The PPK Muslims (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgable) : June 2019

An Attempt to Comprehend the Existence of Jinn

in the light of

Quran, Hadith and Islamic Scholarship

ABSTRACT

“Say: ‘It has been revealed to me that a band of the jinn listened and said, “We have heard a most amazing Recitation”.

Jinn (Arabic: الجن, al-jinn) or Anglicized as genies are supernatural creatures in Islamic theology. A survey was undertaken by the Pew Research Center in 2012 to find the prevalence of belief in jinn among Muslims. At least 86% of Muslims in Morocco, 84% in Bangladesh, 63% in Turkey, 55% in Iraq, 53% in Indonesia, 47% in Thailand and 15% in Central Asia were convinced of the existence of jinn.

The index ayah and the fourteen ayahs that follow it record a full conversation of the jinns educating us in the process about existence and composition of the species of Jinns which has always remained a challenge to the modern mind.

Dr. Mohammed Asad has a separate appendix “On The Term And Concept Of Jinn” in his valuable exegesis “The Message of Quran” sharing with us invaluable information on this subject.

Allaamaa Yousuf Ali in his well known and comprehensive exegesis clarifies the confusion about jinns, by comparing the different views: the hidden qualities or capacities in man—wild or jungle folk hidden in the hills or forests—his personal opinion i.e. simply a spirit, or an invisible or hidden force—the Quranic version which is a definite species of living beings.

Mufti Mohammed Shafi in his outstanding tafseer “Ma’aariful Quran” delivers a very sharp and dogmatic description of jinns: “Jinn is one of the Divine creatures. They have body and soul. They, like human beings, have intellect and senses, but they are hidden from human eyes. This species of creation is called 'Jinn' because it literally means 'hidden' or 'invisible'. They, like human beings, are created from the four primal elements: dust, water, air and fire, but the element of fire predominates in them, whereas in man the element of dust predominates. They, like human beings, are males and females; and they, like human beings, marry and procreate……”

Imam Amin Ahsan Ilahi has highlighted one of the basic and central principles of our Deen in his comments on these ayahs. This episode of the jinns demonstrates to us that all matters of basic Faith and Belief and those of Pious Deeds are not only common between men and jinn but extends to all the universe. This is part of man’s fitrat—innate nature and disposition—imbibed in every man and woman at the time of birth. This is a direct Devine guidance to mankind about Ma’roof and Munkar—right and wrong. The Prophets are sent to re-kindle this fitrat when it is shrouded by greed and corruption. Hence the da’waa—preaching and religious teaching—of the Quran began in the early Makki period concentrating on this aspect.

After a long interesting/boring discourse, the article summarises:

1) The jinn do exist as it is is one of the Divine creatures. Both the Qur-ān and the Ḥadīth describe the Jinn as a definite species of living beings; frequently in the Holy Text, jinns and men are bracketed together. This meaning would include “satans and satanic forces” as well as “angels and angelic forces” since all of them are "concealed from our senses”. The authoritative Islamic texts show that they are not merely a hidden force, or a spirit. The word shaitan (pl. shayateen) or “Satan” refers to the “arrogant mischief-making Jinn”.

2) Simply a spirit, or an invisible/hidden force or spiritual forces/beings are the common usage and explanation for the term jinn mentioned in and by the Islamic scholarship.

3) As they do not have any corporeal existence, they are beyond human sight and perception; their intrinsic reality is unknown.

4) The Quran describes several qualities and features of jinns: They are susceptible to Divine guidance; able to listen to the Quran, understand it and even be guided by it; by their nature they can be punished or rewarded; humans should not appeal to them because jinns cannot be of any assistance to them; they are no relation of God Almighty; they are ignorant of events beyond their perception; jinns have refined literary taste; may believe or disbelieve, accept or reject guidance; they are personalized beings who enjoy a certain amount of free will and thus will be called to account; the jinn not only hear what human beings say but also understand their language; they not only appreciated the matchless eloquence of the divine word but also understood its sublime message; jinn do not deny Allah’s existence; the Prophethood and revelation of divine scriptures does not exist among the jinn; but believers among them, believe in the Prophets raised among human beings and in the Books brought by them; there are also good and bad jinns; all do not follow one and the same religion; the jinn share, due to their intermediary abode both angelic and human traits; jinn are just like human beings in relation to God, hence liable to punishment in Hellfire.

