Jinn

[steve@OU]

Not too long ago, one of my Muslim friends mentioned the idea of jinn to me. He gave me a brief explanation because we had to get on to other discussions. So, would someone please explain to me the origin, importance, and relationships of jinn to Allah, man, and the angels.


Thanks,
steve

 

[DJ_Ghost]

Well my knowledge of Islam is not all it should be but the belief is most probably rooted in the pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian belief in the Dwellers in the Gaps between worlds, the Djinn. Supposedly a dangerous race of extra dimensional creatures that envied the Angels, Demons and Mankind for having worlds to inhabit whilst they where doomed to walk the gaps between worlds.

The Djinn where said to be able to “steal the faces of men” in order to remain in the world of men. Exactly how this was supposed to have worked is a matter of debate amongst scholars, but it is generally considered to have been fatal to the victim.

The Original story of Ali Baba does not have him dwelling with 40 thieves but with a single Djinn that was called “the thief of 40 faces”, in reference to the number of the faces it was said to have stolen.

There was a pre-Islamic necromantic cult named the Nazzwa that where said to have consorted with the Djinn, they where native to Persia (modern day Iraq and Iran) and died out around 400 BC if memory serves. Exactly why they died out is not entirely clear but it is generally thought that warriors loyal to the great God Ahura Mazda launched an extermination campaign against the Nazwaa due to the atrocities they committed (their method of Human sacrifice was particularly stomach churning).

Ghost

 

[rahma]

Although jinn were around pre Islam, they are definately a part of our beliefs, based in the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Proophet Muhammad (saws).

The Qur'an speaks that at creation, God created jinn from smokeless flames of fire. Jinn were created before man, but both Jinn and man were created to worship God.

Jinn can be good or evil and will be judged along with mankind on judgment day. The Qur'an is a revelation heard by both mankind and jinn, so jinn are required to follow it as well:

And We diverted a group of jinn towards you to listen to the Qur'an. When they were in earshot of it they said, 'Be quiet and listen.' When it was over they went back to their people, warning them. They said, 'Our people, we have heard a Book which was sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight path. Our people, respond to Allah's caller and believe in Him. He will forgive you some of your wrong actions and save you from a painful punishment. Those who do not respond to Allah's caller cannot thwart Allah on earth and have no protectors apart from Him. Such people are clearly misguided.' (Surat al-Ahqaf, 29-32)


In fact, Satan is a fallen jinn in Islamic theology, not a fallen angel:

When We said to the angels, 'Prostrate yourselves to Adam,' they prostrated with the exception of Iblis. He was one of the jinn and wantonly deviated from his Lord's command. Do you take him and his offspring as protectors apart from Me when they are your enemy? How evil is the exchange the wrongdoers make! (Surat al-Kahf, 50)


What sets jinn apart from humans are the powers that they posess. Some can fly, others can change shape, some can take possession of a human's body and mind. They can be a constant stumbling block to man, or a great help.

 

[steve@OU]

rahma,

Thanks for the reply, it really helps. I will post some more questions later on tonight when I have time.


Steve

 

[DJ_Ghost]

Although jinn were around pre Islam, they are definately a part of our beliefs,

Yes I understood that to be the case, just as beleif in Angels predates both Christianity and Islam but are very much part of our beliefs.

Unfortunatly my knowledge of Islam is not all it should be, despite having a Turkish Muslim father, so I could only realy contribute by talking about the older legends (partly in the hope it would help prompt some one to tell us about the Islamic belief in Jinn).

The ancient Djinn legends have always fascinated me, so I am going to be as interested as Steve in this thread.

Your post has been very interesting so far, and I can see the evolution of the understanding of the Jinn.

There are a handfull of Pershian legends of benevolent Djinn, with the later linking of the Djinn to necromantic cults it became customary to assume Djinn were only giving the apperance of benevolence. However the Islamic belief you describe, that like Humans Jinn have free will, fits well with early pershian legends. All very interesting, thank you.

Ghost

 

[JCBeliever]

Khorda Avesta 19:80.
At his sight the Daevas rushed away; at his sight the (demoniac) malices were extinguished; at his sight the Jainis drew hack their ways from the mortals and, lamenting and wailing, laid violent hands on the Daevas.

Khorda Avesta 7:59.
And people of small understanding who do not seek for better understanding, the Jainis make those diseases grow stronger by a third, on their thighs, on their hands, on their three-plaited hair.'

Jinn is a kind of creature found in Persian myth. It sometimes plagues men and gives them sicknesses and sometimes they even attack devils.

 

[rahma]

For a muslim, it makes sense that pre islamic sources talk about jinn. If God created jinn at the beginning of the world, then of course they would be mucking about the world long before the Prophet Muhammad (saws).

While reading about Jinn awhile back, I came across this interesting site that basically posits the theory that jinn are responsible for UFOs, alien sitings, fairies etc:
http://www.thejinn.net/index.html

Let's see what else? Some people will hang a hand of fatima or khamsa on their wall to protect against jinn

 

[nasir]

steve@OU,

Jinn are the same as demons, though not all of them are evil as the word "demon" implies. The actual root of the word (the letters jeem, and a doubled noon) means "veiled, concealed, hidden from (as in darkness)". So, jinn are spiritual beings that are hidden from our sight. To piggyback off of the other posters' comments about the jinn taking human form and possessing people, the Arabic word for someone who is possessed or crazy, majnoon, is derived from the same root as jinn.