وَأَنَّهُ كانَ رِجالٌ مِنَ الإِنسِ يَعوذونَ بِرِجالٍ مِنَ الجِنِّ فَزادوهُم رَهَقًا
Indeed some men from the humans would seek the protection of some men from the jinn, thus only adding to their entanglement.
EXEGESIS
Rijāl (sing. rajul) is a noun that denotes a man or the male member of the human species. The term derives from the root rijl which signifies that organ in animals by which they walk and make movement; a meaning that is incorporated in all its derivatives. Thus, rājil in the Arabic language denotes one who walks on his legs. Considering the lexical connotation and use of the root rijl and its derivatives in Arabic, Muṣṭafawī holds that it is in this respect that a man is called rajul in the Arabic language since he tends to be more opinionated, stands and depends on his own self, and walks in pursuit of his provision and that of his family, besides being physically stronger at work.
The words rajul and rijāl have occurred many times in the Quran denoting a man or a group of men. However, they have also appeared in some occasions to imply a man who is sensible and intellectually mature (36:20, 40:28, 9:108, and 33:23). The word rijāl in this verse signifies the male members from the humans and the jinn.
Yaʿūdhūna is in the imperfect tense that derives from the root ʿawdh, meaning to take refuge or to seek protection from an evil. Nonetheless, as Rāghib believes, beside the notion of seeking protection, the term ʿawdh also incorporates lexically the idea of being emotionally attached to the thing one resorts to for help; and Muṣṭafawī considers this to be the inevitable consequence of taking resort to something. Thus, considering the meaning of the term ʿawdh, it can be said that the essence of taking refuge can only be attained if its meaning were to actualise in practice and reality, and not only in words.
Zādūhum: zādū is a perfect tense plural verb deriving from the root zāda which implies to grow or to increase. Further elaborating on the meaning of the verb, Rāghib asserts that it denotes to add on to that which is already possessed by something.
The root z-y-d and its derivatives have appeared in numerous verses of the Quran. A close study of these verses reveals that the verb zāda and its verbal derivatives have been used at times to denote a growth that is generated from within the thing itself, as in 2:247, and at other times to refer to an increase which has been influenced by external factors, as in the verse under discussion; and this growth could either be physical or spiritual, as understood from 12:65 and 8:2, respectively. In the context of the verse under discussion, it would mean that the misguidance of humans only intensified as they resorted to the jinn for protection.
Rahaq is a noun that derives from the root verb rahaqa, meaning to cover something and to encircle it from all sides, like when it is said, for instance, that ‘so-and-so has been encircled by debts’. Nevertheless, the verb has been defined by some grammarians like Fīrūzābādī to also imply to reach something or to approach it. It is, however, clear that to reach something is concomitant with encircling it, as the latter is not possible without the former. Moreover, some lexicologists have added the qualification ‘by force’ to this meaning, and as such, the verb rahaqa would mean ‘to surround a thing by force from all sides’, or in other words, to forcibly put somebody in a situation that is detestable for him.
The noun rahaq has appeared only two times in the Quran, both of which have been in this surah, verses 6 and 13. Based on the diverse explanations that have been offered by the exegetes with regard to the meaning of the noun rahaq in the verse under discussion, the last part of the verse would thus mean that the jinn only added to the acts of disobedience of the humans, or to their insolence, rebellion, weakness, fear, abasement, and misguidance. The wisdom behind the employment of the term rahaq in the verse to signify these meanings may be due to the fact that the jinn overcast the soul and cover it. Explaining how the word rahaq fits in the context of the verse, Muṣṭafawī states that one may assume that by establishing a relationship with the jinn he would spiritually progress and get closer to the divine realities, heedless of the fact this method is counter-productive, and that it only adds to him being entangled by veils of darkness, leading him away from his goal. Accordingly, this engulfment is certainly contrary to one’s expectation and would hence be unpleasant for him. Said differently, taking refuge with the jinn only increased in the hearts of those who took refuge with them elements that further led them away from God. The term rahaq has thus been used to convey this reality.
EXPOSITION
Further to their confessions in the previous verses, in this verse this particular group of jinn disclose information on the kind of relationship that some human beings had with the froward among the jinn, indicating at the same time their disapproval of such relationship since it was tantamount to shirk, something that they pledged never to commit in verse 2.
The phenomenon of humans having recourse to the jinn as alluded to in this verse refers to the era before the advent of the Prophet of Islam. The jinn used to communicate to a group of humans some information acquired by them through eavesdropping on the heavenly news which was then used by some humans to predict future events.
The Arabs in the pre-Islamic era had superstitious beliefs regarding the power of the jinn to emancipate human beings from difficulties, fear, and illnesses that surrounded them in life, hence they would take resort to the jinn through soothsayers. It was a commonly held belief among them that the jinn rule over this earth and, as such, whenever they were to spend a night at a given location during their journey, they would take refuge with the jinn who supposedly controlled that place by calling out, ‘I seek refuge with the master of this place from the foolish among his community’. It was only then that they would halt at the place and spend the night in peace.
Nonetheless, it is clear that the above example and other similar instances represent only some of the ways by which humans sought assistance from the jinn, otherwise the import of the verse is as capacious as to include any form of connection with the jinn that would result in one taking refuge with other than God.
