.jpg)
Welcome
Friends: Ahlan
wa sahlan!
Yusuf
Ali’s explanation of this
Chapter.
Muhammad
Asad’s explanation of this
Chapter.
NEW:
Laleh Bakhtiar’s explanation of this
Chapter.
سورة
الجن
‘Those
Imperceptible/ The Unseen Beings’
From
Introduction of Yusuf Ali:
‘This
is a late Makkan Surah, of which we can be tolerably certain of the
date. It was two years before Hijrah, when the Prophet, despised and
rejected in his native city of Makkah, went to evangelize the lordly
men of Taif. They maltreated him and nearly killed him; what caused
him even greater pain was the maltreatment of the humble and lowly
men who went with him. Tabari has handed down that memorable Prayer
of faith and humility which he offered in the midst of his
suffering. On his return journey to Makkah, a glorious vision was
revealed to him---hidden spiritual forces working for
him---people not known to him accepting his mission while his own
people were still rejecting him. Within two months some strangers
from Madinah had privately met him and laid the foundation of
Hijrah which was to change the fate of Arabia and the course of world
history.’
From
Introduction of Muhammad Asad:
‘REVEALED
not later than during the last two years of the Prophet's sojourn in
Mecca, this surah takes its name from the plural noun al-jinn in the
first verse.’
COMMENTS:
No
doubt the earliest Recipients of the Qur’an understood the various
subjects this word ‘jinn’ referred to, which is one reason why
the Qur’an does not explain much. Note that both Yusuf Ali
and Muhammad Asad tell us in their commentaries that this could ALSO
refer to people who, unbeknownst to the Messenger, had accepted his
Message.
So,
does the word ‘Jinn’ here, refer to people who may be incognito,
OR to ‘unseen living-forces’?
Today,
we are so far removed from these incidents that only God knows.
I’ll leave it to you, dear Reader, to make up your mind about this
(if you wish to. Or else leave it open as I am doing for now).
We
have to remember however, that as Islam came to incorporate other
cultures and traditions, and people reverted to their superstitions
and fears, the word ‘jinn,’ which simply means ‘unapparent/
concealed/ unseen,’ came to mean only one thing in their minds,
taking ‘Muslims’ back hundreds of years to Biblical
connotations.
To
summarize the entire subject:
When
we base our study on the MEANING of ‘janna’ and on Qur’anic
CONTEXT, we conclude that:
· ‘JINN’
sometimes refers to PEOPLE who may be temporarily ‘incognito’ to
others, or who operate covertly, and go undetected or unregistered at
a given time.
Example: Those who
came covertly
to listen to the Qur’an, mentioned in HQ 46:29,
discussed earlier. See below ([i]).
We might interact
with such persons, and should try to be aware of them in case they
intend to harm us physically, psychologically, or socially (see HQ
113, 114).
Note:
Transgressing PEOPLE may be called
‘sheyaTeen’ (plural) as is plainly obvious in HQ 2:14; 6:112.
· ‘JINN’
sometimes refers to MICRO-ORGANISMS which the naked eye cannot see
(such as germs), and NOCTURNAL insects and animals (bugs, bats,
snakes, scorpions, mice) which may escape our sight.
We might interact
with such organisms/pests, and should take precaution so that their
natural instincts and tendencies do not cause us bodily harm.
Examples: The
Prophet warned his followers that, unlike stones, bones DO sustain
‘jinn’ and should never be used to rub one’s skin.
Also, the famous
‘Hadeeth’ about covering utensils, closing water-skins, and
keeping children close at night, since nighttime is when the ‘jinn’
spread out ([ii]).
Note:
Transgressing ORGANISMS may be called
‘sheyaTeen’ (plural) as is obvious in the retelling of the same
above Prophetic Hadeeth, from a different source, using ‘sheyaTeen’
instead of ‘jinn.’ And there also are other sayings using
these two terms interchangeably (remember that Prophetic Sayings can
-and often were- narrated by meaning, NOT word for word, narrators
switching words as understood or remembered).
· ‘JAAN’
(appearing 7
times in Qur’an) refers to a category of BEINGS who are beyond
our detection in this life, having been created from energy/ fire in
its purest form. Some of them, trustworthy and above reproach, have
been charged with certain affairs related to our existence.
These trustees are called CUSTODIANS/ Malaa-ikah/ Angels.’
Custodians/ Angels
seek to provide various services for us, attempting to raise our
levels of performance and help us realize potential as Cognizant
Beings. They transmit positivity.
‘Jaan’
are also referred to sometimes as ‘Jinn,’ seeing that they are
imperceptible to us (so ‘angels’ are ‘Jinn,’ as early
scholars have noted ([iii]).
Besides
the ‘Custodians/ Angels,’ there seem to be other ‘jinn’ who
do not share their title and duties, but are nevertheless compliant
with God’s commands.
