72.

Sura Jinn (or The Spirits)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The background of this Sura is that a party of Jinn (spirits) heard the
Prophet of Islam reciting the Qur-an and they were highly impressed by it.
They conveyed their impressions about it to other jinn. The narration in the
Sura is based on the revelations made by Allah and not on the personal
experience of the Prophet.

In the opening verses Allah addressed the Prophet and asked him to
inform the people that it was revealed to him that a party of jinn had heard the
Qur-an when it was being recited by him. They were impressed by it. This
they told to other jinn when they went back among their own fellow jinn. They
told them that they heard a wonderful recital which preached righteousness.
That they believed in its. Hereafter we would never attribute any equals or
partners to Allah. They would serve no one but the Lord only. Sublime is the
Majesty of the Lord. They were greately mistaken to attribute husbandhood
and fatherhood to Him. That it was a fact that some of the men sought
protection of some of the jinn, which aggravated their arrogance. Some of
them thought that Allah could never raise the dead.

The jinn also said that they formerly used to go high up in the sky to
eavesdrop, but now whoso eavesdrops finds a missile waiting in ambush to
him. That they can not determine if this bodes evil to those on earth or whether
their Lord intended to guide them.

They said that some of them were righteous and some were not and
they realized that they could not baffle Allah on earth nor could baffle him by
running away. Allah is Compassionate and Just. To sum up, some of the jinn
accepted Islam and some others did not. They, however, were sure that those
who became muslims would qualify themselves for salvation in the Hereafter
and those who were disbelievers and die as such would be in the fire of Hell.

Allah then announced for the information of the Meccan disbelievers

that if they believed in the Qur-an and accept Islam they would be blessed by
all kinds of blessings including abundance of rain to help them in its storage
for drinking and irrigational purposes. Simultaneously, He would make that a
test for them to know which of them offer thanks to Him and are steadfast in
their faith. Consequently, whoever prove a deviator from the right path shall
be terribly punished. Allah emphasized that all the places of worship (the
mosques) be reserved for the worship of Allah. There should be no place in
them for the deities of the Meccan. None other than Allah be invoked in these
places. When His servant (Prophet Muhammad) used o rise to pray, (in Masjid
Haram) the infidels used to menacingly crowd around him in multitudes.

Allah then orders His Prophet to say to the Meccan infidels that he
invoked his Lord alone, and associated none with Him. That he did not
possess the power to cause them harm or benefit and surely none can save him
from Allah nor he could find any refuge besides Him. That his mission is only
to make known His messages and those that disobeyed Allah and His Apostle
will abide in the Hell eternally.

When the Hereafter arrives, and true values are restored they will see
clearly that the Promise of Allah was true, and that death on this earth was not
the end of all things. Then they will see that those who were accounted weak
on this earth will, in the realm of Reality, be the strong ones. Those who
seemed to have no following here will have there, all the great and true ones
with them, to help them and welcome them to their own ranks.

Allah further orders the Prophet to tell them that he could not tell
whether the scourge with which they were threatened was near or far away.
Allah alone had knowledge of what is hidden. His secrets He reveals to none
except to the apostles whom He elects. He sends down guardians who walk
before them and behind them that He may know if they have indeed
delievered His messages. He has knowledge of all their actions and keep
account of all things.