Chapter 21: Prohibiting the Jinn and averting the Shayaateen from

eavesdropping while the Qur’aan is descending so that they do not steal a hearing, even if it is a single word, and then inform their counterparts from the men which creates confusion and the truth gets mixed with falsehood It was from the Mercy of Allaah and His Favors, and His Kindness for creation that He تعاىل placed a barrier which prevented the Jinn from listening, as He تعاىل said, while informing about the Jinn: ﴿ و أ نَّا ل م س ن ا السَّم اء فـ و ج د ن اه ا م ل ئ ت ح ر سًا ش د يدًا و ش ه بًا* و أ نَّا ك نَّا نـ ق ع د م نـ ه ا م ق اع د ل لسَّم ع ۖ ف م ن ي س ت م ع اْل ن َي د ل ه ش ه ابًا رَّص دًا* و أ نَّا ّل ن د ر ي أ ش رٌّ أ ر يد ِب ن ف اِّل ر ض أ م أ ر اد ِب م ر بـُّه م ر ش دًا﴾ {“And we (Jinn) 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; and we know not whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends for them a Right Path.”} [Surah al-Jinn (72): 8-10] And He تعاىل said: ﴿و م ا تـ نـ زَّل ت ب ه الشَّي اط ني * و م ا ي نب غ ي َل م و م ا ي س ت ط يع ون * إ نـَّه م ع ن السَّم ع ل م ع ز ول ون﴾ {And it is not the Shayaateen (devils) who have brought it (this Qur’aan) down, neither would it suit them, nor they can (produce it). Verily, they have been removed far from hearing it.} [Surah al-Shu`araa’ (26): 210-212] Al-Haafidh Abu Nu`aim reported that Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما said: ❝The Jinn used to ascent through the heavens, trying to listen about the Revelation. So when they heard a statement, they would add nine (statements) to it. The statement that they heard would be true, while what they added was false. So it was with the advent of the Messenger of Allaah that they were prevented from their places. So they mentioned that to Iblees – and the stars were not shot at them before that. So Iblees said to them: ‘This is naught but an event that has occurred in the earth.’ So he sent out his armies, and they found the Messenger of Allaah standing in Salaah between two mountains” – I think he said

“in Makkah” – “So they (returned) to meet with him (Iblees), and informed him. He said: ‘This is the event that has happened on the earth.’❞ 145 Also from Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما: ❝[The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ neither recited the Qur’aan to the Jinn nor did he see them.] The Prophet ﷺ set out with the intention of going to Sooq `Ukaaz (market of `Ukaaz, a valley near Taif) along with some of his companions. At the same time, a barrier was put between the devils and the news of heaven. Fire commenced to be thrown at them. The Devils went to their people, who asked them: “What is wrong with you?” They said: “A barrier has been placed between us and the news of heaven. And fire has been thrown at us.” They said: “The thing which has put a barrier between you and the news of heaven must be something which has happened recently. Go eastward and westward and see what has put a barrier between you and the news of heaven.” Those who went towards Tuhaamah came across the Prophet ﷺ at a place called Nakhlah and it was on the way to Sooq `Ukaaz and the Prophet ﷺ was offering the Fajr prayer with his companions. When they heard the Qur’aan they listened to it and said: “By Allaah, this is the thing which has put a barrier between us and the news of heaven.” They went to their people and said: “O our people; {Verily we have heard a wonderful recital (Qur’aan) which shows the true path; we believed in it and would not ascribe partners to our Lord.}” Allaah revealed the following Aayaat to his Prophet (Surah al-Jinn): {Say: It has been revealed to me.} And what was revealed to him was the conversation of the Jinn.❞ This was reported in the Saheehain. 146 Ibn Abee Shaibaah reported also from Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما: ❝There was not a tribe of Jinn except that it had a station where they would sit to steal a hearing. When the Revelation would descend, the Angels would hear the sound which is like the sound of iron (chains) being dragged on a rock. When the Angels hear this, they fall in prostration and do not raise their head till the Revelation descends. Then when it descends, they ask each other: “What has your Lord ordered? If it is something which would happen in the heavens, they would say: {He has said that which is true and just, and He is the 145 (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): I did not find it being reported in “al-Dalaail” of Abu Nu`aim. It was reported by alTabaraanee in al-Kabeer (12431), and its narrators are reliable, from the narrators of “al-sahih” except for his (alTabaraanee’s) teacher, `Abdullaah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Sa`eed Ibn Abee Maryam. But this narration has a followup. It was reported by Ahmad in his Musnad (2482, 2977). [TN: This was also reported by al-Tirmidhee in his Sunan (3324), and graded as “sahih” by Shaikh al-Albaanee.] 146 sahih al-Bukhaaree (773, 4921) and sahih Muslim (449-149)

