Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim
Assalam alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatu
Some people believe in ghosts and spirits which are led to believe they are no more than souls of dead people, however
they are both folk tales and fantasies. Like everything, Islam explains the
unseen from the realm of Jinns.
THEIR
EXISTENCE.
The world of jinn is an
independent and separate one, with its own distinct nature and features that
are hidden from the world of the humans. They are beings that are created with
free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word ‘Jinn’
is from ‘Janna’ which means conceal and thus
they are invisible from man. As ibn Faris said in Maqayis al-Lughah. The jinn
are so called because they are concealed from mankind, and the fetus is called janeen in Arabic because he is concealed in is
mother’s womb, and a garden is called jannah
because it is concealed by trees, and an insane person is majnoon because his mind is covered, and so on in
all derivations from this root.
The invisibility is one reason
most people deny their existence but the Qur’an and Sunnah indicate that jinns
do exist and their purpose for their existence in this life is to worship Allah
alone. In Surah Ad-Dhariyat says (Q52:56), “And I have
not created jinns and men, except that they should worship Me.” They do
however possess some characteristics in common with human beings such as the
ability to think and reflect, likewise they have the ability to choose between
good and evil. However they differ from human beings too in character. The jinns
are created from ‘Marijin min nar’ (i.e fire) “And
He created jinns from fire free from smoke” this is Ar-Rahman (Q55:15). According
to ibn Abbas, Mujahid AlHasan al-basri and others; the meaning of ‘Marijin min
nar’ is the extreme of the flame, and in another narration, as the purest and
best of fire. In a hadeeth recorded by Muslim on the authority of Aisha, the
Messenger of Allah said (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “The angels were created from light, the jinn were
created from smokeless flame of fire and Adam was created from what has been
described to you [by Allah in the Qur’an].” In a commentary Imam Nawawi
said: the smokeless fire is that mixed with the blackness of the fire. Then
again Jinns were created before human and Al-Hijr clearly states it, “We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into
shape. And the jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching
wind.” (Q15:26-27).
TYPES
OF JINN.
Allah has created different types
of jinn. Among them are some who can take on different forms, such as dogs and
snakes; some who are like flying winds with wings; and some who can travel and rest.
Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani said, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said, “The jinn are of three
types: a types that has wings, and they fly through the air; a type that looks
like snakes and dogs; and a type that stops for a rest then resumes its
journey.”
THEIR ABILITIES.
Allah has given the jinn powers
that he has not given to humans. Allah has told us about some of their powers,
such as the ability to move and travel quickly. An ‘ifreet from among the jinn
guaranteed to the Prophet Sulaiman (AS) that he would bring the throne of the
Queen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment faster than that needed for a man to
get up from where he was sitting. Jinns can appear in different forms both
animals and people etc. Among the clearest evidence from a hadeeth of Abu
Hurairah who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakah of
Ramadhan. Someone came to me and started scooping up some of the food, and I said,
“By Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah.” He complained of being
in need and having dependents, so Abu Hurairah took pity on him and let the
third occasion, Abu Huraira said: “I will take you to the Messenger of Allah. This
is the third time and each time you say that you will not come back.” He said, “Let
me go and I will teach you something by means of which Allah will benefit you.”
I said, “What is it?” He said: “When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi until
you complete the verse, then you will always have a protector from Allah, and
no devil will come near you until morning comes. So I let him go, and the next
morning I told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He
told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who have been speaking
to for three nights, O Abu Hurairah?” He said: “No.” He said: “That was a devil
(a shaytan).” This hadeeth does teach us a number of things, that one of
the characteristics of shaytan is lying, and that he may appear in various forms
that may be seen, and that the words of Allah. “Verily,
he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where
you cannot see them.” From Surah Al-‘Araf. Apply to when he is in the
form with which he was created. In another narration shaytan appeared to the
Quraysh in the form of Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju’sham and promised them aid and triumph
in the battle of Badr.
The jinns can also take on the appearance
of certain animals, such as camels, donkeys, cows, dogs or cats but a black dog
is their favorite attire. Some snakes that appear in front of Muslims in their
houses may be jinn that have embraced Islam and therefore the Messenger of
Allah has forbidden us to kill them before the name of Allah has been mentioned
three times to them as a warning and a protection. If they continue to be
present, they are devils and hence should be killed. Yup this the kind of world
we live in. Amazing Subhana Allah.
