فَالْيَوْمَ لَا يَمْلِكُ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ نَّفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا وَنَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّتِي كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ (42)
(34:42) Today none of you has the power to benefit or harm another; *63 and We shall say to the evil-doers: 'Taste now the chastisement of the Fire which you used to deny, calling it a lie.'
*63) In this sentence, jinn implies the satans among the jinns. The answer means: "Apparently these people worshipped us, by mentioning our names and by making our images according to their imaginations. But, in fact, they did not worship us but worshipped the satans, for the satans only had shown them the way that they should regard others than Allah as fulfillers of their needs, and should make offerings before them. "
This verse clearly brings out the error of the view of those people who take the word "jinn" to mean the dwellers of the mountains and deserts and rural areas. Can a sensible person imagine, on the basis of this verse, that the people used to worship the dwellers of the mountains and the deserts and the villages and believed in them? This verse also throws light on another meaning of 'ibadat. It shows that 'ibadat is not mere worship and service, but it also implies carrying out somebody's orders and obeying him without question. Even if one curses another (as one curses Satan) but at the time follows his way, one would be performing his 'ibadat. For other examples, see An-Nisa': 117-119; Al-Ma'idah: 60; At-Taubah: 31; Maryam: 42; AI-Qasas:63.