يَـٰقَوْمَنَآ أَجِيبُوا۟ دَاعِىَ ٱللَّهِ وَءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ 31
Translations
O our people, respond to the Caller [i.e., Messenger] of Allāh and believe in him; He [i.e., Allāh] will forgive for you your sins and protect you from a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Ya qawmana ajiboo daa'i-Allah wa aaminoo bihi yaghfir lakum min dhunubikum wa yujirkum min adhaabin aleem
Tafsir (Explanation)
The believing jinns address their people, urging them to respond to Allah's call (the message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) and believe in him, assuring them that doing so will result in forgiveness of sins and protection from painful punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this represents the jinns' testimony to the truth of the Prophet's message and their invitation to their own kind to embrace Islam, demonstrating the universal nature of Allah's guidance across all creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the context of Surah Al-Ahqaf, which discusses the jinns' belief in the Quran (46:29-32). The broader context depicts a group of righteous jinns who listened to the Quran being recited and believed, then returned to warn their people. This particular ayah represents their earnest plea to their kinfolk, emphasizing the immediate and tangible benefits of faith: divine forgiveness and salvation from torment.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of responding to Allah's call: Hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of those who follow him, without any decrease in their rewards.' Also relevant: the account in Sahih Bukhari of the jinns who listened to the Quran and believed (46:29-32 context).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims the importance of conveying the message of Islam to others and responding earnestly to Allah's call, knowing that sincere belief and obedience bring both spiritual rewards (forgiveness) and protection from harm. It reminds us that guidance is available to all of creation, and our role as believers includes being advocates for faith to those around us.