The Djinn or Jinn...

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    "Once, in a time before time, God breathed life into the universe. And the light gave birth to Angels. And the earth gave birth to Man. And the fire gave birth to the Djinn, creatures condemned to dwell in the void between the worlds. One who wakes a Djinn will be given three wishes. Upon the granting of the third, the unholy legions of the Djinn will be freed to rule the earth. Fear one thing in all there is... FEAR THE DJINN."

 

Full disclosure… I need to preface this episode by saying that I’m going to SUPER FUCK UP a butt ton of words in this episode. If you’re new, yeah this is what Moody does to me. If you’re a long time listener, then you’re used to my idiocy and you find it endearing. Ok, with that being said, Dear friends, today we bring you an episode that your esteemed host (that would be me) has been wanting to do for a while. If you didn't get it from the previous quote…and the name of the episode… well you're an idiot… But it's the djinn… We're talking about the djinn. Djinn you ask? Like a genie? Well kind of, let's get into what they are, what they do, and hear stories of djinn encounters.

 

     So what exactly are djinn you ask? Djinn are believed to be powerful, invisible beings, capable of possessing people and even inflicting suffering on them. Stories of human encounters with djinn are very common across cultures and history.

 

    Djinn originated in the Muslim world. Muslims  believe that the djinn are real as the Quran explicitly confirms their existence and considers them an independent nation. There is a whole chapter in the Qur’an named “the Chapter of Djinn,’” where detailed information about these beings is revealed. 

 

Al-Jinn is the 72nd chapter of the Quran and contains 28 verses. According to Al-islam.org, The designation of the Chapter reflects that it mainly treats of invisible creatures, the jinn, their belief in the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S), the Holy Qur’an, and Resurrection, and the groups of believers and disbelievers amongst them. The closing Verses concern the knowledge of the unseen unknown to all beings besides God Almighty. It is narrated from the Noble Imam Sadiq (as) as saying:

 

"One who recites Surah al-Jinn many a time will never suffer from the evil eye, magic, and ploys of the Jinn and magicians but will accompany Muhammad (S). O Lord! I believe in none besides him and I will never turn toward anyone but him.

 

Reciting the blessed Chapter would be a prelude to the awareness of its contextual meaning and applying it to one’s life. 

 

    AboutIslam.net describes the chapter and says God revealed to Prophet Muhammad that a group of jinn listened to his recitation of the Quran.  They returned to their own society and described the recitation as wondrous, saying that it called to what is true and sensible by distinguishing between right and wrong.  Those who listened believed in it and reported such to the others of their kind.  They declared that they would never again associate anything with God.This chapter puts this response to the unbelievers of Makkah who also listened to the recitation of Quran yet failed to believe in it.  Those of the jinn who listened immediately embraced a true untainted faith.  They said that the recitation exalted God and further stated that He had neither partner nor offspring.  At the time many Arabs believed that the angels were God’s daughters through marriage to the jinn but the jinn emphatically denied this.

 

The jinn declare that some of their number said shocking things about God even though they believed no one would ever have the audacity to tell lies about God.  But now that they had heard the Quran for themselves they realized that those ideas were false.

 

In the past some people had sought protection with some of the jinn but this only led them further away from the truth and increased them in sin.  Some humans and some jinn thought that God would never send a messenger to guide and warn them.  God, however, is generous and kind and does indeed send messengers to guide to the right way.

 

      The jinn disclaim any knowledge of the unseen, stating that it remains beyond their reach.  We tried to reach the heavens, they say, but found it to be fortified by stern guards and shooting stars.  Before Prophet Muhammad, the jinn were able to collect information by eavesdropping on the angels.  They then passed it on to astrologers, fortune-tellers and others of that ilk.  This is no longer possible and if they try they will find a celestial deterrent lying in wait for them.  They do not know what is in store for those on earth.  God’s intentions (misfortune or guidance) remain unseen. 

