Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf, Ayah 29

See surah {2}, note [21]. The connection between this passage and the preceding one apparently lies in the fact that whereas "those who are lost in sin" (of whom the tribe of 'Ad is given as an example) refuse to heed God's messages, the "unseen beings" spoken of in the sequence immediately perceived their truth and accepted them.

The term nafar signifies a group of more than three and up to ten persons. The occurrence mentioned in this passage - said to have taken place in the small oasis of Nakhlah, on the way leading from Mecca to Ta'if (Tabari) - is evidently identical with that described in {72:1-15}; for a tentative explanation, see note [1] on 72:1 .

Lit., "as soon as they attended to it", i.e., to its recitation by the Prophet.

I.e., as preachers of the Qur'anic creed. The expression "as warners" connects with the preceding references to "warning messages".

A company of Jinns. Nafar (company) may mean a group of from three to ten persons. For Jinns, see n. 929 to vi. 100. They listened to the reading of the Qur-an with great respect. The next verse shows that they had heard of the Jewish religion, but they were impressed with the Message of Islam, and they seem to have gone back to their people to share the Good News with them.