The recent surge in discussions surrounding UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects, has once again captured the attention of the world. With hearings in the US Congress and claims of extraterrestrial sightings making headlines, the Muslim ummah must approach such phenomena with clarity and wisdom. As Muslims, our starting point for understanding the unknown begins with the Quran and Sunnah. These sources, unchanging and divinely revealed centuries ago, provide insights into creation far beyond the limitations of human perception.

The Quran as Our Anchor

The Quran, described by Allah as a guidance and a light, often refers to the vastness of creation:

وَٱلْخَيْلَ وَٱلْبِغَالَ وَٱلْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةًۭ ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٨

˹He also created˺ horses, mules, and donkeys for your transportation and adornment. And He creates what you do not know.

Al-A’raf 16:8

This verse serves as a powerful reminder that Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has brought into existence countless creations, many of which remain beyond human comprehension. When scientific discoveries or unexplained phenomena come to light, they often align with the wisdom already embedded in the Quran. Our role is not to speculate without knowledge but to approach such matters with faith.

The Reality of the Unseen

Among the unseen beings explicitly mentioned in the Quran are angels and jinn. These creations serve as a foundation for understanding the broader possibilities of Allah’s creation.

Angels

Angels, created from light, are entirely unseen to us. Their purpose, as described in the Quran, includes delivering revelations, recording deeds, and fulfilling Allah’s commands:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًۭا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌۭ شِدَادٌۭ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ٦

O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, overseen by formidable and severe angels, who never disobey whatever Allah orders—always doing as commanded.

At-Tahrim 66:6

Jinn

The jinn, on the other hand, share aspects of our physical realm but generally remain hidden from human senses. Created from smokeless fire, they possess abilities distinct from humans, including taking various forms, flying, and travelling vast distances.

وَخَلَقَ ٱلْجَآنَّ مِن مَّارِجٍۢ مِّن نَّارٍۢ ١٥

and created jinn from a ˹smokeless˺ flame of fire.

Ar-Rahman 55:15

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتِهِمَآ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ يَرَىٰكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُۥ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ٢٧

O children of Adam! Do not let Satan deceive you as he tempted your parents out of Paradise and caused their cover to be removed in order to expose their nakedness. Surely he and his soldiers watch you from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils allies of those who disbelieve.

Al-A’raf 7:27

In general, humans cannot see jinn in their original form. However, there are some exceptions:

• Prophets: Certain prophets, like Prophet Suleiman (peace be upon him), were granted the ability to see and command jinn by Allah’s will.
• Jinn in Different Forms: Jinn can take on various forms, such as animals or humans. In these forms, they can be seen by humans. For example, there is a famous hadith where Iblis (Satan) took the form of a man and appeared before the Prophet (ﷺ).

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ صَلَّى صَلاَةً قَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ عَرَضَ لِي، فَشَدَّ عَلَىَّ لِيَقْطَعَ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ، فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَذَعَتُّهُ، وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أُوثِقَهُ إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ حَتَّى تُصْبِحُوا فَتَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ فَذَكَرْتُ قَوْلَ سُلَيْمَانَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي‏.‏ فَرَدَّهُ اللَّهُ خَاسِيًا ‏”‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ فَذَعَتُّهُ بِالذَّالِ أَىْ خَنَقْتُهُ وَفَدَعَّتُّهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ ‏{‏يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ‏}‏ أَىْ يُدْفَعُونَ وَالصَّوَابُ، فَدَعَتُّهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَذَا قَالَ بِتَشْدِيدِ الْعَيْنِ وَالتَّاءِ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) once offered the prayer and said, “Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him. Then I remembered the statement of Prophet Solomon, ‘My Lord ! Bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.’ Then Allah made him (Satan) return with his head down (humiliated).”

