Before the Revelation of the Holy Quran, the devils used to listen secretly to the news of the Heavens. But after sending Muhammad (saws) as a Messenger, the devils were prevented from doing that. Thereupon, they knew that a new Messenger would be sent. The Jinn were prevented from listening to the news of the Heavens because Allah (swt) did not will them to pass their fallacies into His Way of Guidance. Pondering upon the accurate wording of the Quran that reads:

(… وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ) (And we have sought [to reach] the heaven …): This indicates that the jinn tried to ascend the sky to the degree that they were very close to it as if they were about to touch it. The Arabic word used as (we have sought [to reach]) literally means (touched). As known, touching indicates sensing a thing with hand. They tried to reach the sky to listen to the news, commands and the Divine Revelation coming down but they failed.

(… فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا… ) (…but found it filled with powerful guards …): The jinn tried to listen to the news of the sky but they found it filled of Angels who guard it from all the directions. These Angels prevent the jinn from reaching any part of the sky or even approaching it. Hence, the sky was guarded against the jinn and the devils so that they cannot listen to the Quranic verses being sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad (saws).

 (  وَشُهُبًا… ) (…and burning flames): Not only the sky was guarded, but it was also filled with burning flames, which are the burning stars which attack the devils. So, the jinn found the sky filled with strong Angels and burning meteors that wait for any devil coming close to the sky. In regard of the sky, Allah (swt) says:

 وَحَفِظْنَاهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ رَّجِيمٍ (17) إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ 

(And We have protected it from every devil expelled [from the mercy of Allah] (18) Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.) (Al-Hijr: 17-18)

Before the birth of the Prophet (saws), the rebellious jinn used to listen to the Revelations descending upon the previous Prophets. However, this situation has changed after the advent of the Prophet Muhammad’s Message. For Allah (swt) willed that the sky should be guided and that any devil tries to reach it should be pursued by a burning flame, which is like a piece of coal that is blaze.