Allah says:
قُلْ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءَانًا عَجَبًا
“Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qurʾān.’” [Q 72:1]
The Reason for Revelation (Asbāb an-Nuzūl)
The reason for the revelation of this verse was reported by Saʿīd ibn Jubayr (d. 95 AH/714 CE) from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68 AH/687 CE), who said:
أَن النَّبِي انْطلق فِي نفر من أَصْحَابه عَامِدين إِلَى سوق عكاظ، فَمر بالنخلة، وَقد كَانَ الشَّيَاطِين منعُوا من السَّمَاء، وَأرْسلت الشهب عَلَيْهِم، فَقَالُوا لقومهم: قد حيل بَيْننَا وَبَين خبر السَّمَاء، فَقَالُوا: إِنَّمَا ذَلِك لأمر حدث فِي الأَرْض.
“The Prophet set out with a group of his Companions towards the market of ʿUkāẓ, passing by al-Nakhlah. The devils had been prevented from eavesdropping on the heavens, and shooting stars were hurled against them. They said to their people, ‘There is now a barrier between us and news from the heavens.’ The people replied, ‘This must be due to a worldly occurrence.’” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
The report continues:
وروى أَنهم قَالُوا ذَلِك لإبليس، وَأَن إِبْلِيس قَالَ لَهُم: اضربوا فِي مَشَارِق الأَرْض وَمَغَارِبهَا لتعرفوا مَا الْأَمر الَّذِي حدث؟ فَمر نفر مِنْهُم نَحْو تهَامَة فَرَأَوْا النَّبِي يُصَلِّي بِأَصْحَابِهِ صَلَاة الْفجْر بِبَطن نَخْلَة، وَهُوَ يقْرَأ الْقُرْآن.
“It was narrated that they were speaking to Iblīs, who advised them: ‘Traverse the East and the West of the earth so that you may discover what has occurred.’ A group of them passed through Tihāmah and saw the Prophet praying Ṣalāt al-Fajr with his Companions in the Valley of al-Nakhlah, reciting the Qurʾān.” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
The report continues:
فَقَالُوا هَذَا وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي حَالَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ خَبَرِ السَّمَاءِ. فَهُنَالِكَ حِينَ رَجَعُوا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ وَقَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا
“They said: ‘By Allah, this is what has happened. This is what has placed a barrier between us and news from the heavens.’ They then returned to their people and said: ‘O our people.’” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 773, excerpt).
Their words are recorded in the Qurʾān:
إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءَانًا عَجَبًا
يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدٗا
“We have heard a wondrous Qurʾān which guides to the right path. We have believed in it, and we shall never associate partners with our Lord.” [Q 72:1–2, excerpt]
It was said that these jinn were from Naṣībīn. They gathered with Iblīs, who said:
لقد حدث فِي الأَرْض حدث فتعرفوا فأخبرونا مَا هَذَا الْحَدث
“Something has occurred upon the earth; find out and inform us of this matter.” [As-Suyūṭī, Ad-Durr al-Manthūr fī at-Tafsīr bi-l-Maʾthūr, commentary on [Q 72:1].]
The leaders and noblest among the jinn were then sent to Tihāmah, near Yemen. There, they found the Prophet praying the morning prayer near al-Nakhlah and heard him reciting the Qurʾān. When they approached him, they said,
أَنْصتُوا
“Listen.” [As-Suyūṭī, supplementary report cited in the source.]
A Report Mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzī
Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597 AH/1201 CE) mentioned in Ṣifat aṣ-Ṣafwah, with a chain of narration from Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allah, who said:
كنت في ناحية ديار عاد إذ رأيت مدينة من حجر منقور، وسطها قصر من حجارة تأويه الجن فدخلت فإذا شيخ عظيم الخلق يصلي نحو الكعبة وعليه جبة صوف فيها طراوة فلم أتعجب من عظم خلقته كتعجبي من طراوة جبته.
