*Lesson Four*
*(((Who are the Jinn?))) *
The Jinn are a type of creation that have bodies and spirits. They are intelligent, aware, desiring, and responsible beings like humans. They were created from a substance whose origin is the scorching wind (i.e., fire) that is pure and excellent. The nature of their creation has a certain essence that only Allah knows, and they are concealed from the senses in their original creation. They cannot be seen in their true nature or form, and they have the ability to appear and transform. They eat, drink, marry, and reproduce, and they will be held accountable for their actions in the afterlife. The bodies of the jinn can be dense or light, and the world of the jinn follows their own laws and system in which they live, die, and move about, just as they were created from among the worlds that Allah the Almighty created. They differ from the world of the angels and the world of humans, and they possess intelligence and perception, and that is why they were given commands and prohibitions, and messengers were sent to them. Those who believed were saved, and those who disbelieved were condemned. Allah the Almighty says, “O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?” They said, “We bear witness against ourselves”; and the worldly life had deluded them, and they testified against themselves that they were disbelievers.” (Quran 6:130)
Their origin and material basis is fire, as Allah says, “And We created the jinn before out of scorching wind.” (Quran 15:27) and “And created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.” (Quran 55:15). This does not necessarily mean that they are now fire, but rather it means that their origin was fire, just as the origin of humans was clay, yet humans are not clay now. Similarly, the jinn can change form and substance, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I saw Satan during my prayer, and I strangled him until I felt the moisture of his cold breath on my hand.” This means that the body of the jinn can now be transformed into another substance, not just fire, just as humans are transformed into flesh, blood, bone, and nerves, although their origin was clay.
The world of the jinn is different from the world of humans and the world of angels, and they share a common trait with humans, which is the quality of intelligence and perception, and the ability to choose between good and evil. They differ from humans in that their origin is different, and they differ from angels in that they have free will and can disobey Allah.
Why are they called Jinn?
The word “jinn” is derived from the Arabic root “jann”, which means “to conceal” or “to hide.” Anything that conceals itself from view is considered to be “jinn,” as the darkness of the night “conceals” things from sight. A fetus in the mother’s womb is also referred to as “jinn” because it is “concealed” from view. The heart, which is hidden from view, is also referred to as “jinnan.” Insanity is described as a “concealment” of the mind, as the mind disappears. The jinn are a type of beings that are invisible to human eyes, and they are called so because they are hidden from view.
Types of Jinn and Their Forms
Jinn have the ability to take on different forms, and some scholars have mentioned that they can appear in the form of donkeys, camels, dogs, cats, snakes, and even humans. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that if a black dog crosses your path while you are praying, your prayer will be cut off. Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah stated that jinn can appear in the form of camels, cows, sheep, horses, mules, donkeys, and humans. Satan once appeared to the tribe of Quraysh in the form of an old man from Najd when they gathered at the assembly house to discuss whether to kill the Prophet (peace be upon him), imprison him, or banish him, as mentioned in the Qur’an: “And [remember] when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” (Qur’an, 8:30)
When the Quraysh agreed to go to the Battle of Badr, they were reminded of their enmity with the Banu Kinanah, and they were almost swayed by this thought. Satan then appeared to them in the form of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju’sham al-Mudlaji, who was a member of the Banu Kinanah nobility. He said to them, “I am your neighbor. Do not go towards them, for I fear for you what you do not see. Instead, go towards the sea and get your water from there.” Satan remained with them as a neighbor and did not leave them until the battle began. When he saw the army of Allah descending from the heavens, he ran away with his heels kicking up behind him. They said to him, “Where are you going, Suraqah?” He replied, “I am innocent of you. I see what you do not see. I fear Allah, for He is severe in punishment.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasai from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri)
Jinn are classified into three types, as mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “The jinn are of three types: a type that flies through the air, a type that takes the form of snakes and dogs, and a type that moves about like human beings.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud)
Names of jinn in Arabic
Al-Suyuti in his book “Liqaa Al-Marjan” said that Ibn Abd Al-Barr mentioned that jinn have names organized by levels. If they are referred to simply as jinn, they are called “jinni.” If they are seen as living among people, they are called “aamir.” If they are known to harm children, they are called “arwah.” If they are mischievous and harmful, they are called “shaytan.” If they exceed in mischief and have great power, they are called “marid.” If they have even greater power, they are called “ifrit” (singular) or “afrarit” (plural).
