The world of the Jinn

Praise be to Allaah.

The Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate that the jinn exist, and that there is a purpose for their existence in this life, which is to worship Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans, except they should worship Me (Alone).” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56].

“O assembly of jinns and mankind! Did there not come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My Verses…?” [al-An’aam 6:130]

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world, with its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of humans. Jinns and humans have some things in common, such as the possession of understanding and the choice between the way of good and the way of evil. The word jinn comes from an Arabic root meaning “hidden from sight”. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… Verily he [Shaytaan] and his qabeeluhu [his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe] see you from where you cannot see them…” [al-A’raaf 7:27]

Allaah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn were created. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame o fire.” [al-Hijr 15:27]

“And the jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of fire.” [al-Rahmaan 55:15].

According to a hadeeth narrated by ‘Aa’ishah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Aadam was created from that which has been described to you.” (Reported by Muslim, 5314).

Types of jinn

Allaah 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 Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah 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.” (Reported by al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/95, and by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 22/214. Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Mishkaat (2/1206, no. 4148): al-Tahhaawi and Abu’l-Shaykh reported it with a saheeh isnaad).

The jinn and the sons of Aadam

Every individual among the sons of Aadam has a jinn who has been appointed to be his constant companion (qareen). Ibn Mas’ood said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion.’ They said, ‘And you too, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said, ‘Me too, but Allaah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good.’” (Reported by Muslim, 2814).

Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Muslim (17/175): “‘He has submitted’ … he became a believing Muslim. This is the apparent meaning. Al-Qaadi said: Know that the ummah is agreed upon the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was protected from Shaytaan, physically and mentally, and with regard to his speech. This hadeeth contains a reference to the warning against the fitnah (temptation, trial) and whispers of the qareen (constant companion from among the jinn). We know that he is with us so we should beware of him as much as possible.”

Their powers

Allaah has given the jinn powers that he has not given to humans. Allaah 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 Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) 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. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“An ‘ifreet (strong one) from the jinns said: ‘I will bring it [her throne] to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work.’ One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: ‘I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!’ – then when Sulaymaan saw it placed before him, he said, ‘This is by the Grace of my Lord…’” [al-Naml 27:39-40].

The food and drink of the jinn

The jinn eat and drink. Ibn Mas’ood said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Someone from among the jinn called me, and I went with him and recited Qur’aan for them.’ He took us and showed us the traces of where they had been and the traces of their fires. They asked him for food and he said, ‘You can have every bone on which the name of Allaah has been mentioned that comes into your possession, as meat, and all the droppings as food for your animals.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘So do not use [these things] for cleaning yourselves [after relieving oneself], for they are the food and provision of your brothers.’” (Reported by Muslim, 450).

According to another report: “A delegation of jinn from Naseebeen came to me, and what good jinn they are! They asked me for food and I prayed to Allaah for them, so that they would not pass by bones or droppings, but they would find food on them.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3571).

The believing jinn may eat any bone on which the name of Allaah has been mentioned, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not permit them to have anything on which Allaah’s name has not been mentioned – those are for the kuffaar among the jinn.

The beasts of the jinn

According to the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas’ood, that we have quoted above, the jinn asked the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for provision, and he said to them: “…and [you can have] all the droppings as food for your animals.”

The dwelling-places of the jinn

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 and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering such places, by reciting the adhkaar (prayers) prescribed by Islam.

One of these was reported by Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say, ‘Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min al-khubuthi wa’l-khabaa’ith (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the evil ones, male and female).’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 142; and Muslim, 375).

Al-Khattaabi explained that khubuth is the plural of khabeeth (evil or dirty – masculine form), and khabaa’ith is the plural of khabeethah (evil or dirty – feminine form), and that what is meant is male and female shayaateen.

Some jinns are Muslims and some are kaafirs

Allaah tells us that some of the jinn said (interpretation of the meaning):

“ ‘And some of us are Muslims, and of us some are al-qaasitoon (disbelievers – those who have deviated from the Right Path). And whosoever has embraced Islam, then such have sought the Right Path. And as for the qaasitoon, they shall be firewood for Hell.’” [al-Jinn 72:14-15]

The Muslims among the jinn are of different levels as regards righteousness and taqwa. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“[Some jinn said:] ‘There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups, each having a different way (religious sects, etc.)’” [al-Jinn 72:11]