“I was in the region of the land of ʿĀd when I saw a city built of carved stones. In its centre was a palace of stone inhabited by jinn. I entered it and saw an elderly man of great stature praying towards the Kaʿbah. He was wearing a woollen cloak that retained its freshness. I was not astonished by his imposing presence as much as I was by the freshness of his cloak.” [Ibn al-Jawzī, Ṣifat aṣ-Ṣafwah, as quoted by As-Suyūṭī in Lubāb an-Nuqūl fī Asbāb an-Nuzūl, Sūrat al-Jinn.]
Sahl’s report continues:
فسلّمت عليه فرد علي السلام وقال يا سهل … وإن هذه الجبة علي منذ سبعمائة سنة لقيت فيها عيسى ومحمدًا عليهما الصلاة والسلام فآمنت بهما فقلت له ومن أنت قال من الذين نزلت فيهم
“I greeted him, and he returned my greeting, then said: ‘O Sahl, this cloak has been with me for seven hundred years. I met ʿĪsā and Muḥammad and believed in them while wearing it.’ I asked him, ‘Who are you?’ He replied: ‘I am among those about whom Allah revealed:’” [Ibn al-Jawzī, Ṣifat aṣ-Ṣafwah, as quoted by As-Suyūṭī in Lubāb an-Nuqūl fī Asbāb an-Nuzūl, Sūrat al-Jinn.]
The passage cited is:
قُلْ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءَانًا عَجَبًا
يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدٗا
“Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qurʾān that guides to the right path, and we have believed in it, and we shall never associate partners with our Lord.’” [Q 72:1–2]
They were a group of jinn from Naṣībīn.
The Report of Ibn Masʿūd and the Night of the Jinn
Ibn Jurayj (d. 150 AH/767 CE) mentioned in his tafsīr, from Abū ʿUbaydah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd, who narrated from ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd (d. 32 AH/652 CE), who said:
أَن النَّبِي انْطلق إِلَى الْجِنّ ليقْرَأ عَلَيْهِم الْقُرْآن ويدعوهم إِلَى الله، فَقَالَ لأَصْحَابه: من يصحبني مِنْكُم؟ وَفِي رِوَايَة: ليقمْ مِنْكُم رجل معي لَيْسَ فِي قلبه حَبَّة خَرْدَل من كبر. فَسكت الْقَوْم.
“The Prophet went out to the jinn in order to recite the Qurʾān to them and call them to Allah. He said to his Companions: ‘Who will accompany me?’ In another version: ‘Let a man who does not have even a grain of pride in his heart stand with me.’ The people remained silent.” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Ibn Masʿūd’s report continues:
فَقَالَ ذَلِك ثَانِيًا وثالثا، فَقَامَ عبد الله بن مَسْعُود، قَالَ ابْن مَسْعُود: فَانْطَلَقت مَعَ رَسُول الله قبل الْحجُون حَتَّى دَخَلنَا شعب أبي دب، فَقَالَ: فَخط لي خطا فَقَالَ: لَا تَبْرَح هَذَا الْخط.
“He repeated this a second time, and then a third, until ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd stood up. I went out with the Messenger of Allah in the direction of al-Ḥujūn until we entered the valley of Abū Dubb. The Prophet drew a line for me and said: ‘Do not cross this line.’” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Ibn Masʿūd’s report continues:
وَنزل عَلَيْهِ الْجِنّ مثل الحجل. قَالَ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِم الْقُرْآن وَعلا صَوته، فلصقوا بِالْأَرْضِ حَتَّى لَا أَرَاهُم. وَفِي رِوَايَة: انهم قَالُوا لَهُ: مَا أَنْت؟ مَا أَنْت؟ قَالَ: نَبِي.