Juxtaposed to
them, are the ‘deviant/ transgressors/ sheyaTeen,’ whose
figurehead, The ‘SheyTaan’
(in the singular)
we are constantly warned of.
Before ‘SheyTaan’
earned this title, he was ‘Iblees, whose position was either ‘with’
or ‘one of’ the ‘Custodian/ Angels’ commanded to show
deference to ‘Adam.’ He was considered a ‘jinn’ among
them, worshipping God as they all did, whilst covertly harboring
insurmountable Arrogance.
We do NOT interact
with ‘Jaan’ (we do not relate), and seem only to be influenced
indirectly by them, depending on the receptiveness of our own
channels of positivity or negativity. This is why the Qur’an,
which has given us advice on everything in life and trained us on how
best to deal with people, has NOT given us any resources or defenses
against this kind of ‘SheyTaans’ other than Honesty,
exercises in raising our Awareness (including prayer, fasting,
healthy family relationships, staying away from intoxicants), and
seeking Refuge in God.
What some might
consider a demonic ‘apparition’ is a projection of their minds.
What some might consider ‘possession’ by a ‘sheyTaan’ is a
mental disease. When mental diseases didn’t have names, they were
called ‘possession.’ The first community to do something about
mental disease was ‘Muslim.’ The age-old Arabic word
‘majnoon’ is so accurate (it also appears in Qur’an): It
means literally ‘afflicted by the imperceptible.’ Does it
surprise us then to know that the first mental hospital in the world
was founded in Baghdad in 765 AD, during what were the ‘Dark Ages’
of Europe?
Perhaps many
Readers would be even more surprised to know that belief in demons is
getting a come-back now, even in the western world, and that
‘exorcisms’ are now being repackaged and resold as ‘Devil
Detox.’ Go figure.
Back to our
subject:
· The
SheyaTeen/ Transgressors (human
and otherwise) seek to do us a DISservice, attempting to lower our
levels of performance and help us fall
way below our potential as
Cognizant Beings.
THE
SheyTaan (singular) is our avowed enemy,
and is
someone whom WE should consider an enemy (HQ
35:6).
If we are NOT
careful, we might be seduced by him, drifting further and further
away from our better selves, destroying our happiness in this life
and our chances for happiness in the Hereafter.
How does he seduce
us?
By ‘waswaas/
whispering suggestions’ which play on our natural weaknesses and
tendencies and affect us WHEN WE ARE RECEPTIVE TO THEM.
The more aware
we are, the less receptive to negativity, which is another reason why
AWARENESS IS ALWAYS OUR AIM (put ‘awareness taqwa’ in ‘Search’).
TIP:
The best way to
help widen our channels for positivity, and narrow our channels for
negativity is by EXERTING and RECEIVING positivity through:
· Our
relationship with God (Salaah).
· Self-betterment
(tazkiyat nafs).
· Helping
others.
This is why
performing
‘jihaad/ positive self-exertion
in Wealth
and Self is SO important, There can be no ‘jihaad’ without
day-by-day perseverance, and that is what leads to spiritual Growth!
1. In
the first verse we find the Messenger being commanded to proclaim
that he had received exclusive information (waHi/وحي)
with regard to those who had COVERTLY listened to Qur’an, and had
announced their wonder at it (note that they had referred to it by
name as ‘Qur’an’. It is interesting to note that, even if
the Prophet had known of their presence, he couldn’t have known of
their private conversation, revealed to the world in these verses).
In
Verses 2- 3, we find these ‘covert attendees’ not only
acknowledging the guiding purpose
of the Qur’an, but also its success
when they announce that they
have attained Faith in it, and shall not associate any partners to
their Lord who, exalted and esteemed as He is, did NOT take unto
Himself neither companion (f) nor child.
In
Verses 4- 5 they mention the ‘weak of judgment/ safeeh/سفيهنا’
among them, who had
been saying ‘deviance/شططا’
(outrageous
allegations) about God, (deviances) which they themselves had
believed when they (wrongly) presumed that neither ‘Ins nor Jinn’
would tell Falsehood about God.
2. In
Verses 6-7 they say that ‘active individuals/ rijaal’ from among
the ‘Ins’ used to seek refuge in similar individuals from among
the ‘Jinn,’ who would only increase them in ‘overbearing lies’/
rahaq/ رهقا ([vi]).
They add that they were all sharing the presumption that God was not
going to ‘raise’ anyone (as Messenger from among the people).
See Verse 7 (Asad’s
interpretation). Note that he thinks that they are Jews who
had just realized that they had been constantly LIED TO by their
rabbis, and he also refers to their dealing with the occult.
