With relevance to the journey of Ṭā’if, it is narrated that when the Holy Prophetsa was returning from his journey, during the night at a place called Nakhlah, when the Holy Prophetsa was occupied in reciting the Holy Qur’ān, a party of Jinn, composed of seven entities, who came from a city in Syria named Naṣībain2, passed by the Holy Prophetsa, listened to his recitation, and were moved. When these Jinn returned to their people, they mentioned the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa and the Holy Qur’ān. This occurrence is mentioned twice in the Holy Qur’ān,3 and from both these instances, it is apparent that the Holy Prophetsa was not directly aware of the arrival of these Jinn. Instead, after their departure, the Holy Prophetsa was given knowledge of this occurrence by the revelation of God that a party of Jinn listened to your recitation and left. This occurrence has been mentioned in various places in Ḥadīth. In finer points, although the descriptions of historical accounts vary from that of Ḥadīth, the primary notion is the same, which is, that a delegation of Jinn listened to the recitation of the Holy Prophetsa in a state of travel, and they returned to their people deeply impressed.4 It is possible that this occurrence took place more than once, due to which there seems to be a contradiction in various narrations. However, at this place, we are not concerned with the apparent details of this occurrence. Rather, the purpose is to briefly expound the meaning of Jinn in this context, and to understand what primary purpose they came out for in search of the Holy Prophetsa, listened to the recitation of the Holy Qur’ān, and then set back.
Therefore, it should be known that belief in the existence of Jinn is an issue which can be found in practically every nation of the world. It can be found in both religious and secular literature, but there is much disaccord in its details. In the literature of some nations, a sort of supernatural power has been attributed to Jinn, and they have been held worthy of worship. In other nations, without exception, it has been labeled an evil species, and has been thought of as Satan and Iblīs. However, Islām rejects both of these ideologies, and teaches that Jinn are a hidden species of Allāh the Exalted, which are composed of both good and evil beings. However, the realm of this species is completely separate from humans and they live in a world of their own. Albeit, by the will of Allāh the Exalted, at times, the existence of Jinn is shown to exclusive people in an allegorical form. However, physically, both of these species are completely separate, and they have no relation or connection to one another. In the Holy Qur’ān, Jinn have been mentioned at 26 different places.5 The same implication is not meant by the word ‘Jinn’ at all of these places, because as we shall now elaborate, this word is used in the Arabic language to express different meanings. However, the knowledge that is derived by the collective study of these 26 places is that Jinn are a hidden species of God the Almighty, which like humans (although in its details are much different), possess the ability to progress and degenerate. Moreover, within its appointed limits, it has been endowed the freedom of choice to tread a path of good and evil in its deeds. However, as we have just mentioned, the word ‘Jinn’ has not been used to refer to this hidden species in every instance, rather, in certain places this word has been utilized in its conventional form.
In actuality, ‘Jinn’ is an Arabic word, the root of which possesses the meanings of being hidden, hiding, to be out of sight, to be veiled, to come under protection, or to create shadow or darkness. Therefore, in the Arabic language, ‘Jannah’ is a garden, because its trees create a shadow beneath it, and hide the land. ‘Janīn’ refers to a child which is still in the womb of a mother, because it is hidden in the veils of the womb. ‘Majannah’ is a shield, because a soldier in combat finds protection behind it during war. ‘Junūn’ refers to madness, because it puts a veil over one’s senses. The heart is called ‘Jannān’, because it is hidden in the breast. Similarily, ‘Jannān’ also refers to the night or clothing, because they are a means of causing darkness or covering. The grave or a shroud is called a ‘Janan’, because both of them cover the deceased. ‘Jānn’ refers to a snake, because it generally lives a life in the hidden lairs of the earth. ‘Junnah’ is a woman’s mantle, because it swathes the head and breast, so on and so forth.6 According to this principle, at times, in the Arabic idiom, the word ‘Jinn’ is used to refer to leaders and Chieftains, who on account of their leadership, high status and pride, do not intermingle with the general society, and live their lives in complete separation. Therefore, many a time, in the Holy Qur’ān, the word ‘Jinn’ has been used in contrast to ‘Ins’. In other words, in contrast to the common people it has been used to refer to the upper-class, and in these meanings, the word is used in a negative connotation. Similarly, the word ‘Jinn’ is said to refer to a people who reside in such a secluded and isolated place as it is not possible for them to interact with other people. In light of these very two meanings, the implication derived by various research scholars regarding the delegation of Jinn, which visited the Holy Prophetsa is that, either these people belonged to the upper-class, who abstained from visiting the Holy Prophetsa publicly, or they were a people who belonged to a far-off and barren land, who due to their environment, may have lived in complete separation and seclusion from other people. We do not hesitate in accepting this interpretation at all and if the implication of a delegation of Jinn to Nakhlah actually means that a delegation of the upper-class visited, or a people of an isolated far-off and barren land presented themselves before the Holy Prophetsa, then in this, the indication of God Almighty would be that, O Messenger! Do not feel worried or grieved, for the time quickly approaches when, what to talk of the common people, magnificent and grand chieftains shall come beneath your banner and people of far-off barren lands shall place the necklace of your obedience round their necks.