“The jinn then descended upon him like partridges. He recited the Qurʾān to them in a loud voice, and they fell and pressed upon the ground until I could no longer see them. In another version, they said to him: ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ He replied: ‘A Prophet.’” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Ibn Masʿūd’s report continues:
قَالُوا: وَمن يشْهد لَك؟ فَقَالَ: هَذِه الشَّجَرَة، قَالَ: فَدَعَا الشَّجَرَة فَجَاءَت تجر عروقها، لَهَا قعاقع، وَشهِدت الشَّجَرَة لَهُ بِالنُّبُوَّةِ، ثمَّ عَادَتْ إِلَى مَكَانهَا.
“They asked: ‘Who will bear witness for you?’ He said: ‘This tree will bear witness for me.’ He called the tree, and it came to him, dragging its roots and making a sound. It bore witness to his prophethood and then returned to its place.” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Ibn Masʿūd’s report continues:
أَنهم سَأَلُوهُ الزَّاد فَأَعْطَاهُمْ الْعظم والبعر، فَكَانُوا يَجدونَ الْعظم أوقر مَا يكون لَحْمًا، والبعر علفا لدوابهم، وَنهى الرَّسُول حِينَئِذٍ الِاسْتِنْجَاء بالعظم والروث.
“They asked him for provisions, so he gave them bones and dung. They found that the bones were abundantly covered with meat, and that the dung provided fodder for their animals. Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah forbade the use of bones and dung for cleaning after relieving oneself.” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Ibn Masʿūd’s report continues:
خطّ رَسُول الله لي خطا وَقَالَ: لَا تَبْرَح هَذَا الْخط وَانْطَلق فِي الْجَبَل، قَالَ فَسمِعت لَغطا وصوتا عَظِيما، فَأَرَدْت أَن أذهب فِي أَثَره، فَذكرت قَول رَسُول الله: لَا تَبْرَح الْخط فَلم أذهب، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ ذكرت لَهُ ذَلِك، فَقَالَ لي: لَو خرجت من الْخط لم ترني أبدا.
“The Prophet said to me: ‘Do not leave this line.’ I heard a clamour and a great noise and wanted to go after him, but I remembered the words of the Messenger of Allah, ‘Do not leave the line’, so I did not go. When he returned, I mentioned that to him, and he said: ‘Had you left the line, you would never have seen me again.’” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
Reconciling the Narrations
A group of scholars of tafsīr stated that the encounter with the jinn occurred twice: once in Makkah, and once in the Valley of al-Nakhlah. The narration of Ibn ʿAbbās refers to the encounter at al-Nakhlah, wherein the jinn passed by the Prophet and listened to the Qurʾān. The narration of Ibn Masʿūd refers to the encounter in Makkah, in which the Prophet went to the jinn, recited the Qurʾān to them, and called them to Islam.
This is the reconciliation between the two reports.
A Later Observation of Ibn Masʿūd
It was reported that ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd once saw a group of people from az-Zūṭ in Iraq and remarked:
أشبههم بالجن لَيْلَة الْجِنّ.
“They resemble the jinn from the Night of the Jinn.” [As-Samʿānī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.]
In a narration from ʿAlqamah, he asked Ibn Masʿūd whether any of the Companions had been with the Prophet on the Night of the Jinn. Ibn Masʿūd replied that none of them had witnessed it. He then mentioned a report narrated by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.
References
Al-Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Jinn, [Q 72:1–2].
Al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 773.
Ibn al-Jawzī, Jamāl ad-Dīn Abū al-Faraj ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad (d. 597 AH/1201 CE), Ṣifat aṣ-Ṣafwah.
Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, report concerning the Night of the Jinn cited by as-Samʿānī.
As-Samʿānī, Abū al-Muẓaffar Manṣūr ibn Muḥammad (d. 489 AH/1096 CE), Tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Riyadh: Dār al-Waṭan, 2014, vol. 6, pp. 62–63.
As-Suyūṭī, Jalāl ad-Dīn (849–911 AH/1445–1505 CE), Ad-Durr al-Manthūr fī at-Tafsīr bi-l-Maʾthūr and Lubāb an-Nuqūl fī Asbāb an-Nuzūl, Sūrat al-Jinn.