 

The jinn then describe their own situation and their attitude towards guidance.  Some of the jinn are righteous, others are not.  They follow many different paths and hold many different opinions and beliefs.  They understand that they can never damage God’s plans for earth and its inhabitants and they can never escape God’s will.  When we heard this recitation of the Quran we believed in it and those who believe in God need not fear loss, injustice or an unbearable burden.  Some (jinn) submit to God and are guided; others refuse to accept the truth.  Those who accept the truth have found their way to salvation; the others are fuel for the Hellfire.  This applies to humans as well, some accept guidance others plough a course towards Hell.

 

God tells Prophet Muhammad that if the Makkans had remained on the straight path, He would have provided them with abundant rain (water, and assuring their provision).  This is also a means by which God tests people.  The Quran tells us that having plenty is as great a test as having little.  The person who pays no attention to God’s warnings will face an arduous punishment, spiraling down into Hell.

 

The mosques are built for God alone; they make worship easy but a Muslim can pray anywhere (with very few exceptions).  Worship is for God alone so do not call on anyone but Him.  When Prophet Muhammad stood up to make supplication the crowd pressed in around him, the unbelievers ready to attack him.  God protected him on this and on many other occasions. 

 

This chapter now addresses Prophet Muhammad in a decisive tone making it clear to him that once he has delivered the message he has no say over how people respond.  He is told to tell the people that he prays to God alone and he does not set up partners or associates with Him.   He tells them that he cannot cause harm and he cannot force them to go in the right direction.

 

Prophet Muhammad says that if he were to disobey God no one could protect him and he could never find a place to hide from Him.   His mission is only to deliver the message.  Whoever disobeys God and His messenger will find themselves in the Hellfire.  The disbelievers think they have the strength in numbers but they will soon come to understand that Prophet Muhammad has God’s power and strength behind him.

 

   Prophet Muhammad informs the disbelievers that he does not know when the threatened punishment will take place.  He has no part in that decision, it is God alone who decides.  The promised punishments in this life, and in the life to come, are matters of the unseen and God does not reveal such matters to anybody.

 

However there is one exception, God may reveal unseen matters to one of His messengers if necessary. Guardian angels protect both the messenger and the message.  God knows everything about His messengers, there is nothing that escapes His knowledge.  Everything is counted and measured.  The message is carefully monitored.

 

So that's a breakdown of the chapter of the jinn as described in the Quran. So what exactly do the jinn do and what are they about? 

 

There are different types of jinn in Islam. Some have wings and fly in the air, some exist as snakes and dogs, and some Jinn are Earthbound beings who live and attach themselves to people and objects in our world. Disbelieving Jinn (Shayateen) whispers evil thoughts into people’s minds and constantly try to divert man from the path of righteousness. Some Jinn constantly instill doubts in human minds. Jinn can make humans think certain thoughts, leading them to misidentify these thoughts as their own notions. Jinn can make us dream about certain things. The strongest, evilest variety of Jinn is called Ifrit, and they are rare. Jinn delight in punishing humans for any harm done to them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the jinn to their advantage. The appearance of jinn can be divided into three major categories:

 

zoomorphic

storms and shadows

anthropomorphic.

Jinn are assumed to be able to appear in shapes of various animals such as cats, owls and onagers (which are just wild asses, or “Moody’s” in the scientific world). Serpents are the animals most associated with jinn; in Islamic tradition, many narratives concern a serpent who was actually a jinn. Dogs are another animal often associated with jinn, especially black dogs. Gazelles, foxes, and ostriches are also associated with jinn, though not necessarily thought to be the embodiment of jinn but rather their mounts or hosts (i.e. mythical vehicle or vessel). The jinn are also related to the wind, and may even appear in mists or sandstorms. Although sandstorms are believed to be caused by jinn, others, such as Abu Yahya Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini and Ghazali attribute them to natural causes. Otherwise sandstorms are thought to be caused by a battle between different groups of jinn. Though a common characteristic of the jinn is their lack of individuality, they may gain individuality by materializing in human forms, such as Sakhr and several jinn known from magical writings.

