The Unseen

وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفۡسُهُۥۖ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ ﴿١٦﴾ إِذۡ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلۡمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٞ ﴿١٧﴾ مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٞ ﴿١٨﴾

And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].

Context From Qaf, a Makkan surah about death and resurrection. 82:10-12 calls these angels "noble and recording".

Two angels sit at the right and left of every person, recording; not one word is missed. And Allah is nearer still.

قُلۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسۡتَمَعَ نَفَرٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا قُرۡءَانًا عَجَبٗا ﴿١﴾ يَهۡدِيٓ إِلَى ٱلرُّشۡدِ فَـَٔامَنَّا بِهِۦۖ وَلَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِرَبِّنَآ أَحَدٗا ﴿٢﴾

Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.

Context The Prophet ﷺ learned of this by revelation, as the verse says. 46:29-32 also describes jinn listening to the Quran.

Jinn hear, understand and choose. This group heard the Quran, recognised its guidance and believed.

…It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. …

Context It clears Sulayman: sorcery came from devils, not from him.

Sorcery can harm, even between spouses, but only by Allah's permission. Learning it is tied to disbelief.

Most scholars read Harut and Marut as angels sent as a test; a minority read "two kings". Tales of their fall come from Jewish and Christian lore (Isra'iliyyat), not the Quran.

۞وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ لَا يَعۡلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۚ وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٖ فِي ظُلُمَٰتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٖ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٖ ﴿٥٩﴾

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.

Context From al-An'am, a Makkan surah. 31:34 names five things only Allah knows, including the Hour and tomorrow.

The keys of the unseen are with Allah alone. His knowledge reaches every falling leaf, and all of it is in a clear record.