June 30, 2019

Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:

“An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- June 2019

Choose the section you have time, in the next 30 days to read this ayah:-

Prelude: Recurrent Primary Message 1st. Page

Starting Dua, a note & The Ayah 2nd. Page

A Short Summary: For the Busy Bee Two Plus Pages

The Main Story: Recommended Eight Plus Pages

Footnotes: For the Perfectionist Three Pages

PRELUDE

From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.

In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran.

It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this generates a fruitful interactive discussion.

DUAA’

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

In the name of Allah, we praise HIM, seek HIS help and ask for HIS forgiveness. Whosoever Allah guideth none can misguide; whosoever HE allows to fall astray, none can guide him right. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone and we bear witness that Mohammed, SAW is HIS slave-servant and the Seal of HIS Messengers.

Further, we recall that Allah Ta’aala has declared in HIS Book¹

“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message (or remember or receive admonition) but men of understanding (or intellect)”

and we also recollect that he has warned us about the day of judgement²

“Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons (joy, pleasure).”

We realise, that there cannot be a greater boon or blessing or benefit than wisdom and we wonder if this should be a timely reminder to very many of us sincere and practicing Muslims who use our critical thinking to enhance the mundane for ourselves and our families but in matters religion we choose to

resort to blind following -- taqleed, doctrine of classical Sunni Islamic Fiqh.

(NOTE: I have filtered out the proofs and details into the Footnotes for those who have the time and interest for them. The main text will then be of reasonable length, hopefully for the busy majority. What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought. A caveat seems in order: If the ayah selected pertains to issues we face in our daily life with our family, friends, neighbours or peers it may affect us personally and lead to some self analysis and soul searching which in turn could be divisive and distressing. If taken in the right spirit, it can be a humble attempt towards finding the “straight path”.)

THE AYAH

Surah Al Jinn (no. 72), Ayah 1

قُل أوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ استَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الجِنِّ فَقالوا إِنّا سَمِعنا قُرآنًا عَجَبًا

“Say: ‘It has been revealed to me that a band of the jinn listened and said, “We have heard a most amazing Recitation”.

A SHORT VERSION

“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

Jinn (Arabic: الجن, al-jinn) or Anglicized as genies are supernatural creatures in Islamic theology ………….(Please see the Main Story).As Islam spread beyond Arabia, jinn became a hot topic for folklores and folktales.³

“The importance of belief in jinn to Islamic belief in contemporary Muslim society was underscored by ……..(Please see the Main Story)

A survey was undertaken by the Pew Research Center in 2012 to find the prevalence of belief in jinn among Muslims. At least 86% of Muslims in Morocco, 84% in Bangladesh, 63% in Turkey, 55% in Iraq, 53% in Indonesia, 47% in Thailand and 15% in Central Asia were convinced of the existence of jinn. The low rate in Central Asia was probably due to Soviet religious oppression.

The index ayah and the fourteen ayahs that follow it record a full conversation of the jinns giving us in the process a concise introduction to the species of Jinns which has always remained a challenge to the modern mind. The Quran repeats this subject at several places. These fourteen ayahs inform us in some details about existence and composition of jinns:⁴(Please see the Main Story)

The background of the revelation of these ayahs can be found in the hadith literature:……(Please see the Main Story)

A group of three ayahs else where in Quran are very relevant to our subject today:⁵(Please see the Main Story)

Sayyid Qutb, an outstanding scholar has adopted a very unique style in his magnificent tafsir “ In the shadow of Quran”. He starts as if narrating an ongoing story and then very cleverly intersperses the Quranic ayahs in between to support his narrative. I would like to share with you his style in the explanation of the characteristics of jinns.

He initiates with the heading “Support from Another world” …….(Please see the Main Story)

Moreover the jinn’s statement corrects many of the superstitions going around about them. It presents some clear facts about this type of God’s creation…………..(Please see the Main Story)

Sayyid Qutb, as I have stated earlier starts the story and then fits in the ayahs as he goes on: ……….(Please see the Main Story)

All this gives us a reasonable idea of this species that is concealed from us…..(Please see the Main Story)

Dr. Mohammed Asad has a separate appendix “On The Term And Concept Of Jinn”⁹ in his valuable exegesis “The Message of Quran”. He wants us to forget the folklore concept of the word jinn and concentrate, initially on the original connotation of this word and its verbal derivation. “The root-verb is janna, "he (or “it") concealed" or "covered with darkness”; ………all classical philologists point out that al-jinn signifies "intense (or “confusing") darkness" and, in a more general sense, "that which is concealed from (man’s) senses", i.e., things, beings or forces which cannot normally be perceived by man but have, nevertheless, an objective reality, whether concrete or abstract, of their own”, he elaborates.

