The Jinn — Verse 8

The jinn say And we made for the heaven we desired to listen by stealth but we found it filled with mighty guards from among the angels and meteors scorching stars this was at the time of the sending of the Prophet s.

وأنَّا- معشر الجن- طلبنا بلوغ السماء؛ لاستماع كلام أهلها، فوجدناها مُلئت بالملائكة الكثيرين الذين يحرسونها، وبالشهب المحرقة التي يُرمى بها مَن يقترب منها.

يخبر تعالى عن الجن حين بعث الله رسوله محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم وأنزل عليه القرآن وكان من حفظه له أن السماء ملئت حرسا شديد وحفظت من سائر أرجائها.

قبل أن يؤمنوا فقال : ( وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السمآء فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَساً شَدِيداً وَشُهُباً . وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الآن يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَاباً رَّصَداً ) .وقوله : ( لَمَسْنَا ) من اللمس ، وحقيقته الجس واليد ، واستعير هنا ، لطلب أخبار السماء ، لأن الماس للشئ فى العادة ، إنما يفعل ذلك طلبا لاختباره ومعرفته .والحرس : اسم جمع للحراس ، كخدم وكخدام ، والشهب : جمع شهاب ، وهو القطعة التى تنفصل عن بعض النجوم ، فتسقط فى الجو أو على الأرض أو فى البحر .أى : وأنا طلبنا أخباء السماء كما هى عادتنا قبل أن نؤمن ( فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَساً شَدِيداً وَشُهُباً ) أى : فوجدناها قد امتلأت بالحراس الأشداء من الملائكة الذين يحرسونها من استراق السمع . . كما أنا قد وجدناها قد امتلأت بالشهب التى تنقض على مسترقى السمع فتحرقهم .

وقوله: (وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ ) يقول عزّ وجلّ مخبرا عن قيل هؤلاء النفر: وأنا طلبنا السماء وأردناها، (فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ ) يقول: فوجدناها ملئت (حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا ) يعني حفظة (وَشُهُبًا ) وهي جمع شهاب، وهي النجوم التي كانت تُرجم بها الشياطين.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا ابن حميد، قال: ثنا جرير، عن مغيرة، عن زياد، عن سعيد بن جُبير، قال: كانت الجنّ تستمع، فلما رجموا قالوا: إن هذا الذي حدث في السماء لشيء حدث في الأرض؛ قال: فذهبوا يطلبون حتى رأُوا النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خارجا من سوق عكاظ يصلي بأصحابه الفجر، فذهبوا إلى قومهم مُنذرين.

"وأنا"، تقول الجن: "لمسنا السماء"، قال الكلبي: السماء الدنيا، "فوجدناها ملئت حرساً شديداً"، من الملائكة، "وشهباً"، من النجوم.

