatever truth they hear is real, but they mix it with lies and additions."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth No. 2229]
Conclusion:
Jinn do not possess knowledge of the unseen. They steal snippets of heavenly information but mix truth with lies, and even that is limited and flawed.