Sahih al-Bukhari 1210

Surah Al-Jinn (72) gives us a lot of insight into the nature and activities of the jinn. Here are some key points:

1. Listening to the Quran: The surah begins with a group of jinn listening to the recitation of the Quran and being deeply moved by it. They acknowledge its beauty and guidance, leading them to believe in Allah. (72:1-2).
2. Nature of the Jinn: The jinn describe themselves as being of different types, with some being righteous and others being unjust. This highlights the diversity among jinn, similar to humans (72:11).
3. Interaction with Heavens: The jinn mention that some of them used to seek information from the heavens but found it guarded by strong guards and shooting stars. This indicates their previous attempts to eavesdrop on divine matters, which are now restricted (72:8-9).
4. Belief and Guidance: The jinn express their belief in the message of the Quran and their commitment to follow the right path. They also acknowledge that they cannot escape Allah’s will and that they will be judged based on their deeds (72:13-14).
5. Warnings and Consequences: The surah warns both jinn and humans about the consequences of disobedience and the importance of following Allah’s guidance. It emphasizes that both will be held accountable for their actions (72:23).

Surah Al-Jinn provides a comprehensive view of the jinn’s nature, their ability to choose between right and wrong, and their interactions with the divine and human realms. We learn of the universal message of the Quran and the importance of belief and righteousness for all beings.

Jinn Before Humans

Islamic scholars like Ibn Abbas have narrated that jinn were the first to inhabit the earth and caused corruption. Allah then sent an army of angels to subdue them. This narrative is found in tafsir literature indicating the pre-human existence of jinn.

Hinn and Binn

Some Islamic traditions and commentators mention other beings like Hinn and Binn, who were created before the jinn. These beings are less commonly discussed and are part of the broader lore surrounding the creation and early inhabitants of the earth.

UFOs, UAPs, and Ocean Sightings

Modern terminology like UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) often describes unexplained sightings in the skies or even under the sea. Reports of objects emerging from beneath the oceans are intriguing, especially in light of Islamic references to Shaytaan’s throne being on water:

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ، عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ إِنَّ عَرْشَ إِبْلِيسَ عَلَى الْبَحْرِ فَيَبْعَثُ سَرَايَاهُ فَيَفْتِنُونَ النَّاسَ فَأَعْظَمُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ أَعْظَمُهُمْ فِتْنَةً ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Jabir reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The throne of Iblis is upon the ocean and he sends detachments (to different parts) in order to put people to trial and the most important figure in his eyes is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension.

Sahih Muslim 2813a

While such reports may align with certain Islamic insights, we are cautioned against obsessively pursuing the unseen. As Muslims, we often have “aha” moments when people talk about things like ghosts, haunted places, UFOs, or aliens. We understand these are realms of the unseen. But do we affirm or deny them? No. We simply leave it be until it is made evident to us that Allah Has unsealed that aspect of knowledge.

The Islamic Stance on Speculation

The Quran and Sunnah emphasise reliance on revealed knowledge over speculation:

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًۭا ٣٦

Do not follow what you have no ˹sure˺ knowledge of. Indeed, all will be called to account for ˹their˺ hearing, sight, and intellect.

Al-Isra 17:36

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) warned against delving into matters of the unseen without guidance:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم “مِنْ حُسْنِ إسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ”. حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم: 2318] ، ابن ماجه [رقم: 3976].

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.”
A hasan (good) hadeeth which was related by at-Tirmidhi and others in this fashion.

Hadith 12, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi

The resurgence of UFO discussions should not distract us from our purpose as Muslims: worshipping Allah and preparing for the Hereafter. Rather than chasing after speculations, these phenomena should remind us of the vastness of Allah’s creation and our limited understanding.

A Reminder and a Reflection

For Muslims, the discourse surrounding UFOs serves as a reminder of the existence of unseen realms and the greatness of Allah’s creation. Our focus should remain on what is revealed, using the Quran and Hadith as our anchors when navigating such discussions. While curiosity is natural, we must avoid baseless conjecture and make sure that our priorities align with the ultimate purpose.

Let the words of Allah guide us:

وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ ٱلْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُۥ فَٱعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ١٢٣

To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the knowledge of what is hidden in the heavens and the earth. And to Him all matters are returned. So worship Him and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is never unaware of what you do.

Hud 11:123

In conclusion, as UFOs and related phenomena continue to dominate headlines, let us take this as an opportunity to reflect on the vastness of Allah’s creation. Who knows, maybe certain discoveries made by unbelievers will unlock new aspects of the Quran and affirm its teachings once again, or perhaps confirm what we already know about the parallel beings existing amongst us in Islamic tradition. Let us anchor our understanding in revealed knowledge and keep our gaze fixed on the Hereafter. Allah knows best.

1. Abu Huraira and the Thief ↩︎