As I am writing this piece, I must admit I am also learning about the real facts about jinn. Hitherto, I have had a vague impression about this “being”. I will therefore prefer to use the words of the scholar, whenever necessary to ensure your confidence.

Dr. Mohammed Asad points out that the term jinn has different meanings in the Quran:…….(Please see the Main Story)

Allaamaa Yousuf Ali in his well known and comprehensive exegesis clarifies the confusion about jinns, by comparing the different views: “Some people say that jinn therefore means the hidden qualities or capacities in man; others that it means wild or jungle folk hidden in the hills or forests”. He then adds his personal opinion “I do not wish to be dogmatic, but I think, from a collation and study of the Quranic passages, that the meaning is simply “a spirit,” or an invisible or hidden force”. He adds “In folklore stories and romances like the Arabian Nights they become personified into fantastic forms, but with them we are not concerned here”. Lastly he narrates the Quranic version “Both the Qur-ān and the Ḥadīth describe the Jinn as a definite species of living beings. They are created out of fire and are like man, may believe or disbelieve, accept or reject guidance. The authoritative Islamic texts show that they are not merely a hidden force, or a spirit. They are personalized beings who enjoy a certain amount of free will and thus will be called to account”.

Some of the comments of Maulana Maudoodi on these ayahs are really conducive in getting to the bottom of reality of jinn:…………(Please see the Main Story)

“Jinn is one of the Divine creatures. They have body and soul. They, like human beings, have intellect and senses, but they are hidden from human eyes. This species of creation is called 'Jinn' because it literally means 'hidden' or 'invisible'. They, like human beings, are created from the four primal elements: dust, water, air and fire, but the element of fire predominates in them, whereas in man the element of dust predominates. They, like human beings, are males and females; and they, like human beings, marry and procreate. Apparently, the word shaitan (pl. shayateen) or 'Satan' refers to the 'arrogant mischief-making Jinn'. The existence of Jinn and angels is established by conclusive and incontestable evidence in the Qur'an and Sunnah, the denial or rejection of which amounts to disbelieving the Qur'an. [Tafsir Mazhari]”. This is the clear and confident declaration by Mufti Mohammed Shafi in his outstanding tafseer “Ma’aariful Quran”.

It is noteworthy that the jinn, once they were impressed by the message of the Quran they immediately started working on it and embarked on preaching it. Herein there is a great lesson for humans whose faith is mostly restricted to lip service.

Shayāṭīn (شياطين), singular: Shayṭān (Arabic: شيطان) are evil spirits, comparable to demons or devils, in Islamic theology and mythology. Usually, the shayatin are regarded as the offspring of Iblis. From an ontological perspective, the shayatin are all beings, which became a manifestation of evil and ugliness. Surah 6:112 collectively refers to the "shayatin" among Ins and jinn, whereupon some exegetes linked this expression to "evil among everything in shape" and "evil among everything invisible”….(Please see the Main Story)

Coming back to jinns, sufi traditions relate the meaning of jinn back to its origin ……In Folk literature, Jinn is the character in the One Thousand and One Nights story ….. Some modernist commentators, on the basis of the word's meaning……..Modern Salafi tenets of Islam, refuse reinterpretations of jinn…… Witchcraft (Arabic: سِحْر sihr, which also means magic and wizards) is often associated…..Jinn frequently occur as characters or plot elements in fiction and popular culture…….(Please see the Main Story for all these)

Let me try to make some functional sense out of this confusing literature:

2) Simply a spirit, or an invisible/hidden force or spiritual forces/beings are the common usage and explanation for the term jinn mentioned in and by the Islamic scholarship.

3) As they do not have any corporeal existence, they are beyond human sight and perception; their intrinsic reality is unknown.

