Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayah 32

The Story of the Jinns listening to the Qur'an

Imam Ahmad recorded from Az-Zubayr that he commented on the Ayah;

وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَآ إِلَيْكَ نَفَراً مِّنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْءَانَ

(And (remember) when We sent towards you a group of the Jinn, to listen to the Qur'an.) "They were at a place called Nakhlah while Allah's Messenger ﷺ was performing the `Isha' prayer, and

كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً

(they crowded on top of each other to hear him.) (72:19)" Sufyan said, "They stood on top of each other like piled wool." Ahmad was alone in recording this. Imam Ahmad and the famous Imam, Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bayhaqi in his book Dala'il An-Nubuwwah, both recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ never recited Qur'an to the Jinns, nor did he see them. Allah's Messenger ﷺ was heading with a group of his Companions towards the `Ukaz market. At that time, the devils had been prevented from eavesdropping on the news of the heavens, and they were being attacked by burning flames (whenever they tried to listen). When the devils went back to their people, they asked them what happened to them, and they answered, `We have been prevented from eavesdropping on the news of the heavens, and burning flames now attack us.' Their people told them, `You have only been prevented from eavesdropping on the information of the heavens because of something (major) that has happened. So go all over the earth, east and west, and see what is it that has obstructed you from eavesdropping on the news of the heavens.' Thus they traveled all over the earth, east and west, seeking that which had obstructed them from eavesdropping on the news of the heavens. A group of them went towards Tihamah, and found Allah's Messenger ﷺ while he was at a place called Nakhlah along the way to the `Ukaz market. He was leading his Companions in the Fajr prayer. When the Jinns heard the recitation of the Qur'an, they stopped to listen to it, and then they said: `By Allah! This is what has prevented you from eavesdropping on the news of the heavens.' Then they returned to their people and told them: `Our people! We certainly have heard an amazing recitation (the Qur'an), it guides to the right path. So we have believed in it, and we will join none in worship with our Lord.' So Allah revealed to His Prophet ,

یغْفِرْ‌ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ (will forgive your sins for you,) The word 'min' used in the text gives the sense of 'some'. If it is taken in this sense here, it would mean that 'some sins' will be forgiven by embracing Islam. It will indicate that only sins relating to the rights of Allah would be forgiven but not the rights of people. But some exegetes have taken 'min' in this verse as an extra word that has no additional meaning in Arabic idioms. Given this interpretation, no explanation is required.

In the tenth year of Muhammad’s prophethood in Makkah, the life and work of the Prophet were becoming seriously jeopardized. At that time he went from Makkah to Taif in the hope that he might find some supporters there. But the people there received him rudely. While returning, spent the night at a place called Nakhla. He was reciting the Quran while offering prayers there, when a group of Jinn heard the Quran and became believers in it. One group rejected the Quran. But, at that very moment, another group accepted it and did so with such eagerness that they became its emissaries.