Tafsir of Al-Hijr 15:18

The exception in the saying of the Exalted, "Except for one who steals the hearing," is connected. Or, if it refers to preventing them from entering and mingling with the inhabitants of the heavens in the way they mingle with the inhabitants of the earth, then it is disconnected. In either case, the word "min" (who) is in the accusative case as an exception. Abu al-Baqa' and al-Hufi permitted it to be in the genitive case, as an appositive (badal) of "min kulli shaytan" (from every devil) — a part-for-whole substitution—dispensing with the need for a connective pronoun with "illa."

It was objected that it is a condition for an appositive that it occur in a non-affirmative statement, yet this statement is affirmative. This was defended by saying it is interpreted in the sense of a negative statement; i.e., "We did not empower every devil against it," or something similar. It was retorted that interpreting an affirmative statement in a way other than by "aba" (refusal) or its derivatives is neither analogous nor sound. One does not say, "The people died except Zayd," to mean "They did not live." Perhaps the proponent of the appositive theory does not concede this. They interpreted the following as negative: "So they drank from it, except a few," and the Prophet’s saying, "The learned are destroyed except the scholars," and other examples where there is neither "aba" nor any of its derivatives. However, in fairness, the weakness of this appositive claim is self-evident.

Abu al-Baqa' also allowed it to be in the nominative case as an initial (mubtada'), with the predicate being the sentence of the Exalted, "Then a clear flame followed him."

The "fa" (then) is present because "min" is either a descriptor or conditional. Istiraq (stealing) is a derivation from theft, which is taking something in secret. Their brief snatching from the Heavenly Assembly is likened to this, which is mentioned in the saying of the Exalted, "Except for one who snatches a snatch." The "hearing" refers to what is heard. A shihab (flame), according to al-Raghib, is a shining flare from a fire being kindled, or from vapor in the atmosphere. It is also applied to a star due to its brightness, like a flare of fire. Its origin is shuhba, which is whiteness mixed with blackness, not pure white as the commoners err in saying "a ashhab (grey/white-spotted) horse" for a paper-colored one. The intended meaning of "mubin" (clear) is that its nature is apparent to those who see it. The meaning of "atba'ahu" (it followed him) according to al-Akhfash is the same as "radaftuhu" (I followed him) and "ardaftuhu," so the hamza is not for transitiveness. It is said that "atba'ahu" is more specific than "tabi'ahu" because al-Jawhari said: "I followed the people" (taba'tu) if you walk behind them or they pass you and you go with them, and "I followed the people" (atba'tu) if they had preceded you and you caught up with them.

The difference between them is deemed sound by the flame. Since following is ambiguous regarding whether it leads to destruction or otherwise, scholars differed: al-Qurtubi cites from Ibn Abbas that the flame strikes and burns but does not kill. From al-Hasan and a group, it is said that it does kill. He claimed that the first is more accurate. More than one reported from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "Devils ride upon one another towards the lowest heaven to steal the hearing from the angels (peace be upon them). They are pelted with stars, which never miss. Some are killed, some have their faces, sides, or hands burned, or wherever Allah wills, and some are afflicted with madness, becoming ghouls, leading people astray in the wilderness." Among the points not to be relied upon is the narration that some fall into the sea and become crocodiles.

The Imam raised several points regarding this act of stealing and pelting:

1. The falling of stars is mentioned in the books of ancient philosophers. They stated that when the earth is heated by the sun, dry vapor rises from it, and when it reaches the sphere of fire below the celestial sphere, it burns. That flare is the shihab. It might remain burning for a time if it is dense.
2. How is it permissible that these devils see thousands of their own kind stealing the hearing and being burned, yet they return to their deeds? Anyone with the least intellect, seeing the destruction of their peers repeatedly, would desist.
3. If the thickness of the sky is five hundred years, how can they pierce through its mass? This is invalid, as the sky has no rifts, as the Exalted said: "Look again; do you see any rifts?" And if they do not penetrate, how can they hear the secrets of the angels despite this great distance?
4. If the angels were aware of future events, either by reading the Preserved Tablet or receiving revelation, why did they not remain silent until the devils could no longer access them?
5. Devils are created from fire, and fire does not burn fire but strengthens it. How can they be restrained by these flames?
6. You say this pelting is for the sake of Prophethood; why did it continue after the death of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)?
7. These flames appear near the earth, as we observe their movement. If they were near the celestial sphere, we would not see them.
8. If devils could transfer the secrets of the angels to soothsayers, why did they not transfer the secrets of the believers to the disbelievers?
9. Why did Allah not prevent them from ascending in the first place? Some also argued that hearing only benefits them if they know the language of the angels; why did Allah not make them ignorant of that language? Furthermore, if the air ceases below the concave of the moon's sphere, no sound would occur there, as sound is the undulation of air. If the air does not cease, there would be immense sounds from the movement of the massive celestial bodies, which would prevent hearing the angels. Also, there is nothing in the lowest heaven but the moon, which we do not see being pelted; all other planets are above, and the fixed stars are in the eighth sphere. Pelting with those would require piercing the heavens, which is nearly impossible to claim.