4) The Quran describes several qualities and features of jinns:

They are susceptible to Divine guidance; able to listen to the Quran, understand it and even be guided by it; by their nature they can be punished or rewarded; humans should not appeal to them because jinns cannot be of any assistance to them; they are no relation of God Almighty; they are ignorant of events beyond their perception; jinns have refined literary taste; may believe or disbelieve, accept or reject guidance; they are personalized beings who enjoy a certain amount of free will and thus will be called to account; the jinn not only hear what human beings say but also understand their language; they not only appreciated the matchless eloquence of the divine word but also understood its sublime message; jinn do not deny Allah’s existence; the Prophethood and revelation of divine scriptures does not exist among the jinn; but believers among them, believe in the Prophets raised among human beings and in the Books brought by them; there are also good and bad jinns; all do not follow one and the same religion; the jinn share, due to their intermediary abode both angelic and human traits; jinn are just like human beings in relation to God, hence liable to punishment in Hellfire.

........and Allah knows best.

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

THE MAIN STORY

Jinn (Arabic: الجن, al-jinn) or Anglicized as genies are supernatural creatures in Islamic theology as well as early pre-Islamic Arabian mythology. Belief in jinn is not included among the six articles of Islamic faith though belief in angels is. However a strong Muslim scholarship believe it essential to the Islamic faith. Jinn are mentioned approximately 29 times in the Quran whereas humans are referred to 36 times; also a surah is named Al-Jinn. Prophet Solomon, according to the Quran was gifted by God to talk to animals and jinn.They are frequently mentioned in the hadith literature. One hadith divides them into three groups, with one type flying through the air; another that are snakes and dogs; and a third that moves from place to place like human. The composition and existence of jinn was the subject of serious debates during the Middle Ages and still continues to be ill-defined and conflicting. As Islam spread beyond Arabia, jinn became a hot topic for folklores and folktales.³

“The importance of belief in jinn to Islamic belief in contemporary Muslim society was underscored by the judgment of apostasy by an Egyptian Sharia court in 1995 against liberal theologian Nasr Abu Zayd”. Abu Zayd was declared an unbeliever of Islam for — among other things — arguing that the reason for the presence of jinn in the Quran was that they (jinn) were part of Arab culture at the time of the Quran's revelation, rather than that they were part of God's creation. Death threats led to Nasr Abu Zayd's leaving Egypt several weeks later.

“It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.

And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son.

And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression.

And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie.

And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden.

And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger].

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.

And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.

And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.

And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.

And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden.

And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah ], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course.

But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood.

The background of the revelation of these ayahs can be found in the hadith literature: Sayyidna Ibn Abbas narrates, as recorded in Sahih of Bukhari, Muslim, and in Tirmidhi and other collections, that Allah's Messenger did not by deliberate design make the Jinn listen to the Qur'an, nor did he see them. The true story is that the Holy Prophet, with his Companions, was going to the marketplace of Ukaz. This incident took place at a time when the devils were barred from going to the skies and eavesdropping on the conversations of the angels by being pelted with piercing flames. When the Jinn realised that they were no longer free to eavesdrop, they discussed among themselves that the incident could not be coincidental.

There must be a genuine reason for that. So they divided themselves into groups and each group went in different direction to investigate the cause of the new phenomenon. One of the groups arrived at a place called Nakhlah in Tihamah where Hijaz is situated. At that juncture, the Holy Prophet was leading the Sahabah in Fajr salah when the Jinn had the opportunity to hear the Quran.When this group of Jinn heard the Qur'an, they listened to it very attentively and concluded on oath that it was the Quran that prevented them from eavesdropping in the heavens. Then they returned to their fellow Jinns and recounted to them the entire episode.

A group of three ayahs else where in Quran are very relevant to our subject today:⁵

“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, “O our people! We have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it: it guides (men) to the Truth and to a Straight Path. “O our people, hearken to the one who invites1 (you) to God, and believe in him: He will forgive you your faults, and deliver you from a Penalty Grievous”.

He initiates with the heading “Support from Another world” clarifying that the jinn, in this surah are providing support for the cause of Prophet Mohammed. “The surah presents a testimony to the truth of many aspects of the divine faith from a different world, a world beyond that of man” he writes. These aspects were bitterly argued by the unbelievers. They alleged that the Prophet was in contact with a Jinn who guided him about the faith. In this surah the Jinn themselves are testifying that they were ignorant about the Quran till they heard the Prophet reciting it and they were overwhelmed by its powerful Truth. Indeed its effects covers the entire universe.

Moreover the jinn’s statement corrects many of the superstitions going around about them. It presents some clear facts about this type of God’s creation. The Arabs of those days believed in the great power of jinns on earth. In a valley or an open plain he would take shelter with the jinnie in charge with the words “I seek shelter with the master of this valley against the designs of the wicked elements among his people”. They also believed that jinns have knowledge of ghaib. They would pass this information to the soothsayers enabling them to make predictions. Some Arabs even worshipped jinns as relative of Gods. Yet another believed that God had a wife among the jinns who then gave birth to angels. On the other hand there were were folks who totally denied the existence of such a species, discarding all such talks as superstition. Allah in these ayahs and other places in the Quran defines the correct situation. HE confirms their existence and specifies the right ideas about them.

Sayyid Qutb, as I have stated earlier starts the story and then fits in the ayahs as he goes on:

The jinn do exist as described by themselves in one of these ayahs “And among us are the righteous, and among us are (others)not so; we were (of) divided ways”. Some go astray and mislead others, while others are naive and susceptible to deception as stated in their own words “And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah an excessive transgression. And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie”. They are susceptible to Divine guidance, able to listen to the Quran, understand it and even be guided by it “Say: ‘It has been revealed to me that a band of the jinn listened and said, “We have heard a most amazing Recitation. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone”. By their nature they can be punished or rewarded depending on the state of their belief and disbelief “And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden. And among us are Muslims (in submission to Allah), and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim - those have sought out the right course. But as for the unjust, they will be, for Hell, firewood”. Human should not appeal to them because jinns cannot be of any assistance to them; on the contrary this can increase human infliction “And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they (only) increased them in burden”. They now have no knowledge of the realm beyond their perception as they do not have any more any chance of any stealth contact with the heavens “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. And we do not know (therefore) whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course”. They clearly declare that they are no relation of God Almighty thus denying the false notion of the Quraish “And (it teaches) that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son”. They have no power to resist God’s Will “And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight”.

There are references to jinn in other places in the Quran bringing out some of their other features. As for example, some of them were put in the service of Prophet Solomon. They could not notice his death till long time after the incident, proving that they are ignorant of events beyond their perception.⁶

“Then when We decreed that he should die, nothing divulged his death to them except the worm which ate his staff; so that when he fell down it was made clear to the jinn that if they had truly had knowledge of the Unseen they need not have stayed there suffering humiliating punishment”.

The Quran also teaches us about some features of Iblis/satan who belongs to the jinn and is totally devoted to evil, corruption and seducing others towards evil. He has a form that we cannot see him but he can see us:⁷

“……..He and his tribe see you from where you do not see them………

Additionally the Quran contrasts the origin of these two species in these words:⁸

“He created man from dry earth like baked clay; and He created the jinn from a fusion of fire”.

All this gives us a reasonable idea of this species that is concealed from us. It confirms its existence and gives us many of its characteristics. At the same time, it shows as false many of the ideas and superstitions (that they had exceptional powers and a large role to play in the universe) people held about these creatures. It gives us a fair vision of this species, enough to avoid wild conjectures.

The Arab unbelievers cannot claim, nor can we even now that humans know every type of creature in the universe. No scientist has ever made such a claim. As a matter of fact new species are regularly added to the thousands we already know. It is true to say that scientists admit that they still stand at the edge of the unknown in the universe, having hardly scraped the surface. This is in the twentieth century, what to say about the seventh.

Surah Jinn further down includes “the jinn’s account” who acknowledge in their own words many of the Truths like confirmation of Tauheed, their ignorance about what is beyond their perception, and that the Messenger’s knowledge is also restricted to what has been revealed to him.

Surah Jinn demonstrates that the jinns felt a great surprise on listening to the Quran and it greatly moved their minds, hearts and emotions. (If only humans could have these feelings). So much so that they rushed to their folks to share with them their novel experience and invited them to this new Faith. It shows that jinns have refined literary taste because when they heard the Quran for the first time their immediate reaction was “We have heard a wondrous discourse”. This is the beauty of our Holy Text. If one listens to it with an open and positive mind he will fully experience its “ intrinsic power, strong appeal and beautiful music”.