The prevalence of such superstitious practices in those societies furthered erroneous beliefs among them in respect to the influence of the jinn over man. These beliefs subsequently fostered imaginary fear in the humans and added to their degradation in polytheism and misguidance: thus only adding to their entanglement.
There also exists the possibility that the subject in the verb zādūhum could be the humans whilst the pronoun hum refers to the jinn. In this case, the sentence thus only adding to their entanglement would imply: by seeking protection from the jinn, the humans only added to the rebellion of the jinn. Said differently, the fact that the humans sought refuge with the jinn increased the latter in pride and in transgressing the divine limits. The humans sought the protection of the jinn believing that they would be safe from their mischief. This however resulted in the opposite, in that the jinn became more impudent in harassing them, thus subjecting them to even greater humiliation.
The use of the term rijāl (men) in the case of some members from the jinn indicates that there exists gender distinction amongst the jinn also.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Zurārah reports that he asked Imam al-Bāqir (a) concerning the verse, Indeed some men from the humans would seek the protection of some men from the jinn, thus only adding to their entanglement. The Imam replied: ‘People used to go to a soothsayer to whom the devil used to give some information, and say to him: “Tell the devil that so-and-so person has sought refuge with you.”’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
According to a view mentioned in some works of exegesis, the purport of this verse is that some men from the humans used to seek refuge from the mischief of the jinn, however, with fellow human beings. They would thus say: ‘I seek refuge with Zayd (for example) from the evil of the jinn.’ According to this interpretation, the verse would read as: Indeed some men from the humans would seek refuge from the evil of the jinn with some other men from the humans. The basis of this interpretation has been that the word rajul in Arabic does not include the male members from the jinn. However, there is a lack of evidence in support of this argument.
Contrary to the dominant view amongst the exegetes, Mughniyyah believes that the phrase some men from the humans refers to the simple-minded among mankind, whilst it is the sorcerers who are meant by the fragment some men from the jinn. Accordingly, the verse means that the weak and naive members of human society used to consult the magicians among them – who claimed the ability to subjugate the jinn for different tasks – so that they may avert from them the supposed evil of the jinn or may assist them in acquiring the material ends of life. Based on this, the sentence thus only adding to their entanglement implies in his view that the magicians demanded a price in return for their services that was unbearable for their customers.
Ibn ʿĀshūr appears to be holding an extreme position with regard to the meaning of the verb yaʿūdhūna in the verse, as he maintains that it implies that a group from the polytheists used to literally worship the jinn in order to evade their mischief. It is needless to say that neither the lexical connotation of the term ʿawdh nor the context of the verse substantiates such an interpretation.
[1] Lisan and Raghib, under r-j-l.
[2] Tahqiq, under r-j-l.
[3] Qamus, under rajul.
[4] Lisan, under ʿ-w-dh.
[5] Raghib and Tahqiq, under ʿ-w-dh.
[6] Tahqiq, under ʿ-w-dh.
[7] Lisan and Bahrayn, under z-y-d.
[8] Raghib, under z-ʾ-d.
[9] Tahqiq, under z-y-d.
[10] Lisan, under r-h-q.
[11] Qamus, under r-h-q.
[12] Raghib and Tahqiq, under r-h-q.
[13] Razi, 30/668.
[14] Mizan, 20/41.
[15] Qamus, under rahaq.
[16] Nemuneh, 25/107. See also Qamus, under rahaq.
[17] Tahqiq, under r-h-q.
[18] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/375.
[19] Qummi, 2/389.
[20] Fadlallah, 23/150.
[21] Tabrisi, 10/555; Zamakhshari, 4/624; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/375; Qutb, 6/3721; Nemuneh, 25/108. It is reported in Muqatil (4/462) that the first people to seek refuge with the jinn were a community from Yemen who were followed by the Banī Ḥanīfah, and thereafter it widely spread among the Arabs.
[22] Nemuneh, 25/108.
[23] Nemuneh, 25/108.
[24] Mizan, 20/42; Tabrisi, 10/555; Zamakhshari, 4/624; Shawkani, 5/366.
[25] Tabari, 29/69.
[26] Razi, 30/668. It was a custom among the Arabs that the tribal leaders would come out during a drought to search for a place with water and pasture. As they found it, they would call upon all members to relocate. Upon arriving at the new location they would all cry out together: ‘We seek protection with the chief of this place from calamities,’ meaning by ‘the chief’ the jinn. Accordingly, they would halt at the place if they were not subjected to any kind of fear. However, at times the jinn used to frighten them and they would thus disperse and leave the place (Razi, 30/668; see also Suyuti, 6/272).
[27] Nemuneh, 25/108; Tahqiq, under r-j-l. It is fine to use the term rajul (man) for the male members of the jinn (Alusi, 15/96).
[28] Nur, 5/437.
[29] Razi, 30/668; Tabrisi, 10/555; Alusi, 15/96.
[30] Alusi, 15/96. The fragment min al-jinn in the verse would thus be technically related to the verb yaʿūdhūna (Alusi, 15/96).
[31] Tabrisi, 10/555; Razi, 30/668; Alusi, 15/96.
[32] Razi, 30/668.
[33] Kashif, 7/435.
[34] Ibn Ashur, 29/209.