The Invisible Jinns

Iblis & his qabeela  

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ كَمَا أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْآتِهِمَا إِنَّهُ يَرَاكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيَاطِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

O Children (of) Adam! (Let) not tempt you [the] Shaitaan as he drove out your parents from Paradise, stripping from both of them their clothing to show both of them their shame. Indeed, he sees you - he and his tribe from where not you see them. Indeed, We have made the devils friends of those who (do) not believe.
[Al-Quran 7:27]

The Quran states that the Satan (الشَّيْطَانُ) & his qabeela (وَقَبِيلُهُ) can see us from where we cannot see them. 

Earlier in the surah, The Quran informs us that he was made ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ : 

قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَٱخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ ١٣

[Al-Quran 7:13]

Most translators translate ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ as humiliated, disgraced, degraded etc. The root letters ص غ ر share words which mean small, humiliated, or reduced in power, as in being imprisoned (Q12:32), or removed from power (Q27:37). 

The Quran also informs us that he is رَجِيمٌ 

قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ

[Al-Quran 15:34]

قَالَ فَٱخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌۭ 

[Al-Quran 38:77]

Most translators translate رَجِيمٌ as outcast, rejected, expelled, etc. However, the root letters ر ج م share words which mean stoned, or pelted with stones. 

The Satan (الشَّيْطَانُ) being referred to in Q7:27 is Iblis. 

 

Iblis' story is narrated several times in The Quran. Iblis is mentioned by name in nine surahs, seven of which recount the story of his refusal to prostrate to Adam.  

Surah al-Kahf informs us that Iblis was from the Jinn. 

Jinns are ectotherms, as discussed in detail in جَانٌّ (Snake || Jinn). The Bible informs us that the serpent in the garden was punished for his crime by losing his limbs, thus becoming a snake, as discussed in Adam's Fall in Genesis 3 in the light of The Quran. 

The middle word in the phrase وَقَبِيلُهُ has been translated by most of the translators as 'and his tribe'. 

According to Wikipedia, in Biology, a 'tribe' is [as on August 28, 2025]:

In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank above genus, but below family and subfamily. 

Serpentes (snakes) is a suborder of Class Reptilia. Under the suborder Serpentes, snakes are further classified into several infraorder, families, and subfamilies.   

The following can be the possible explanations:

1. So far thirty families of snakes of about four thousand species are recognised. Perhaps Iblis and his qabeela are a yet undiscovered family, genera or specie, or whatever is the correct classification for it, ... ?! 
2. They remain undiscovered especially because they are invisible.  
3. Snakes have a wide diversity of skin coloration patterns. This gives them an advantage to blend into the surroundings and escape unnoticed. So, they can see us, while we cannot see them. 
4. Snakes can see infrared while we can see the visible spectrum.    
5. Iblis and his qabeela are under constant danger of being pelted with stones, and thus are in hiding. 
6. Iblis and his qabeela are in a realm that we cannot see, but they observe us from there. 

Looking up the words derived from the root letters of قَبِيلُ : 

The triliteral root qāf bā lām (ق ب ل) occurs 294 times in the Quran, in 13 derived forms. The words lend to the meanings of before, facing, face to face, approaching, acceptor, acceptance, direction of prayer, ... so (وَقَبِيلُهُ) 'and his tribe' could also mean those who are close to (الشَّيْطَانُ) 'the Shaitaan' forming the resistance against the true God (Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and his people. 

Jinns were part of the army of Prophet-King Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام). They built many things in his kingdom. They were there even in his court.  

The point is that not all jinns are invisible, but yes, Iblis and his qabeela, are hidden from us. 

Why is this even important? I think it is important so that we do not reject the literal reading of the scriptures based on one ayat, as many commentators insist that all jinn cannot be seen, quoting Q7:27.  

Iblis and his qabeela cannot be seen, and who knows what else has been hidden from us. 

We need to read the text of the divinely-revealed scriptures literally, accepting whatever it informs us as the truth, if we are going to learn from it. 

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Last updated on: August 29, 2025