1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,299 The Subtle Commentary 3 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,299 on the book "Identification Cards 4 00:00:35,299 --> 00:00:38,299 for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an" 5 00:00:38,299 --> 00:00:42,299 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Omar Naseef, 6 00:00:42,299 --> 00:00:44,359 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:46,520 Surah Al-Jinn. 8 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,520 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 9 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,520 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. 10 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,520 Peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, 11 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,520 and upon his family and all his Companions. 12 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,619 We continue with the subtle commentary on the identification cards, 13 00:01:01,619 --> 00:01:03,619 and today we are with Surah Al-Jinn. 14 00:01:03,619 --> 00:01:07,620 I have three reflections regarding it. 15 00:01:07,620 --> 00:01:09,650 The first reflection 16 00:01:09,650 --> 00:01:11,650 is the placement of the surah, 17 00:01:11,650 --> 00:01:13,650 for it comes directly after Surah Nuh. 18 00:01:13,650 --> 00:01:16,650 It has been noted that perhaps its suitability in following Surah Nuh 19 00:01:16,650 --> 00:01:19,650 is that this surah presents an example of those who believed, 20 00:01:19,650 --> 00:01:21,709 considering that Surah Nuh 21 00:01:21,709 --> 00:01:28,000 portrayed the disbelievers as a model of rejecting the message, 22 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,099 rejecting Islam, and rejecting Tawhid (monotheism), 23 00:01:31,099 --> 00:01:33,480 whereas this surah is a model of those who believed. 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,480 Thus, it serves as a complement to that one. 25 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,540 Just as there are those who disbelieve despite 26 00:01:39,540 --> 00:01:43,540 the preacher's utmost eagerness in calling them—as was the case with the Prophet of Allah, Nuh— 27 00:01:43,540 --> 00:01:48,540 there are also those who believe without the caller specifically directing his call to them, 28 00:01:48,540 --> 00:01:51,540 “Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! we have heard a marvellous Qur'an,” (72:1) 29 00:01:51,540 --> 00:01:53,540 so they said, "Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an." 30 00:01:53,540 --> 00:01:55,640 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the Qur'an, 31 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,090 and the jinn were guided. 32 00:01:58,090 --> 00:02:00,090 Notice that the ones guided 33 00:02:00,090 --> 00:02:03,090 were the furthest conceivable from guidance 34 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:05,090 in our minds. 35 00:02:05,090 --> 00:02:08,090 Observe that regarding those in Surah Nuh, 36 00:02:08,090 --> 00:02:10,150 Allah mentions about them 37 00:02:10,150 --> 00:02:12,150 “If Thou shouldst leave them, they will mislead Thy slaves and will beget none save lewd ingrates.” (71:27) 38 00:02:12,150 --> 00:02:14,150 what was recounted about Nuh (peace be upon him). 39 00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:17,979 Yet here, we find the jinn 40 00:02:17,979 --> 00:02:23,050 becoming callers to truth and goodness. 41 00:02:23,050 --> 00:02:26,050 In truth, the comparison between the two cases 42 00:02:26,050 --> 00:02:29,080 is subtle and full of profound lessons: 43 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:34,139 guidance is entirely in the hand of Allah, the Exalted, 44 00:02:34,139 --> 00:02:37,139 and He guides whom He wills to a straight path. 45 00:02:37,139 --> 00:02:39,139 As for the second reflection, 46 00:02:39,139 --> 00:02:43,430 regarding what has been mentioned concerning the occasion of revelation of this surah 47 00:02:43,430 --> 00:02:46,430 about the jinn listening to the Qur'an, 48 00:02:46,430 --> 00:02:49,430 I say that, in truth, this matter 49 00:02:49,430 --> 00:02:51,430 requires a broader scholarly investigation. 50 00:02:51,430 --> 00:02:54,430 This is also hinted at regarding the chronological order of the surah's revelation, 51 00:02:54,430 --> 00:02:58,500 as the well-known view is that it is the thirty-ninth. 52 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:01,659 However, the mention of eavesdropping 53 00:03:01,659 --> 00:03:03,659 and the presence of shooting stars (shuhub) 54 00:03:03,659 --> 00:03:05,659 might suggest that this occurred very early on, 55 00:03:05,659 --> 00:03:09,659 and that the surah was revealed somewhat early. 56 00:03:09,659 --> 00:03:11,659 This warrants further research, 57 00:03:11,659 --> 00:03:14,659 especially given the numerous narrations 58 00:03:14,659 --> 00:03:16,659 concerning the jinn listening to the Qur'an 59 00:03:16,659 --> 00:03:20,659 and its mention in the Qur'an both in Surah Al-Ahqaf 60 00:03:20,659 --> 00:03:21,659 and in Surah Al-Jinn. 61 00:03:21,659 --> 00:03:23,659 This necessitates a study 62 00:03:23,659 --> 00:03:26,659 that balances the verses here and there 63 00:03:26,659 --> 00:03:29,780 with the hadith narrations, 64 00:03:29,780 --> 00:03:32,819 examining the chains of transmission reported, 65 00:03:32,819 --> 00:03:34,819 and harmonizing between those accounts 66 00:03:34,819 --> 00:03:37,819 to discern whether this was a single incident or two separate incidents, 67 00:03:37,819 --> 00:03:42,620 and when the first occurred and when the second took place. 