 

In their anthropomorphic shape, however, they are said to stay partly animal and are not fully human. Therefore, individual jinn are commonly depicted as monstrous and anthropomorphized creatures with body parts from different animals or humans with animal traits.

 

The following is a list of the different jinn. 

Jann, a type of jinn

Marid, a powerful rebellious demon

Ifrit, a powerful type of demon in Islamic mythology associated with the underworld

Ghoul, associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh

Si'lat, talented shapeshifters often appearing in human form and female or male

Nasnas, a creature mentioned as Shaqq in One Thousand and One Nights

Hatif, a voice that can be heard without one's discovering the body that made it

Qareen, a spiritual double of human with a ghostly nature

Hinn, supernatural creatures, besides jinn and demons

Shaitan, also known as demons who make humans and other jinns sin

Malak, pure creatures that are created by light at the service of God/an angel.

 

Jinn are said to inhabit caves, deserted places, graveyards and darkness. According to Sakr (pr: “soccer”) they marry, produce children, eat, drink and die but unlike human beings have the power to take on different shapes and are capable of moving heavy objects almost instantly from one place to another. The Qur'an mentions how the Prophet Solomon contrived to subjugate the jinn and get them to perform tasks that required strength, intelligence and skill. 

 

The lines between devils and jinn are often blurred. Especially in folklore, jinn share many characteristics usually associated with devils, as both are held responsible for mental illness, diseases and possession. The jinn share many characteristics with humans, whereas devils lack them. Folklore differentiates both types of creatures as well. Since the term shaitan is also used as an epithet to describe the taqalan (humans and jinn), naming malevolent jinn also as shayāṭīn in some sources, it is sometimes difficult to hold them apart. Satan and his hosts of devils (shayatin) generally appear in traditions associated with Jewish and Christian narratives, while jinn represent entities of polytheistic background.

 

According to the website from the journal of the royal society of medicine...One Islamic concept that has entered into western mythology is that of the jinn or genies, as in the story of Aladdin. However, according to Islamic belief, jinn are real creatures that form a world other than that of mankind, capable of causing physical and mental harm to human beings. An example of such harm is possession. As defined by Littlewood, possession is the belief that an individual has been entered by an alien spirit or other parahuman force, which then controls the person or alters that person's actions and identity. To the observer, this would be manifested as an altered state of consciousness. In the UK, jinn possession is most likely to be seen among people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Middle East or North Africa. Some commentators claim that possession is a culture-bound syndrome but others argue that, although the manifestations may differ according to culture, the underlying theme is always the same. In Islamic writings true jinn possession can cause a person to have seizures and to speak in an incomprehensible language. The possessed is unable to think or speak from his own will.  In cases of real possession the task of the therapist, who must have strong faith in Allah, is to expel the jinn. This is usually done in one of three ways—remembrance of God and recitation of the Qur'an (dhikr); blowing into the person's mouth, cursing and commanding the jinn to leave; and seeking refuge with Allah by calling upon Allah, remembering him, and addressing his creatures (ruqyah). Some faith healers strike the possessed person, claiming that it is the jinn that suffer the pain. This practice, however, is deplored by Muslim scholars as being far from the principles of Islam and the instructions of the Prophet. 

 

We found a couple case files of suspected possession by jinn. We’ll go through one for ya!

 

A 25-year-old woman from Iraq with no previous psychiatric history gradually withdrew from other people, became uncommunicative and stopped eating and drinking. Investigations revealed no organic disease and severe depressive illness was diagnosed. She underwent electro-convulsive therapy without much improvement. Her family, believing her to be possessed by jinn but not wanting to say so to the doctors for fear of being labelled as superstitious, took her to a local faith healer, who offered to treat her in the traditional Islamic way. After a few sessions of combined dhikr and ruqyah her condition improved and she resumed eating and drinking. On recovery she had no explanation for what had happened, though she remembered the sequence of events. She stated that she had been aware of her surroundings, but had been unable to initiate anything. She denied feeling low in mood at the time. 5 years later she remains well and without medication.