Most High, the Most Great.}” [Surah Saba’ (34):23]. And if it is something which will take place on earth, like the matters of the unseen, or death, or any other thing which would take place on earth, they would say: “Such-and-such is going to happen.” The Shayaateen would hear it and inform their counterparts (from the men). When the Prophet ﷺ was sent, they were driven away with the (shooting) stars. The first ones to know about this was (the tribe of) Thaqeef. Those among them who had a lot of sheep would go to his sheep and slaughter a lamb every day, and the owners of camels would slaughter a camel every day. People were hurrying to dispose of their wealth. They said to each other: ‘Don’t do that, unless it is the star with which you seek guidance, otherwise, it is due to a matter which happened (recently).’ So when they looked at the star, through which they used to seek guidance, and that it was in its place and nothing happened to it, they stopped doing it. Allaah made the Jinns to scatter till they could hear the Qur’aan: ﴿فـ ل مَّا ح ض ر وه ق ال وا أ نص ت وا﴾ {when they stood in the presence thereof, they said: “Listen in silence!”} [Surah alAhqaaf (46): 29] Then the Shayaateen returned to Iblees and informed him about it. He said: “This is an event which took place on earth. Bring me the soil from all the (different) parts of the earth. When the soil from Tuhaamah was brought to him, he said: “This is where it happened.”❞ This was also reported by al-Baihaqee and al-Haakim, from the route of `Ataa’ Ibn alSaaib. 147 In another narration, `Abdullaah Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما reported: A person from the Ansaar who was amongst the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ reported to me: As we were sitting during the night with Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ, a meteor shot gave a dazzling light. Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝What did you say in the Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islaamic days of ignorance) when there was such a shot (of meteor)?❞ They said: “Allaah and His Messenger know best (the actual position), but we, however, used to 147 Musannaf Ibn Abee Shaibah (36542), and from him Abu Nu`aim reported it in his “al-Dalaail” (177). (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): `Ataa’ Ibn al-Saaib is reliable, from the narrators of al-Bukhaaree.

say that that very night a great man had been born or a great man had died.” Whereupon Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝(These meteors) are neither shot at the death of anyone nor on the birth of anyone. Rather, when our Lord عز وجل decrees a matter, He is glorified by the bearers of the Throne. Then He is glorified by the inhabitants who are below them, then those below them, until such glorification reaches them who are in the heaven of this world. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask these bearers of the Throne: ‘What your Lord has said?’ And they accordingly inform them what He says. Then the dwellers of heaven seek information from them until this information reaches the heaven of the world. In this process of transmission (the Jinn snatches) what he manages to overhear and he carries it to his friends. And when the Angels see the jinn they attack them with meteors. What they narrated as they heard it is true, but they distort it and add lies to it.❞ 148 [Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي اهلل عنه: Allaah’s Prophet ﷺ said: ❝When Allaah decrees some order in the heaven, the angels flutter their wings indicating complete surrender to His saying which sounds like chains being dragged on the rock. And when the state of fear disappears, they ask each other: “What has your Lord ordered? They say that {He has said that which is true and just, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.}” [Surah Saba’ (34):23]. Then the stealthy listeners (devils) hear this order, and these stealthy listeners are like this, one over the other.❞ (Sufyaan, a sub-narrator demonstrated by spreading the fingers of his right hand and placed them one over the other horizontally.) ❝A stealthy listener hears a word which he will convey to that which is below him and the second will convey it to that which is below him until the last of them will convey it to the wizard or foreteller. Sometimes a flame (fire) may 148 sahih Muslim (2229-124) and Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3224) [TN: Regarding the stars and meteors (or shooting stars), Allaah تعاىل said: ﴿ و ل ق د ز يـَّنَّا السَّم اء الدُّنـ ي ا ِب ص اب يح و ج ع ل ن اه ا ر ج ومًا لِّلشَّي اط ني﴾ {And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the Shayaateen (devils)…} [Surah al-Mulk (67): 5] Imaam Al-Bukhaaree رمحه اهلل recorded in his sahih that Qataadah رمحه اهلل said: ❝Allaah created the stars for three purposes: (1) As ornaments of the heavens; (2) As missiles against the devils; (3) As signposts for the guidance of travelers. Whoever interprets otherwise is mistaken. Such a person is to lose his reward (on the Day of Resurrection) and takes upon himself that which is outside his knowledge.❞]

strike the devil before he can convey it, and sometimes he may convey it before the flame (fire) strikes him, whereupon the wizard adds to that word a hundred lies. The people will then say: ‘Didn’t he (i.e. magician) tell such-and-such a thing on such-andsuch date?’ So that magician is said to have told the truth because of the Statement which has been heard from the heavens.❞ 149 Narrated `Aaishah رضي اهلل عنها: Some people asked Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ about the soothsayers. Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said to them: ❝They are nothing (i.e. they are liars).❞ The people said: “O Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ! Sometimes they tell something which comes out to be true.” Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝That word which comes to be true is what a Jinn snatches away by stealing and then pours it in the ear of his foreteller with a sound similar to the cackle of a hen, and then they (foretellers) add to it one-hundred lies.❞ 150 [end of Shaikh al-Albaanee’s addition] 149 sahih al-Bukhaaree (4701, 4800, 7481) 150 sahih al-Bukhaaree (5762, 6213, 7561) and sahih Muslim (2228-122, 123)