Some famous names include “al-Jathoom,” “Qaryah,” “Shibra,” and “Ghaylan.” Sometimes they are named after human names such as “Khalid.” This name will be heard in one of the audio clips in the audio section.
Al-Jathoom is a type of jinn that is said to sit on a person’s chest, pulling their tongue with one hand and choking them with the other. The person feels helpless, unable to move, and their tongue becomes knotted. This can sometimes lead to death. In some regions, it is called “Abu Rakiib” due to its heavy weight on the chest. Researchers believe that this is not a jinn but rather a nightmare caused by eating too much before sleeping. Whenever a person sleeps, there are “outhyoon” present, whether in their home, garden, boat, or outdoors. Everyone has a story of encountering “outhyoon” or “jathoom.” Nightmares are an inevitable part of our complicated lives, and people burdened with worries, troubles, and suffering often have many nightmares caused by “outhyoon.”
According to one narrator, “outhyoon” are small jinn that rarely cause harm but enjoy disturbing people’s sleep and rarely try to harm their victims. I have a personal story about encountering al-Jathoom that I will share in the story section.
Times of their spread:
In Sahihain, from Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, he reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When the night falls or when you reach the evening, keep your children indoors, for the devils spread out at that time. When an hour of the night has passed, let them be and close your doors, mention the name of Allah, for the devil cannot open a closed door. Draw near to one another, mention the name of Allah, cover your utensils, mention the name of Allah, even if you just place something over them, and put out your lamps.”
In Sahih Muslim, also from Jabir, he reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Do not let your animals and children out when the sun sets until the darkness of the night disappears, for the devils spread out when the sun sets until the darkness of the night disappears.”
“Al-fawashi” refers to all animals that roam, such as camels and sheep.
Their dwelling:
In reality, we often hear the phrase “this house is haunted,” meaning that it is inhabited by jinn. If jinn inhabit human homes, it is possible that these jinn (called “al-‘awamir,” or “those who occupy houses”) take on the form of living creatures. The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade killing the jinn who inhabit houses. Perhaps this jinn who is killed is a Muslim. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “In Medina there are some jinn who have become Muslim. Whoever sees anything of these ‘awamir should warn them three times. If they appear after that, then he should kill them, for they are devils.” (Muslim) Thus, when a Muslim sees a snake in the house, he must order it to leave (give it three warnings), and if he sees it again after three days, then he should kill it because it is a devil. This is because the Muslim is sure that the snake is not a Muslim jinn; otherwise, it would have left the house as its owner commanded. The Muslim jinn does not harm the inhabitants of the house or frighten them, and only devils or real snakes can do that, and in that case, killing them is permissible. Jinn are often found in places of impurities and filth, such as camel pens, bathrooms, toilets, garbage dumps, desolate places such as valleys, tombs, abandoned houses, places where people died, houses of idols, churches, and other places where they dwell.
The first text is in Arabic and translates to:
“They share their food with people if they are able to enter people’s homes and if people are not named during the meal. In the hadith narrated by Muslim and others, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and during his meal, Satan says: You have no place to spend the night or have dinner. But if he enters without remembering Allah, Satan says: You have found a place to spend the night and have dinner. And they also eat from the meat that Allah places on the bones after humans finish eating. In Sahih Muslim, it is reported that the jinn asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for provisions, and he said: “Every bone on which Allah’s name is mentioned is for you. It provides more meat than anything else, and any fodder that you give to your animals is also for you.” This is only for the believers among the jinn. As for others, they eat whatever is not mentioned Allah’s name upon. The jinn eat all kinds of food and drink from all beverages that are not mentioned Allah’s name upon. It is also reported that whoever forgets to say Bismillah before eating can say: “Bismillah awwaluhu wa akhiruhu,” and Satan will vomit what he ate, as Abu Dawood reported.”
