His saying, Exalted is He: “O company of jinn and humankind, did there not come to you messengers from among yourselves?” They differed as to whether messengers from among the jinn themselves were sent to them. (1) Al-Dahhak was asked about this and replied: “Indeed; have you not heard Allah say, ‘Did there not come to you messengers from among yourselves?’ This means messengers from among humankind and messengers from among the jinn.” Al-Kalbi said: “Before Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent, messengers were sent to both jinn and humankind alike.”

Mujahid said: “The messengers were from humankind, while the warners were from the jinn.” He then recited: “Then they returned to their people, warning them.” (al-Ahqaf, 29) They are people who hear the words of the messengers and convey to the jinn what they have heard. The jinn have no messengers. Accordingly, His words, “messengers from among yourselves,” refer to one of the two classes—namely, humankind—just as He, Exalted is He, says: “From both of them emerge pearls and coral.” (al-Rahman, 22) 124/b Yet they emerge only from the salt water, not the fresh. He also said: “And He made the moon therein a light.” (Nuh, 16) Yet it is only in one heaven.

“Reciting to you,” that is, reading to you, “My signs”—My Books—“and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours,” namely, the Day of Resurrection. “They will say, ‘We bear witness against ourselves,’” meaning that the message had indeed been conveyed to them. Muqatil said: “This will be when their limbs bear witness against them concerning idolatry and disbelief.” Allah, Exalted is He, says: “The life of this world deceived them,” until they did not believe, “and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.”

“That is because your Lord would not destroy towns for wrongdoing while their people were unaware. (131)”