Refuting the claim that the jinn gave the Prophet information about space and universe

26-11-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

By Allaah, I ask this question with the intention of increasing my faith. Are/were the jinn/satan/spirits able to go to outer space? And if they are/were able to do so, would it not be a supportive point on a non-Muslim's side, who could argue that some of the scientific proofs about the universe in the Quran were told to the prophet by the spirits/jinn? (And I seek refuge in Allaah). I personally think that Allaah, The Exalted, would have blinded them even if He allowed them up there. Am I right?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. 

We have no proof that denies the possibility of the jinn reaching the outside world, so it is likely that they can reach parts of these worlds that are neighboring the planet Earth. However, they do not penetrate the skies; Shaykh Ibn Baaz has written a famous paper on the textual and sensory evidence on the possibility of some human beings rising to the planets, as he said:

“We have considered what is mentioned in the Noble Quran of verses talking about the Sun, the Moon and other planets, and we have not found in these verses what indicates the impossibility of ascending to the Moon or to other planets. We have also reviewed the pure Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah and we have not found in it what denotes the impossibility of that. The only verse used by those who deny the possibility of ascending to the planets or judge those who say that as disbelievers is what Allaah says in His Holy Book in Soorah Al-Hijr, when He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (what means): {And We have placed within the heaven great stars and have beautified it for the observers. And We have protected it from every devil expelled [from the mercy of Allaah]. Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.} [Quran 15:16-18]

Allaah (Exalted be He) says in Soorah Al-Furqaan (what means):

{Blessed is He Who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.} [Quran 25:61]

He also says in Soorah As-Saaffaat: {Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars, and as protection against every rebellious devil, so they may not listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side, repelled; and for them is a constant punishment, except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].} [Quran 37:6-10]

Furthermore, He (Exalted be He) says in Soorah Al-Mulk (what means): {And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.} [Quran 67:5]

Allaah also says in Soorah Nooh (what means): {Do you not consider how Allaah has created seven heavens in layers, and made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?} [Quran 71:15-16]

They thought that what Allaah mentions in these noble verses and other similar ones proves that the planets are inside the skies or that they are attached to them, and thus, how could one reach their surface?

The answer to this claim is that there is nothing in the above-mentioned verses that indicates that the Sun, the Moon and other planets are inside the skies or that they are attached to them. Rather, these verses indicate that these planets are in As-Samaa' and that they are adornments of it. It is noteworthy that the word As-Samaa' in the Arabic language refers to every high or elevated thing, like His (Glorified and Exalted be He) saying (what means): {Do you feel secure that He Who [holds authority] in the sky would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway? Or do you feel secure that He Who [holds authority] in the sky would not send against you a storm of stones? Then you would know how [severe] was My warning.} [Quran 67:16-17]

In the same context, Allaah says (what means): {Whoever should think that Allaah will not support [Prophet Muhammad] in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a rope to the sky, then cut off [his breath], and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages [him]?} [Quran 22:15]

The Commentators of the Quran said that the meaning is: let him stretch out a rope to what is over him of a roof and the like of it, and thus, Allaah calls it Samaa' due to its rising over what is underneath it. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says with regard to this subject (what means): {Have you not considered how Allaah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky?} [Quran 14:24] His saying here in the sky means in its elevation.

There are many proofs from the words of Allaah (Glorified and Exalted be He), the sayings of His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the opinions of exegetes of the Quran and linguists indicating the use of the word As-Samaa' with the meaning of anything elevated. If this is recognized, then the meaning of the verses might be that Allaah has placed the planets in an orbit between the sky and the Earth and called it Samaa' due to its elevation. As far as we know, there is no evidence preventing this meaning. Moreover, in two verses from His Holy Book, Allaah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says that the Sun and the Moon rotate in an orbit. These two verses are His saying in Soorah Al-Anbiyaa' (what means): {[And it is He Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming.} [Quran 21:33] and in Surah Ya-seen (what means): {It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.} [Quran 36:40]

If they were attached to the sky, they would not be described as swimming… And whoever claims that Al-Aflaak (orbits) are the structured skies has no evidence to support his saying, as far as we know, but the apparent meaning of the legal evidence and other evidence denotes that the seven skies are different from the orbits… As for His (may He be Glorified and Exalted) description of the planets as the adornment of the nearest sky, it is not necessary to be attached to it, and there is no evidence proving that, but it is acceptable to call them adornment even though they are detached from it and there is a space between them.

The apparent meaning of the previous evidence and the statements of most scholars, as stated by an-Nasafi and al-Aloosi is that all the planets, among which are the Sun and the Moon, are under the skies, but not inside of it. Thus, it is known that there is no problem that there is space between the planets and the first sky.

As regards the skies that are built, they are protected with their gates and guards, so the devils from among the human beings and jinn will not be able to enter it. Allaah says (what means): {And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.} [Quran 21:32] Allaah says (what means): {And We have protected it from every devil expelled [from the mercy of Allaah].} [Quran 15:17]

Also, it is proven in authentic ahaadeeth that when the Prophet ascended to the sky with Jibreel (Gabriel), he [Prophet] did not enter the first sky and those above it except with permission; so it is with greater reason that this is applicable to other creatures…” [End of quote]

As for the claim of the people of falsehood, that the Prophet had taken it from the jinn, then such a misconception would not be believed by any person who has a sound mind so that we can say that it needs refutation. Indeed, there is not even one single example from the verses of the Quran that can truly be described as having been taken from the jinn. Such a claim is like the claims of the disbelievers of Makkah, which the Quran refuted, as Allaah says (what means): {And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches the Prophet." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this Quran is [in] a clear Arabic language.} [Quran 16:103] However, Allaah challenged them to bring ten Soorahs like it, or even one single Soorah like it, but they were unable to do so, while they are Arabs, eloquent rhetoricians and speakers; this proves the invalidity of their claims!

Finally, we must believe that the Prophet received the knowledge and knew the facts by revelation; it is the Creator of mankind and the jinn who taught him; {Does He Who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?} [Quran 67:14]; and it is He, the Almighty, Who said that the devils cannot enter the heavens (skies). As for the other so-called scientific evidence about the universe; then what the Prophet said about it, he received it from Allaah, the Creator of the universe, Who created it from nothingness.

Allaah knows best.