Surah 72
Surah Al-Jinn (The Jinn)
الجن
Also written: Jinn
Surah Al-Jinn (الجن) is surah 72 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 28 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “The Jinn”.
- Number
- 72
- Ayahs
- 28
- Revelation
- Meccan
- Meaning
- The Jinn
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah Al-Jinn
Al-Jinn, “The Jinn”, is a Meccan surah that relates, largely in their own words, how a group of jinn heard the Quran, found it wondrous and believed. Their speech corrects false beliefs about God, describes how the heavens became guarded, and admits that jinn, like humans, include the righteous and the unjust. The second half affirms that worship is for God alone and that only He knows the unseen.
The occasion
Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, narrated by Ibn Abbas, say the Prophet was leading his companions in the dawn prayer on the way to the market of ’Ukaz when a group of jinn heard the recitation; the Prophet did not see them but was informed through this revelation (72:1). A related encounter is described in Surah Al-Ahqaf (46).
What the jinn said
- Faith and tawhid (72:1–4): the Quran guides to right conduct; their Lord has taken neither a wife nor a son, and the foolish among them had said outrageous things about God.
- Misplaced reliance (72:6): some humans sought refuge with jinn, which only increased them in burden.
- The guarded sky (72:8–10): they once sat in places to eavesdrop on the heavens, but now find it filled with guards and shooting flames.
- Divided ways (72:11–15): among them are righteous and others, Muslims and wrongdoers; they cannot escape God.
The Prophet’s message
72:18 states that places of prostration belong to God, so none should be invoked alongside Him. The Prophet is told to say he calls only on his Lord, holds no power to harm or guide anyone, and cannot be protected from God by anyone (72:20–23). The surah ends by affirming that God alone knows the unseen and reveals it only to messengers He chooses, guarded so that the message reaches people intact (72:26–28).
Frequently asked questions
- What is Surah Al-Jinn about?
- A group of jinn who heard the Quran and believed, their testimony about God, and the affirmation that only God knows the unseen.
- Did the Prophet see the jinn in Surah Al-Jinn?
- According to a hadith from Ibn Abbas in al-Bukhari and Muslim, he did not see them; he learned of their listening through revelation.
- How many verses are in Surah Al-Jinn?
- 28.
- How many ayahs are in Surah Al-Jinn?
- Surah Al-Jinn has 28 ayahs. It is surah number 72 in the Quran and is Meccan.
- Can I read Surah Al-Jinn in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah Al-Jinn the same as Surah Jinn?
- Yes. Jinn and Al-Jinn are different English spellings of the same surah name, الجن.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah Al-Jinn
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Surah Al-Jinn in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبࣰا ١
72:1Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an
يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدࣰا ٢
72:2It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone
وَأَنَّهُۥ تَعَٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَٰحِبَةࣰ وَلَا وَلَدࣰا ٣
72:3And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son
وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطࣰا ٤
72:4And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن تَقُولَ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا ٥
72:5And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie
وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ رِجَالࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمۡ رَهَقࣰا ٦
72:6And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden
وَأَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّواْ كَمَا ظَنَنتُمۡ أَن لَّن يَبۡعَثَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدࣰا ٧
72:7And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger]
وَأَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنَٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسࣰا شَدِيدࣰا وَشُهُبࣰا ٨
72:8And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames
وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَٰعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِۖ فَمَن يَسۡتَمِعِ ٱلۡأٓنَ يَجِدۡ لَهُۥ شِهَابࣰا رَّصَدࣰا ٩
72:9And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him
وَأَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِيٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ أَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدࣰا ١٠
72:10And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدࣰا ١١
72:11And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعۡجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَن نُّعۡجِزَهُۥ هَرَبࣰا ١٢
72:12And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight
وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ فَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسࣰا وَلَا رَهَقࣰا ١٣
72:13And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدࣰا ١٤
72:14And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course
وَأَمَّا ٱلۡقَٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبࣰا ١٥
72:15But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood
وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقࣰا ١٦
72:16And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision
لِّنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِيهِۚ وَمَن يُعۡرِضۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِۦ يَسۡلُكۡهُ عَذَابࣰا صَعَدࣰا ١٧
72:17So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord He will put into arduous punishment
وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣰا ١٨
72:18And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone
وَأَنَّهُۥ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ يَدۡعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِ لِبَدࣰا ١٩
72:19And that when the Servant of Allah stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass
قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدࣰا ٢٠
72:20Say, [O Muhammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَآ أَمۡلِكُ لَكُمۡ ضَرࣰّا وَلَا رَشَدࣰا ٢١
72:21Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction
قُلۡ إِنِّي لَن يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣱ وَلَنۡ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلۡتَحَدًا ٢٢
72:22Say, "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allah anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge
إِلَّا بَلَٰغࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِسَٰلَٰتِهِۦۚ وَمَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ٢٣
72:23But [I have for you] only notification from Allah, and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ أَضۡعَفُ نَاصِرࣰا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدࣰا ٢٤
72:24[The disbelievers continue] until, when they see that which they are promised, then they will know who is weaker in helpers and less in number
قُلۡ إِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبࣱ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ أَمۡ يَجۡعَلُ لَهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَمَدًا ٢٥
72:25Say, "I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period
عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيۡبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا ٢٦
72:26[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
إِلَّا مَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولࣲ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَسۡلُكُ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِۦ رَصَدࣰا ٢٧
72:27Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers
لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا ٢٨
72:28That he may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number