Tafseer of The Poets · Ash-Shu'araa · 26:222
They descend upon every sinful liar.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Concerning the word كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ: he said: every great liar among the people.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: تَنَزَّلُ عَلَى كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍN — he said: a great liar among the people.
Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the word كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍN: he said: they are the soothsayers — the jinn secretly steal the hearing, then they bring it to their allies among the people.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmāra al-Asadī related to me, saying: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Mūsā related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl informed us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Wahb, who said: I was in the presence of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr. It was said to him: Al-Mukhtār claims that it is revealed to him. He said: He is right — and then recited: هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ عَلَى مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيَاطِينُ * تَنَزَّلُ عَلَى كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ.
His word: يُلْقُونَ السَّمْعَ — Allah, exalted is His praise, says: the devils cast the hearing — that is to say: what they have eavesdropped of the secret decreeing in heaven — down upon كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍN of their allies among the descendants of Adam.
With what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke in corresponding terms.
* Mention of who said this:
