Jinn: Difference between revisions

===Qur'an===

The Jinn are described in the Qur'an as having been made of a smokeless flame:

{{Quote|{{quran|55|15}}|And the jinn did He create of smokeless fire.}}

27. And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.}}

The first part of Surah al-Jinn discusses the activities and thoughts of a group of Jinn who encountered Muhammad:

{{Quote|{{quran-range|72|1|14}}|1. Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! we have heard a marvellous Qur'an,

It is unclear how rules around e.g. circumcision and eating halal/kosher are followed or if they are at all relevant.

The Qur'an states that Sulayman (Solomon) had control over an army and workforce comprised of jinns and animals, among others:

{{Quote|{{quran|27|17}}|And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of the jinn and humankind, and of the birds, and they were set in battle order;}}{{Quote|{{quran-range|34|12|14}}|12. And unto Solomon (We gave) the wind, whereof the morning course was a month's journey and the evening course a month's journey, and We caused the fount of copper to gush forth for him, and (We gave him) certain of the jinn who worked before him by permission of his Lord. And such of them as deviated from Our command, them We caused to taste the punishment of flaming Fire.

40. One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee [in the "twinkling" of an eye]. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.}}

The verses describing the virgin women of heaven claim they will not be touched by either humans or jinn:

{{Quote|{{Quran|55|56}}|Therein are those of modest gaze, whom neither man nor jinni will have touched before them.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|55|74}}|Whom neither man nor jinni will have touched before them}}

The Qur'an describes Satan (Iblis) as having been of the Jinn:

{{Quote|{{quran|18|50}}|And (remember) when We said unto the angels: Fall prostrate before Adam, and they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He was of the jinn, so he rebelled against his Lord's command. Will ye choose him and his seed for your protecting friends instead of Me, when they are an enemy unto you? Calamitous is the exchange for evil-doers.}}

{{Quote|{{quran|7|27}}|O Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you as he caused your (first) parents to go forth from the Garden and tore off from them their robe (of innocence) that he might manifest their shame to them. Lo! he seeth you, he and his tribe, from whence ye see him not. Lo! We have made the devils protecting friends for those who believe not.}}

While some classical Islamic scholars differentiated between the "''shayateen''" (plural of Satan, or Shaytan, and translatable as "demons") and the jinn, most simply understood the shayateen to be the group of jinn who committed themselves to serving Shaytan (the head evil Jinn) or who engaged in evil black magic contracts with people. The Qur'an describes such demons as having helped propagate the secrets of black magic that had been revealed to the people of Babylon by two angels:

The rebellious jinn, referred to as satans, are blocked from reaching the 'Exalted Assembly' (listed in secondary Islamic literature as a group of angels with special knowledge) who they would steal information from. Stars with clear flames are thrown at them by the guardian angels, with the author seemingly conflating stars and meteors (''see: [[Scientific Errors in the Quran#Meteors as stars fired at devils]]''):

{{Quote|{{Quran|37|6-10}}|Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars And as protection against every rebellious devil [So] they may not listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side, Repelled; and for them is a constant punishment, Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].}}{{Quote|{{Quran|67|5}}|And verily We have beautified the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|15|6-18}}|And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders. And We have guarded it from every outcast devil, save him who stealeth the hearing, and them doth a clear flame pursue.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|72|8-9}}|And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.}}

Pre-Islamic Arab beliefs supported the claim of jinn possession:

{{Quote|El-Zein, Dr Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) (p. 74). Syracuse University Press. |Pre-Islamic Arabs believed evil jinn bring madness upon people as well. In fact, the term majnun (possessed/mad/insane in Arabic) literally means “to be possessed by a jinni.” The terms jinn and majnun both are derived from the same linguistic root j-n-n.}}

A much longer list of scholars citing the Islamic evidence for jinn possession, including the hadith, can be found via this Salafi website (Salafi Research Institute) webpage - [https://www.salafiri.com/evidences-for-jinn-possession-a-reply-to-the-detractors/ Evidences for Jinn Possession].

Satan causes Moses to forget something.