263 Page Notes

15 Surah Al-Hijr (continued)

Page 263 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 263 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 263 of the Quran contains Surah Al-Hijr (Chapter 15), verses 16 through 31.

This page explores the structural marvels of the physical universe, details the celestial battle between angels and eavesdropping devils, and chronicles the cosmic origin story of creation—detailing the distinct elemental compositions of humans, Jinn, and angels, culminating in Satan’s fateful refusal to bow to Adam.

1. Surah Al-Hijr, Verses 16–18: Constellations and Eavesdropping Devils

"And We have placed within the heaven constellations and have beautified it for the observers. And We have protected it from every expelled devil - Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame." (15:16-18)

These verses outline a celestial security system. While humans look up and see beautiful constellations, the space above is also a restricted boundary. Devils (Shayatin) attempt to fly up to the lower heaven to eavesdrop on cosmic decrees passing between angels, only to be struck down by a shooting star or meteor (Shihab).

The Mechanics of Celestial Eavesdropping

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ provided an incredibly descriptive look behind the scenes of this exact cosmic clash, explaining how devils stack on top of each other to steal information.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His statement... Then the eavesdroppers catch a hearing. The eavesdroppers are like this, one on top of the other (the narrator Sufyan illustrated this by spreading the fingers of his right hand and stacking them).”

“A devil catches a word and passes it to the one below him, and the next passes it to the one below him, until it reaches the tongue of a magician or soothsayer. Sometimes a burning flame (Shihab) strikes the devil before he can pass it on, and sometimes he passes it on before he is struck, and with it, they add a hundred lies...” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 4701).

2. Surah Al-Hijr, Verses 26–27: The Creation Materials of Humans and Jinn

"And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud. And the jinn We created before from scorching fire." (15:26-27)

These verses define the distinct elemental origins of the different conscious creations of Allah. Humans are molded from seasoned clay derived from dark, smooth mud (Hama'in Masnoon), whereas Jinn were crafted long before from the core of a smokeless, piercing heat (Nar al-Samum).

The Tripartite Creation Hadith

The Sunnah provides a comprehensive text that pairs these two verses with the creation material of the angels, completing the entire Islamic paradigm of unseen biology:

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (in the Quran, i.e., clay).” (Sahih Muslim, 2996).

The Evolution of the Clay Structure

The Prophet ﷺ also explained why human beings vary so vastly in personality, appearance, and skin tone, tracing it directly back to the physical earth from which our father Adam was molded:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Verily, Allah created Adam from a handful of soil that He gathered from all over the earth. Thus, the children of Adam came forth in accordance with the earth: some of them are red, white, brown, and black, and some are soft, hard, evil, and good.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2955; Sunan Abi Dawud, 4693).

3. Surah Al-Hijr, Verses 28–31: The Command to Prostrate and Satan's Defiance

"And [remember] when your Lord said to the angels, 'I will create a human being from clay of an altered black mud. So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.' So the angels prostrated - all of them entirely, Except Iblees (Satan); he refused to be with those who prostrated." (15:28-31)

This pivotal segment marks the absolute genesis of arrogance and rebellion in creation. The angels immediately obeyed the divine command because they recognized Allah's authority, while Iblees allowed prejudice regarding creation materials to corrupt his judgment.

The Prostration of the Reciter (Sajdat al-Tilawah)

Whenever a Muslim recites or listens to these narratives of prostration in the Quran, it is an established Sunnah to physically drop into a single prostration (Sajdah). The Prophet ﷺ explained that doing this acts as a direct, painful reminder to Satan of his catastrophic failure on page 263.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the son of Adam recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Satan withdraws weeping, saying: 'Woe to me! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so for him is Paradise. I was commanded to prostrate but I refused, so for me is the Fire.'” (Sahih Muslim, 81).