The Imam answered the first by saying: Flames did not exist before the Prophetic mission. This is the opinion of Ibn Abbas. It is also narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka'b that stars were not used for pelting since Jesus (peace be upon him) was raised until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent. The early books have undergone many distortions, so perhaps the later writers added this issue to challenge this miracle.

Secondly, and this is the truth: they existed before the mission for other reasons, but this does not negate that after the mission, they appear to repel and restrain the devils.

Regarding the second point (why they return), when destiny arrives, insight is blinded. If Allah decrees destruction for a group of them, He creates the circumstances that lead to their demise.

Regarding the third (thickness), the distance between the earth and the sky is five hundred years, but the thickness of the sphere itself is not great.

Regarding the fourth (angels' silence), it is reported that when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sitting with companions, a star was cast and shone. He said: "What did you say in the Jahiliyyah when this happened?" They said: "We used to say a great person is born or dies." He said: "It is not cast for the death or life of anyone. Rather, when our Lord decrees an affair in heaven, the carriers of the Throne praise Him, then the inhabitants of heaven, until it reaches this heaven, where the jinns snatch it and are pelted. What they bring is true, but they add to it."

Regarding the fifth (fire burning fire), one fire may be stronger than another, and the stronger cancels out the lesser.

Regarding the sixth (persistence), it continued so that the claim of soothsaying would remain invalid, confirming the Prophet’s report.

Regarding the seventh (appearance near earth), the distance is not a barrier to hearing; Allah has established the custom that when they stand in those places, they hear the speech of the angels.

Regarding the eighth (transferring secrets), Allah empowered them to hear the unseen but rendered them incapable of delivering the secrets of the believers.

Regarding the ninth (preventing ascension), Allah does what He wills. Regarding the absence of air, we maintain that hearing occurs by Allah’s creation, independent of air undulation.

As for the third sphere argument, the claim that all fixed stars are in the eighth sphere is a philosophical view. It is weak. It is not impossible for stars to be in the lowest heaven. The notion that this requires "piercing" the heavens is based on the denial of "piercing and joining" (kharq wa ilti'am), which has been proven possible in theological texts. Even if based on mere improbability, most possibilities seem improbable, yet they occur. We do not strictly commit to the idea that the star itself follows the devil; the "flame" is not strictly synonymous with the "star."

The Imam states that these flames are not the fixed stars in the sphere, for their numbers would diminish. They are a different genus created by Allah to pelt devils. This is not contradicted by the verse, "We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles for the devils," because every light in the high atmosphere is a lamp for the inhabitants of the earth; some are permanent, and some are not. The flames are of the latter.

Know that it is permissible that the stealing of the hearing is from the angels at the sky, not between every heaven, which resolves the issues of thickness and distance. This is supported by what al-Bukhari recorded from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "The angels descend to the clouds and mention the matters decreed in heaven, then the devils steal the hearing..."

Finally, it is not impossible that these devils are a category of devils whose nature necessitates ascending, similar to the rising of vapors, or that they are vapors attached to wicked souls. The Imam quoted al-Jubba'i saying that the condition of the devils has no fixed location, so they are prevented when they go to the places of the angels. As for the concern regarding the validity of the Prophetic miracle, we establish the Prophethood through other miracles, and after confirming that, we accept that Allah has disabled the devils from snatching the unseen, thereby confirming the miracle of the unseen news. Allah is the Grantor of success.