وَأَنَّهُۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطًا 4
Translations
And that our foolish one [i.e., Iblees] has been saying about Allāh an excessive transgression.
Transliteration
Wa-annahu kana yaqolu safiyhuna 'ala-Allahi shatatn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the jinn's admission that one of their foolish members used to speak audaciously and recklessly against Allah, attributing false and absurd things to Him. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that 'shatatn' (شطط) means excessive transgression and deviation from truth, indicating the gravity of the jinn's false claims and blasphemies. The jinn themselves acknowledge the wrongness of these statements, showing their recognition of proper limits in speech about the Divine.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the context of Surah Al-Jinn, which describes the jinn's conversion to Islam after hearing the Qur'an recited by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah, revealed in Mecca, presents the jinn's testimony about their former disbelief and their newfound submission to Allah. This specific ayah reflects the jinn confessing their past errors and the foolishness of their companion who blasphemed against Allah.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best character.' This relates thematically to avoiding reckless speech about Allah. Additionally, Jami' at-Tirmidhi contains hadiths about guarding one's tongue from harmful and transgressive speech.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to guard their tongues carefully and avoid making reckless, excessive, or false claims about Allah and His religion. It reminds us that even those who recognize truth must actively distance themselves from foolish companions and their transgressions, emphasizing the importance of discernment and proper adab (etiquette) in matters of faith.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُۥ هَرَبًا
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allāh upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
قُلْ إِنِّى لَآ أَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا رَشَدًا
Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدْنَـٰهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.
وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِىٓ أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.