Their food:
“In the authentic hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, it is narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from male and female devils” when he entered the toilet. And in another narration: “When he intended to enter.” Al-Khatabi said: “Al-khabith” with a kasrah on the ba’ means the plural of “khabeeth,” and “al-khabaa’ith” means the plural of “khabithah.” He said: “They mean mentioning the devils and their females.” From this, it is understood that they are male and female.
Their marriage:
“Jinn get married and reproduce just like humans do. Allah Almighty said: “There was no human before them nor Jinn.” And in Sahih Bukhari, it is reported that the Prophet used to say: “I seek refuge in Your might, there is no god but You, who never dies,” which indicates that jinn also die. As for reproduction, Allah Almighty said: “Do you take him and his descendants as allies instead of Me, and they are your enemies?” The offspring here refers to children and family.
Their life is similar to human life.
Their Life:
Jinn die, and it is mentioned in the Quran: “Everything upon it [i.e., the earth] will perish.” (55:26) and in Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated that the Prophet used to say, “I seek refuge with Your Might, there is none worthy of worship but You, the One who does not die, while the jinn and mankind will die.” As for Satan, he will live until the time allotted to him by Allah, and that is the day when the Hour will be established. As for the rest of the jinn, they die, and their lifespans vary. As for where they are buried, only Allah knows about that, and they are taken under His saying, “And when they [i.e., the disbelievers] are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.” (25:13) And Allah knows best.
Their Abilities and Powers:
The jinn are creatures of Allah who are in need of Him, and they cannot do without Him, just like all other creatures. Allah has endowed them with some characteristics, including:
– Their invisibility to human sight.
– The speed of movement of some of them.
– The strength of some of them.
In Surah An-Naml, Surah Saba, and Surah Sad, there are many of these characteristics and others mentioned. People also believe that jinn are not intelligent or knowledgeable, but listen to their abilities:
1. The speed of movement and transportation:
Allah said about the story of Sulaiman (Solomon) when he wanted the throne of Bilqis (the Queen of Sheba), “A powerful one from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.'” (27:39) The jinn could carry the entire throne of Bilqis before Sulaiman could even stand up from his throne, and this is from the kingdom of Allah, which He honored His Prophet with.
2. Jinn preceded humans in the field of space:
Allah said, “And indeed, we have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders. And We have guarded it (near heaven) from every outcast Satan. Except he who steals the hearing and he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.” (15:16-18)
3. Their knowledge of manufacturing and construction.
The following is a translation of the Arabic text:
Allah (Exalted be He) said about Solomon, his kingdom, and the jinn who were with him, “And among the jinn were those who worked for him by the permission of his Lord. And whoever deviated among them from Our command – We will make him taste of the punishment of the Blaze. They made for him what he willed of elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles.” You will notice, my brothers, that I rely on many Quranic verses and hadiths, and the reason is that the world of the unseen and the world of the jinn cannot be reached by our senses and inventions. But we say what Allah and His Prophet said about them, and it is a clear and true knowledge without any doubt. Let’s return to the topic.
4/ Their ability to take different forms
This happened during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when Satan appeared in the form of a tall man named Suraqah bin Malik and claimed that he would help the Quraysh in their war against the Prophet in the Battle of Badr. When the two armies met and Satan saw the angels descending and Jibril advancing, he fled in panic, and the Quraysh surrendered, saying, “When the two parties saw each other, he turned on his heels and said, ‘I am free from you; I see what you do not see. I fear Allah.'” Most of the time, the devils take the form of donkeys, camels, dogs, cats, snakes, and other animals.
Their weaknesses
As for their weaknesses, there are many, including:
• They do not know the unseen like other creatures. Allah Almighty said in His Book, “And when the Koran is recited, listen to it and remain silent, that you may receive mercy.” When it is finished, then rise up and listen to it, and say, “I believe in what Allah has sent down and am commanded to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. To us are our deeds, and to you are your deeds. There is no argument between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is the final destination.”
• They have no authority over the righteous servants of Allah.
• They are afraid of some of the righteous servants of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, Satan is afraid of you, O Umar.”
• They were subjected to Solomon (peace be upon him).
What we should believe about jinn:
• They have no power to benefit or harm except with the permission of Allah.