3. I
think that Verses 8- 10 are the main reason why ‘Jinn’ have come
to mean ‘supernatural beings’ to the general public (while anyone
who reads ‘tafseer’ will note that the word ‘lamasa’ is
explained as ‘to seek/ probe’ ([vii]),
and NOT ‘to touch,’ with which ‘probing the sky’ becomes
acceptable. Also, when the Qur’an indicates actual ‘touching
by hand,’ it says so clearly: ‘…so
they touched it with
their hands…لمسوه
بأيديهم
HQ:
6:7).
Furthermore,
shouldn’t someone
have noticed that the ‘listening’ in Verse 9 seems directly
related to the ‘listening’ in HQ
52: 38, which is clearly about the Deniers of Qureish, and NOT
about Jinn at all?
Back
to context:
The
‘covert attendees’ describe their ‘probe’ into space, and say
that they suddenly found changes there: They used to set up
positions earlier to listen (to space), but now, they find it
abounding with ‘severe guard’ حرسا
and fiery flame شهبا
, the latter
thwarting their probe.
They
wonder at what was intended for the inhabitants of this earth, be it
something bad, or did their Lord intend for them ‘rashada’ (a
direct, straightforward path to guidance).
Then,
in Verses 11- 13 they speak of themselves, indicating that they are
comprised of Doers-of-Good, and others less than that; they were of
varying ways. They believe that they cannot elude God on earth
or escape Him in any way, and that when they heard (this) Guidance
they had faith in it, for whoever has faith in his Lord has no fear
of being wronged or over-charged.
Q.
Were these individuals ‘supernatural,’ or were they people who
used to read events via astrology, which was very common at the time?
A. As
we go on, it seems more and more to be the latter; the next verses
are also important.
4. In
Verses 14- 15 they acknowledge that some of them are ‘Muslim/ Free
of fault or defect/ Pure in reverence to God and behavior,’ while
others are ‘QaasiT.’
QaasiT
is about meting out ِjustice
UNEQUALLY to people; it’s about bias in one’s justice system;
it’s about some people having rights that others don’t.
Aside:
Perhaps that is
another reason why Muhammad Asad thought these ‘Jinn’ were Jews
at the time, seeing that they believed they were the ‘chosen’ of
God, and what applied to others did not apply to them (and we know
how that played in the Zionist ideology and history of the
Middle-East, to this present day). But honestly, isn’t this a
common malady EVERYONE should overcome?
We already know
that Qureish treated non-Meccans differently, always showing
superiority over them.
As for the rest of
the world, well, wasn’t social discrimination ‘the norm’ at the
time? Take a look at serfdom in Medieval Europe, at the history
of the ‘class system’ in the Far East, and at the caste
system in India.
Didn't
‘Christians’ feel so ‘superior,’ that they thought little
about killing millions of indigenous people all over the world?
Didn't the Catholic Church propagate the pursuit of ‘Holy’ wars
and Crusades ([viii])?
Didn't ‘Muslims’
–more so after their initial Golden Age- often feel the same,
calling themselves ‘chosen’ and applying ‘legal’ rulings
prejudicially?
What about the polarization going on today,
with most everyone becoming more and more prejudicial?
When
people are UNJUST to each other in the application of ‘legal’
measures, they are ‘QaasiT.’ No wonder the next verse
throws such persons straight into the Abyss of ‘Jahannam,’ making
them its ‘fire-wood!!’
What
I find interesting here, is that this seems to be the Jinn’s
closing statement, meaning that those who had come to listen to
Qur’an، were
speaking about themselves and their compatriots, and they KNEW the
consequence of injustice.
Notes:
QaasiT:
'QaasiT'
(appearing here) denotes an UNfavorable attribute, and is from the
root-verb 'qaSaTa.'
‘MuqSiT’
(appearing in other verses) denotes a FAVORABLE attribute, and is
from the same
root-verb, 'qaSaTa.'
‘QaasiT’
and ‘MuqSiT’ are OPPOSITES, denoting being inequitable (unfair)
or equitable (even-handed)
in one's personal justice system and in dealing with others.
‘MuqSiTs’
are loved by God HQ
5:42; 49:9; 60:8), whereas 'QaasiTs'
shall be the 'firewood' of 'Jahannam' .
Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that
the term ‘QaasiT’
appears here in OPPOSITION to ‘Muslim:’
MUSLIM:
I think we should elaborate today on the the term ‘Muslim,’ which
is a general assessment about being ‘free of fault/ defect.’
- When limited to FAITH , 'Muslim' is about ‘pure reverence to God.’
- When it refers to BEHAVIOR, 'Muslim' is about being 'free of fault/ defect' in that respect as well.In our verse today, context tells us that it is about being ‘free of fault’ in one’s personal justice system.
Readers
will remember that a few posts ago, in HQ
68:35, we encountered the term ‘Mujrim’
presented in OPPOSITION to ‘Muslim.’
