Tafsir of Al-Jinn 72:8

"And we have sought the heaven..."

"Lams" (touching/seeking): It is mass (touching), metaphorically used for talab (seeking), because the one who touches is a seeker and investigator. It is said: lamasahu, iltamasahu, and talammasahu (all meaning to seek or request). Similar to this is jass (feeling/probing), as in their saying: "They probed him with their eyes" (jassuhu) and "they spied on him" (tajassasuhu). The meaning is: We sought to reach the heaven and listen to the speech of its inhabitants.

"Harasan" (guards): A singular noun with the meaning of a collective (like khadam for khuddam). This is why it is described as shadid (singular); if the plural meaning were intended, it would have been said shidada. Similar to this is the poet's usage: "I fear a foot-soldier (rujaylan) or a rider (rukiban)," because rajul and rakb are singular nouns used in the sense of rijal (men) and rukkab (riders).

"Rasadan" (watching): Like haras, it is a collective noun for rasid (watcher), meaning: possessors of a shooting star watching to pelt, referring to the angels who pelt them with shooting stars and prevent them from listening. It is also possible that it is an adjective for the shooting star, meaning "the watching one," or like the saying: "And with me are hungry ones," meaning he finds a shooting star watching for him and on his account.

If you ask: It is as if pelting did not exist in the Pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah), yet Allah the Exalted said: "And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps and have made them [as] missiles for the devils" (Al-Mulk: 5), mentioning two benefits for the creation of stars: adornment and pelting the devils.

I say: Some have said it occurred after the mission of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and is one of his signs. However, the correct view is that it existed before the mission, and its mention has appeared in the poetry of the people of the Jahiliyyah. Bishr ibn Abi Khazim said: "And the caravan, dust trailing it and its foal, / A star descends behind them like a falling star." Aws ibn Hajar said: "It descended like a brilliant star, followed by / Dust rising, you would think it a tent-rope." Awf ibn al-Khari' said: "The cloud passes over us without its companion / Or the bull like a brilliant star, followed by blood."

But the devils used to steal information in some instances. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sent, the pelting increased significantly, to the point that humans and jinn took notice, and eavesdropping was prevented entirely.

Ma'mar narrated: I asked al-Zuhri, "Were stars used for pelting in the Jahiliyyah?" He said, "Yes." I said, "What about the saying of Allah: 'And we used to sit therein in seats'?" He replied, "The matter became severe and intensified when the Prophet (ﷺ) was sent."

Al-Zuhri narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting with a group of the Ansar, a star was shot, illuminating the area. He said, "What did you used to say about this in the Jahiliyyah?" They replied, "We used to say: A great man has died or a great man has been born."

In His saying: "It was filled" is evidence that the new event was the filling and the abundance. Likewise, His saying: "We used to sit therein in seats" means we used to find some seats free from guards and shooting stars, but now all seats are filled. This is a mention of what drove them to travel through the lands until they stumbled upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and listened to his recitation.

"And we do not know [whether] evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course."