68 00:03:42,620 --> 00:03:43,620 One thing leads to another: 69 00:03:43,620 --> 00:03:46,620 the end of Surah Al-Ahqaf, which contains 70 00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:48,620 "And [mention] when We directed to you a group of the jinn...", 71 00:03:48,620 --> 00:03:52,650 was preceded by mentioning the denial of 'Ad, 72 00:03:52,650 --> 00:03:55,650 “And make mention (O Muhammad) of the brother of A'ad when he warned his folk among the wind-curved sandhills - and verily warners came and went before and after him - saying: Serve none but Allah. Lo! I fear for you the doom of a tremendous Day.” (46:21) 73 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:58,650 so after the denial of 'Ad, the jinn were mentioned, 74 00:03:58,650 --> 00:04:00,650 and after the denial of Nuh, the jinn were mentioned. 75 00:04:00,650 --> 00:04:04,650 All of this also requires reflection and contemplation. 76 00:04:04,650 --> 00:04:08,650 I conclude with the third reflection, 77 00:04:08,650 --> 00:04:10,650 which relates to the opening of the surah. 78 00:04:11,650 --> 00:04:15,680 The surah, as mentioned here, opens with a command; 79 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,000 and it is perhaps appropriate to add: 80 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 specifically with the command to speak (say). 81 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,000 For surahs that begin with a command, 82 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,000 most of them begin with the word "Say" (Qul)— 83 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,000 the command to speak— 84 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,000 except for Surah Iqra' (Al-'Alaq), 85 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,000 which begins with "Read" (Iqra'). 86 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,000 It was the first surah in the Qur'an, 87 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,000 and these were the first verses revealed, 88 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,000 wherein Allah said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): 89 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,129 "Read!" 90 00:04:43,129 --> 00:04:45,129 We have five surahs 91 00:04:45,129 --> 00:04:48,129 that begin with the words of the Almighty: 92 00:04:48,129 --> 00:04:51,129 "Say" (Qul): Surah Al-Jinn, 93 00:04:51,129 --> 00:04:54,129 Surah Al-Kafirun, 94 00:04:54,129 --> 00:04:56,259 and the Mu'awwidhat (the surahs of seeking refuge). 95 00:04:56,259 --> 00:04:59,259 If we ponder these surahs, 96 00:04:59,259 --> 00:05:01,259 even though the Prophet (peace be upon him) 97 00:05:01,259 --> 00:05:03,259 was commanded—as the scholars noted regarding such expressions— 98 00:05:03,259 --> 00:05:05,259 to convey the entire Qur'an 99 00:05:05,259 --> 00:05:07,259 and to proclaim it, 100 00:05:07,259 --> 00:05:10,259 these specific surahs, upon reflection, have a unique distinction. 101 00:05:10,259 --> 00:05:13,639 Surah Al-Jinn discusses a matter 102 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:15,639 of the unseen (Ghayb) from two angles: 103 00:05:15,639 --> 00:05:18,639 it is unseen because the jinn belong to the unseen realm, 104 00:05:18,639 --> 00:05:21,639 and it is unseen because the Prophet (peace be upon him) 105 00:05:21,639 --> 00:05:24,639 did not know that the jinn were listening to him. 106 00:05:24,639 --> 00:05:28,310 So Allah said to him: "Say..." 107 00:05:28,310 --> 00:05:31,310 It is as if this teaches us that matters of the unseen 108 00:05:31,310 --> 00:05:34,310 are received solely through divine revelation; 109 00:05:34,310 --> 00:05:37,439 we do not speak of them based on our own opinions. 110 00:05:37,439 --> 00:05:41,500 The same can be said regarding the stance toward the disbelievers: 111 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:43,569 “Say: O disbelievers!” (109:1) 112 00:05:43,569 --> 00:05:46,569 the address could have been directed to them immediately, 113 00:05:46,569 --> 00:05:49,569 but this alerts us that the Prophet (peace be upon him)— 114 00:05:49,569 --> 00:05:51,569 and we follow in his footsteps— 115 00:05:51,569 --> 00:05:55,569 proceeds in his dealings with the disbelievers 116 00:05:55,569 --> 00:05:57,569 and his stances toward them 117 00:05:57,569 --> 00:06:01,569 not out of mere reaction to what they do, 118 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:05,699 but by receiving revelation from Allah 119 00:06:05,699 --> 00:06:08,699 and walking in its light. 120 00:06:08,699 --> 00:06:12,699 I emphasize that we, too, ought to be like this: 121 00:06:12,699 --> 00:06:16,699 proceeding in all our interactions with disbelievers 122 00:06:16,699 --> 00:06:21,240 and our stances toward them guided by the light of revelation. 123 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,240 Likewise, if you look at the Mu'awwidhat: 124 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,240 "Say, He is Allah, the One" 125 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,269 teaches us about Allah, 126 00:06:27,269 --> 00:06:29,269 and this is learned strictly from revelation; 127 00:06:29,269 --> 00:06:31,269 while Al-Falaq and An-Nas teach us how 128 00:06:31,269 --> 00:06:33,269 to take refuge in Allah and seek His protection, 129 00:06:33,269 --> 00:06:36,269 and this, too, is known only through revelation. 130 00:06:36,269 --> 00:06:39,269 Thus, these surahs share the common feature of addressing 131 00:06:39,269 --> 00:06:41,269 specific subjects 132 00:06:41,269 --> 00:06:44,269 in which one must be mindful 133 00:06:44,269 --> 00:06:47,269 that such matters are derived exclusively from divine revelation. 134 00:06:47,269 --> 00:06:49,300 I will suffice with this, 135 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:51,300 and I apologize for the length. 136 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:52,300 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon 137 00:06:52,300 --> 00:06:54,300 our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions, 138 00:06:54,300 --> 00:06:56,300 and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation.