40. SURAH JINN – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION TO THE SURAH

The Surah “Kul uhiye قل اوحى,” also known as Surah Jinn, is accepted to have been revealed in Mecca as the 40th Surah. It derives its name from the word ” الجنّ al-jinn” mentioned in the first verse.

In the first part of the Surah, it is narrated that a group of foreigners visiting Mecca listened to the Qur’an, were influenced by what they heard, returned to their homeland as believers, and subsequently shared with their people the truths they learned from the Qur’an and the flaws in their previous beliefs. The Surah also includes references to the fact that the knowledge of the unseen belongs solely to Allah, the principle of monotheism, and the characteristics of the Qur’an.

With the revelation of Surah Jinn, it was understood that believers existed outside of Mecca, and it became known that these individuals decided to support the believers. This information served as a source of spiritual strength for all believers, particularly for our Prophet. Despite the beneficial impact of Surah Jinn on those early believers who took the Qur’an as their sole guide, it has often been misunderstood due to interpretations of the term “jinn” that deviate from its intended meaning in the Qur’an. Among the reasons for this misunderstanding is the prominence given to the popularized pre-Islamic connotations of the term “jinn” among the people.

Proper understanding of the Surah depends on a thorough knowledge of the concept of “Jinn” and its portrayal in the Qur’an, as well as familiarity with the historical “Aqaba Pledges.” We had provided detailed information about “Jinn” and the concept of “Jinn in the Qur’an” in our discussion of Surah Nas.

THE PLEDGES OF AQABA

The two agreements and covenants made by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with the first Muslims from Medina in 621-622 at a place called Aqaba near Mecca.

The name Aqaba is given to a location between Mina and Mecca, about three kilometers from Mecca. Although there are other places with the same name, when Aqaba is mentioned, it primarily recalls this renowned site where the historic agreements and covenants were made.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh), striving to convey Islam to various tribes and groups, especially during the Hajj season, would visit the tribes coming to Mecca and attempt to deliver his new message. During one such Hajj season, the Prophet encountered some individuals from the Khazraj tribe, one of the two Arab tribes living in Yathrib [Medina]. The Prophet invited them to Islam. In the 11th year of his prophethood, six individuals from the mentioned tribe responded to his call with great sincerity and embraced this new religion. They had grown weary of the ongoing Buas wars, which had been dragging on for years between the Arab tribes of Yathrib, and they hoped that this new religion would establish a peace environment among them.

When they returned to Yathrib, they promised to inform their fellow tribe, the Aws, about this event and their new religion, to invite them to Islam, and to meet the Messenger of Allah at the same place during the next Hajj season.

In addition to these two tribes living in Medina, there were also three Jewish tribes residing there. These Jewish tribes despised the polytheistic Arabs because of their religion and idolatry. The Jews, relying on the Torah and what they had heard from their scholars and ancestors, would often say that they would believe in a prophet who was soon to emerge in this region and, with his support, would eliminate idolatry and destroy the Arabs.

These claims of the Jews had left an impression on the minds of the Aws and Khazraj tribes of Yathrib. When they met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at Aqaba, they did not hesitate to align themselves with him before the Jews could. These first Muslim Yathribites, believing in the Messenger of Allah, said: “Our people are going through very difficult times and are in a dire situation. Years of conflict have caused endless disputes among us. We believe that this new religion will bring us together, reconcile us, and unite us.”

Indeed, the people of Yathrib wanted the Buas wars to finally come to an end. Those from the Khazraj tribe who believed in the Prophet Muhammad were: As’ad b. Zurara, Awf b. Harith, Rafi’ b. Malik, Uqba b. Amir, Kutba b. Amir, and Jabir b. Abdullah b. Riab. The first two of them belonged to the Najjar clan.^[1]

The first Muslims of Medina, who embraced Islam wholeheartedly, returned to their homeland and exerted all their efforts to promote this new religion and ensure that their relatives also believed. This small group had a significant influence on the people of Yathrib. Many individuals from the Aws and Khazraj tribes embraced Islam through their efforts. Especially Es’ad b. Zurara and Awf b. Harith, who belonged to the Najjar clan and were relatives of the Messenger of Allah, openly declared their faith and worked tirelessly to invite others to Islam. Indeed, the Islamic creed played a major role in ending the years-long wars in Yathrib. Hostilities ceased, and people quickly became brothers through Allah’s mercy.

The following year, in the 12th year of prophethood, twelve individuals from Yathrib came to Mecca during the Hajj season and secretly met the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at Aqaba at night. Six of them had embraced Islam the previous year. Ubada b. as-Samit, one of the companions present at what is called the First Pledge of Aqaba, described the event as follows:

“We pledged to support him in both ease and hardship, in joy and sorrow, to obey his commands in all matters, to hold the Messenger of Allah dearer than our own selves, and to never oppose him regardless of the circumstances. We pledged to fear no blame from any critic in the path of Allah, to never associate partners with Allah, to abstain from theft and adultery, to not kill our children, to not falsely accuse anyone out of malice, and to not oppose the Messenger of Allah in any righteous deed. Furthermore, we pledged that if one of us remained faithful to his promise, his reward and recompense would be with Allah, and he would be granted the blessings of Paradise. If someone, due to human weakness, committed any of these acts and faced punishment in this world, that punishment would serve as an expiation for him. However, if someone committed any of these sins and Allah concealed it, then his affair would rest with Allah, Who would either forgive him or punish him. We pledged to remain steadfast in the matters conveyed to us by the Messenger of Allah.”

Of the twelve individuals who participated in this first pledge, six were the same individuals who had believed the previous year. The other six were Mu’adh b. Harith, Zakwan b. Qays, Ubada b. as-Samit, Yazid b. Sa’leba, Abbas b. Ubada, and Abu’l-Haytham Malik b. Tayyihan. According to some sources, instead of Jabir b. Abdullah, who was one of the six who had met the Messenger the previous year, Uwaym b. Saida was present at the First Pledge of Aqaba.

As the people of Medina returned from Hajj, they took Mus’ab b. Umayr with them, whom the Messenger of Allah had appointed to teach Islam. Within a short period, Islam spread rapidly in Medina. Mus’ab b. Umayr kept the Messenger informed of every development in Medina. Soon, the homes of the Aws and Khazraj tribes were illuminated with the light of Islam. Medina was now ready for the emergence of an Islamic state. Through the efforts of Mus’ab b. Umayr, prominent leaders of Yathrib, such as Sa’d b. Mu’adh and Usayd b. Hudayr, embraced Islam. With the conversion of these two influential leaders, Islam gained substantial acceptance in Medina. Consequently, the people of Medina decided to invite the Prophet to their city.

A year after the First Pledge of Aqaba, the people of Medina came to Mecca again for Hajj. This time, there were seventy-five Muslims among them, including two women. The Prophet’s interaction with them this time was not limited to conveying Islam. They were on the brink of making crucial decisions. The meeting place was again Aqaba. The meeting was to be conducted secretly, and no information was to be leaked. At midnight, the people of Medina gathered cautiously at the agreed location.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Aqaba this time with his uncle Abbas. Abbas had not yet become a Muslim, or if he had, he was keeping it secret. However, he was still protective of his nephew and considered it a family duty to be present at such a gathering. Abbas spoke first at the meeting:

“O people of Khazraj, you know the position Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) holds among us. We have protected him from his enemies and will continue to do so. He is here, among his family, and is honored and respected by us. However, he wishes to make an agreement with you and join you. If you are resolute and strong in fulfilling your promises and standing against his opponents, then there is no issue. But if you intend to betray him and abandon him after taking him with you, then declare this now and leave him to his current state.”

The response of the Muslims from Medina was as follows:

“We have listened to your words. O Messenger of Allah, you speak! Take from us any oath you wish, for the sake of yourself and Allah. We are ready.” After reciting some verses from the Qur’an, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), said: “I extend my hand to you so that you may protect me as you protect your women and children.”

The first to extend his hand was Bara b. Ma’rur. He said: “We pledge, O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, who sent you with the true religion, we will protect and defend you as we protect our own selves, children, and wives. We are people who are accustomed to war. We are familiar with armor; it is an inheritance from our ancestors.”

After Bara, Abu’l-Haytham spoke: “O Messenger of Allah,” he said, “we have certain ties with the Jews. We will sever these ties. Once we have done so and, with Allah’s help, you succeed, will you then leave us and return to your own people?”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled and said: “My blood is your blood. You are of me, and I am of you. Whoever you fight, I will fight alongside you, and whoever you make peace with, I will make peace with.”

Hearing these words from the Messenger of Allah, everyone extended their hands to pledge allegiance. At this moment, Abbas b. Ubada stood up and said: “O people of Khazraj! Do you understand why you are pledging allegiance to this man? By pledging to him, you are accepting the obligation to fight against the red and the black, meaning Arabs and non-Arabs alike. If you foresee calamities and see your leaders killed, only to leave him abandoned, then do so now. This would be the wiser course. Otherwise, if you remain faithful to your promise, endure material losses, and face the deaths of your great men, then proceed. For goodness lies in this, both in this world and the hereafter.”

They all agreed and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, in return, what do you promise us?”

The Messenger of Allah replied: “Paradise!”

The pledge was completed quickly. They all promised to obey in hardship and ease, to speak only the truth, and to fear no blame in the path of Allah.

After the pledge, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed twelve leaders, nine from Khazraj and three from Aws. Es’ad b. Zurara was chosen as their leader and emir. Each of these individuals was a leader of a tribe, symbolizing that the twelve tribes had embraced Islam.

The pledge took place in the secrecy and solitude of the night. However, as the pledge concluded, a cry pierced the darkness: “O Quraysh, Muhammad and those who have forsaken the religion of their forefathers have made a pact to fight you!”

But the Muslims no longer feared anyone. Hearing this cry, Abbas b. Ubada said: “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah who sent you with the truth, if you command, we will draw our swords at dawn and attack them.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “No… We have not yet been given permission to fight. For now, return to your places.”

Obedience to the command was absolute for this first group of Muslims who had fully submitted to Islam and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah. The meeting at Aqaba dispersed, and everyone returned to their places.

By morning, the Quraysh infidels had learned about this pledge. They began investigating its nature. However, they could not comprehend why the people of Yathrib, who were not yet Muslims, would make such an agreement with the Prophet. The Muslims from Yathrib had already left the city before the Meccan infidels could gather any substantial information about this secret pact.

The Second Pledge of Aqaba, which marked a critical turning point in the establishment of the Islamic State, was named “Bay’at al-Harb” (Pledge of War) because it solidified the principles of protecting the Messenger of Allah in both war and peace. With the realization of the Second Pledge of Aqaba, a new era began in Islamic history, laying the foundation of the Islamic State.^[2]

40 / SURAH JINN

The meaning of the verses:

^1-2Say: “It has been revealed to me that a group of strangers listened to the Qur’an and said: “Indeed we have heeded a fascinating Qur’an that guides to the path of the ability of distinguishing between good and evil. Therefore, we have believed in it and we will never associate anything with our Rabb. ³The truth is that the glory of our Rabb is exalted. He has not taken a female companion and a child.

⁴And surely, “our fool one” has been saying nonsense about Allah. ⁵Truly, we thought that those who we know and those we do not would never say lies about Allah.

⁶Indeed, some of the people among the ones that we know very well sought refuge in some of the people among the strangers that we do not know. Thus, those strangers increased their transgression and foolishness.

⁷Truly, they had thought as you did, that Allah would never send anyone as a prophet/Allah would never resurrect anyone.

⁸And truly, we have touched to the heavens/universe and found it filled with mighty guardians and bright flames. ⁹And surely, we sat to the places which were for hearing from the heavens/universe. Now, whoever tries to hear finds for himself a flaming fire that observes. ¹⁰And we do not know if evil is intended for those on the earth or their Rabb intended right course for them.

¹¹Surely, we; some of us are among those who are righteous, and some of us are inferior to this. We were on various paths.

¹²And certainly, we have understood very well that we will never incapacitate Allah on the earth, and we will never incapacitate Him by escaping either. ¹³And when we listened to that guidance/the Qur’an, we believed in it. Therefore, whoever believes in his Rabb will not fear that he will be deprived of his right and he will be treated unjustly/befooled and he will be burdened with a heavy weight.

¹⁴And truly, as for our situation; Muslims are among us, those who do wrong; act against their own good are among us as well. However, whoever have become Muslim, they are among those who seek for the good, the right, the beautiful, the truth. ¹⁵However, as for those who do wrong; act against their own good about faith, they will be wood for Jahannah [Hell]”.

^16,17And if they had really remained straight on that path, then We would have given them plenty of water to make them purify themselves. Whoever keeps away from the remembrance of his Rabb; from the Qur’an, He will put him into a continuously increasing punishment.

¹⁸And surely, the masjids [school] are for Allah. Therefore, do not invoke anyone with Allah.

¹⁹And the truth is that when the servant of Allah/the Prophet stood up/moved inviting to Him, a group of those strangers would surround him, almost being clamped together.

²⁰Say: “I definitely invoke my Rabb and never associate anything with Him”.

²¹And say: “Indeed, I am not capable of leading you to harm and good, evil, to what is right”.

^22,23Say: “The truth is that no one but being His messenger and the tasks assigned upon me by Him can save me from Allah. I can never find a refuge from among those that are inferior to Him. So, whoever disobeys Allah and His messenger, the fire of Jahannah [Hell] is for him. They will abide there eternally.

²⁴And finally, as soon as they see what they have been threatened with, they will know who is weaker in helpers and fewer in number.

^25-28And say: “I do not know whether what you have been threatened with is close, or your Rabb will give you a long respite. My Rabb is the One Who knows all what is unseen, unheard, unfelt, the past and the future. And He does not inform anyone concerning that which is unseen, unheard and unfelt, and about the past and the future other than those He has chosen from the messengers with whom He is pleased. Because, He sends observers from all around him so that he may know that he accurately conveys what his Rabb sends. He has surrounded all that which is with them, and enumerated everything in number”.

Analysis of Verses

Verses 1, 2:

A group from among the jinn [foreigners] is referred to in the verse with the word “نفر nefer.” The word nefer, which has been incorrectly translated into Turkish as “a person,” actually means “a group of men consisting of 3 to 10 individuals.”^[3] Accordingly, the number of these jinn [foreigners] who listened to the Qur’an is between 3 and 10 people.

These individuals, who were not from Mecca, had come from outside Mecca and were therefore unknown to the Meccans, which is why they were referred to as “jinn.” These people are also mentioned in the Surah Ahqaf:

²⁹And when We directed to you a group of people of secret agents who wished to listen to the Qur’an. When they were ready for the Qur’an, they said: Be quiet!”. And then when they listened to the Qur’an, they returned to their people as a warner.

^30-32They said: “O our people! We certainly have listened to a book that was revealed after Moses and only confirms its contents and guides to the truth and to the straight path. O our people! Respond to the inviter of Allah and believe in Him so Allah may forgive your sins and save you from a painful punishment. Whoever does not respond to the inviter of Allah, let him know that he will not incapacitate Allah on the earth. And there are no familiars who help, guide, protect for him from among those that are inferior to Allah. They are in an explicit astray”.

(Al-Ahqaf/ 29–32)

The fact that the “jinn” mentioned in this surah are the same as the “jinn” in Surah Ahqaf is present in all classical works and narrations on the subject. However, the details shared in narrative commentaries related to this topic demonstrate the extent to which fabrications have reached. Here are a few examples, presented in a summarized form for the admonition of all.

Regarding how this event occurred, there are two opinions:

The first is that Said b. Jubayr said: “The jinn used to listen to the gates of the heavens. When they were repelled and driven away with stones, they thought, ‘This must surely be due to something happening on earth.’ So they set out to investigate its cause. At that time, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had gone to Taif to invite people to Islam after losing hope in the Meccans following him. This coincided with the time when he was returning to Mecca. While in the valley known as Batn al-Nakhl, he rose to pray the morning prayer and recited the Qur’an. At that place, a group of jinn, who were among the chiefs of the jinn of Nusaybin, happened to pass by. Iblis had sent them to discover the cause of the heavens being guarded with stones. They heard the Qur’an and understood that it was the reason.”

The second opinion: Allah the Exalted had also assigned the Prophet the duty of warning and inviting the jinn and reciting the Qur’an to them. For this purpose, Allah the Exalted sent a group of jinn to listen to the Qur’an and warn their own people.

Abu Hayyan also stated in Bahr that the story of the jinn occurred twice. The first was during the Prophet’s return from Taif. According to the account narrated by the biographers, the Prophet had gone there seeking support. The jinn listened to him while he was performing prayers in the valley of Nakhl, but he was unaware of it until Allah the Exalted informed him that they had been listening.

On another occasion, Allah the Exalted commanded the Prophet to warn the jinn and recite the Qur’an to them. Upon this, the Prophet said, “I was commanded to recite the Qur’an to the jinn. Who will follow me?” He repeated this three times. Except for Abdullah b. Mas’ud, no one responded; they all kept their heads down.

Abdullah ibn Masud (r.a) said: “On the night of the jinn, no one else was present except me. We went, and when we reached the mountain path at Hacun, he (the Prophet) drew a line for me and told me not to step out of it until he returned. Then, he began to recite the Qur’an. I heard a loud noise and feared that something might happen to the Messenger of Allah. Many dark shapes surrounded him, blocking him from my view to the extent that I could no longer hear his voice. Then, they dispersed like a cloud breaking apart. He then asked me, ‘Did you see anything?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I saw black men clothed in white garments.’ He said, ‘Those were the jinn of Nusaybin.’”

In the commentary of Tabari, it is stated: Regarding the words of Allah, “And [mention, O Muhammad], when We directed to you a group of the jinn,” there is a difference of opinion among the commentators about the number of this group of jinn. Some said they were seven. Among them, Ikrima narrated from Ibn Abbas that they were seven people from the people of Nusaybin. The Messenger of Allah appointed them as emissaries to their people. Others said they were nine. Zirr ibn Hubaysh said: “When the Prophet (s.a.v) was in the valley of Nahla, the verse, ‘When they attended it, they said, Listen attentively,’ was revealed. They were nine, one of whom was Zawba’a. The term ṣarrafnā (صرفنا) means that Allah directed groups of jinn to the Messenger of Allah, indicating that they came into the Prophet’s presence.”

Alusi also recorded the following: According to the narration of Mujahid from Ibn Abi Hatim, they were seven—three from Harran and four from Nusaybin. Their names were Hasa, Mesa, Shasir, Masir, Al-Ardevanyan, Sarmeh, and Al-Ahkam or Al-Ahkab.

Tabarani in “Al-Awsat” and Ibn Mardawayh narrated that the jinn were sent to the Messenger of Allah twice. In Hafaji’s “Shihab” within the commentary of Qadi, it is mentioned in the interpretation of Surah Al-Jinn that the hadiths indicate that the sending of the jinn occurred six times. The discrepancies in the number and other details in the narrations are reconciled with this understanding.

As Abu Nuaym narrated: Nine individuals from the people of Nusaybin left the valley of Nahla. Among them were such-and-such, Al-Ardevanyan, and Al-Ahkab. They went to their people as warners and then departed. A delegation of three hundred individuals came to the Messenger of Allah as representatives. They arrived at Hacun. Al-Ahkab came, greeted the Messenger of Allah (s.a.v), and said, “Our people are ready to meet you at Hacun.” The Messenger of Allah promised them an hour in the night at Hacun.

Ibn Abi Hatim also narrated from Ikrima that in this verse, they were twelve thousand from the island of Mosul. This number is also mentioned in “Al-Kashshaf.” The Surah recited to them by the Messenger of Allah was Surah Al-‘Alaq. However, it is also reported in “Al-Bahr” from Ibn Umar and Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a) that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.v) recited Surah Ar-Rahman to them. Every time he said, “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” they would respond, “None of the signs of our Lord do we deny; all praise is due to You, our Lord.”

Furthermore, Abu Nuaym in “Dala’il” narrated that the event of the jinn coming to the Messenger of Allah occurred in the eleventh year of prophethood. The statement that this incident took place three years before the Hijrah also aligns with this understanding.^[4]

Unfortunately, many baseless and unfounded narrations on this subject have been attributed to esteemed individuals ranging from Aisha, the wife of our prophet, to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who fought alongside Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak for pure religion. For example, in a narration attributed to these individuals, which led some naive people to believe that snakes are “jinn,” it is stated that many snakes were shrouded, prayed upon, and buried on the grounds that they were among these “jinn.” Sadly, this narration has also served as a source for thousands of fabricated “snake-jinn” stories.

There are also interesting details such as that these “jinn” are only as smart as a 12-year-old child, that they feed on human waste, and that there are some –jinn– who witnessed Abel kill Cain. In some narrations, information is given about where they are from and who they are. For example, despite Qatade’s saying, “These jinn were from the people of Nineveh,” other narrations suggest that they were actually the jinn of Nisibis near Diyarbakir but were also referred to as Ninevites. According to Ikrima, these jinn were from the Mosul peninsula, while Ibn Abbas claimed they were from the jinn of Nisibis, consisting of seven individuals appointed by our prophet as emissaries to their people. Ibn Durayd provided their names as Shasir, Masir, Menshi, Mashi, and Ahqab, whereas Mujahid stated they were from the people of Harran and named them Hishi, Misi, Menshi, Masir, Erd, Enyan, and Ahkam.^[5]

Some of these stories, filled with contradictions and absurd scenarios, have been refuted by other transmissions. For example, according to the findings of Daruqutni, Ibn Mas’ud was not present on the “night of the jinn.” This is corroborated by the narrations of Alqama ibn Qays and Abu Ubayda ibn Abdullah, who reported that Ibn Mas’ud said, “I was not present on the night of the jinn.” Furthermore, it is reported that Amr ibn Murra asked Abu Ubayda whether Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was present on the night of the jinn, and he replied, “No.”^[6]

Some of these fabricated narrations also contradict historical facts. For instance, although the event in question supposedly occurred in the year Ibn Abbas was born, many narrations claim that Ibn Abbas described the event as an eyewitness. Additionally, the claim that our prophet recited Surahs Al-Rahman, An-Naba’, and Al-An’am—surahs, that had not yet been revealed at that time—is quite remarkable. Even the scene of performing ablution in Ibn Mas’ud’s narration is highly problematic, as the verse, distorted as the “ablution verse” as well, was revealed much later in Medina.

In fact, when the details are left aside and the narrations on this subject are compared with the “Aqaba Bayats/ Allegiance ” quote we gave in the “Introduction” section, it is seen that the narrations are completely opposite to what is described in this excerpt. Because, contrary to the narrations, the quotation “Aqaba Bayats” states that these jinn are people from Yathrib. The reason why the members of the Yathrib delegation were described as “jinn”, as stated above, is because they were strangers to Mecca and our Prophet, and also because they were safe so that they would not be exposed to possible attacks by the Meccan polytheists. The interpretations and approaches brought by those who claim that the “jinn” in question are imaginary creatures are not correct.

The interpretation and approaches of those who claim that these “jinn” were imaginary creatures are not accurate. Considering the “jinn” as beings from another dimension does not align with the Qur’an. As emphasized in numerous verses, our prophet is a human, a messenger sent to humans, and is described as “one of you.” In other words, he is one of us and was sent as a messenger not to beings from another dimension but to us. If these “jinn” were beings from another dimension, then, according to the Sunnatullah (divine law), the messenger sent to them would also have to be of their kind:

⁹⁵Say: “If it had been angels walking on the earth securely, We would certainly have sent down an angel as a messenger from the heavens/universe”.

(Al-Isra/ 95)

THE AMAZING QUR’AN

The word “عجباًacaben” in the verse means exaggeration as a pattern. Therefore, the expression “ Indeed we have heeded a fascinating Qur’an ” by the “jinn” here means “We have heard such a Qur’an that, in terms of its language and subject, is magnificent, unparalleled, extraordinary, and vastly different from other scriptures.” As a matter of fact, the listeners immediately understood that the Qur’an is a divine message, accepted its guidance and immediately believed.

THE QUR’AN GUIDES TO MATURITY

The guidance that the “jinn” [foreigners] who listened to the Qur’an conveyed to their people is such that the “jinn” were immediately influenced, came to faith, and resolved not to associate partners with their Lord anymore. From this, it is understood that these “jinn” were previously engaged in polytheism/shirk and, thanks to the warnings in the Qur’an, they came to their senses and freed themselves from polytheism. Their being influenced by the Qur’an in this way necessitates that they had a strong understanding of the Qur’an’s characteristics. The fact that they listened to and understood the Qur’an in Arabic from our Prophet indicates that these “jinn” were well-versed in Arabic.

One noteworthy point here is that it is not the messenger but the Qur’an itself that is presented as the guide. Indeed, when the Qur’an is carefully examined, it becomes evident that it is not the messengers but the revelations that guide to the truth. The fact that this guidance is directed toward maturity (rushd) is another aspect that requires special attention.

الرِشدRUSHD

The word rushd, which appears 19 times in different derivations in the Qur’an in verses such as Baqara/186, 256; A’raf/146; Nisa/6; Kahf/10, 17, 24, 66; Anbiya/51; Jinn/10, 14, 21; Mu’min/29, 38; Hujurat/7; Hud/78, 87, 97, refers to meanings such as “the consciousness of distinguishing between right and wrong, mental maturity, finding the right path and adhering to it, and attaining the maturity to do good and right things.”^[7]

The word rushd, whose derivatives such as “reaching maturity” (rüşdüne erme), “guidance” (irşat etme), and “guide” (mürşit) are also used in Turkish, can be briefly defined in the Qur’anic context as “reaching and living the maturity prescribed by Islam.”

Accordingly, the expression “the Qur’an that guides to rushd” means: “The Qur’an raises people’s awareness by making them use their intellect, bringing them to maturity; in other words, it neither enchants nor brainwashes anyone.”

Al-Baqara/186, 256, A’raf/146, Nisa/6, Kahf/10, 17, 24, 66, Anbiya/51, Jinn/10, 14, 21, Believer/29, 38, Hucurat/7, Hud/ The word “rushd”, which appears 19 times in the Qur’an with its different derivatives, including in 78, 87, 97 and in this verse, means “awareness of distinguishing between right and wrong, mental maturity, finding the right way and entering it, and being able to do good and right things.” means “to reach”. It is possible to briefly describe the meaning of the word “rüşd” in the verses of the Qur’an as “reaching and living the maturity envisaged by Islam”, and its derivatives such as “becoming of age”, “coming of age”, “guidance”, “murshid” are also used in Turkish.

Accordingly, the expression “the Qur’an that guides the mind” means that “the Qur’an raises people’s awareness by using their minds, makes them mature, in other words, does not fascinate anyone, does not brainwash anyone”.

Verse 3:

³The truth is that the glory of our Rabb is exalted. He has not taken a female companion and a child.

The jinn [foreigners], who continued to convey what they learned from the Qur’an to their own society, expressed two very significant points in this verse: the exalted majesty of Allah and that He has neither taken a partner nor a child.

A Spouse and a child, by their nature, respond to certain basic needs felt by humans in their simple lives. Physical urges lead a person to a spouse; concerns about continuing one’s lineage, avoiding loneliness in the future, and being stronger and more secure lead to having children. However, since the Exalted Allah is free from all deficiencies, He is above such weaknesses of a simple life. The statement that Allah has neither taken a female companion nor a child also conveys that attributions and false beliefs claiming otherwise must be absolutely rejected. From this, it can also be understood that these “jinn” [foreigners] were aware of the deviant beliefs of Jews and Christians on this matter and that they learned the truth through the Qur’an.

Verses 4-5:

⁴And surely, “our fool one” has been saying nonsense about Allah. ⁵Truly, we thought that those who we know and those we do not would never say lies about Allah.

The proponents of classical interpretations understood the term “our foolish one” in this verse to refer to Iblis and put all the blame on him. However, we are of the opinion that the term “our foolish one” refers to the jinn’s [foreigners’] own leaders [social leaders].

It appears that this leader, who was respected and held in high esteem within that society, deceived his community with a host of absurdities about Allah. After all, it is a common occurrence for infidels blinded by material and spiritual greed to fabricate lies about Allah. For this reason, our Lord warns in the Qur’an: “Do not let anyone deceive you about Allah.”

³⁴O you who have believed! Surely, many of the rabbis/scholars and priests consume the wealth of the people unjustly and avert them from the path of Allah. And as for those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend them for the cause of Allah/provide sustenance first for their relatives and then others, give them the tidings of a painful punishment immediately!

(At-Tawbah/ 34)

⁵O mankind! Surely, that which Allah has promised to fulfill is true. Then, do not let this simple worldly life delude you. And do not let that deceiver deceive you with Allah. ⁶Surely, the satan is an enemy for you. Therefore take him as your enemy as well. Surely, satan calls his followers to be among the companions of the blazing fire.

(Fatir/ 5, 6)

The same warnings are also found in Luqman/33 and Hadid/14.

The term “jinn and ins” in the verse, as explained in the section “The Concept of Jinn and Jinn in the Qur’an” in the Introduction, means “every person, known or unknown.”

شططاً SHATAT

The term “شطط (shatat),” which we have translated as “absurd things” with its broad meaning, signifies “extremism, excessive disbelief, extreme lies, nonsense, and being far from the truth.”^[8] The phrase “absurd things” in the verse refers to actions such as attributing a spouse or child to Allah, claiming that angels are the daughters of Allah, and the Jews imagining themselves to be Allah’s chosen servants.

Verse 6:

It is noteworthy that the words “ins” and “cinn” are not used in the form of “ins-jinn” in this verse. For this reason, both words are translated with their original meanings: the word “ins” as “people we know well,” and the word “cinn” as “foreigners we do not know.”

Another point to consider here is that the “jinn” [foreigners], who are the protagonists of this surah, refer to themselves as “ins” and to the foreigners they do not know, who wander around their cities as spies, as “jinn.” It is understood that some individuals known to the “jinn” group [foreigners] sought refuge in certain unknown individuals [jinn] and received help and advice from them.

رجال RICAL

The word “ رجال Rical” in the lexicon means “individuals, persons.” Some have claimed that the word “rical” here specifically refers to “jinns who own the valley.” Indeed, classical sources often mention an irrational claim attributed to Ibn Abbas regarding these verses, linking the act of seeking refuge in the “jinn” to this claim. According to this claim, during the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah period, Arabs believed that when they passed through desolate and fearsome places or camped there, they could protect themselves from potential harm by saying, “We seek refuge in the jinn who own this valley.”^[9]

In our opinion, the beliefs and behaviors of ignorant Arabs have no relevance to the subject here. This is because the verse mentions that the cinn in whom they sought refuge influenced these people, increasing their deviance. As seen in verse 7, the cinn corrupted the beliefs of those who followed them by convincing them that Allah would not send a prophet or resurrect anyone after death, thereby deepening their deviance. Therefore, linking the “jinn who increased transgression and foolishness” mentioned in the verse to the “nonexistent jinn of abandoned ruins” feared by ignorant Arabs is entirely incorrect.

We believe that the “belief-corrupting jinn” mentioned in the verse might be agents sent by influential figures in Mecca, such as Abu Jahl or Walid ibn Mughirah, to the surrounding cities and communities to undermine the Prophet.

Verse 7:

⁷Truly, they had thought as you did, that Allah would never send anyone as a prophet/Allah would never resurrect anyone.

The word “ ظنّzann” in this verse, according to classical Arabic grammar, means “certainty [definitive knowledge].”^[10]

The jinn [foreigners], who understood the truth by listening to the Qur’an, which guides humans to righteousness, explain in this verse what the dark individuals strangers to them but active among them were doing—how they continually fabricated absurdities and misled the public.

The phrase “ يبعث احداّyeb’ase ehaden” in the verse can be interpreted in two ways. This is because the word “ بعثbeas” can mean both “resurrecting after death” and “reviving a dead society by sending a prophet.” Accordingly, the phrase can be understood and translated as either:

“They believed that Allah would never send a prophet,” or
“They believed that Allah would never resurrect anyone.”

However, in the Qur’an, the word “beas,” which appears in a total of 68 places, most often means “sending a messenger.”

²¹³The mankind was one community with a leader, then Allah sent prophets as harbingers of tidings and warners and He also sent down with them the book with the truth so they might judge between the people over what they differed. And those who had been given the Book differed only because of their transgression between them after that many proofs had come to them. Then, pursuant to His knowledge, Allah guided the believers to the truth over which they had differed. And Allah guides whomever He wills/whoever wills to the straight path.

(Al-Baqara/ 213)

¹⁰³Then after those messengers/those people, We sent Moses with Our evidences/signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs but they treated the evidences/signs unjustly. See how was the end of those corrupters!

(Al-A’raf/ 103)

⁷³And they denied him despite this. So We saved him and those who were with him in the ship. And We made them successors of those who went away. And We drowned those who denied our Ayat [evidences/signs] in the water. Look how was the end of those who were warned.

(Yunus/ 75)

⁹⁴And what prevents the people from believing when the guidance/the Qur’an has come to them is only that they say “Has Allah sent a human as a messenger?”.

(Al-Isra/ 94)

And many others…..

Verses 8-10:

From the statements in these verses, it is understood that the foreigners, who saw the truth and came to faith by listening to the Qur’an, are expressing their situation before becoming acquainted with the Qur’an through self-criticism. The jinn who are speaking explain how they used to practice astrology, relying on information they hoped to receive from the stars, waiting persistently in observatories for this purpose. However, they found that the skies were filled with stars and meteors, and despite their observations, they were unable to obtain the information they sought. As a result, they realized they could not learn what tomorrow would bring for anyone.

Although this is the essence of the matter, illogical interpretations have been made about this group of verses:

According to Suhayli, Satan used to freely enter and exit the seven heavens. With the birth of Isa, three of them were forbidden to him, and with the birth of Muhammad, all seven were forbidden. Other narrations claim that a great meteor shower occurred when Muhammad became a messenger, frightening the residents of Taif. However, one of their tribal leaders said: “If these are the stars by which we navigate in the dark of night, then it is the end of the world. Otherwise, it is something else we must fear, and Allah has willed something.”^[11]

Razi also records the following:

The Jinn’s Probing of the Heavens

Seventh Point: This refers to what the Almighty states in the verse: “Indeed, we sought to reach the heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards and meteors” (Jinn/8). The term لمس (lems) is used metaphorically in the sense of mess (touch) to mean “to probe, search, and examine.” This is because someone who touches is someone who searches and wants to know. Similarly, in Arabic, it is said: “He touched; he touched and searched…” This is akin to the root jess, which in Arabic is expressed as: “They followed him with their eyes; they investigated about him.” Based on this, the meaning of the verse becomes: “We sought to ascend to the heavens to listen to what was being said there.”

The term حرس (hares) is a singular noun, like خدم (hadem) for servants. This is why it is qualified with the singular adjective شديدا (shedidan). If its plural meaning had been intended, the phrase would have been شدادا (shidadan).

Their Expulsion from the Heavens

Eighth Point: This is indicated in the verse: “We used to sit in positions for hearing in the heavens, but whoever tries to listen now will find a shihab lying in wait for him” (Jinn/9). This means: “We used to listen, but now whenever we try to listen, we are driven away and stoned with shihab.”

Explanation of Shihab

Regarding the phrase شهابا رصدا (shihaban rasadan) in the verse:

a) Muqatil explains it to mean: “We encounter the stoning by shihabs and the guarding by angels.”
b) If this is the intended meaning, the implied structure of the phrase would be شهابا رصدا (shihaban rasadan) because the term “watchers” (رصدا rasadan) is distinct from the term شهابا (shihaban) and is the plural of راصد (rasid) [watcher].
c) Farra interprets it as: “A shihab lying in wait to stone him.” In this case, رصدا (rasadan) serves as a descriptor of شهابا (shihaban) and functions as a verbal noun in the accusative case.
d) It is also possible for رصدا (rasadan) to be in the meaning of راصدا (rasid) as an active participle. Since it is prepared for the jinn, it is as if it watches and waits for them. Know that we, this matter, Mulk/5. We have discussed it in detail in the interpretation of the verse.

Were Meteors Absent Before the Prophetic Mission?

If it is asked whether Shuhubs existed before the Prophetic mission of Muhammad(pbuh), the evidence suggests the following:

Ancient philosophers extensively discussed the causes of Shuhubs flows, indicating their existence before Muhammad’s prophethood.
In Verse 5 of Surah Mulk, the verse about the creation of stars mentions two purposes: adornment and the stoning of devils.
Pre-Islamic poetry also references this work of flowing and sinking. For example, Aws ibn Hajr mentions them in his poem, “Then it slid and flowed like a pearl, followed by a puddle that sifted the rain with strings,” and Auf ibn al-Hir also refers to The caravan comes to us without a lover. Or, the bastion (set) like a pearl followed by blood” referring Shuhubs

Zuhri narrates from Ali ibn Husayn, who reports from Ibn Abbas: One day, the Messenger of Allah was sitting with a group of the Ansar when a star shot across the sky, illuminating the surroundings. The Prophet asked: “What would you say about this in the pre-Islamic era?” They replied: “We would say that a great person has been born or has died.” “. We have written and discussed it until the end in the commentary of verse 5 of Mulk.

They continue to say the following: “For all these reasons, it has been proven that ‘shuhub’ existed before the Prophet (s. If it is asked what is the wisdom of it, we can answer it with the following two prefaces:

First Muqaddimah: These shihabs are Hz. It did not exist before the Prophet (pbuh) was sent as a prophet. This is the view of Ibn Abbas (r.a) and Ubayy Ibn Ka’b. It is reported that Ibn Abbas said: “The jinn ascended to the sky and listened to the revelation. But when they heard a word (from the sky), they added nine more to it. That one word was true and true. But the additions were false [lie]. When the Prophet (pbuh) was sent as a prophet, those devils [jinn] were expelled from those places in the sky where they sat and listened to revelation. Before that, that star (falling) was not seen. Thereupon, Iblis said to them, “This is only from an (important) event that took place on earth. He said, “It was because of this,” and sent his soldiers to all directions to investigate. Then they found the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) standing up and praying…”

Ubayy b. Ka’b (r.a) also said: “Since the Prophet Jesus (as) was lifted into the sky, there has been no stoning with stars. When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet, stoning with stars began. Thus, the Quraysh began to see an event that they had not seen before. Therefore, he began to release his animals and free his slaves, thinking that “it is now the end of the world.” This situation reached one of their elders and he said, “Why did you do this?” They said, “The stars were thrown [registered] and they joined each other in the sky. They said, “We saw them fighting.” Then he said, “Be patient. If this is a known star, the time is when humans will be destroyed. No, if it is an unknown star, there is a new incident occurring.” They also started to investigate and realized that that star was an unknown star. They informed the man about the situation. Thereupon, he said, take your time. Such a thing can happen when a new prophet comes,” he said. Not long after, Abu Sufyan came in charge of his property and informed the crowd that Muhammad b. Abdullah (a.s) had appeared and claimed that he had been sent as a prophet. “

Maybe these people said that the previous heavenly books were corrupted; They claimed that the later ones included the miracle of grinding the devils with the stars into these books. Likewise, they claimed that the poems transmitted from the period of ignorance were fabrications.

Increasing Shihab

Second Muqaddimah: According to the closest view to the truth, these shihabs, Hz. It existed before the Prophet (pbuh). But after he was sent as a prophet, he was greatly increased and became the most perfect and powerful. This is the view that the wording of the verse refers to. Because it is stated in the verse, “But they found him stuffed with hard guards and shihabs”, which shows that what happened afterwards was stuffing and duplication. The sentence in the verse, “However, we used to sit in some parts of it to listen to it,” expresses the same meaning, and means “We used to find some sitting places empty from the guards and shihabs. But now all the sitting places are full.” According to this, what prompted the jinn to wander around the town and search for the cause of this incident was the increase in scattering with shihabs and their complete prohibition from ear theft.

Ninth Nev (kind): What Allah Almighty declares in the following verse:

“Indeed, we do not know whether evil is intended for the inhabitants of the earth or whether their Lord intends good for them”

¹⁰And we do not know if evil is intended for those on the earth or their Rabb intended right course for them. (Jinn, 10).^[12]

لمس LEMS

The word “ لمس Lems” means “to touch, to feel with the hand.”^[13] Since the act of touching is typically done to gain information about the qualities of an object, such as its hardness, softness, warmth, or coolness, the term is used here metaphorically to signify “contact made with the stars in the sky for the purpose of obtaining information,” or the study and observation of the stars.

EL’AN (NOW)

This term is used not for the sky but for the jinn [foreigners], referring to their state of having attained faith. In other words, this group, which was previously deceived by soothsayers claiming to acquire hidden knowledge about the unseen through star observations, has now, through listening to the Qur’an, come to know Allah, understand Tawheed (the oneness of Allah), and realize that the soothsayers learned nothing from the stars and only told lies.

It has become clear through the Qur’an that soothsayers had, until now, fooled people with tales such as Allah conversing with angels in the sky, discussing who the future would be good or bad for, and making plans and programs. These plans, they claimed, were secretly eavesdropped on by the jinn under their command and conveyed to them. Now, those who have listened to the Qur’an know that knowledge of the unseen belongs exclusively to Allah, and it is absolutely impossible to acquire this knowledge without His permission.

The fraud of claiming to gain information about the unseen by secretly listening is also mentioned in the verses 16–18 of Hijr and 6–10 of Saffat. While the eavesdroppers in these verses are described in the Qur’an as “Shaytan-i Rajim [Accursed Devil]” and “Shaytan-i Marid”, those who exploited this issue equated these with the jinn who allegedly sat in listening positions to obtain information. This will be discussed in detail in the verses 16–18 of Hijr.

Verse 11:

¹¹Surely, we; some of us are among those who are righteous, and some of us are inferior to this. We were on various paths.

The self-criticism of the cinn [foreigners] group that listened to and believed in the Qur’an continues in this verse. It is acknowledged that there are both virtuous and non-virtuous individuals in society and that the society is divided into various paths, sects, and dispositions, lacking unity and solidarity. The existence of virtuous individuals even among the wicked in society is also mentioned in surah A’raf:

¹⁶⁸And We divided them into many communities with leaders on the earth. Some of them were righteous, and some of them were lesser than that. And We tested them with good and evil so they may return.

(Al-A’raf/ 168)

قددا KIDED

The main meaning of the word “قدداً Kıded” means “string made of leather”^[14]. This word is meant in the verse as “sects, groups, factions, cliques that do not mix, merge, or reconcile with each other.”.

Verses 12-13:

¹²And certainly, we have understood very well that we will never incapacitate Allah on the earth, and we will never incapacitate Him by escaping either.

¹³And when we listened to that guidance/the Qur’an, we believed in it. Therefore, whoever believes in his Rabb will not fear that he will be deprived of his right and he will be treated unjustly/befooled and he will be burdened with a heavy weight.

The term “zann” here, just as in verse 7, carries the meaning of “yakin [definitive knowledge]” according to the classical rules of Arabic.

From these verses, it is understood that the foreign group who listened to the Qur’an deeply internalized it, comprehended the impossibility of escaping from Allah and the certainty of returning to Him, and firmly believed that one who submits to Allah, will undoubtedly be blessed and not subjected to injustice.

The fact that righteous individuals are not subjected to injustice is a requirement of “Sunnatullah.” This situation has been expressed in the Qur’an on various occasions and is also stated as an independent verse in Surah Ta Ha:

¹¹²And whoever did amendatory deeds as a believer, they will neither fear injustice nor deprivation of justice.

(Ta Ha/ 112)

From the content of the above verses, it is understood that the verses recited by our Prophet to the mentioned group of jinn [foreigners] were not limited to just a few verses, as claimed by narrators. Their statements of “We have understood, we have believed” indicate that they listened to all or most of the verses revealed up to that point. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for them to reach such a level of consciousness.

Verses 14-15:

¹⁵However, as for those who do wrong; act against their own good about faith, they will be wood for Jahannah [Hell]”.

QIST

In verses 14 and 15, the word القاسطون (qâsitûn), which we have translated as “wrongdoers,” is a term that can also be used for justice and oppression. In Arabic, such words with opposing meanings are referred to as “azdad.” Due to this characteristic, it is also possible to translate the term “qâsitûn” as “those who are just/equitable.” The meaning of this term in any given context is determined by the subject matter. Here, it has been translated as “wrongdoers” because it appears in contrast to the word “Muslims” in verse 14.

To provide an example of this feature of the term, we present a narrative from classical works as recounted by Razi:

Said b. Jubayr and Hajjaj:

According to a narration from Sa‘id b. Jubayr, when Hajjaj wanted to kill him, he asked, “What do you say about me?” Sa‘id replied, “You are kâsit and adil.” Upon this, those present thought that Sa‘id b. Jubayr had described him as just and fair and said, “How well he spoke!” But Hajjaj responded, “O ignorant ones, he described me as oppressive and a polytheist,” reciting the verse of the Almighty regarding wrongdoing: “And yet those who are infidels deviate from their Lord” (Al-An‘am, 1).^[15]

It should also be noted that the word “udl,” like the word “qist,” belongs to the category of “azdad.” Details about the terms justice and qist have been provided in the analysis of verse 4 of Surah Yunus.

In verses 14 and 15, the final part of the speech made by the mentioned foreign group to their companions in their homeland is described. Upon careful examination of this speech, it becomes evident to what extent the Qur’an guides to maturity, righteousness, truth, and beauty.

One point that should not be overlooked in this speech is that the speakers do not mention the Prophet at all. This passage is entirely Qur’an-centric, and the speakers have learned that there is no guide other than the Qur’an and have turned to Hudâ, the true guide. The term “wrongdoers” at the end of the speech primarily refers to those who associate partners with Allah. This is because in many verses, oppression has been explained as associating partners with Allah (shirk).

BE THE WOOD FOR HELL

From this expression, it is understood that the polytheists will not only burn in Hell themselves but will also serve as a source of heat to burn others.

²⁴Then, if you do not do this and you will never be able to do; then beware of the fire, fuel of which is the humans and stones, that is prepared for the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Baqara/ 24)

^6,7O you who have believed! Protect yourselves and the people close to you from a Fire, fuel of which will be humans and stones. Over that fire will be harsh and severe forces in charge which do not disobey Allah, which do as they are commanded. O infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb! Do not make excuses today. You will only be recompensed for what you did!

(At-Tahrim/ 6.7)

In classical works, the question “Jinn were already created from fire; can fire burn fire?” has been addressed, leading to unnecessary forced explanations. However, according to us, the “jinn” mentioned in this Surah refers to foreigners to the Meccans and not to the “cann” created from fire. Therefore, we see no need to include these forced interpretations.

Verses 16-17:

As noted above, the speech made by the group of “jinn” who listened to the Qur’an ends with verse 15. However, the conjunction “و” (vav) at the beginning of verse 16 is linked to “انّه استمع” (…ennehü’stemea…) in verse 1, leading some to believe that these verses are a continuation of the first fifteen verses. However, we do not agree with this view.

If we examine carefully, verse 16 uses the pronoun “And if they” without specifying any particular names. Thus, it is essential to identify who is being referred to by “they.” In our opinion, the “they” mentioned here does not refer to the group of “jinn” who spoke in verses 1–15. This is because the “jinn” group mentioned had listened to the Qur’an, attained faith, and found the right path. Yet, the “they” referred to in these verses have not yet found the correct path.

In our view, these verses are a continuation of the passage from Surah A‘raf, specifically verses 179–188, which immediately precede Surah Jinn in the Qur’an.

The statement in verse 16, “And if they had really remained straight on that path, then We would have given them plenty of water to make them purify themselves.” implies that the desire is for people to enter Paradise and that, should they follow the right path, they will be given great opportunities and support. There are many verses in the Qur’an with similar encouraging messages:

⁶⁵And had the People of the Book believed and entered under the guardianship of Allah, We would certainly have removed their sins and admitted them into the gardens of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] with abundant blessings.

⁶⁶And no doubt, had they upheld the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an that has been revealed to them by their Rabb, they would have been fed from above them and from beneath their feet [from all directions]. Some of them are a moderate people with a leader; who believe some of it and do not believe some of it, who pretend to act like they believe while they do not. How evil is what most of them do!

(Al-Ma’idah/ 65, 66)

^2,3And when they have reached the end of their term, either keep them in a way that is acceptable for all or part with them in a way that is acceptable for all. Take two people who are just from among you witnesses. And establish the testimony for Allah. This is instructed to those who believe in Allah and the last day. And whoever enters under the guardianship of Allah, Allah will make for him a way out and will provide him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies on Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely, Allah is the One Who fulfills His command. Allah has definitely determined/set a measure for everything.

(At-Talaq/ 2, 3)

^5-13Noah said: “My Rabb! Indeed, I have invited my people day and night/continuously. Yet, my invitation has only increased their escape. And indeed, every time I invited them, so You may forgive them, they blocked their ears with their fingers, covered themselves with their clothes, persisted and acted arrogantly with great arrogance. Then I indeed invited them aloud. Then I indeed declared for them. And I told for them in secrecy. Then I said: “Ask your Rabb so He may forgive you. He is definitely very forgiving. He may send upon you rains in abundance. He may help you with wealth and sons, give you gardens and rivers. ¹³What is the matter with you that you expect that Allah will not question the sinners, punish them and will not maintain justice; will not intervene what you do on the earth?

(Noah/5–13)

⁹⁶And if the people of those cities had believed and entered under the guardianship of Allah, We would have certainly opened upon them all the blessings from the heavens/universe and the earth. However, they denied. So We seized them for what they had been doing

(A’raf/ 96)

The expression “We would have given abundant water” in the verse means “We would have given abundance and blessings.” Since water is fundamental for all products cultivated from the earth, “worldly wealth, worldly blessings” is expressed through the phrase “abundant water.” In hot regions like Arabia, where people’s livelihoods largely depend on agriculture and livestock, “water” is the most significant of all blessings. The phrase “abundant water” is also an allusion to the rivers of Paradise.

The original phrase we translated as “to purify themselves” in the verse is ” ليفتنهم (liyeftinehüm) [to test them, to refine them].” Since the word “fitna” means “to purify a precious metal by melting it in a crucible and separating it from its impurities,” the expression has been translated in this manner.

The idea that the worldly blessings expressed here as “abundant water” serve as a “fitna”—a means of purification and refinement for people—is also mentioned in Anfal/28, Taghabun/15, Ta Ha/131, Baqara/155, 156, and Al-i Imran/186.

The reasons why our Lord tests all people, including prophets, are explained in the following verses:

^2,3Did people think that they would be left while they say, “We have believed” and they would not be tried? And surely, We had put those before them into fire/distress so they might have been purified. And indeed, Allah will declare/mark and show the righteous and He will definitely declare/mark and show the liars as well.

(Al-Ankabut/ 2, 3)

²⁰Before you, We indeed sent messengers who ate, walked in bazaars. And We made some of you, a tool for trial for purification for some of you. – Will you have patience? – And your Rabb is the One Who sees very well.

(Al-Furqan/ 20)

⁵³And We have led some of them into the fire, tested them so they would say, “Is it these whom Allah favored among us?”. Is Allah not the One Who knows better those who repay for the blessings they are given?

(Al-An’am/ 53)

³¹And indeed, We will wear you out/test you so We may declare/mark and show those among you who strive and have patience. We will wear out/test your news as well.

(Muhammad/ 31)

^164,165Say: “Should I seek for another Rabb other than Allah while Allah is Rabb of all things?”. Whatever anyone earns belongs only to himself. The one who bears his burden does not bear the burden of another. Then, only to your Rabb will you be returned. Thus will Allah inform you about that over which you differed. And He is the One Who has made you the successors of those who left on the earth and raised some of you above others in degrees so He may test you with what He has given you. Indeed, your Rabb is fast in penalty and indeed, He is the One Who forgives much, shows great mercy.

(Al-An’am/ 164, 165)

⁷Indeed, We made what is on the earth, that which is adornment for it so We may test the people as to which of them will be better in deeds.

(Al-Kahf/ 7)

²It is He Who formed death and life to test which of you is better in deeds. He is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the One Who removes the sins of His servants, does not punish them and has much forgiveness.

(Al-Mulk/ 2)

The term “ الطّريقة (et-tarikate) [that path]” mentioned in verse 16 is a definite noun (marife) and, therefore, should be understood as “the true path, the righteous path.”

The word “ صعود (saud)” in the verse means “gradually increasing severity, hardship.”^[16] This term indicates that the troubles of those who distance themselves from the remembrance of Allah will gradually and continuously increase.

The hardships mentioned here should not be considered solely as difficulties of the Hereafter but also as worldly troubles. Indeed, from other verses conveying the same message, it is understood that these hardships encompass both worldly and otherworldly troubles.

⁴⁰Ways of abundance, happiness will not be opened for those who deny Our Ayat and are arrogant towards them, and they will not enter into Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] until a camel/a noose passes through the eye of a needle. Thus We recompense the criminals. ⁴¹Beds from Jahannah [Hell] and coverings over them will be for them. And thus We punish the tyrants.

(Al-A’raf/ 40, 41)

^124-126Whoever avoids My remembrance, indeed he will live a hard, depressed living/life. On the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], We will gather him blind at the gathering area of day of Qiyamat [Resurrection]. He will say: “My Rabb! Why have you brought me to this place blind whereas I was seeing?” And Allah will say: “Thus it is, you received Our Ayat but you abandoned them; and today you are being abandoned/recompensed in the same way.

(Ta Ha 124-126)

^165,166And when they ignored what was reminded to them, We saved those who avoided the evil and seized those wrong-doers severely/with a punishment that rendered them poor, for they had gone astray from the righteous path. And when they were insolent about what they had been forbidden, We said to them: “Become apes, by being despicable-cursed ones !”.

(Al-A’raf/ 165, 166)

Verse 18:

¹⁸And surely, the masjids [school] are for Allah. Therefore, do not invoke anyone with Allah.

Here, our Lord points out how people may fall into shirk (associating partners with Allah) in mosques so that they do not deviate from the principle of tawhid (monotheism), and He prohibits everyone from this behavior.

MOSQUES

The word “المساجد mesacid [mosques]” is the plural of the word “mescid,” which means “a place of prostration.” The word here encompasses not only Muslim mosques and masjids but also all places of worship where Allah is worshipped, including Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, as well as all educational institutions that teach about Allah. In fact, since the entire universe has been made a place of prostration, it is more accurate to consider that the word refers to the entire universe. This is because our Lord does not want shirk to be committed anywhere, nor does He want shirk to infiltrate the education, teaching, and other acts of worship performed. Even in mosques and masjids that Muslims have mistakenly designated as places of prostration, it is necessary to be even more cautious about the shirk that our Lord has prohibited us from.

Mosques are for Allah

That mosques are for Allah and that only tawhid education should take place there is stated in a different way in Surah Hajj:

^26-29And when We prepared for Abraham the site of that house/Kaaba saying: “Do not associate anything with Me; keep My house pure and clean for those who walk around, rise against injustice, acknowledge the oneness of Allah, submit, proclaim among the people that theology education will be provided so they may witness certain benefits that belong to them and remember His name on certain days over the flawless animals which Allah provided for them. –So, eat from them as well and feed the poor that is in hardship.- Let them come to you on foot or riding fatigued beasts, passing over every deep valley! Then let them clean and purify themselves. And let them fulfill their wows. Let them walk around in the ancient house/free house/Kaaba”.

(Hajj/ 26- 29)

Do not invoke anyone alongside Allah!

According to the clear and explicit ruling of the verse, only Allah should be supplicated to in mosques, only Allah should be asked for help, and not only should one not turn to anyone else, but the name of anyone else should not even be mentioned.

Traditionalists have mostly claimed that this verse is directed at Jews and Christians who invoke Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and Maryam (Mary) alongside Allah, and they have not taken the message of the verse to heart themselves. They have consistently ignored the fact that the tomb of our Prophet, which has been turned into a shrine, is located inside the second-largest mosque in the world in Medina; that the shrines of many individuals such as Eyüp Sultan and Hacı Bayram are located inside mosques; and that naive people, influenced by the fact that these individuals are buried in mosques, rub their faces on their tombstones and seek help from them. Moreover, they have never questioned the purpose of the plaques bearing the names of Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, and Uthman, which are hung inside mosques, even in the direction of the Qibla. We consider it a duty to address two issues here, which we believe do not align with our Lord’s instruction, “Do not invoke anyone alongside Allah!”, even though they have become widespread practices. These two issues are the matters of tahiyyat (greetings) and shrines.

TASHAHHUD / TAHIYYAT

The literal meaning of the word “تشهّد Teshehhud” is “to bear witness.” According to classical understanding, bearing witness refers to the recitation of the phrase known as the “shahadah” (testimony of faith): “Eshedu en la ilahe illallah ve eshedu enne muhammeden abduhu ve rasuluhu” (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger).

Again, according to classical understanding, the term ” tashahhud ” refers to the recitation of the phrases ” Ettehiyyatu lillahi vessalavatu vettayyibatu …” during the sitting positions in prayer, known as “qa’dah,” which include the “shahadah” phrase.

The issue that needs to be addressed is the meaning of these phrases, which begin with “Ettahiyyatu lillahi ve-s salavatu …” and contain the “shahadah” phrase.

The meaning of the text referred to as “Tahiyyat” is as follows:

“Tahiyyat [acts of worship performed with the tongue], salawat [acts of worship performed with the body], and tayyibat [acts of worship performed with wealth] are for Allah. O Prophet! Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you! Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

At this point, it is also necessary to recall what “prayer” (namaz) is: Prayer (prayer with “tazarru”) is an act of worship directed solely and exclusively to Allah, in which supplication is made only to Him, and this supplication is expressed with humility and devotion of the heart and body. Therefore, in supplication, nothing and no one other than Allah is invoked. No one other than Allah is addressed; only Allah is the addressee. Not even the Prophet can be addressed or called upon during supplication. All of these are essential requirements for the proper fulfillment of supplication. Indeed, our Lord has clearly and explicitly commanded these in verse 18, we are discussing: “Do not invoke anyone alongside Allah!”

Despite the truth and what should be the case, Muslims who recite the above “tahiyyat” text in their prayers address the Prophet by saying, “السّلام عليك ليّها النّبىّ Es-selamu aleyke eyyuhe’nnebiyyu [Peace be upon you, O Prophet!],” as if the Prophet were present before them, and they greet him as if he were in front of them. While it is normal to remember Allah at all times and in all places since He is ever-present and all-seeing, what about the Prophet? Moreover, what is the Prophet’s role in a dialogue conducted as if one were face-to-face with Allah?

At the moment when every Muslim is closest to Allah, during supplication, the most important thing to pay attention to is that one hears what comes out of their mouth and knows what they are saying and reciting. This rule applies both to those who know Arabic and those who do not.

The “tahiyyat” text found in today’s books is the text transmitted through Ibn Mas’ud in the hadith collections. This text, with some additions and variations, appears in many other narrations. Unfortunately, all of them include the phrase “Esselamu aleyke (Peace be upon you, O Prophet!).” This phrase indicates that none of the narrators who transmitted these narrations approached the matter from the perspective of tawhid (monotheism) or the meaning of humble supplication, nor did they critically analyze the issue.

In some places (for example, in Sunan Abu Dawud), this phrase is transmitted with slight differences as “Es-selamu alennebiyyi [Peace be upon the Prophet!],” where the Prophet is mentioned in the third person rather than being directly addressed. Commentators of hadith books have written that the address in Ibn Mas’ud’s narration was changed after the Prophet’s death, and instead of saying “Peace be upon you,” people began to say, “May Allah grant peace to the Prophet.” However, this explanation is arguably worse than the mistake itself.

Because while it is stated that the “tahiyyat” phrase, with minor variations, is always recited during humble supplication, they also claim that the Prophet himself said “Peace be upon the Prophet” or “May Allah grant peace to the Prophet” in his supplications, and they expect everyone to accept this illogicality. Yet, all these hadith books state that “The Messenger of Allah used to recite the tashahhud silently.” This means that no one ever heard how the Prophet recited the tashahhud in his supplications. However, these sources have tried to overcome this dilemma with another narration. According to these sources, the tashahhud in question was supposedly taught to those individuals by the Prophet outside of supplications.