Although
we had explained ‘Muslim’ at the time as ‘purely reverent, a
second look at context now tells us that our understanding should
have expanded to include being
‘free of fault’ in 'tasbeeH,' in one's motivation. We
should be motivated towards God
by serving others, rather than being motivated by 'self-service'
(remember, it came right after the story of the harvesters who sought
to prevent the poor from any part of their crop).
5. In
Verses 16 -19 the Qur’an elaborates on the subject, although it now
switches to the ‘voice of God:’
Had
they (the ‘QaasiT/ unfair' individuals) ‘straightened themselves’
on The ‘Tareeqah/ Approach’طريقة
[ix]-
they would have been given to drink of abundant water.
Dear
Reader:
What
is THE 'Tareeqah,' other than staying true to the previous Message
they had mentioned, in its original untampered form?
And
of what benefit could 'abundant drinking-water' be to Jinn, unless
they are human?
The
verses continue, saying that:
(We
would do that so as) to try them with it, for whoever turns aside
from the Remembrance of God shall be ‘caught’ in rising
Suffering. All ‘places/ forms’ of ‘reverence/
prostration’ are (owed) to God, therefore you (all) should not call
on anyone else, with God.
And
when God’s Worshipper rose to 'call upon Him (God),' they nearly
became ‘compressed/ concentrated’ UPON him عليه
(in
their numbers- see ‘dense/لبد’
(see
Yusuf Ali’s interpretation).
Note that here, Muhammad, peace upon him, is referred to simply as
'God's Worshipper'; neither by his title as 'Prophet' (indicating
superiority among others), nor by his title as 'Messenger'
(indicating that he was relaying the Message). He was simply calling
upon God when they gathered upon him, and the Qur'an draws attention
to that fact.
So,
who is 'they' referring to, and were they 'thronging' him in
appreciation, or 'mobbing' him?
- Most Commentators read the pronoun 'they' as most probably referring to Qureish, who were near-mobbing the Messenger whenever he recited Qur'an or prayed, similar to HQ 70: 36-37.{ فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ } * { عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ }
- A few Commentators have posited that it could be referring to 'non-human Jinn,' invisibly 'thronging' upon him in their desire to listen to Qur'an.But the the noun 'QaasiT' precedes the 4 pronouns 'they' which follow.Furthermore, the next verses tell the Messenger how to respond in the face of RELUCTANCE at accepting his Message.It therefore seems that the pronoun 'they' here refers to the 'QaasiT' individuals of Qureish, and NOT to the Jinn who were 'Muslim' and had come in faith!Back to our verses:
The
following three Verses 20- 22 all begin with the command 'Say:' as
the Messenger is told how to respond to the reluctance of his
listeners.
- He is told to state to them, that all he is doing, is calling upon his Lord, associating none with Him.
- And that he neither possesses to harm, nor to guide them.
- And that he himself has no one to save him from God, and would never find any sanctuary other than Him, except in the Proclamation (of what he receives) from God, and the elucidation of His Messages (xi).
Here
again we 'hear' the 'voice' of God, loud and clear, commanding his
Messenger to say something, and his Messenger complying.
These
verses show listeners that Muhammad is simply a 'worshipper of God,'
and is as vulnerable as anyone else, and also as culpable WERE HE to
disobey God. Unlike them, however, his responsibility is far more
serious than theirs: His responsibility is in the proclamation of
God's Message, whether people believed or not!
After
stating this important fact in Verse 23, the verse goes on: It also
states that, for whomever disobeys God AND His Messenger, there shall
indeed be the Fire of the Abyss (Jahannam), where they (he and
others) shall be 'stuck fast/ khalid' 'indefinitely/ for an extensive
period of time'أبد (xii).
Verse 24: It is when they actually see what they were promised, that
they shall 'mark/ know' who is of less support and fewer numbers
(they, listeners who were thronging upon him, OR him and his
followers).
This
shows us how 'weak' the Messenger must have seemed at the time. But
he wasn't. He was aided by God, who was informing him at his weakest
moment that there were strangers who had been listening to him, had
appreciated his Message, and had then gone and convinced many of
their own to believe in it! Not only that, but that he should
deliver an ultimatum to his own people, that this Message shall be
supported by strength and followers, and that they'd better get on
board, because others definitely shall be doing so.
Dear
Reader: This Chapter being a precursor to the Emigration to Yathrib,
were those who listened covertly here, perhaps a group from Yethrib?
Perhaps Jewish, or others who were very familiar with the faith?
Take
a look for yourself at the descriptions of their acts, after putting
various words in the search-engine and seeing their Qur’anic
context (‘listened/
استمع’,
‘forth-going group/نفر),
and also how the mention of of ‘jinn’ in Chapter
46 relates to our verses today, and they called their fellow
'citizens: 'Ya
Qawmanaيا
قومنا'...
