إِلَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَرَقَ ٱلسَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُۥ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ 18
Translations
Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.
Transliteration
Illa man istaraqas-sam'a fa-attaba'ahu shihābun mubīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the jinn who attempt to eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels in the heavens regarding unseen matters and the future. Whoever among them manages to steal a hearing is pursued by a visible, bright shooting star (meteor) that strikes them down. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain this as Allah's protection of the knowledge of the unseen from being accessed by jinn, preventing them from revealing future events to humans and thus misleading people.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Hijr's discussion of the unseen realm and divine mysteries. It appears in the context of Surah 15:16-18, which describes the lowest heaven being adorned with stars and lamps, and establishes that the jinn cannot access divine knowledge of the unseen. The surah addresses Meccan polytheists' beliefs about jinn's knowledge of future events.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (hadith on the jinn and stealing of knowledge): The Prophet ﷺ described how jinn eavesdrop on heavenly conversations and cast what they hear to their followers among humans, adding lies to one truth. Also related is the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the Prophet's instruction to throw stones at jinn who come near during prayer times.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that knowledge of the future belongs to Allah alone, and those who claim to know the unseen through jinn or other means are engaging in deception. It reminds believers to trust only in Allah's revelation and to be wary of false claims about predicting the future.