The story of how the first jinn of this ummah became Muslim was narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out with a group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of ‘Ukaaz. This was when the shayaateen were prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. The shayaateen went back to their people, who said, ‘What is the matter with you?’ They said, ‘We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us.’ Their people said, ‘Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that must have happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven.’ Those who went out in the direction of Tihaamah came upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Nakhlah, when he was on his way to ‘Ukaaz, and found him leading his Companions in Fajr prayer. When they heard the Qur’aan, they listened to it and said, ‘By Allaah, this is what is stopping us from hearing news from heaven.’ When they went back to their people, they said, ‘O our people, we have heard a wonderful Recital (the Qur’aan). It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah). [al-Jinn 72:2 – interpretation of the meaning]. Then Allaah revealed to His Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the words (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): ‘It has been revealed to me that a group of jinns listened (to this Qur’aan)…’ [al-Jinn 72:1], and Allaah revealed to him what the jinn had said.” (reported by al-Bukhaari, 731).

Their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

The jinn will be called to account on the day of Resurrection. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… but the jinns know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e., they will be brought to account)” [al-Saffaat 37:158]: “They will be brought to judgement.” Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Baab Dhikr al-Jinn wa Thawaabihim wa ‘Iqaabihim.

Protection from the harm of the jinn

Because the jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us many ways to protect ourselves from their harm, such as seeking refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, reciting Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas (the last two Soorahs of the Qur’aan), and reciting the words taught by Allaah in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the shayaateen (devils). And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they may attend (or come near) me.’” [al-Mu’minoon 23:97-98]

Saying Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah) before entering one’s home, before eating or drinking, and before having intercourse will also keep the Shaytaan from entering the house or partaking with a person in his food, drink and sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the name of Allaah before entering the toilet or taking off one’s clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a person’s ‘awrah or harming him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the ‘awrah of the sons of Aadam, let any one of you say ‘Bismillaah’ when entering the toilet.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 551; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3611).

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent the jinn from harming a person, so much so that if they were to fight, the one who has faith would win. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met a man from among the jinn. They wrestled, and the human knocked down the jinn. The human said to him, ‘You look small and skinny to me, and your forearms look like the front paws of a dog. Do all the jinn look like this, or only you?’ He said, ‘No, by Allaah, among them I am strong, but let us wrestle again, and if you defeat me I will teach you something that will do you good.’ The human said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘Recite, ‘Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…’ [Aayat al-Kursi – al-Baqarah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]. The human said, ‘Fine.’ He said, ‘You will never recite this in your house but the Shaytaan will come out of it like a donkey breaking wind, and he will never come back in until the next morning.’” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 3247).

This is a brief summary about the jinn, and their nature and characteristics. Allaah is the Best of protectors and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

The jinn

The life and dwelling places of the jinn

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The jinn are part of the creation of Allaah, and they are His slaves who are accountable and subject to commands and prohibitions, just like human beings. There are believers, disbelievers and evildoers among them. Those of them who do good will enter Paradise and those who do evil will deserve to be punished. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] 

And Allaah says concerning the jinn (interpretation of the meaning): 

“‘There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups having different ways (religious sects).’”

[al-Jinn 72:11] 

“And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allaah, after listening to this Qur’aan), and of us some are Al‑Qaasitoon (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path). And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allaah), then such have sought the Right Path.

15. And as for the Qaasitoon (disbelievers who deviated from the Right Path), they shall be firewood for Hell”

[al-Jinn 72:14, 15] 

With regard to their being accountable and subject to commands and prohibitions, the scholars are unanimously agreed that they are accountable. Some of the scholars suggested that the accountability to which they are subject is exactly the same as that to which human beings are subject, whilst others suggested that their accountability is in accordance with their abilities and capabilities. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

They are enjoined concerning basic matters and minor issues according to their nature; they are not like human beings in essence and reality, so the commands and prohibitions to which they are subject are not like those to which humans are subject, but they have in common with humans, the fact that they are subject commands and prohibitions, and rulings on what is permitted and what is forbidden. Concerning this I know of no dispute among the Muslims. End quote. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/233. 

With regard to their lives and dwelling places, they are like all other creatures, they have their own lives, they get married and produce offspring. Allaah says of Iblees (Interpretation of the meaning): 

“Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you?”

[al-Kahf 15:50] 

With regard to their dwellings, they often gather in ruins and unclean places like toilets and garbage dumps. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “These toilets are haunted (inhabited by devils), so when anyone of you goes to the toilet let him say, ‘A’oodhu Billaahi min al-khubthi wa’l-khabaa’ith (I seek refuge Allaah from the male and female devils).” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 6; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah, 1070. 