 

So was it a jinn? Maybe… Probably… Most likely… The crazy thing is it's not only humans which are possessed, but also animals, trees and other objects.  By doing this, the evil Jinn hope to make people worship others aside from God.  The possession of idols is one way to do this.  Not so long ago the world-wide phenomenon of Hindu idols drinking milk, shocked the world.  From Bombay to London, Delhi to California, countless idols were lapping up milk.  Ganesh the elephant god, Hanuman the monkey god and even Shiva lingam, the male private organ (!), all seemed to guzzle down the milk as if there was no tomorrow! Unfortunately people were taken in by this and many flocked to feed the Hindu gods.  This feat was undoubtedly done by the Jinn as a classic attempt to make people worship false gods.

 

Another one of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like.  Thus, they can appear as humans, animals, trees and anything else.  Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world - and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures may have been Jinns parading in different forms. The average Jinn is stronger than the average man, although specific men can be stronger than certain Jinn. Jinn can teleport from one place to another and travel at the speed of light. Whereas Jinn have several powers that humans do not possess, mankind possesses more wisdom overall. Jinn also have their own varieties of animals and beasts. 

 

The jinn had an indirect impact on Islamic art through the creation of talismans that were alleged to guard the bearer from the jinn and were enclosed in leather and included Qur’anic verses. It was not unusual for those talismans to be inscribed with separated Arabic letters, because the separation of those letters was thought to positively affect the potency of the talisman overall. An object that was inscribed with the word of Allah was thought to have the power to ward off evil from the person who obtained the object, though many of these objects also had astrological signs, depictions of prophets, or religious narratives. 

 

a sorcerer may summon a jinn and force him to perform orders. Summoned jinn may be sent to the chosen victim to cause demonic possession. Such summonings were done by invocation, by aid of talismans or by satisfying the jinn, thus to make a contract.

 

Jinn are also regarded as assistants of soothsayers. Soothsayers reveal information from the past and present; the jinn can be a source of this information because their lifespans exceed those of humans. Another way to subjugate them is by inserting a needle to their skin or dress. Since jinn are afraid of iron, they are unable to remove it with their own power.

 

Another interesting thing is that During the Rwandan genocide, both Hutus and Tutsis avoided searching local Rwandan Muslim neighborhoods because they widely believed the myth that local Muslims and mosques were protected by the power of Islamic magic and the efficacious jinn. In the Rwandan city of Cyangugu, arsonists ran away instead of destroying the mosque because they feared the wrath of the jinn, whom they believed were guarding the mosque.

 

Ok so that was a lot to take in. There is a ton of stuff out there on the jinn. Since the jinn are rooted in religion some of the readings can get a bit tedious and honestly if you're not familiar with the Islamic religion it can be hard to follow some of the stuff and put it together. Hopefully we did a decent job, up to this point. The real jinn are quite different from the jinn that have been westernized for entertainment, which is another thing that can make it difficult to figure out what is real and what is just westernized stories.  That being said, other religions have comparable spirits to the jinn.

 

The ancient Sumerians believed in Pazuzu, a wind demon, who was shown with "a rather canine face with abnormally bulging eyes, a scaly body, a snake-headed penis, the talons of a bird and usually wings." So basically, it's chainsaw.

 

The ancient Babylonians believed in utukku, a class of demons which were believed to haunt remote wildernesses, graveyards, mountains, and the sea, all locations where jinn were later thought to reside.

 

The Assyrians believed in the Alû, sometimes described as a wind demon residing in desolate ruins who would sneak into people's houses at night and steal their sleep.

 

 The description of jinn is almost identical with that of the shedim from Jewish mythology. As with the jinn, some of whom follow the law brought by Muhammad, some of the shedim are believed to be followers of the law of Moses and consequently good.