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا (8) قرأ الجمهور ووافقهم أبو جعفر بكسر الهمزة . وقرأ ابن عامر وحمزة والكسائي وحفص وخلف بفتح الهمزة عطفاً على المجرور بالباء فيكون من عطفه على المجرور بالباء هو قوله : { فمن يستمع الآن يجدْ له شهاباً رصداًوالتأكيد ب ( إنَّ ) في قولهم : وإنّا لمسنا السماء } لغرابة الخبر باعتبار ما يليه من قوله : { وإنّا كنا نقعد منها مقاعد للسمع } الخ .واللمس : حقيقته الجس باليد ، ويطلق مجازاً على اختبار أمر لأن إحساس اليد أقوى إحساس ، فشبه به الاختيار على طريق الاستعارة كما أطلق مُرادفه وهو المس على الاختبار في قول يزيد بن الحكم الكلابي :مَسسنا من الآباءِ شَيئاً فكلُّنا ... إلى نَسب في قَومه غير واضعأي اختبرنا نسب آبائنا وآبائكم فكنا جميعاً كرامَ الآباء .و { ملئت } : مستعمل في معنى كثُر فيها . وحقيقة الملء عَمْر فراغ المكان أو الإِناء بما يحل فيه ، فأطلق هنا على كثرة الشهب والحُراس على وجه الاستعارة .والحَرس : اسم جمع للحُرَّاس ولا واحد له من لفظه مثل خدَم ، وإنما يعرف الواحد منه بالحَرَسِيِّ . ووصف بشديد وهو مفرد نظراً إلى لفظ حرس كما يقال : السلف الصالح ، ولو نُظر إلى ما يتضمنه من الآحاد لجاز أن يقال : شِداد . والطوائف من الحَرس أحراس .والشهب : جمع شهاب وهو القطعة التي تنفصل عن بعض النجوم فتسقط في الجو أو في الأرض أو البحر وتكون مُضاءة عند انفصالها ثم يزول ضوؤها ببعدها عن مقابلة شعاع الشمس وتسمى الواحد منها عند علماء الهيئة نَيْزَكاً باسم الرمح القصير ، وقد تقدم الكلام عليها في أول سورة الصافات .والمعنى : إننا اختبرنا حال السماء لاستراق السمع فوجدناها كثيرة الحراس من الملائكة وكثيرة الشهب للرَّجم ، فليس في الآية ما يؤخذ منه أن الشهب لم تكن قبل بعث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كما ظنه الجاحظ فإن العرب ذكروا تساقط الشهب في بعض شعرهم في الجاهلية . كما قال في «الكشاف» وذكر شواهده من الشعر الجاهلي .نعم يؤخذ منها أن الشهب تكاثرت في مدة الرسالة المحمدية حفظاً للقرآن من دسائس الشياطين كما دل عليه قوله عقبه { وإنا كنا نقعد منها مقاعد للسمع فمن يستمع الآن يجد له شهاباً رصداً } وسيأتي بيان ذلك .وهذا الكلام توطئة وتمهيد لقولهم بعده : { وإنا كنا نقعد منها مقاعد للسمع } إلى آخره ، إذ المقصود أن يخبروا من لا خبر عنده من نوعهم بأنهم قد تبينوا سبب شدة حراسة السماء وكثرة الشهب ، وأما نفس الحراسة وكثرة الشهب فإن المخبرين ( بفتح الباء ) يشاهدونه .وقوله : { وإنا كنا نقعد منها مقاعد للسمع } الخ قرأه بكسر الهمزة الذين قرأوا بالكسر قوله : { وإنّا لمسنا السماء } وبفتح الهمزة الذين قرأوا بالفتح وهذا من تمام قولهم : { وإنّا لمسنا السماء فوجدناها ملئت حرساً شديداً وشهباً } .

{ وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ } أي: أتيناها واختبرناها، { فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا } عن الوصول إلى أرجائها [والدنو منها]، { وَشُهُبًا } يرمى بها من استرق السمع، وهذا بخلاف عادتنا الأولى، فإنا كنا نتمكن من الوصول إلى خبر السماء.

قوله تعالى : وأنا لمسنا السماء هذا من قول الجن ; أي طلبنا خبرها كما جرت عادتنا فوجدناها قد ملئت حرسا شديدا أي حفظة ، يعني الملائكة . والحرس : جمع حارس وشهبا جمع شهاب ، وهو انقضاض الكواكب المحرقة لهم عن استراق السمع . وقد مضى القول فيه في سورة ( الحجر ) ( والصافات ) . و ( وجد ) يجوز أن يقدر متعديا إلى مفعولين ، فالأول الهاء والألف ، و ملئت في موضع المفعول الثاني . ويجوز أن يتعدى إلى مفعول واحد ويكون ملئت في موضع الحال على إضمار قد . و ( حرسا ) نصب على المفعول الثاني ب " ملئت " . وشديدا من نعت الحرس ، أي ملئت ملائكة شدادا . ووحد الشديد على لفظ الحرس ; وهو كما يقال : السلف الصالح بمعنى الصالحين ، وجمع السلف أسلاف وجمع الحرس أحراس ; قال :تجاوزت أحراسا وأهوال معشر[ ص: 13 ] ويجوز أن يكون " حرسا " مصدرا على معنى حرست حراسة شديدة .

The jinn who heard the Quran not only accepted it immediately, but also became its propagators. This shows that whenever a true discourse reaches the ears of living people, it creates a two-fold effect—first, an open-hearted admission of its truth and second, a willingness to propagate its teachings.