With regard to the phrase al-khubthi wa’l-kabaa’ith (translated above as “male and female devils”), it has been suggested that al-khubth may mean evil and al-khabaa’ith may mean evil spirits, which includes both male and female devils. 

There is no doubt that the jinn die, for they are included in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish”

[al-Rahmaan 55:26]

It should be noted that the world of the jinn is the world of the unseen, and we do not know anything about it except that which Allaah has told us in His Book or on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

Based on this, we cannot say anything about them except that which has been narrated in the texts of Islam; anything other than that is hidden from us. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allaah)”

[al-Isra’ 17:36] 

For more information on this topic, see the book ‘Aalim al-Jinn wa’l-Shayateen by Dr ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar. 

[Translator’s note: this book is available in English under the title The World of the Jinn and Devils in the Light of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, published as Vol. 3 of the Islamic Creed Series by the International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.] 

It should be noted that Allaah has given us information about the jinn and other creatures for our benefit, and what He has concealed from us we do not need to know. If knowing that was essential for us, Allaah would have told us. Hence we should not concern ourselves with such matters or look into the mysteries of the jinn which can only be known through revelation. 

What a person should ask about is his religion, its acts of worship and beliefs, what he should do, and other important matters which have been enjoined or forbidden, so that he can be a true slave of Allaah. 

In the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we have a good example. They did not ask the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about such matters in which there is no benefit in knowing and no harm in not knowing. 

I ask Allaah to bless us with beneficial knowledge and enable us to do righteous deeds. 

And Allaah knows best.

Interacting with the jinn

Praise be to Allaah.

1 – Seeking the help of the jinn or turning to them to fulfil one’s desires to cause harm or bring benefit is shirk or associating others in worship with Allaah, because it is a kind of mutual benefitting whereby the jinni responds to the human’s requests and fulfils his needs in return for the human’s veneration of the jinni, turning to him and asking for his help to do what he wants. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): 

“And on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): ‘O you assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men,’ and their Awliyaa’ (friends and helpers) amongst men will say: ‘Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us.’ He will say: ‘The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allaah may will. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.’

And thus We do make the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) Awliyaa’ (supporters and helpers) of one another (in committing crimes), because of that which they used to earn”

[al-An’aam 6:128] 

“And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression”

[al-Jinn 72:6] 

If a human seeks the help of a jinni to cause harm to another person, or seeks his help for protection from the evil of a person whose evil he fears, all of that is shirk. 

Whoever is like this, his prayer and his fasting are both invalid, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers”

[al-Zumar 39:65] 

If a person is known for that, then the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him if he dies, his funeral is not to be attended, and he is not to be buried in the Muslim graveyard. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/407, 408 

2 – The Standing Committee was asked a similar question, which said: 

I would like to inform you that in Zambia there is a Muslim men who claims that he has jinn with him, and the people go to him and ask him to heal their diseases, and this jinn prescribes medicine for them. Is that permissible? 

The answer is: 

It is not permissible for that man to use the services of the jinn, and it is not permissible for the people to go to him, seeking treatment for their diseases through advice from the jinn, or to fulfil any needs in this manner. 

Treating disease by means of human doctors and by using permissible medicines means that there is no need for that. This should be enough to free us from the control of these charlatans. 

It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days.” (Narrated by Muslim) 

The four authors of al-Sunan, and al-Haakim in a saheeh hadeeth, narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he said has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” 

This man and his companions from among the jinn are to be regarded as fortunetellers and soothsayers. It is not permissible to ask them anything or to believe them. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/408, 409). 

And Allaah knows best.

Do the jinn help humans in some ways?

Can we see the jinn? Do they have a real form?

Praise be to Allaah.

The question is composed of two parts. 

1 – Do the jinn appear in human form?

2 – Do the jinn have a real form? 

With regard to the first question, it may be said: 

Firstly: it should be noted that the basic principle concerning the jinn is that they are concealed from mankind, hence they are called jinn, because the Arabic root janna refers to a single original meaning which is to cover and conceal, as Ibn Faaris said in Maqaayees al-Lughah. The jinn are so called because they are concealed from mankind, and the foetus is called janeen in Arabic because he is concealed in his mother’s womb, and a garden is called jannah because it is concealed by trees, and an insane person is called majnoon because his mind is covered, and so on in all derivations from this root. 