There is also human possession were
the jinns have been given the ability to take over minds and bodies of other
creatures. In humans sometimes it can be because the jinn or its family have
been hurt in a way or the jinn has fallen in love with that person, and most
cases it’s just because the jinn is malicious and wicked. However they are
forbidden from doing so and it is a test from Allah. If such possession
happens, only the name of Allah should be used to expel the jinn.
THEIR
FOOD AND DRINKS.
Ibn Masood said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said, ‘Someone from among the jinn called me and went with him and
recited Qura’n for them.’ He took us and showed us the traces of where they
asked him for food and he said, ‘You can have every bone on which the name of
Allah has been mentioned that comes into your possession, as meat, and all the
droppings as food for your animals.’ The Prophet of Allah said, ‘So do not use
[these things] for cleaning yourselves [after relieving oneself], for they are
the food and provision of your brothers.” (Muslim). The believing jinn
may eat any bone on which the name of Allah has been mentioned did not permit
them to have anything on which Allah’s name has been mentioned, those are for
the kuffar among the jinn.
THEIR
BEASTS.
According to a hadeeth narrated
by ibn Masood that we have quoted above the jinn asked the Messenger for
provision, and he said to them: “…and [you can
have] all the droppings as food for your animals.”
THEIR
DWELLING PLACES.
The jinn live on this earth where
we do. They are mostly to be found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms,
dunghills, garbage dumps, deserts and graveyards. Hence the Prophet of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering
such places, by reciting the adhkaar prescribed by Islam. One of these was
reported by Anas ibn Malik, who said, “When the
Messenger of Allah entered the toilet, he would say, “Allahumma inni audhubika minal-khubti wa’lkhabaaith.” (Muslim).
Al-Khattabi explained that khubuth is the plural of khateeb (evil or dirty,
masculine form), and khabaa’ith is the plural of khabeetha (evil or dirty in
female form), and that what is meant is male and female shayateen. Some jinns are Muslims and most are kaafirs. Allah refers the
believing jinns in Surah Al-Jinn as follows (Q72:14), “And amongst us are
Muslims and others are who are unjust. Whoever accepts Islam has sought out the
right path. As for those who are unjust, they will be fuel for the Hell Fire.” And
in (Q72:1-4), “Verily we have heard a marvelous Qur’an.
It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it. And we will never make
partners with our Lord. He may our Lord’s glory be exalted, has not taken a
wife nor a son. What the foolish ones among us used to say about Allah is a
horrible lie.”
The disbelievers among the jinn
are referred by names such as, ‘Ifreet, Shaytaan, Qareen, demons, devils,
spirits, ghost etc. They misguide men away from the path of Allah in various
ways, towards shirk and all kinds of disbelief. And Allah says in Surah Al-An’aam
(Q6:112), “Likewise, we made for every Prophet an
enemy, Shaytan from among mankind and the jinn.”
PROTECTION
FROM THE JINN.
Because the jinns can see us while
we cannot see them, the Prophet of Allah taught us many ways to protect
ourselves from their harm, such as seeking refuge with Allah from accursed
Shaytan, by reciting Surah Al-Falaq and An-Nas, and reciting words taught by
Allah in the Qura’n. Reciting Bismillah before everything, Duas and Adhkaars
such will prevent the jinn from seeing a person’s ‘awrah or harming him. The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the ‘awrah
of the sons of Adam, let any one of you say ‘Bismillah’ when entering the
toilet.” (Tirmidhi).
Every individual has a jinn accompanying him referred to as
Qareen. This is one of the ways fortune tellers have information about you and your
plans and relatives, neighbors etc. your whole life. In this manner the fortune
teller is able to tell you past in a vivid detail. This Qareen is a part of man’s
test in life because he encourages us to do evil. In a hadeeth, the Messenger
of Allah said, “There is no one among you
but a companion from among the jinn has been assigned to him.” They said, “Even
you, O Messenger of Allah?” he said, “Even me but Allah helped me with him and
he became Muslim (or and I am safe from him), so he only enjoins me to do that
which is good.”
Careful there might be a jinn on
that corner and you don’t even know. May Allah protect us from jinns for He is
the Best of Protectors.
And Allah knows best.