• It is not permissible to slaughter animals for them, vow to them, invoke or worship them. All of this is considered shirk (associating partners with Allah), which can take someone out of Islam.
Sheikh Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the verse (He sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them) (Quran 7:27). Is this a general statement meaning that no one can see them, or do some people see them while others cannot? Also, are jinn and demons of the same species, or are they two different species, and was Iblis the father of only one of them or both?
The sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, answered by saying, “Praise be to Allah, in the Quran, it is stated that jinn can see humans from where humans cannot see them. This is a fact that implies that jinn can see humans in a situation where humans cannot see them, but it does not mean that no human can see them. The righteous and the unrighteous may see them, but not in all situations. Demons are a subset of jinn and humans.”
Animals can see jinn:
Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, informed us in a Sahih Hadith (authentic narration) that some animals can see demons while humans next to them cannot. Similarly, some animals can see angels, and this is the wisdom of Allah Almighty. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “When you hear the braying of a donkey, seek refuge with Allah from Satan, for it has seen a devil, and when you hear the crowing of a rooster, ask Allah for His bounty, for it has seen an angel.” This hadith was reported by al-Bukhari.
Therefore, it is possible for humans to perceive the presence of demons when they hear a donkey braying and to seek refuge with Allah from Satan. We never know, Satan may want to harm us. Similarly, when humans hear a rooster crow, they can ask Allah for His bounty because this is an indication that angels are close by.
Reasons for their association with humans
1- Revenge: The devil associates with humans in order to take revenge on them because he believes that the human intentionally harmed him. The common people say that a person is harmful or in need, and what is meant by that is that the human has harmed the jinn in one of the following ways or similar:
– Pouring hot water in bathrooms without mentioning the name of Allah.
– Urinating in cracks and on insect houses.
– Hurting animals such as dogs and cats.
– Killing lizards and snakes in homes without making them leave first.
– Screaming, crying, singing, and reading the Quran in bathrooms.
– Jumping or falling from a high place without mentioning the name of Allah, so he falls on a place where a jinn is sleeping or not paying attention.
– Throwing a stone in a well or a field without mentioning the name of Allah, and the jinn is affected by it.
– Reading books of magic and preparing for the jinn.
– Spraying insecticides on insects without mentioning the name of Allah.
A human being should alert the jinn before doing any of the above mentioned actions. The jinn are alert when a person says “Bismillah”. The Muslim should also not kill insects and snakes in the house unless they are harmful and difficult to get rid of, such as the two-winged fly and the scorpion. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “These houses have living creatures, so when you see one of them, make it leave three times, and if it does not leave, then kill it, for it is a disbeliever.” Muslim narrated. The method of making the creature leave is to say “Harrig”, which means “you are in distress.” Malik said: It is sufficient to say “I make you feel distress by Allah and the Day of Judgment, so do not appear to us or harm us.” Perhaps Malik took the word “distress” from what was mentioned in Sahih Muslim, so make it feel distressed three times. And Allah knows best. Ibn Manzoor said in Lisan al-Arab regarding the saying of peace be upon him, regarding killing creatures: “He should make it feel distressed”, which means to say to it, “you are in distress”, meaning that if you come back to us, do not blame us for narrowing you down by following, expelling, and killing you.
Indirect revenge: If Satan is unable to take revenge on a specific person because that individual is consistent in their daily supplications and prayers, or for any other reason, then Satan may take revenge on someone close to that person with the permission of Allah, such as their spouse, as an act of revenge against the person.
Injustice of jinn towards humans: This often occurs due to the negligence of humans in remembering Allah. Allah says: “And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.”
Love: Many cases of possession are caused by love and infatuation, and it is not necessary for the object of the affection to be physically beautiful.
Magic: The magician’s servant associates with the one who has been bewitched in order to harm them.
Evil Eye: Satan enters the body of the victim along with the eye of envy.
Ibn Taymiyyah, the Islamic scholar, says that jinn possession of humans can take different forms. Sometimes, the jinn may be infatuated with the person and possess them to enjoy their company, and this possession is usually gentler than other forms. Other times, the jinn may cause harm to the person, or even kill them, and this is the most severe form of possession.