Is there a verse or a hadith about jinn listening to the talks of the angels and informing soothsayers about them?

- Is it true that stars prevent it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The following is stated in the chapter of al-Jinn:  

"And we pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush." (al-Jinn, 72/8-9)

To pry into heaven is a figurative expression that means to want to search to see what is in something and to test.

Jinn used to sit in some places in order to listen to the heavens and to receive news; they would also watch around, hear some secret heavenly news and surprise people with them. However, now "any who listens will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush."

Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır interprets those verses by likening the Prophet (pbuh) to the sky and the verses and miracles he brought to flaming fire; thus, he states that human beings and jinn feared from the Quran, that their tongues became tied and that they would not talk about what is unknown as they used to do. (Elmalılı Tefsir, VIII/5404)

According to what is stated in tafsir books, jinn used to travel in the skies, listen to the talks of the angels, etc. And they would convey them to soothsayers adding their own interpretation (see Shawkani, V/352-353). The statement in verse 9 "We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing" indicates this. However, it is understood that jinn were not allowed to listen to heavens after the Prophet was sent and after the Quran started to be sent down. As a matter of fact, according to the information given in verse 8, jinn stated that they searched the heavens and that they saw the heavens guarded by wardens an equipped with balls of flame. According to the last statement of verse 9, jinn said that those who tried to obtain information by listening to the inhabitants of the sky secretly were prevented by being thrown balls of flame from the places of observation. (Diyanet Tefsiri, Kur’an Yolu, V/400)

While explaining why the verse was sent down, Ibn Abbas states that jinn used to listen to the revelation sent by Allah to the angels about the management of the universe but that they were prohibited from listening to the sky when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet and that when they searched what the reason for this prohibition was, they met the Prophet (pbuh) in a place called Nakhla and thus they realized what prevented them from obtaining the news from the heavens. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 72; see also al-Hijr 15/17-18; as-Saaffat 37/7-10; al-Mulk 67/5)

Another reason is the following narration from Ibn Abbas:

While the prophet (pbuh) was sitting with a group of Companions, they witnessed a shooting star. Thereupon, he asked them,  

"What did you use to say in the Era of Jahiliyya with regards to such events?" They said,

"We used to say that a great man was born that particular night or a great man died." Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Such stars are not shot because of anyone’s birth or death.  However, when Allah Almighty decides on something, the angels who bear the Throne glorify Allah. Then, the angels in all levels of the heavens glorify Him. Finally, this glorification reaches the sky you see. The ones in the sky ask the carriers of the Throne, ‘What did your Lord order?’ in order obtain the news. They give them the news. The inhabitants of each level of the heavens tell one another until it reaches the sky you see. When jinn try to get the news, they are shot. The news they bring is true, but they add to it." (Muslim, IV, 1750; Ibn Hibban, Sahih, XIII, 499; Tirmidhi, V, 362; Musnad, I, 218)

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi explains the wisdom behind the prevention of jinn from giving news to soothsayers as follows:   

"Since Allah’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) had appeared in the world together with revelation, it was necessary to prevent the knowledge about the Unseen being transmitted by soothsayers, diviners, and jinn, which was inaccurate and mixed with lies, so that their knowledge should not cause any doubts about revelation, and should not resemble it. Before the prophetic mission, soothsaying was widespread. Then with its revelation, the Qur’an brought it to an end. Indeed, many soothsayers accepted Islam, for they could no longer find their informers, who were jinn. That is, the Qur’an had put an end to it.” (Mektubat, p.191)

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