 

As in Islam, the idea of spiritual entities converting to one's own religion can be found in Buddhism. According to lore, Buddha preached to Devas and Asura, spiritual entities who, like humans, are subject to the cycle of life, and who resemble the Islamic notion of jinn, who are also ontologically placed among humans in regard to eschatological destiny.

 

Some scholars evaluated whether the jinn might be compared to fallen angels in Christian traditions. Comparable to Augustine's descriptions of fallen angels as ethereal, jinn seem to be considered as the same substance. Although the concept of fallen angels is not absent in the Quran, the jinn nevertheless differ in their major characteristics from that of fallen angels: While fallen angels fell from heaven, the jinn did not, but try to climb up to it in order to receive the news of the angels. Jinn are closer to daemons.

 

How about we leave you with a few spooky stories of jinn! These are copied word for word and we tried to correct mistakes but we may have missed some! 

 

   I was staying in Makkah one summer and living in an apartment under King Fahd Mosque (we were studying with the imam of the masjid). We were sleeping with about 7 of us in one room. I was lying down staring at the ceiling with my leg bent up and something came and shook me real hard. everybody was sleeping so i woke one of the dudes up and he was like just go and sleep in the other room. When i went into the other room everybody was sleeping too (3 ppl) but the light was flickering and the ceiling fan was shaking back and forth and it wasn't on (the blades werent spinning) so i was like weird and went to sleep.. bout 5 minutes later the dude that told me to go to the other room came running in and said something had grabbed him and covered his mouth as he was lying down... and he couldn't breathe but somehow managed to say "audhu billahi...'' So we were freaked out and phoned the imam in the middle of the night and he came and slept in the ap that night. Also in the same apartment at night you could hear people running and jumping in the mosque above in the middle of the night but no one was up there (we checked many times) and in one corner of the apt you could always hear someone reciting Quran.. and it was the most beautiful recitation i ever heard (better than sudais and all the rest)

 

Creepy!! How about another

 

there was this 9 year old kid that lived in the village and he went missing one night, which was strange because all the doors were locked to go outside the house and there was no other possible way to go out of the house. They woke up in the morning and he wasnt in his bed so they got everyone they knew and did a search for him everywhere, they didnt find him the village but in the middle of the night the next they found him in a nearby graveyard. Thankfully he was safe. But everyone didnt know how he could of possibly got out of the house. Then everyone thought it has to be a jinn.

This is a true story and happened while i was in pakistan!

 

 Someone posted a story about how when his maternal grandmother was on her deathbed, a cat started to appear in their home. The cat would even appear in the home when all the doors and windows were closed. It had a really bad smell and a very dirty coat. And whenever someone recited a holy verse from the Quran, it would vanish. After the grandmother passed away, the cat would still appear and the few times that it did, everyone in the house fell sick. 

 

Another?… Ok

 

   So apparently, in Saudi, my aunt lived in a house that was always being visited by a particular jinn who used to annoy her family. Once, she was laying in bed at night with her husband. She felt that something was off and when she left the room, she found her husband watching TV on the couch. When they went back to the bedroom to confront the jinn, it just laughed and went away.

 

Ok one more:

 

My great uncle went to visit his cousins in India. His cousins told him that since it was summertime they would all sleep in the courtyard together. However, they told him he wasn’t allowed to place his bedding in a particular corner. Apparently, a jinn slept there and strange things happened if any one disturbs that corner. My great uncle said it was nonsense and decided to sleep there anyway.

 

One night, he woke up on the other side of the court. He laughed at first and thought it was his cousins who were pranking him and decided to sleep there again. The following night, the same thing happened, so he left a note next to his pillow saying, ”Stop pranking me. I know there is no jinn.” That night, he said he was pushed off his bed, and his bedding was thrown on the other side. A note was thrown into his lap which said, ‘I sleep here.” The scary part is, it wasn’t that dark and there was no one there. 

So we're not gonna lie, religion is not really our forte. But hopefully we were able to get some of it right! The history and depictions of the jinn are pretty cool when you get into it. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it as well. 

 

Top horror movies about djinn

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