Oh Our People! This is either one incident, mentioned twice, or
refers to two similar incidents with the SAME KIND OF VISITORS.
Muhammad
Asad says:
“All
this leads one to the assumption that they may have been Jews from
distant parts of what is now the Arab world, perhaps from Syria or
even Mesopotamia. (Tabari mentions in several places that the jinn
referred to in
his surah as well as in 46:29 ff. hailed from
Nasibin, a town on the upper reaches of the Euphrates.) I should,
however, like to stress that my explanation of this occurrence is
purely tentative.”
Dear
Reader, I must say the same: Mine too must remain a TENTATIVE
explanation. Today, ONLY God knows who these 'jinn' really were.
After
this Chapter had mentioned the Jinn's covert attendance, AND their
thoughts, AND what they went and confided to their own people, AND
their choices, AND what was to be the result of their choices, Verses
25- 28 conclude, as the Messenger is commanded to make three
clarifying statements about himself, about his Lord, and about the
Messages entrusted for delivery:
- First, the Messenger is told to say that he cannot determine (أدري) whether what they've been promised (judgment) is near, or whether his Lord shall render a continuance for it.(This shows his limits with regard to knowledge of the future, therefore anyone who alleges that the Prophet knew the future is grossly mistaken!)
- Then, he is to state that his Lord is:
'Knower
of the Gheyb 'the
Imperceptible/ what is BEYOND apprehension,'
and He does NOT let anyone 'prevail over/
take command of'
His Gheyb.'
(A
strong statement, befitting God.)
- Finally, he is to show the extent to which others are allowed in dealing with 'Gheyb:'
Although
no one 'prevails/ takes command of' His 'Gheyb,' yet to whomever He
has approved of Messengers (to deliver certain 'Gheyb'), He directs
Monitors (to keep watch) from his front and back, so that He would
'mark out/ confirm by evidence' that they have delivered their Lord's
Messages, and He has encompassed all what they have, and He has
'enumerated/ taken count of' everything, in number and worth.
That
IS powerful! We hear once again the 'voice' of God, loud and clear.
The Qur'anic Message is NOT in any way emanating from the Messenger!
His duty is its DELIVERY. Full-stop. Period. Punto. That's it.
Put
'adda aHsaa' in 'Search.'
Although
most commentators explained the term 'yuth-hiru 'ala/ على
+
يُظْهِرُ'
as 'disclose' or 'acquaint,' it has more to do with 'taking over'
something (see other
occurrences in Qur'an).
So,
as you can see, dear Reader, NO ONE knows or controls or has any
power over 'Gheyb,' not even the Messengers entrusted with the
delivery of 'gheyb' matters. And although God encompasses
everything, not just one-by-one (in number), but EACH little iota in
its worth (at creation plus later projection), He assures us that He
provides evidence TO US of what He already knows.
Dear
Reader: Convincing us of the Truth is part and parcel of
Accountability!
Peace
unto all!
Let
us read Verses 29- 32:
“And
when We brought back to you a forth-going group of Those in
concealment/ Incognito, listening to the Qur’an, and as they
attended it, they said: ‘Be quiet (and
listen)!’ And after it had ended,
they returned to their people, warning.
They
said: O our People! We have indeed heard a
Compilation sent down after Moses, confirming that which came before
it, guiding to the Truth and to the Straightened Path.
O
our People! Respond to the Caller to God, and have faith
in him/Him; He (God)
will absolve you of a part of your misdeeds and deliver you from
painful suffering.
And
whoever does not respond to the Caller to God, shall find no escape
through the earth, and shall have no Protector other than Him; these
are in manifest Loss!”
So,
about whom are these verses?
These
were obviously cognizant beings who had made their way to the
Messenger, whose community did not live nearby, who knew well the
Compilation of Moses, and who did not interact with anyone while
listening attentively to the Qur’an. They returned
thereafter to their own people with eloquent warning. Their
entire meeting with the Messenger seems to have been a ‘covert’
operation on their part (they were ‘jinn’: unseen/incognito).
Q.
Could they have been the imperceptible ‘non-human’ creatures
‘jinn’?
A.
I don’t think so because these particular verses provide the word
‘qawm-قوم ’[iv] -which
means ‘People’ -
repeated three times, twice in their own address to their people.
I
see them simply as persons who were believers in the Compilation of
Moses and had come covertly to see the Messenger. This is to be
expected, seeing how many verses in the Qur’an speak to those who
believed in previous Messages. Also, since Quraish was
ostracizing and persecuting anyone who followed Muhammad, only God
knows if that was one reason for their covert encounter in Mecca.