Some have also tried to attribute sanctity to the “Ettehiyyatu” text through another narration. According to this fabricated narration, during the “Mi’raj” (ascension), the following conversation took place between Allah and the Prophet:

When the Prophet arrived in the presence of Allah, he greeted Him:

– Ettehiyyatu lillahi vessalavatu vettayyibatu

Allah then responded to the Prophet:

– Essalamu aleyke eyyuhennebiyyu ve rahmatullahi ve barakatuhu

The Prophet, not content with only himself being at peace, added:

– Esselamu aleyna wa ala ibadillahissalihin

Witnessing this scene, Gabriel and the angels said:

– Eshedu enla ilahe illallah ve Eshedu enne Muhammeden abduhu ve rasuluhu.^[17]

The mistake of Muslims is not limited to the “tahiyyat” in prayer. The same errors are repeated in the “sala” recited on Friday afternoons, during religious festival nights, and in funeral announcements. In every “sala,” they say, “Essalatu ve’sselamu aleyke ya Rasulellah [Salât and peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah!],” addressing the Prophet, who departed from this world centuries ago, as if he were alive and present among them. It should be carefully considered whether this practice attributes a status beyond humanity to the Prophet and whether it leads people to shirk (associating partners with Allah).

In conclusion, reciting the tashahhud / tahiyyat as it appears in today’s books is incorrect and sinful. If these words must be recited, the phrase “esselamu aleyke eyyuhennebiyyu” should be changed to “esselamü alennebiyyi.” On this matter, all Muslims must stop hiding behind the mistakes of their ancestors, who were unfortunately in error, and instead remind one another to be conscious of what they say and to invite each other to this awareness.

TOMBS

A person’s essential existence in this world ends with their death, and all that remains is their body, which will turn to dust. The body, which will become soil, and the bodily substances that will decay and mix into the earth, have no value. After all, the human body is composed of various materials that have no inherent worth on earth. Once the life within the body ends with death, the remaining corpse becomes repulsive. Indeed, in the 31st verse of Surah Maida, the word “sev’at [ugliness]” is used for a lifeless body [corpse]. Therefore, this repulsiveness must be disposed of before it rots and harms the environment. This is why the corpse is buried.

Since the corpse left behind after death has no material or spiritual value, it naturally follows that the grave in which the corpse is placed also has no value or sanctity. This is because the religion of Islam exists to warn the living, and the Qur’an was revealed to warn the living:

^69,70And We did not teach him the poetry. That would not suit him anyway. It is only a reminder; the Qur’an sent down to warn those who are alive and to prove that the Word¹²⁹ is true upon those infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Ya Sin 69, 70)

While this is the essence of Islam, unfortunately, Muslims, like the pre-Islamic ignorant polytheistic masses, have attributed sanctity to the graves of certain individuals, turning these graves into shrines inside, adjacent to, or near mosques. The reason Muslims have engaged in such behavior is, as mentioned earlier, certain narrations found in hadith books that are claimed to be the practices of the Prophet. However, the same hadith books also state that the Prophet initially prohibited visiting graves and only lifted this prohibition when he saw that the awareness of tawhid (monotheism) had developed in society, believing that it would weaken people’s attachment to the world and remind them of the afterlife. This shows that those who are obsessed with ornate graves and claim to derive this inclination from narrations attributed to the Prophet are unaware of the narrations explaining why the Prophet lifted the prohibition on grave visits. This is because these narrations state that the prohibition was lifted based on the idea that grave visits would serve as a lesson and reminder for people. Accordingly, all graves should be structured in a way that serves this purpose. For graves to serve this purpose, they must be simple and dilapidated in appearance. Extravagant graves made of concrete and marble do not evoke a sense of lesson or reflection in people and, in our view, should be considered repulsive/reprehensible.

Some individuals, who justify behaviors contrary to the principle of tawhid in matters outside the Qur’an by citing narrations attributed to the Prophet, while ignoring the narrations about the prohibition of grave visits and its lifting mentioned above, have over time taken this error to extremes. This mentality, which is evident in countless examples across our country and others, has designated graves for individuals who lived thousands of years ago, built mosques next to these graves to sanctify these individuals and their tombs, and even covered some graves with gold. Some individuals have been buried inside or next to mosques and labeled as “saints.” Unfortunately, ignorant masses, believing that these individuals buried in the graves can intercede with Allah on their behalf, rub their faces on these graves, seek help from those buried there, and thus taint their faith. Those who engage in these repulsive behaviors and those who approve of them cite fabricated hadiths as their basis, while completely ignoring a hadith in which the Prophet curses the Jews and Christians who turned graves into places of worship.^[18] Those who do pay attention to this hadith interpret it not in its main context but as evidence that there is no harm in covering oneself with a blanket, based on the Prophet’s action of covering and uncovering his face with a blanket during his illness.

In our opinion, according to another hadith that should be taken into account by those who dress practices that have nothing to do with religion, our Prophet said the following about a church in Abyssinia with images in it: “These are the most evil people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment.”^[19] But when we look at the scene, it is seen that those who cling to the rumors made up with the name of hadith instead of the guide sent by Allah, do not listen to these rumors when it does not work for them.

We believe that graves and tombs inside or adjacent to mosques lead to behaviors that undermine tawhid. Visiting the graves of the Prophet or individuals famous among the people as “saints,” such as Eyüp Sultan, Mevlana (!), Telli Baba, and others, to ask Allah for help in their name or to seek their intercession, are acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to Islam. Therefore, either mosques must be moved away from graves, or graves must be relocated far from mosques.

As in all matters, the knowledge that will save us from disaster [shirk] regarding graves and the dead has been provided by our Lord in the Qur’an:

^20,21And that which they invoke from among those that are inferior to Allah can not form anything, they were formed, they are dead, they are not alive. And they do not know for sure when they will be resurrected.

(An-Nahl/ 20, 21)

^13,14Allah makes the day to enter into the night and makes the night to enter into the day. He created the sun and the moon in such structure and characteristics so that the mankind may benefit. All of them run their course for a predetermined time. This is Allah, your Rabb to Whom all property belongs. Those you worship from among those that are inferior to Him, can not even possess the outer membrane of a date pit. If you invoke them, they do not hear your call; even if they heard your call, they could not respond to you, and on the Qiyamat [Resurrection] they will not accept that you have associated them with Allah. No one can bring you the tidings like Allah Who is aware of everything.

(Fatir/ 13, 14)

²²Not equal are the dead and the living. Indeed, Allah makes hear whomever He wills/whoever wills. And, you can not make hear those who are in their graves. ²³You are only a warner.

(Fatir/ 22)

Verse 19:

¹⁹And the truth is that when the servant of Allah/the Prophet stood up/moved inviting to Him, a group of those strangers would surround him, almost being clamped together.

The Almighty Allah gives glad tidings to His Messenger and the believers; He informs them of the good developments that will occur in the future: “When the servant of Allah [the Prophet] stood up [took action] calling to Him, they [a group of jinn] almost became like a tightly woven fabric [united closely] around him.”

To understand this verse correctly, it is essential to accurately determine who performed the action described by the phrase “كاد يكونون kade yekunune [they almost became].” In our view, the hidden subject of this verb is “a group of jinn” mentioned at the beginning of the surah. In this case, the verse reveals that the following knowledge was conveyed to the Prophet: The group of “jinn” [foreigners] who listened to, understood, and believed in the Qur’an and then returned to their homelands would, if the Prophet took action by calling to Allah, will unite closely around him like a tightly woven fabric and assist him. Indeed, what is described in the verse came to pass exactly, and this small group of foreigners later became the respected companions known as the Ansar (Helpers).

The verb “قام kame” in the verse, whose subject is the Prophet, means “to stand up.” However, this standing up is not in the sense of “rising from a seated position” or “standing in prayer” but rather in the sense of “rising up in rebellion against injustice.” Indeed, the Prophet acted in accordance with the meaning of “kıyam” (rising up) in the verse by rebelling against injustice and making the Kaaba a center for standing against oppression.

This expression of “rebellion” is also used for the “Ashab al-Kahf” (Companions of the Cave):

^14,15And We made their hearts firm when they rose up and said: “Our Rabb is Rabb of the heavens/universe and the earth. We do not invoke those that are inferior to Him as deity otherwise we would speak nonsense. Those who have taken gods from among those that are inferior to Allah are our people. Why do they not bring clear evidence about the gods that they have taken? Who can do more wrong; act more against his own good than the one who invents a lie about Allah?”.

(Al-Kahf/ 14,15)

Verses 20-21:

²⁰Say: “I definitely invoke my Rabb and never associate anything with Him”.

²¹And say: “Indeed, I am not capable of leading you to harm and good, evil, to what is right”.

These verses teach a lesson in tawhid (monotheism). It is made clear through the Prophet’s own words that he has no power to cause harm or bring benefit to anyone, meaning that the Prophet has no role in whether people suffer harm or find goodness. As can be seen, guiding people to the truth is not the task of the Messenger. This task belongs to the Message he brought.

Verses 22-23:

All classical sources have recorded that the prominent figures of Mecca came to the Prophet, who was calling to tawhid, and said to him, “You have undertaken a great and risky task, and as a result, you have earned the enmity of everyone. Come, abandon this! We will both help you and protect you.” The verses above were revealed in response to this proposal from the Meccan polytheists.

The statement that the Prophet has no role other than fulfilling his duties of conveying and explaining the message, and that he can only save himself by performing this duty, confirms the declaration in verse 21 that the Prophet has no power to harm or benefit anyone.

In verse 23, after emphasizing the principle of tawhid by stating that no refuge can be found apart from Allah, it is declared that those who oppose Allah and His Messenger will be sent to Hell to remain there eternally. The phrase “opposing Allah and His Messenger” should not be understood as referring to simple mistakes called “لممlamam” and crimes committed unknowingly. What is meant by this phrase is “waging war against Allah and His Messenger.” Indeed, the punishment deemed appropriate for opposing Allah and His Messenger is the same as the punishment for the crimes of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (blasphemy), which are stated to be unforgivable. This punishment is “the fire of Hell” and “eternal abode in Hell.”

Verse 24:

²⁴And finally, as soon as they see what they have been threatened with, they will know who is weaker in helpers and fewer in number.

This verse is a warning message to the prominent figures of Mecca who implicitly threatened Allah’s Messenger by saying, “Give up this cause!” When they see what they were threatened with, they will immediately realize who is weaker in support and fewer in number, but it will be too late. Their wealth, soldiers, and connections will be of no use.

In our view, thinking that the polytheists are only threatened with punishment in the Hereafter would mean misunderstanding the message. The defeats and humiliations they will face in this world are also part of this threat. Indeed, these infidels were utterly defeated by the Muslims, who were vastly outnumbered and had far fewer resources, at the Battle of Badr.

