Topic: Of Fiery Nature

15:33-34; 38:76-77.

Commentary:

What is represented in the present verse as a dialogue between God and Iblis does not necessarily show that an exchange of words actually took place between the two. The words may only depict a state of things, a picture of the conditions that came into existence as a result of the refusal of Iblis to submit to Adam. The verb قال (said) as shown under 2:31 and 2:34 does not always signify the actual uttering of words, being sometimes used to represent only a state of affairs.

For an explanation of the words "fire" and "clay" see 2:81 and 3:50.

7:13; 38:77; 55:16.

Important Words:

الجان (the jinn) is derived from جن (janna). They say جنه i.e. it veiled, concealed or covered him. جان or الجان generally considered synonymous with جن (jinn) means, the father of the جن or جان is the quasi-plural noun of جن. The word جان also means, that which conceals or darkens; or that which becomes or remains concealed or hidden. It also means, a white serpent or a small white serpent, a species which is harmless and abounds in houses (Aqrab & Lane). See also 6:101, 129.

سموم (hot wind) is derived from سم . They say سمه i.e. he poisoned it or infected it with poison; or he perforated it; or he pierced or passed through it; he examined it and endeavoured to learn its depth. سمت الریح means, the hot wind scorched the things. سموم means, a hot wind; a hot wind which pierces the body; the flaming fire which has no smoke (Lane, Aqrab & Muhit).

Commentary:

Etymologically whatever hides or covers or darkens a thing, or whatever is concealed or invisible or becomes invisible is جن (jinn). According to the popular idea, however, the jinn are such beings as are invisible to us and are capable of being seen only when they disclose themselves to us. The belief in the existence of such spirits is widespread and has been found in all ages. Some include all invisible spirits in the category of angels and look upon the jinn as fallen angels.

The word jinn (see 6:101, 113; 7:13, 39, 180; 17:89; 18:51; 27:18, 40; 34:13, 42; 37:l.59; 41:26, 30; 46:19, 30; 51:57; 55:16, 40, 57, 75; 72:2, 6, 7; 114:7) has been used in different senses in the Quran as well as in the Traditions, all based upon the two basic meanings of the word, viz. (a) that which remains hidden or concealed; and (b) that which hides or conceals or covers. The word جن has been applied by the Quran to the following:

(1) Evil spirits which inspire evil thoughts in the minds of men. They are the agents of Satan and are, as it were, his incarnates (114:6, 7).

(2) Some imaginary beings whom the infidels worshipped but who existed nowhere in the world (34:42).

(3) The inhabitants of northern hilly tracts of Europe of white and red colour whom other peoples, such as Hindus and Jews, looked upon as beings separate from other human beings and who lived detached from the civilized people of Asia but who were destined to make great material progress in the latter days and to lead a great revolt against religion (55:16, 40, 57).

(4) Peoples belonging to alien religions and nationalities (34:13 & 2 Chron. 2:7-18).

(5) Savages and wild peoples who in pre-historic times, before man had morally developed enough to be given a revealed code of laws, lived in caves and hollows of the earth and were subject to no laws or rules of conduct. When, however, man became civilized after having been given a revealed Law, those among the last-mentioned class of men who obeyed it were called انسان (man) by the Quran while those who were of a fiery and rebellious temperament were called جن (jinn). In this sense these two classes of human beings viz. انسان (man) and جن (jinn) still exist and people continue to change from one class to the other according as they become law-abiding and civilized or throw off the yoke of law and defy it. For a fuller treatment of this subject the reader is referred to "Sair-e-Ruhani" and "Tafsir-e-Kabir" by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, the Second Successor to the Promised Messiah.

Now for the interpretation of the verse the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind,signify that the people whom God has given the name of jinn were only men of fiery temperament who, on account of their unruly nature, became easily excited and would not submit to anybody. In fact, before the birth of Adam, men were of this nature and disposition. Adam was the first man who achieved a high standard of moral and social perfection and this is why Divine revelation which intimately deals with morals and sociology was, first of all, given to him. So those who accepted Adam’s lead and joined the social system set up by him brought, as it were, a sort of death on their fiery temperament and received the imprint of God’s allegiance and were thus called "clayey" (see the preceding verse) because of their resemblance to clay, which easily submits to any kind of impression with which it is imprinted or any kind of shape which is given to it. But because the jinn preferred individual freedom to association in a social system and refused to give their allegiance to anybody, they were called "fiery" (the present verse), which means that, like the flame of fire, they broke all restraints and went out of control. And they were called jinn also because they lived underground.

The objection that it is putting a far-fetched interpretation on the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind, to say that they merely signify a fiery disposition, possesses no weight. The objection has been answered by the Quran itself where it uses similar expressions. In 21:38, for instance, it says خلق الانسان من عجل i.e. man is made of haste. Now all commentators of the Quran agree that these words simply mean that man is by nature hasty and not that there is any material substance called "haste" of which he is made.

It is also possible that in the earliest stages of his creation man was a fiery being but, as the result of a long process of evolution and develop-ment, he finally became a clayey one, and Adam may have been the leader or chief of those who were the first to attain full development in this process of evolution. This surmise finds an interesting analogy in the fact that the science of geology has proved that the earth too was, at first, a mass of hot fire which later became transformed into a clayey shell.

Finally, it may be noted that the popular belief that jinn, in the sense of invisible spirits, pay visits to men, play frolics with them, subject them to their control and take any kind of work they desire from them or, contrarily, help them to perform prodigious works etc., is a mere myth which has no foundation in fact, being at the same time contrary to the teachings of the Quran.

7:13; 15:28; 38:77.

Commentary:

For a detailed note on the creation of the jinn from fire, see 15:28.