خمروا
الآنية وأوكوا الاسقية وأجيفوا الابواب
واكفتوا صبيانكم عند المساء فإن للجن
انتشار وخطفة، وأطفئوا المصابيح عند
الرقاد ، فإن الفويسقة ربما اجترت الفتيلة
فأحرقت البيت
Without
preconception, this ‘Hadeeth’ would obviously be referring to
nocturnal creatures foraging by night:
“Cover
your utensils, tie your water skins, close your doors and keep
your children close to you at night, as the jinns spread
out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out
your lights, for the mouse may drag the fire and burn the house down
upon its inhabitants.”
WITH
preconception however, it takes on a scenario of superstition, or
even horror; ‘Evil Spirits’ galore.
Let us
THINK:
In two
narrations we know about, the Prophet tells people to ‘cover their
drinking vessels at night’ because jinns or shayTaan might get
into them, and ‘turn out their fires’ because a little mouse
could burn their homes down. But there is a third narration in
which he asks them to take similar precaution, but rather than the
words ‘jinns’ or ‘shayTaan,’ we find he uses another word as
reason for protecting one’s food and drink: It is ‘wabaa,’
which means a wide-spreading disease! This is probably because
all three narrations (and all three words) refer to the SAME thing.
غطوا
الإناء وأوكوا السقاء فإن في السنة ليلة
ينـزل فيها وباء لا يمُّر بإناء ليس عليه
غطاء أو سقاء ليس عليه وكاء إلا نزل فيه
من ذلك الوباء
Al
Razi (deceased 1209 AD) says:
قيل
الجن يتناول الملائكة لأن الجن أصله من
الاستتار وهم مستترون عن الخلق ، وعلى
هذا فتقديم الجن لدخول الملائكة فيهم
وكونهم أكثر عبادة وأخصلها
His
view is that perhaps the name of ‘Jinn’ appears first in the
Qur’an (as in HQ 51:56)
because their worship of God is more consistent than ours, seeing
that the ‘angels’ are among them. I think it might also be
because they were created way before us. But that’s not the
point: The point is that many scholars HAVE said that the
‘angels’ are ‘jinn,’ both early scholars and recent ones.
So why do we CONTINUE TO MAKE ‘JINN’ INTO SOMETHING ELSE, BASED
ON INHERITED FEARS AND SUPERSTITION?
Notice
this important fact: You will get these two verses HQ:15:27;
55:15
when
you put خلق
جان
(create
Jaan) in search, and NOTHING relevant if you searched for خلق
جن
(create
Jinn). This in itself proves that the word ‘Jinn’ –as we
noted above- is not limited to those created from fire, but rather
denotes ANYone hidden from sight. This used to be common
knowledge at one time. Now, unfortunately, the terms Jinn and
Jaan have become synonymous, and SheyTaan sometimes joins them, all
blending into one connotation of ‘genie, demon, devil.’
Put the
word in ‘Search.’
‘SheyaTeen’
earn this title by being transgressors who have gone beyond bounds
in behavior OR in being a chieftain/band-leader, from ANY of the
groups above (a violating visible living organism/person
created from earth, OR an invisible one, created from fire).
The Hadeeths of the Prophet in this respect are quite clear (once
you’ve cleared your mind of preconception).
Let us
THINK. One reason why Muslims in their ‘Golden Age’ were
able to advance so far past the rest of the world in Science (and
everything else) was that they had shed their misconceptions.
How sad it is that Muslims today have regressed so far behind
the rest of the world in everything.
“Jinns:
who are they? In xviii. 50 we are told that Iblis was one of the
Jinns, and it is suggested that that was why he disobeyed the
Command of God. But in that passage and other similar passages, we
are told that God commanded the angels to bow down to Adam, and they
obeyed except Iblis. That implies that Iblis had been of the company
of angels. In many passages Jinns and men are spoken of together. In
lv. 14-15, man is stated to have been created from clay, while Jinns
from a flame of fire. The root meaning of janna, yajinnu, is "to
be covered or hidden," and janna yajunnu, in the active voice,
"to cover or hide," as in vi. 76. Some people say that
jinn therefore means the hidden qualities or capacities in man;
others that it means wild or jungle folk hidden in the hills or
forests. I do not wish to be dogmatic, but I think, from a collation
and study of the Quranic passages, that the meaning is simply "a
spirit," or an invisible or hidden force. In fok-lore stories
and romances like the Arabian Nights they become personified into
fantastic forms, but with them we are not concerned here.” End
Quote
Muhammad
Asad says in his
commentary:
ABOUT
JINN
“IN
ORDER to grasp the purport of the term JINN as
used in the Quran, we must dissociate our minds from the meaning
given to it in Arabian folklore, where it early came to denote all
manner of "demons" in the most popular sense of this word.
This folkloristic image has somewhat obscured the original
connotation of the term and
its highly significant - almost self-explanatory -verbal derivation.