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَ‌سًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا (...and that we sought [ to reach ] the sky, but we found it filled with stern guards and flames....72:8). The word sama' is used in two different senses: 'sky' as well as 'cloud'. It would appear that here the word is used in the latter sense. The Jinn Used to Go only up to the Clouds to Eavesdrop, Not to the Sky The Jinn and the devils used to go up to the sky means that they used to go to the 'clouds', take up positions there to sit and eavesdrop. The proof of this is found in Sahih of Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ عنہا who reports: سمعت رسول اللہ ﷺ یقول ان الملایٔکۃ تنزل فی العَنَان و ھو السحاب فتذکر الامر الذی قضی فی السماء فتسترق الشّیاطین السمع فتسمعہ فتتوجّہ الی الکُھّان فیکذبون معھا مایٔۃ کذبۃ من عند انفسھم (اس مظھری) " I have heard the Messenger of Allah say that the angels descended in the 'anan of sama' meaning the 'cloud'. There they discussed the decisions Allah has issued in the sky. The devils listened to their private conversations without them knowing about it and passed the information to the soothsayers, mixing it with a hundred lies from their side."' [ Mazhari ]. A narration is record in Sahih of Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ and in Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما to the following effect: When Allah issues an order in the sky, the angels flap their wings in readiness to obey the order. When the issuance of the order is over, they discuss among themselves. The devils eavesdrop on this discussion, and pass the information to the soothsayers, admixing it with many lies. This Hadith apparently contradicts the narration of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ but in actual fact, there is no conflict between the two narratives. This narrative does not prove that the devils go inside the sky to eavesdrop. Probably, when the order is issued in the first instance by Allah, it filters down to the angels from the upper level to the lower level, until the angels come down to the cloud where they discuss it. The devils steal the information from here as mentioned by Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ [ Mazhari ]. At any rate, before the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the Jinn and devils had free access to the heavenly information. They used to position themselves in the cloud and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels and pass the information to the soothsayers. At the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، there arose the need to protect the heavenly revelation. As a result, the access of devils to the upper region was stopped in such a way that if a devil attempted to go up, he would be repelled by piercing flames. This was the new phenomenon that excited the curiosity of the devils and Jinn and, dividing themselves into groups, they went to the east and to the west to investigate. One of the groups arrived at a place called Nakhlah where its members heard the Qur'an and embraced the faith of Islam as mentioned in Surah Al-Jinn. Meteors Existed Since the Inception of Time, but were not Used to Repel the Devils before the Advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It happened only after his Advent A doubt that may arise here is that the existence of Meteors, which in common parlance are called inqidad-ul-kaukab the 'falling stars', is not a new phenomenon. This verse, however, indicates that they showed up to repel the devils as if they are new-age phenomena of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . In response, it may be stated that there is no denying that the meteors did exist since the inception of time and space before the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and that there is no contradiction between what humanity experienced since the beginning of the world, scientific explanations and the Qur'anic statement. Philosophers and scientists explain that the meteors may originate from the earth or stars or disintegrating planets, and wander in space at enormous speeds and fall to the earth. Some fiery matter may arise from the surface of the earth and heat up at some point, or the speed of the meteors makes them glow and burn, or a flame emits from a star - and this may have habitually continued ever since. These flames, however, were not used to serve a particular purpose before the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ; they were merely a natural phenomena. After the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، meteoric flames were used to serve the purpose of shooting the devils if they attempted to go up and listen furtively the conversation of the angels. See also Ma` ariful Qur’ an, Vol. 5/pp 303-305, under [ 15:17-18].

Allah then went back to the talk of the jinn, saying: (And (the jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven) before we accepted faith (but had found it filled with strong warders) angels (and meteors) preventing them from listening.