Allaah has told us of this when He said (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them”

[al-A’raaf 7:27] 

Secondly: can they appear in human form? 

The answer to that is that it is proven in the Sunnah and from real life that the jinn appear in different forms, such as the forms of people and animals, etc. Among the clearest evidence of that from the Sunnah is the story narrated by al-Bukhaari (3275) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started scooping up some of the food, and I said, “By Allaah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” He complained of being in need and having dependents, so Abu Hurayrah took pity on him and let him go. This happened three times, and on the third occasion, Abu Hurayrah said: “I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah.

This is the third time and each time you say that you will not come back, then you come back.” He said, “Let me go and I will teach you something by means of which Allaah will benefit you.” I said: “What is it?” he said: “When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi, ‘Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…’ [al-Baqarah 2:255] until you complete the verse, then you will always have a protector from Allaah, and no devil will come near you until morning comes. So I let him go, and the next morning I told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking to for three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?” He said: “No.” He said: “That was a devil (a shaytaan).” 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in al-Fath: This hadeeth teaches us a number of things… that one of the characteristics of the Shaytaan is lying, and that he may appear in various forms that may be seen, and that the words of Allaah, “Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them” [al-A’raaf 7:27], apply to when he is in the form with which he was created. 

It was narrated that the Shaytaan appeared to Quraysh in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju’sham and encouraged them to fight the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). That happened during the battle of Badr. Ibn Jareer al-Tabari narrated in his Tafseer (12564) that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: 

When Quraysh decided to march, mention was made of what was between them and Bani Bakr – i.e., war – and that almost made them change their minds. Then Iblees appeared to them in the form of Suraaqah ibn Ju’sham al-Madlaji, who was one of the nobles of Banu Kinaanah, and said: “I will protect you against Kinaanah so that Kinaanah will not be able to do you any harm.” So they went ahead with their plan. This was also quoted by Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 5/62. 

In Saheeh Muslim (2236) it is narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “In Madeenah there is a group of the jinn who have become Muslim, so whoever sees any of these creatures let him give it a warning three times, then if it appears after that he may kill it, for it is a devil.” 

The word translated as “creatures” here refers to kinds of snakes that appear in houses; they are not to be killed until they have been given a warning three times, because they may be jinn. See Ghareeb al-Hadeeth by Ibn al-Atheer. 

Al-Nawawi said: What this means is that if they do not disappear after being warned, then they are not the kind of creatures that inhabit houses and they are not among the jinn who have become Muslim, rather that is a devil so there is no sin on you if you kill it and Allaah will never give the Shaytaan a way to prevail over you by taking revenge, unlike the creatures (snakes) and jinn who have become Muslim. And Allaah knows best. Sharh Muslim, 14/236. 

There have been many such incidents. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: The jinn may appear in human and animal form, so they may appear as snakes and scorpions etc, or in the form of camels, cattle, sheep, horses, mules and donkeys, or in the form of birds, or in the form of humans, as the Shaytaan came to Quraysh in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju’sham when they wanted to set out for Badr. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/44. 

Thirdly: The jinn have led many people astray by appearing in the forms of awliya’ (“saints”) and righteous people etc. Shaykh al-Islam said: The Shaytaan often appears in the form of the person who is being called upon and asked for help, if he is dead or sometimes if he is alive, without the person who called upon him realizing it. Indeed the Shaytaan may appear in his form and the misguided mushrik who is seeking that person’s help may think that the person himself has responded to him when in fact it is the Shaytaan. This also happens to the kuffaar who seek the help of those of whom they think well, whether they are dead or alive, such as the Christians who seek the help of George or others of their saints, and it happens to those so-called Muslims who commit shirk and follow misguidance by seeking the help of those who are dead or absent. The Shaytaan appears to them in the form of the one upon whom they call, without him realizing that… More than one person has told me that they sought my help, and each of them told me a different story. I told each one of them that I did not answer any one of them and I did not know that they were seeking my help. It was said that this was an angel, but I said: Angels do not help mushriks, rather that was a devil who wanted to misguide him. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/47-48. 

One of the greatest ways in which a Muslim may seek help against the devils is to “fortify” himself with adhkaar and reciting Aayat al-Kursiy, as stated in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above. 

