Answer
Short Answer: No. “We know from elsewhere in the Quran and in the other literature that the angels were created from light and the jinn from a smokeless sort of fire. So, they are excluded… generally in the Quran when the word “kulla”, or everything, is used, it doesn’t necessarily mean everything, literally everything. It means everything within a certain context.”
Asalamu Alaikum,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question. Dr. Shabir Ally addresses this question in the video below.
Aisha Khaja: “Dr. Shabir, the question that we have is, the Quran states every living thing was made of water. How is this the case for jinns who were created from fire?
Dr. Shabir Ally: “It’s interesting that the tafsir of the Imam al-Razi actually answers this question.
He says that even though the verse in question—the 21st chapter in the Quran, the 30th verse—says […] “we created from water every living thing”, this excludes the angels and jinns.
Because we know from elsewhere in the Quran and in the other literature that the angels were created from light and the jinn from a smokeless sort of fire.
So, they are excluded.
I would like to add here that generally in the Quran when the word “kulla”, or everything, is used, it doesn’t necessarily mean everything, literally everything. It means everything within a certain context.
And even in our everyday speech. If you’re leaving the house for a picnic and somebody says, you have everything, or do we have everything?
The answer is usually, yes. But it doesn’t mean everything including the kitchen sink obviously, right? It means everything that we need for the trip.
And it seems also to me that the context of this statement within the verse is the earth and living things on the earth.
So, whereas, you know, jinns and angels existed before the creation of the earth.
The idea in the Quranic verse now is that God created the earth and every living thing on earth is made from water.”
Aisha Khaja: “So, when God references angels and jinns in the Quran it’s always within a separate context or?”
Dr. Shabir Ally: “Well, that would be like prior to the creation of the earth itself because these are the spirit creatures that may have existed before the earth was created.
Angels are definitely very ancient and jinns too seem to have proceeded human beings in the creation plan of God.”
I hope this helps answer your question. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
(From AboutIslam’s archives)
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