Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterHoopoe and ants mentioned in Quran not jinn
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I was wondering; in the Quran, in verse 27: 20, was this bird a jinn? Some say that it was a jinni in the form of a bird, and they say the valley of the ants also consisted of jinn in form of ants because animals are not that smart, so what is our answer to them?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
You did not mention to us who said this and whether it is a scholar or not.
In any case, we say that none of the scholars ever mentioned that the bird referred to in the Soorah is a jinni or that the ants were jinn. It is known to the scholars that the wording should be understood and interpreted according to its reality and apparent meaning if there is no evidence that proves that it should be interpreted otherwise.
Al-Subki said in Al-Ashbaah wan-Nathaa'ir, “It is more appropriate to understand the wording based on what comes to one’s mind, and then it is interpreted to give its literal meaning unless the figurative meaning prevails due to being the famous interpretation or for another reason.”
Az-Zarkashi said in Al-Bahr Al-Muheet, “If the name has a literal and a figurative meaning and it is addressed in speech, then it should be interpreted as its literal meaning.”
Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