With regard to the second part of the question, which is whether the jinn have a true form: 

With regard to this matter of photographs of the jinn, which have fascinated many people and become widespread on some websites, it is not possible to verify the authenticity of what is in these websites, especially nowadays when people are highly skilled in producing in all kinds of deceptive pictures. Moreover researching such matters brings no spiritual or worldly benefit and serves no purpose. It is better to occupy oneself with things that will bring spiritual or worldly benefit such as reading and understanding what is in the Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah, and what a person needs to know and do of correct belief and worship, and the proper attitude and etiquette which the Muslim should develop, and so on. It should also be noted that publishing pictures of animate beings is haraam according to sharee’ah as is stated in the texts.

We ask Allaah to protect you and raise you in status and forgive your sins and bless you with knowledge and good deeds, for He is the Best One to be asked.  

May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Ruling on seeking the help of the jinn

Is it permissible to pray that my jinn companion becomes Muslim?

Praise be to Allaah.  

The hadeeth you mention is a saheeh hadeeth. It was narrated by Muslim (no. 2714), but there is a difference of scholarly opinion as to the meaning of the word “fa aslama” in this hadeeth. This dispute and the most correct view was mentioned by al-Nawawi in his commentary on this hadeeth. He said: 

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “There is none of you who does not have a companion (qareen) appointed for him from among the jinn.” They said, “Even you?” He said, “Even me, but Allaah helped me against him fa aslama [or fa aslamu], so he only tells me to do that which is good.” 

There are two well-known views that have been reported. Those who read the phrase as fa aslamu said that it means, “So I am safe [aslamu] from his evil and temptation.” Those who read it as fa aslama said that it means, “The qareen became Muslim [aslama] and became a believer, so he only tells me to do that which is good.” 

They differed as to which view is correct. Al-Khattaabi said: The correct version is fa aslamu [so I am safe]. Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad thought that fa aslama [so he became Muslim] was correct, and this is the preferred version, because he then said, “so he only tells me to do that which is good.” And they differed concerning the report that says fa aslama. It was said that it means he submitted in the sense of surrendering, and it appears in this form (fa astaslama – so he surrendered) in reports narrated elsewhere than in Saheeh Muslim. And it was said that it means that he become a Muslim and a believer. This is the apparent meaning. 

Abu Na’eem al-Asbahaani said in Dalaa’il al-Nubuwwah (1/185): It was said aslama meaning he believed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the only one whose qareen became a Muslim and a believer. 

Based on this, having one’s qareen become a Muslim was something that was unique to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

So it is not prescribed for the Muslim to pray that his qareen become Muslim, because this is overstepping the limits in du’aa’ by asking Allaah for something that belongs only to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and because there is no report that the Sahaabah, who were the keenest of all people to do good and the closest to it, asked Allaah to make their qareens become Muslim, and they did not ask the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to pray for that for them when they heard this hadeeth from him. There is no report that Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali, who were very keen to do good, or their sons, did that. We have to follow the guidance of these great Sahaabah because they understood this religion properly and learned it directly from its source, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is not permissible for us to follow any path but theirs. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!”

[al-Nisa’ 4:115] 

This hadeeth was narrated in the context of warning the Sahaabah against the fitnah of the qareen. Al-Nawawi said: This hadeeth is a warning against the fitnah of the qareen and his whispers and temptation. [The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] warned us against him so that we can be as cautious as possible.” This is what we must do, according to sharee’ah. 

It is sufficient for us to recite the du’aa’s that Allaah has taught us, for example: 

“And say: ‘My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayaateen (devils).

And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me’”

[al-Mu’minoon 23:97-98 – interpretation of the meaning] 

And you should recite Soorat al-Ikhlaas and the Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) morning and evening, as well as the dhikrs narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). You should also recite Aayat al-Kursiy before going to sleep, and Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem before doing anything, and you should seek refuge with Allaah every time you notice the whispers of the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower”

[Fussilat 41:36] 

I ask Allaah to make you more keen to do good and to protect us and you from the Shaytaan and his whisperings. Ameen.

Jinn entering human bodies

Praise be to Allaah.

The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and by real-life events. No one disputes this apart from the Mu’tazilah who give priority to their own rational analysis over the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. We will mention a little about this below:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa’…” [al-Baqarah 2:275]

Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (part 3, p. 355): “This aayah is proof that those people are wrong who deny that epilepsy is caused by the jinn and claim that its causes are only physical, and that the Shaytaan does not enter people or cause madness.”

Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (part 1, p. 32), after mentioning the aayah quoted above: “They will not rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection except like the way in which the epileptic rises during his seizure, when he is beaten by the Shaytaan. This is because they will rise in a very bad state. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: the one who consumes ribaa will rise on the Day of Resurrection crazy and choking.”

According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Nasaa’i from Abu’l-Yusr, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray: “Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min al-taraddi wa’l-haram wa’l-gharaq wa’l-harq, wa a’oodhu bika an yatakhabatani al-shaytaan ‘ind al-mawt ( O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from being thrown from a high place, old age, drowning and burning; and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death).” Commenting on this hadeeth in Al-Fayd (part 2, p.148), al-Manaawi said: “[The phrase] ‘and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death’ means, lest he should wrestle with me and play with me, and damage my religious commitment or mental state (at the time of death) by means of his insinuating whispers which cause people to slip or lose their minds. The Shaytaan could take control of a person when he is about to depart this world, and misguide him or stop him from repenting…”

Ibn Taymiyah (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 42/276) said: “The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa’…’ [al-Baqarah 2:275]. And in as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam as the blood flows through his veins.’”

‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; “I said to my father, ‘There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of the epileptic.’ He said: ‘O my son, they are lying; the jinn could speak through this person.’” Commenting on this, Ibn Qudaamah said: “What he said is well known, because a person may suffer an epileptic seizure and speak in a language that no one understands, and his body may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the epileptic does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is saying. The epileptic and others may be dragged about, or the carpet on which he is sitting may be pulled, and utensils may be moved about from place to place, and other things may happen. Anyone who witnesses such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking through the person and moving these things is not human.” And he said, may Allaah have mercy on him: “There is no one among the imaams of the Muslims who denies that jinn may enter the body of the epileptic and others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam denies it is lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of sharee’ah to show that it does not happen.”

So the fact that jinn may enter human bodies is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, some of whose comments we have quoted above.

As regards the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave” [al-Baqarah 2:102], this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the jinn cannot harm anyone through witchcraft or epilepsy or through any other kind of disturbance or misguidance, except with the permission of Allaah. As al-Hasan al-Basri said: “Whomever Allaah wills, He gives them power over him, and whomever He does not will, He does not give them power over him, and they cannot do anything to anyone except with the permission of Allaah.” The Shaytaan (who is the disbelieving jinn) may gain power over the believers by making them sin and by making them neglect the remembrance and Tawheed of Allaah and sincerity in worshipping Him. But he has no power over the righteous slaves of Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian” [al-Israa’ 17:65]

During the Jaahiliyyah the Arabs were well aware of this and mentioned it in their poetry. For example, the poet al-A’shaa likened his she-camel’s energy to that of one who was touched by the jinn, and said that it was the jinn who was giving her her energy.

As regards the causes of epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyah explained (in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/39) the causes. He said: “When the jinn touch a person with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens between one human and another… or it may – as is usually the case – be because of hatred and punishment, such as when a person has harmed them or they think that he has harmed them deliberately, either by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or killing them, even if the person did that unknowingly. There are ignorant and wrongdoing ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or they may be playing with him and mistreating him, like foolish people among mankind.”

And I say: the way to save oneself from this is to remember Allaah and speak His Name at the beginning of all things, as it was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to mention Allaah in many cases, such as when eating, drinking, mounting his riding-beast, taking off his clothes for any reason, having intercourse and so on…

As regards treatment (of one whose body has been entered by the jinn), Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/42): “When the jinn attack a person, they should be told of the rulings of Allaah and His Messenger, proof should be established against them, and they should be commanded to do what is good and told not to do what is evil, just as should be done in the case of people, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)’ [al-Israa’ 17:15].” Then he said: “If the jinn does not leave after being addressed in this manner, then it is permissible to rebuke him, tell him off, threaten him and curse him, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did with the Shaytaan when he came with a falling star to throw it in his face, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I seek refuge with Allaah from you and I curse you with the curse of Allaah” – three times. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).We may also seek help against the jinn by remembering Allaah (dhikr) and reciting Qur’aan, especially Aayat al-Kursi. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites it will remain under the protection of Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will be able to approach him until the morning.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari). And al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) may also be recited.

As for psychiatrists who do not treat the epileptic in the manner described, they cannot do him any good at all.

This issue may be discussed in much more detail, but what we have said here is sufficient for those who want to know a little about this matter, Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.