Verses 25-28:

In this group of verses, the principles of tawhid are emphasized, and the relationship between Allah, the Messenger, and revelation is addressed. It is explained that knowledge of the unseen belongs to Allah alone, that Allah reveals some of this knowledge only to the messengers He has chosen and is pleased with, and that no one else can know anything about the unseen. It is also clarified that Allah protects both His revelation and His messengers.

This group of verses, which is a separate section, begins with the phrase “Say,” indicating that it is a response to an event that occurred at that time. According to classical sources, the event in question is when Nadr b. Al-Harith, one of the leaders of Mecca, came to the Prophet after the proclamation of verses 22 and 23 and insolently asked, “When will this thing you are threatening us with come to pass?” With his question, Nadr expressed his disbelief in these threats and, in a way, attempted to defy the revelation. The reason this group of verses begins with “When they finally see what they were threatened with…” is explained in classical sources as being related to this incident.

A similar verse is found in Surah Al-Anbiya:

^109-111If they turn away despite this, say: “I have explained to you straight/equally/unbiased and I do not know if that with which you are threatened is close or far. Indeed, Allah knows what is disclosed of speech and that which you conceal as well. I do not know ‘perhaps this delay is to test you and let you enjoy for a time’”.

(Al-Anbiya/ 109- 111)

ALLAH’S INFORMING THE PROPHETS, WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED, ABOUT THE “GAYB/UNSEEN”:

It is mentioned in other verses besides these that our Lord will inform some of the unseen matters to the messengers He has chosen and with whom He is pleased:

¹⁷⁹Allah would not leave the believers in the state in which you are now until He separates the impure from the pure. Allah will not make you the ones who would have the knowledge about the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future. Yet Allah chooses from His messengers whom He wills. Then, believe in Allah and His Messenger. And if you believe and enter under the guardianship of Allah, then there will be a great recompense for you.

(Al-i Imran/ 179)

^86,87Jacob said: “I complain of my excessive longing, my grief to Allah. And I know from Allah that which you do not know. O my sons! Go search for Joseph and his brother. Do not despair of the relief Allah gives you, surely no one but those infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will despair of the relief from Allah”.

(Yusuf/ 86, 87)

Just as Almighty Allah revealed to our Prophet the conversations that took place in Medina in this surah, He has also revealed some unseen matters to His messengers in the same way. These are matters that the messengers did not previously know. The messengers, as part of their duty, convey the revelations they receive as Allah’s message to humanity. There are many other verses in the Qur’an that demonstrate this:

⁴⁴This is what We have revealed to you from the important news of the past which you did not have possibility to perceive. And you were not with them while they were casting their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. And you were not with them when they were disputing.

(Al-i Imran/ 44)

⁴⁹What is related about Noah is from the news from the unseen, the unheard and the unfelt which We have revealed to you. Neither you nor your people knew it before. Then have patience. Surely, the outcome is for those who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.

(Hud/ 49)

¹⁰²This, what We have revealed to you is from the news of which you have not seen, heard, known. And you were not with them when they decided and plotted their evil deeds.

(Yusuf/ 102)

⁴⁴And when We fulfilled that command to Moses, you were not in the west side. You were not of those who were present, who saw.

⁴⁵We created many generations and their lives were prolonged. You were not among the people of Midian who recited Our Ayat to them; but We are senders of messengers.

^46,47And when We called, you were not beside the Mount Tur. Quite opposite, We revealed to you what happened there, We made you a messenger so you may warn a people, to whom no warner/prophet was sent before you, and as a sign of the mercy of your Rabb, as a reminder for them to receive, to prevent them from saying, “Our Rabb! If only You had sent us a prophet thus we could have followed your Ayat and become believers” when a disaster came upon them for what their own hands had done.

(Al-Qasas/ 44–47)

^49-51And He will make him a messenger to Israelites to say, ‘The truth is that I have brought/come to you with an evidence/a sign from your Rabb; surely, I design for you a clay; mud; ceramic object; thurible (censer) that resembles a bird. Then I blow into it; form an aerosol so, by permission of Allah, all that which causes illness will become a bird/fly away. I remove the blindness which is not from birth, poisoning of snake, scorpion and lizard/harmful plants in the vineyards, gardens and farms by permission/knowledge of Allah and I revive the social dead by permission of Allah. I inform you about your food that you will eat and store in your houses; save to eat later. –If you are the ones who believe, there is definitely an evidence/a sign in this for you.- I confirm the contents of Torah only which is contained in the Bible as well. I will make lawful a part of that which has been forbidden to you. I have brought to you an evidence/a sign from your Rabb. Now enter under the guardianship of Allah and follow me. Surely, Allah is my Rabb and your Rabb. Therefore, worship Him! This is the righteous path’”.

(Al-i Imran/ 49-51)

There are also examples of Allah informing His messengers, with whom He is pleased, about future events by granting them the privilege of seeing visions and interpreting them. For instance, Almighty Allah taught Prophet Yusuf the interpretation of dreams (Tasheel al-Ahadith), and through this, Yusuf correctly interpreted the visions seen by his prison companions and the king. In other words, Yusuf interpreted future visions with what Allah had taught him and understood what those visions signified. The details of these events are in verses 36-49 of Surah Yusuf.

Another example of Allah providing knowledge of the unseen by showing future visions is related to our Prophet. As understood from verse 27 of Surah Fath, our Lord showed our Prophet the visions of the conquest of Mecca beforehand. Thus, our Prophet knew about the conquest in advance through these visions, which were of the nature of unseen news:

²⁷And surely, Allah has made that vision to come out as true in truth; “If Allah wills, you will enter Masjid al-Haram in safety as the ones who have turned back to their normal civil life”. Therefore, Allah knows what you do not know. Then He bestowed you a conquest lesser/closer than that.

(Al-Fath/ 27)

Despite these explanations in the Qur’an, some ignorant people have written books claiming that our Prophet knew the unseen[gayb], while others have compiled from these books. However, as evidenced by the verses above, all claims attributing knowledge of the unseen to our Prophet, beyond what is mentioned in the Qur’an, are false and fabricated.

Despite the numerous verses in Allah’s message, those who still claim that our Prophet knew the unseen and believe in this baseless claim, have either not read the Qur’an or, having read it, do not give heed to the aforementioned verses. If these people were to use the intellect Allah has granted them—the sole indicator of human privilege—they could easily avoid being subject to Allah’s promise of Hell.

In verses 25-28, it is stated: “Because, He sends observers from all around him so that he may know that he accurately conveys what his Rabb sends. He has surrounded all that which is with them, and enumerated everything in number” This explains that Allah’s commands and revelations encompass everything, and nothing is outside His knowledge. This matter is explained in more detail in Surah An’am.

⁵⁹Keys to the unseen, the unheard, the past and the future are only with Him. No one knows them except Him. He also knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not even a leaf falls but that He knows it. No grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry thing except that it is within an explicit book.

(Al-An’am/ 59)

The point that Allah protected His revelation and His messenger was repeated at different times with different expressions:

⁹No doubt that it is We Who have sent down that Reminder/Qur’an. And surely, We are the protectors of it.

(Al-Hijr/ 9)

⁶⁷O Messenger! Convey that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb. If you do not do this, then you have not fulfilled the duty of messenger that He assigned you. And Allah will protect you from the people. Surely, Allah will not guide infidels; those who consciously deny His divinity and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Al-Ma’idah/ 67)

^44-47If the Messenger/Muhammad had made up some words as if they were Our words, We would certainly have taken all his power from him. Then We would surely have cut his vital point from him. And none of you could have been shield to him.

(Al-Haqqah/ 44–47)

^52-54And We did not send any messenger and prophet before you except that when he desired something, satan threw something into his desire. Then, Allah removes that which Satan/Iblis throws. Then Allah,

reinforces and protects His Ayat so He may avert with that which satan has left from the religion for those in whose hearts is disease; ill-minded and stone-hearted, -indeed, those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah are in a distant opposition-,

so those who have been given knowledge may certainly know that the Qur’an is the truth coming from your Rabb so their hearts may respect it. And Allah is the One Who knows very well, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who strengthens. And indeed, Allah is the One Who guides the ones who believe to the straight path.

(Al-Hajj/ 52- 54)

Allah knows the truth best.

^[1] (İbn Hişâm, Sîre, II, 70 vd.; İbn Sa’d, Tabakât, I, 217 vd.).

^[2] (İslam Ansiklopedisi, Akabe Bey’atleri item)

^[3] (Lisanü’l Arab; c.8, s.645. nfr item)

^[4] Razi et.al.

^[5] (Kurtubi, Ahkaf; verse 29. notes)

^[6] (Müslim, Tirmizi ve Ebu Davud; Cinn gecesi hadisleri)

^[7] (Lisanü’l Arab; c.4, s.148-149. rsd item)

^[8] (Lisanü’l Arab; c.5,s.113. ştt/shtt item)

^[9] (Razi; Mefatihu’l Gayb, Kurtubi; el Camiu li Ahkami’l Kur’an)

^[10] (“Zann” topic, refer to İşte Kur’an; ??????

^[11] (M. Hamidullah; Aziz Kur’an, surah Jinn, footnote of verse 9)

^[12] (Razi; Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[13] (Lisanü’l Arab; v.8,p.125 lms item.)

^[14] (Lisanü’l Arab; v.7, p.259 kdd item.)

^[15] (Razi; Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[16] Lisanü’l-Arab; v:5, p:331-333)

^[17] Despite the absence of any serious transmission in early sources, later on, fabrications circulated under the guise of information—primarily by Sufi orders—were produced, and these fabrications have also found their way into certain works of the later period. For example: Said Nursi, Şualar, 6. Şua; Muhammad Hamidullah, İslam Peygamberi, details about the Mi’raj, paragraph 253; Ismail Hakkı Bursevi, Ruhu’l-Beyan, vol. 5, p. 121.

^[18] Bukhari / Kitab al-Libas (Book of Clothing), Chapter 19, Hadith Number 33; Kitab al-Jana’iz (Book of Funerals), Chapter 61, Hadith Number 86; and Chapter 96, Hadith Number 144.

^[19] Sahih-i Buhari, Kitabu-s Salat, Chapter 48. Hadith Number 74