The Jinns stealing Information from the Sky before the the Messenger ﷺ was sent and striking Them with flaming Fire after His Coming. Allah informs about the Jinns when He sent His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and revealed the Qur'an to him. Among the ways He protected it (the Qur'an) was by filling sky with stern guards guarding it from all of its sides. The devils were then expelled from the places where they used to sit prior to that. This was so that they could not steal anything from the Qur'an and tell it to the soothsayers, thereby causing matters to be confused and mixed up. If this happened it would not be known who was being truthful. Allah did this out of His kindness to His creation, His mercy upon His servants and His protection of His Mighty Book (the Qur'an). This is why the Jinns said, وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدْنَـهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَساً شَدِيداً وَشُهُباً - وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَـعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الاٌّنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَاباً رَّصَداً (And we have sought to reach the heaven; but found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.) meaning, whoever would like to steal some information by listening, he will find a flaming fire waiting in ambush for him. It will not pass him or miss him, but it will wipe him out and destroy him completely. وَأَنَّا لاَ نَدْرِى أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَداً (And we know not whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends for them guidance.) meaning, `we do not know if this -- the matter which has occurred in the sky -- is intended for those who are in the earth or if their Lord intends some guidance for them.' They stated this in such a manner out of their etiquette in phrasing their speech, because they did not attribute the doing of evil to anyone and they attributed the good to Allah. Verily, it has been recorded in the Sahih, «وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْك» (And evil is not attributed to You (Allah).) It used to be that shooting stars (meteors) occurred before this, however it did not happen much, rather only occasionally. As was reported in the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas when he said, "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a shooting star flashed in the sky. So the Prophet said, «مَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ فِي هَذَا؟» (What did you all used to say about this) We replied, "We used to say that a great person has been born and a great person has died." The Prophet said, «لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ إِذَا قَضَى الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاء» (This is not so, rather whenever Allah decrees a matter in the heaven...)" and then he went on to narrate the rest of the Hadith which we have already mentioned in its entirety in Surah Saba'. This is what caused them to seek the reason for this occurrence. So they set out searching in the east and the west. Then they found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting (the Qur'an) while leading his Companions in prayer. Thus, they knew that this Qur'an was the reason for the sky being guarded. Therefore, some among them believed in it and the others became more rebellious in their transgression. A discussion of this has preceded in a Hadith of Ibn `Abbas concerning Allah's statement in Surat Al-Ahqaf, وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَآ إِلَيْكَ نَفَراً مِّنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ (And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad ﷺ) a group of the Jinn (quietly) listening to the Qur'an.) (46:29) There is no doubt that when so many shooting stars began appearing in the sky, it horrified humans and Jinns alike. They were very disturbed and alarmed by it. They thought that it was the destruction of the world. As-Suddi said, "The sky was never guarded except if there was a Prophet in the earth or the religion of Allah was victorious and dominant in the earth." So the devils before the time of Muhammad ﷺ had taken sitting stations for themselves in the heaven of this world and they would listen to the matters that occurred in the heaven. But when Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ as a Prophet and Messenger, they were suddenly pelted one night (with the flaming, shooting stars). So the people of Ta'if were frightened because of this and they began to say, `The dwellers of the sky have been destroyed.' This was because they saw the severe fires in the sky and the shooting flames. They began freeing their servants and abandoning their luxuries. So `Abd Yalayl bin `Amr bin `Umayr said to them and he was referred to for judgement among them "Woe to you O people of Ta'if! Hold on to your wealth and look at these guiding stars in the sky.If you see them remaining in their place, then the dwellers of the sky have not been destroyed, rather this has happened because of Ibn Abi Kabshah (-- meaning Muhammad ﷺ). And if you look and see that you can no longer see these stars, then verily the dwellers of the sky have been destroyed." So, they looked and saw that the stars still remained, and thus, they kept their wealth. The devils also were frightened during that night. They went to Iblis and informed him of what happened to them. So he (Iblis) said, "Bring me a handful of dirt from every land so that I may smell it." So they brought it and he smelled it and said, "It is your friend in Makkah." Then he sent a group of seven Jinns to Makkah, and they found the Prophet of Allah standing in prayer in Al-Masjid Al-Haram while reciting the Qur'an. They drew near to him eager to hear the Qur'an, until their chests almost pressed against him. Then they accepted Islam and Allah revealed their matter to His Messenger . We have mentioned this chapter in its entirety in the first section of the Kitab As-Sirah with lengthy discussion. Allah knows best and unto Him is all praise and blessings.