No authentic hadith attributes a specific virtue to it; Surah Al-Jinn belongs to the Mufassal by which the Prophet ﷺ was favoured over the other prophets. It relates how a group of jinn listened to the Qur’an, said “We have heard a wondrous Recitation” and believed in it, so as to refute the religion of the idolaters.
It belongs to the Mufassal given to the Prophet ﷺ, by which he was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
Some jinn heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting the Qur’an in the dawn prayer; they listened, then told their people: “We have heard a wondrous Recitation that guides to right conduct, and we have believed in it.” Allah then revealed this surah.
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
أعطيت مكان التوراة السبع الطوال، ومكان الزبور المئين، ومكان الإنجيل المثاني، وفضلت بالمفصل
I was given the seven long surahs in place of the Torah, the Mi’in in place of the Psalms, the Mathani in place of the Gospel, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.
انطلق رسول الله ﷺ في طائفة من أصحابه، عامدين إلى سوق عكاظ… فوجدوا الرسول ﷺ بنخلة يصلى بأصحابه صلاة الصبح، فلما سمعوا القرآن، استمعوا إليه وقالوا: هذا الذي حال بيننا وبين خبر السماء. فرجعوا إلى قومهم فقالوا: يا قومنا، إنا سمعنا قرآنا عجبا، يهدى الى الرشد فآمنا به ولن نشرك بربنا أحدا، وأنزل الله تبارك وتعالى على نبيه ﴿قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ﴾
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out with a group of his companions heading for the market of ’Ukaz… The jinn found the Messenger ﷺ at Nakhlah leading his companions in the dawn prayer; when they heard the Qur’an they listened to it and said: “This is what has cut us off from the news of the heavens.” They returned to their people and said: “O our people, we have heard a wondrous Recitation that guides to right conduct, so we have believed in it and will never associate anyone with our Lord.” And Allah revealed to His Prophet: “Say: it has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened…”
Main purpose: To refute the religion of the idolaters by showing the state of the jinn and their faith after hearing the Qur’an.
Al-Jinn is an entirely Meccan surah, also called “Qul uhiya”. It has twenty-eight verses without disagreement, was revealed after Al-A’raf and before Ya-Sin (39th in order of revelation according to As-Suyuti) and is the 72nd in the Qur’an. It seems to have come down all at once around the tenth or eleventh year of the mission. Al-Bukhari and Muslim report from Ibn Abbas the episode of the jinn who listened to the Prophet ﷺ leading the dawn prayer at Nakhlah.
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
