Jinn in the Qur'an
Understanding Jinn from the Qur'anic perspective - their creation, nature, and the Islamic definition of these unseen beings.
JINN IN THE QUR'AN
Qur'anic Verses About Jinn
```"And the Jinn we created before from scorching fire." (Al-Hijr: 27)
"O assembly of jinn and men! Did there not come to you Messengers from amongst you, relating to you My communications and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They shall say: We bear witness against ourselves; and this world's life deceived them, and they shall bear witness against their own souls that they were unbelievers" (Al-Anaam: 130)
"And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones" (Al-A'raf: 179)
"And those who disbelieve will say: Our Lord! Show us those who led us astray from among the jinn and the men that we may trample them under our feet so that they may be of the lowest" (Al-Fussilat: 29)
THE DEFINITION OF JINN
The word jinn, al jaan, al jinnaan occurs 29 times in the Qur'an.
Jinn in Arabic literally means "hidden from sight" and is derived from the Arabic root j'n'n (pronounced: jann-junn) meaning "to hide" or "be hidden".
Words Derived from the Same Root:
- Majnun - 'mad' (one whose intellect is hidden)
- Junuun - 'madness'
- Janin - 'embryo, fetus' (hidden inside the womb)
Scholarly Explanations
Al Jawhari (the author of Al-Sihaah al hakeem; page 19) explains:
"Al-jann is the father of the jinn, the plural of which is jeenaan. All of that which is concealed from you is Junna'anka (concealed from you). Janna al-layl means the darkness of the night. Al-jaan is the plural of Al-Jinn. Jannahu al-layl means the night covered him."
The above is the root meaning of the word Jinn. This material is extracted from the works of Ashibly and Al-jawhari.
Related Terminology
The grave and shroud is called jenanan because they cover the dead.
وسمي القلب جناناً، لأنه مستور في الصدر، ويستر داخله أخباراً وأسراراً
The heart is called jeenan because it is concealed in the chest.
وسميت الروح جناناً، لأن الجسم يسترها
The spirit is called jananan because the body conceals it.
Key Points:
- Jinn were created from scorching fire
- Jinn, like humans, have free will and will be held accountable
- Both jinn and humans received Messengers and guidance
- The term "jinn" fundamentally means "hidden" or "concealed"
- This reflects their nature as unseen beings
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