The root-verb is JANNA, "he [or "it"] concealed"
or "covered with darkness": cf. 6:76,
which speaks of Abraham "when the night overshadowed him with
its darkness (janna alayhi)". Since this verb is also used in
the intransitive sense ("he [or "it"] was [or
"became"] concealed", resp. "covered with
darkness"), all classical philologists point out that
al-jinnsignifies
"intense [or "confusing"] darkness" and, in a
more general sense, "that which is concealed from [man' s]
senses", i.e., things, beings or forces which cannot normally
be perceived by man but have, nevertheless, an objective reality,
whether concrete or abstract, of their own.
In
the usage of the Quran, which is certainly different from the usage
of primitive folklore, the term jinn has
several distinct meanings. The most commonly encountered is that of
spiritual forces or beings which, precisely because they have no
corporeal existence, are beyond the perception of our corporeal
senses: a connotation 'which includes "satans" and
"satanic forces" (shayateen - see note 16 on 15:17)
as well as "angels" and "angelic forces", since
all of them are "concealed from our senses" (Jawhari,
Raghib). In order to make it quite evident that these invisible
manifestations are not of a corporeal nature, the Qur'an states
parabolically that the jinn were
created out of "the fire of scorching winds" (naar
as-samoom, in 15:27),
or out of "a confusing flame of fire" (maarij min naar,
in 55:15),
or simply "out of fire" (7:12 and 38:76,
in these last two instances referring to the Fallen Angel, Iblis).
Parallel with this, we have authentic ahadith to the effect that the
Prophet spoke of the angels as having been "created out of
light" (khuliqat min noor: Muslim, on the authority of Aishah)
- light and fire being akin, and likely to manifest themselves
within and through one another (cf. note 7 on verse 8 of surah 27).”
End Quote
Rahaq seems to be about something becoming quickly overbearing upon another. It could be a compulsive lie or a misdeed, occurring like a ‘spurt.’ It hastens one thing as it delays another, which is why the ‘teen years’ are called ‘muraahaqah’ in Arabic.
رهق:
أصلان
متقاربان:
فأحدهما
غِشيان الشّيءِ الشيءَ، والآخر العَجلة
والتأخير.
فأمَّا
الأوّل فقولُهم:
رَهِقَه
الأمرُ:
غَشِيَه.
والرَّهُوق
من النُّوق:
الجوادُ
الوَسَاعُ التي تَرْهَقُك إِذا مددتَها،
أي تغشاك لسَعَة خَطْوها.
والمرَاهِق:
الغلام
الذي دَانَى الحُلُم.
وأرهق
القومُ الصّلاةَ:
أخَّروها
حتى يدنُوَ وقتُ الصّلاةِ الأُخرى.
والرَّهَق:
العَجَلة
والظُّلم.
والرَّهَق:
عجلةٌ
في كذب وعَيب.
لمس:
يدلُّ
على تطلُّبِ شيء ومَسيسِه أيضاً.
تقول:
تلمّست
الشّيءَ، إذا تطلَّبْتَه بيدك.
قال
أبو بكر بن دريد:
اللّمس
أصلُه باليد ليُعرَف مَسُّ الشّيء، ثم
كثُرَ ذلك حتَّى صار كلُّ طالب مُلتمِساً.
ولَمَسْت،
إذا مَسِسْتَ.
قالوا:
وكلُّ
مَاسٍّ لامس.
قال
الله سُبحانه:
{أَوْ
لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ}
[النساء
43،
المائدة 6]،
قال قومٌ:
أُريد
به الجماع.
وذهَبَ
قوم إلى أنَّه المَسيس، وأنَّ اللَّمْس
والملامَسة يكون بغير جماع.
[viii]
There is nothing ‘holy’ whatsoever about war! The definitions of the Arabic words for ‘war & peace’ /‘Harb & salaam’ prove that.
There is nothing ‘holy’ whatsoever about war! The definitions of the Arabic words for ‘war & peace’ /‘Harb & salaam’ prove that.
[ix]
طرق:
أربعة
أصول:
أحدها
الإتيان مَسَاءً، والثاني الضَّرْب،
والثالث جنسٌ من استرخاء الشيء، والرابع
خَصْف شيء على شيء.
·
فالأوَّلُ
الطُّرُوق.
ويقال
إنَّه إتيان
المنزلِ ليلاً.
قالوا:
ورجلٌ
طُرَقَةٌ، إذا
كان يَسْرِي
حتى يطرُقَ
أهلَهُ ليلاً.
والدَّليل
على أنَّ
الأصلَ اللَّيل
تسميتُهم النَّجم
طارقاً؛ لأنَّه
يَطلُعُ ليلاً.
قالوا:
وكلُّ
من أتى
ليلاً فقد
طَرَق.
ومن
الباب، والله
أعلم:
الطَّريق،
لأنه يُتَوَرَّدُ.
