Tafsir of Al-Jinn 72:26-27

Surah Al-Jinn (72): Verses 26–27

{عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا * إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ} (The Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals not His Unseen to anyone * Except whom He chooses of a Messenger.)

The word {مِنْ} (from/of) in {مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ} (whom He chooses) serves as an explanation (tabyīn) of the chosen one. This means that no one is made aware of the Unseen except the chosen one who is a Messenger.

The author of Al-Kashshāf states that this verse refutes miracles (karāmāt), because those to whom miracles are attributed, even if they are chosen saints (awliyā’ murtaḍā), are not Messengers. Allah has specifically reserved the knowledge of the Unseen for Messengers among the chosen ones.

Furthermore, this verse refutes fortune-telling (kuhāna), sorcery (siḥr), and astrology (tanjīm), because their practitioners are the furthest from being chosen and the closest to incurring divine displeasure. Al-Wāḥidī states that this verse is evidence that whoever claims that the stars guide him to what happens concerning life, death, or anything else has disbelieved what is in the Qur'an.

Know that Al-Wāḥidī permits miracles (karāmāt) and allows that Allah may inspire His saints with knowledge of some future events. The application of the verse to both cases (miracles and astrology) is the same:

1. If the verse is taken to prohibit the judgments derived from the stars (aḥkām an-nujūm), then it should also be taken to prohibit miracles, as stated by the author of Al-Kashshāf.
2. If one argues that the verse does not prohibit the inspirations (ilhāmāt) granted to saints, then it should not be taken to prohibit the guidance derived from the stars.

To assert that the verse prohibits astrological judgments but not the inspirations granted to saints is mere personal preference (tashahhī).

In my view (Al-Rāzī's view), the verse provides no definitive proof for any of the positions mentioned above. What the verse indicates is that the phrase {عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ} (over His Unseen) does not carry a general meaning (ṣīghat ‘umūm). Therefore, acting upon its implication requires only that Allah does not reveal one specific aspect of His Unseen to any of His creation.

We can interpret this specific Unseen as the time of the Final Hour (al-Qiyāmah). In this case, the meaning is that Allah does not reveal the time of the Hour to anyone. This interpretation leaves no implication that He does not reveal any aspect of the Unseen to anyone.

What supports this interpretation is that Allah mentioned this verse immediately after His statement: {إِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ رَبِّي أَمَدًا} (Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will assign it a long term.") (Al-Jinn: 25). That is, "I do not know the time of the Final Hour." Then He immediately followed it with: {عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا} (The Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals not His Unseen to anyone), meaning the time of the Final Hour is the specific Unseen that Allah does not reveal to anyone.

In summary, {عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ} is a singular noun in the construct state (lafd mufrad muḍāf); thus, it is sufficient for its meaning to apply to a single instance of the Unseen. The text does not indicate generality.

If it is argued: If you restrict this to the Final Hour, how can He say {إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ} (Except whom He chooses of a Messenger), when He does not reveal this Unseen (the Hour) to any of His Messengers?

We reply: Rather, He reveals it when the establishment of the Hour draws near. How could He not, when He says: {وَيَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَاءُ بِالْغَمَامِ وَنُزِّلَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَنزِيلًا} (And [mention] the Day when the heaven will split open with clouds and the angels will be sent down in successive descents)? There is no doubt that the angels will know the time of the Hour at that moment.

Alternatively, it is possible that this exception is an Istithnā’ Munqaṭi‘ (a disconnected exception), as if He meant: The Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals not His specific Unseen—which is the Final Hour—to anyone. Then He follows this by saying: {إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ} (Except whom He chooses of a Messenger): For such a Messenger, {فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا} (For indeed, He sets before him and behind him observers) (Al-Jinn: 27), meaning guardians who protect him from the whispers of the devils among the Jinn and their confusing suggestions, until he delivers what has been revealed to him, and from the thronging of the devils among humankind so they do not harm or injure him. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk reported: "No Prophet was sent except that angels accompanied him, guarding him from the devils who disguise themselves in the form of angels."

It is necessary to affirm that Allah does not intend by this verse that no one should be informed of anything from the unseen except Messengers. Evidence for this includes several points:

1. It is established through reports close to the level of Tawātur (mass transmission) that Shaqq and Saṭīḥ were soothsayers (kāhinān) who informed people of the appearance of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) before his time. They were famous among the Arabs for this type of knowledge, to the extent that Khosrow (Kisra) consulted them regarding news about our Messenger. Thus, it is established that Allah has informed others besides Messengers of some aspects of the Unseen.
2. All adherents of religions agree on the validity of dream interpretation (‘ilm at-ta‘bīr), and that the interpreter may report future events and be truthful in their report.
3. The Baghdad female soothsayer (kāhinah) whom Sultan Sanjar ibn Malik Shah transported from Baghdad to Khurasan was asked about future events. She mentioned things that subsequently occurred exactly as she said.

The author of this book (may Allah conclude his life with goodness) states: I have seen verified individuals skilled in the sciences of theology (kalām) and philosophy (ḥikmah) who recounted that she informed them of hidden matters in detail, and those events occurred exactly as she reported. Abu al-Barakāt elaborated on her condition in his book Al-Mu‘tabar, stating: "I investigated her condition for thirty years until I became certain that she was reporting on the unseen with accurate reports."

4. We witness this in those possessing true inspirations (al-ilhāmāt aṣ-ṣādiqah). This is not exclusive to saints; it can even be found among sorcerers. We see that a person whose "arrow of the Unseen" is strong in a certain degree will be correct in many of his reports, even if he lies in most of them. We also see that astrological judgments (al-aḥkām an-nujūmiyyah) can sometimes correspond to actual events, even if they lie in many instances. Since this is observable and perceptible, asserting that the Qur'an indicates the opposite would cast doubt upon the Qur'an, which is false. Therefore, we conclude that the correct interpretation is the one we have mentioned. And Allah knows best.

As for His statement: {فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا} (For indeed, He sets before him and behind him observers), the meaning is that He sets forth for the one chosen for prophethood, {وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا} (and behind him observers), meaning angels who guard him from the temptations and confusing suggestions of the devils among the Jinn, until he delivers what has been revealed to him, and from the thronging of the devils among humankind so they do not harm or injure him. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk reported: "No Prophet was sent except that angels accompanied him, guarding him from the devils who disguise themselves in the form of angels."