However, if by Jinn, the implication is a secret species, the details of which are hidden to us, but its existence is substantiated by the text of the Holy Qur’ān, even then there is no room for a logical person to be skeptical. The power of God the Almighty and the sphere of His creation are so extensive that the sight of any of His creation cannot reach its limit. In addition to humans, in this physical world, there are thousands, tens of thousands, nay, millions of other species that exist, among which, despite being physically visible, some remain hidden from our weak sight; even though, medicine and other faculties of science definitely and categorically affirm their existence. Then what hesitation can there be in accepting that there may be a species of Allāh the Exalted known as Jinn, which despite being hidden from the human eye, exists and lives in the same way as humans, and exist in their own realm. Undoubtedly, Islām does not give us teachings of Jinn such as we should believe in a species the like of imaginary monsters, which despite being hidden from the human eye, move about as spectacles, and cause a means of happiness or fear to humans by coming before them in different forms. Such thoughts are the product of ignorant suspicions, evidence of which cannot be found in Islāmic history, Ḥadīth or the Holy Qur’ān. However, just as there are an infinite number of other creations of Allāh the Exalted in this world, which include many minute, filthy and pure, visible and invisible creations, in the same way, one creation of Allāh the Exalted is that of Jinn. As the name reveals, it is hidden from the sights of man, belongs to a separate world, and in normal circumstances has nothing to do with humans. This belief is one upon which no rational individual can object.
The remaining question is that, in light of these interpretations, what was the implied intent in the case of the delegation of Jinn that visited the Holy Prophetsa. As such, in this case, the following occurrence shall be a divinely inspirational sight. Its implication is that during this era of apprehension and helplessness, by showing the Holy Prophetsa this sight, Allāh the Exalted is indicating that, O Messenger! Although our succour is always by your side, but just as an excess of heat attracts clouds, in the same way, the time has now come that our hidden powers shall begin to work extraordinarily in the assistance of your mission. Therefore, after this, it was not long before conditions were transformed. With the unveiling of the migration to Yathrib, the hidden manifestations of God took the banner of Islām to great heights. Moreover, use of the word ‘seven’ in these narrations is also an insinuation towards the absolute manifestation of hidden powers. In Arabic the number seven is used in the expression of absolutism. By alluding to the city of Naṣībain in Syria, it appears as if the indication is that after Arabia, Islāmic victories shall be brought about from Syria. وَاللّٰهُ اَعْلَمُ
1 A creation of God generally hidden from the sights of man (Publishers)
2 To be more exact, this city is situated between Syria and Iraq (Author)
3 Al-Aḥqāf (46:30), Al-Jinn (72:1-2)
4 For example refer to Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitābuṣ-Ṣalāt, Bābul-Jahri bil-Qirā’ati fiṣ-Ṣubḥi wal-Qirā’ati ‘alal-Jinn, Ḥadīth No. 1006
5 Sabā’ (34:13, 34:15, 34:42), Adh-Dhāriyāt (51:57), Al-An‘ām (6:101, 6:113, 6:129, 6:131), Ar-Raḥmān (55:34), Al-A‘rāf (7:39, 7:180), Al-Kahf (18:51), An-Naml (27:18, 27:40), Ḥā Mīm As-Sajdah (41:26, 41:30), Al-Aḥqāf (46: 19, 46:30), Al-Jinn (72:2, 72:6-7), Banī Isrā’īl (17:89), Hūd (11:120), As-Sajdah (32:14), An-Nās (114:7)
6 Aqrabul-Mawārid, By Imām Sa‘īd Ash-Shartūnī, Under the root “Janna”