ويجوزُ
أن يكون
من أصلٍ
آخَر، وهو
الذي ذكرناه
من خَصْف
الشيء فوق
الشيء.
·
والأصل
الثَّاني:
الضَّرْب،
يقال طَرَقَ
يَطْرُقُ طَرْقاً.
والشيء
مِطْرَق ومِطْرَقة.
·
والأصل
الثالث:
استرِخاء
الشيء.
من
ذلك الطَّرَق،
وهو لِينٌ
في ريش
الطائر.
ومنه
أطْرَق فلانٌ
في نَظَره.
والمُطْرِق:
المسترخِي
العَين.
ومن
الباب الطِّرِّيقة،
وهو اللِّين
والانقياد.
يقولون
في المثل:
"إنّ
تحت طِرِّيقَته
لَعِنْدَأْوَةً".
أي
إنّ في
لِينه بعضَ
العُسر أحياناً.
·
والأصل
الرابع:
خَصْفُ
شيء على
شيء.
يقال:
نعلٌ
مُطارَقة، أي
مخصوفة.
وخُفّ
مُطارَق، إذا
كان قد
ظُوهِر لـه
نعلان.
وكلُّ
خَصْفةٍ طِراق.
وتُرسٌ
مُطرَّق، إذا
طورِق بجلدٍ
على قَدْره.
ومن
هذا الباب
الطِّرْق، وهو
الشحم والقُوّة،
وسمِّي بذلك
لأنّه شيءٌ
كأنّه خُصِف
به.
ومن
الباب، وقد
ذكرناه أوَّلاً
وليس ببعيد
أن يكون
من هذا
القياس:
الطَّريق؛
وذلك أنَّه
شيءٌ يعلو
الأرضَ، فكأنَّها
قد طُورِقَتْ
به وخُصِفت
به.
ويقولون:
تطارَقَت
الإِبلُ، إذا
جاءت يتبع
بعضُها بعضاً.
وكذلك
الطَّرِيق، وهو
النَّخْل الذي
على صفٍّ
واحد، وهذا
تشبيهٌ، كأنَّه
شُبِّه بالطَّرِيق
في تتابُعه
وعلوّه الأرض.
وخرج
القومُ مَطارِيقَ،
إذا جاؤوا
مُشاةً لا
دوابَّ لهم،
فكأنَّ كلَّ
واحدٍ منهم
يَخْصِف بأثر
قدَميه أثَر
الذي تقدَّم.
ويقال:
جاءت
الإِبلُ على
طَرْقَة واحدة،
وعلى خُفٍّ
واحد؛ وهو
الذي ذكرناه
من أنَّها
تَخصف بآثارها
آثارَ غيرها.
(رصد:
هو
التهيُّؤُ لِرِقْبةِ شيءٍ على مَسْلكِه،
ثم يُحمَل عليه ما يشاكلُه.
يقال
أرصدتُ لـه كذا، أي هيّأْتُه
له، كأنّك
جعلتَه على مَرصَده.
وقال
الكسائيّ:
رصدتُه
أرصُدُه، أي ترقَّبتُه؛ وأرصَدْت لـه،
أي أعدَدْت.
والمَرْصَد:
موقع
الرَّصْد.
والرَّصَد:
القوم
يَرصُدون.
والرَّصْد
الفِعل.
والرَّصود
من الإبل:
التي
ترصُد شُربَ الإبل ثم تَشرَب هي.
ــــــــــــــــ
رسل:
يدلُّ
على الانبعاث والامتداد.
فالرَّسْل:
السَّير
السَّهل.
وناقةٌ
رَسْلَةٌ:
لا
تكلِّفك سِياقاً.
وناقة
رَسْلَهٌ أيضاً:
ليِّنة
المفاصل.
وشَعْرٌ
رَسْلٌ، إذا كان مُسترسِلا
والرَّسَل:
ما
أُرسِل من الغَنَم إلى الرَّعي.
والرِّسْل:
اللَّبَن؛
وقياسُه ما ذكرناه، لأنَّه يترسَّل من
الضَّرْع.
ويقال
أَرسَلَ القومُ، إذا كان لهم رِسْلٌ،
وهو اللَّبَن.
ورَسِيلُ
الرّجُل:
الذي
يقف معه في نِضالٍ أو غيرِه، كأنَّه
سُمِّي بذلك لأنّ إرساله سهمَه يكون مع
إرسال الآخرِ.
وتقول
جاءَ القومُ أَرْسالاً:
والرِّسْل:
الرَّخاء.
يقول:
يُنِيلُ
منها في رَخائه وشِدّته.
واسترسلتُ
إلى الشَّيء، إِذا انبعَثَتْ نفْسُك
إليه وأَنِسْتَ.
والمرَسلات:
الرِّياح.
أبد:
يدلّ
بناؤها على طول المدّة.
