Tafseer of The Jinn · Al-Jinn · 72:28
That 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.
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.
And His words: "So that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord." The people of interpretation differed concerning who is intended by His words "so that He may know." Some said: the Messenger ﷺ is intended thereby, and they said: the meaning of the statement is: so that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ may know that the messengers before him conveyed (the messages) of their Lord.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "so that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord" — so that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ may know that the messengers before him conveyed from their Lord and (that it) was preserved.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: "so that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord" — he said about it: so that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ may know that the messengers of Allah conveyed, and that Allah preserved and protected it.
Others said: rather the meaning of it is: so that the polytheists may know that the messengers conveyed the messages of their Lord.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His words: "so that He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord," he said: so that whoever denied the messengers may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord.
Others said: rather the meaning of it is: so that Muḥammad may know that the angels have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb related to us, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words: "The Knower of the unseen; He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except to a messenger whom He has approved; for He places before him and behind him guards" — he said: four guards from the angels together with Jibrāʾīl — "so that He may know," (namely) Muḥammad, "that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He encompasses what they possess and keeps count of the number of all things" — he said: and Jibrāʾīl, peace be upon him, did not descend with anything of the revelation except that there were four guards with him.
Abū Jaʿfar said: and the most fitting of these statements in our view is the statement of the one who said: so that the Messenger may know that the messengers before him conveyed the messages of their Lord. That is because His words "so that He may know" are connected to His words "for He places before him and behind him guards," and that is a report concerning the Messenger; from this it is known that His words "so that He may know" are connected to it, since that is a report concerning him.
And His words: "and He encompasses what they possess" — He says: and He has knowledge of all that they possess — "and keeps count of the number of all things" — He says: He knows the number of all things, so that nothing of it remains hidden from Him.
And Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that he said concerning this verse: "except to a messenger whom He has approved"... up to His words: "and keeps count of the number of all things," he said: so that the messengers may know that their Lord encompassed them, so that they conveyed their messages.
End of the interpretation of Sūrah al-Jinn.