Dr. Mohammed Asad points out that the term jinn has different meanings in the Quran:

1) “Spiritual forces or beings” is the most common usage. As they do not have any corporeal existence, they are beyond human perception.This meaning would include “satans and satanic forces” as well as “angels and angelic forces” since all of them are "concealed from our senses" (Jawhari, Raghib).

2) I would let Dr. Asad explain the second use of this term. “The term jinn is also applied to a wide range of phenomena which, according to most of the classical commentators, indicate certain sentient organisms of so fine a nature and of a physiological composition so different from our own that they are not normally accessible to our sense-perception. We know, of course, very little as to what can and what cannot play the role of a living organism; moreover, our inability to discern and observe such phenomena is by no means a sufficient justification for a denial of their existence. The Qur'an refers often to "the realm which is beyond the reach of human perception" (al-ghayb), while God is frequently spoken of as "the Sustainer of all the worlds" (rabb al-alamin): and the use of the plural clearly indicates that side by side with the "world" open to our observation there are other "worlds" as well - and, therefore, other forms of life, different from ours and presumably from one another, and yet subtly interacting and perhaps even permeating one another in a manner beyond our ken. And if we assume, as we must, that there are living organisms whose biological premises are entirely different from our own, it is only logical to assume that our physical senses can establish contact with them only under very exceptional circumstances: hence the description of them as "invisible beings". Now that occasional, very rare crossing of paths between their life-mode and ours may well give rise to strange - because unexplainable - manifestations, which man's primitive fantasy has subsequently interpreted as ghosts, demons and other such "supernatural" apparitions”.

3) Sometimes, the term jinn is used in the Qur'an to denote “those elemental forces of nature - including human nature- which are recognised only by their effects on humans. Their intrinsic reality is unknown. The following two ayahs illustrate this type of connotation:¹⁰

“They claim there is a blood-tie between Him and the jinn but the jinn know very well that they will be arraigned”

and¹¹

“who whispers in people’s breasts and comes from the jinn and from mankind”.

4) “It is quite probable that in many instances where the Qur'an refers to jinn in terms usually applied to organisms endowed with reason, this expression either implies a symbolic "personification" of man's relationship with "satanic forces" (shayatin)” for example the following ayah.¹² “In this way We have appointed as enemies to every Prophet shaytans from both mankind and from the jinn, who inspire each other with delusions by means of specious words……….”

or else “ it is a metonym for a person's preoccupation with what is loosely described as "occult powers", whether real or illusory, as well as for the resulting practices such, like sorcery, necromancy, astrology, soothsaying, etc”. It should be noted that the Quran has always condemned such endeavors.

5) “In a few instances the term jinn may conceivably denote beings not invisible in and by themselves but, rather “hitherto unseen beings”. Dr. Asad further explains thus: “namely, strangers who had never before been seen by the people among and to whom the Qur'an was then being revealed. From 46:30 (which evidently relates to the same occurrence as the present one) it transpires that the jinn in question were followers of the Mosaic faith, inasmuch as they refer to the Qur'an as "a revelation bestowed from on high after (that of) Moses", thus pointedly omitting any mention of the intervening prophet, Jesus, and equally pointedly stressing their rejection of the Christian concept of the Trinity. All this leads one to the assumption that they may have been Jews from distant parts of what is now the Arab world, perhaps from Syria or even Mesopotamia. (Tabari mentions in several places that the jinn referred to in this surah as well as in 46:29 hailed from Nasibin, a town on the upper reaches of the Euphrates.) I should, however, like to stress that my explanation of this occurrence is purely tentative”.

6) Finally, references to jinn are sometimes meant to recall certain legends deeply embedded in the consciousness of the people to whom the Qur'an was addressed in the first instance, the purpose being, in every instance, not the legend as such but the illustration of a moral or spiritual truth. The following ayah may serve as examples:¹³

“And some of the shaytans dived for him and did other things apart from that. And We were watching over them”.

The Quran tells us that God commanded the angels to bow down to Adam, and they obeyed except Iblis. This implies that Iblis, though a jinn enjoyed the company of angels. Frequently in the Holy Text, jinns and men are bracketed together despite the contrast in their origin: men from clay and jinns from a flame of fire.

Some of the comments of Maulana Maudoodi on these ayahs are really conducive in getting to the bottom of reality of jinn: “This also shows that the jinn not only hear what human beings say but also understand their language, although it is not necessary that all the jinn might know all the human languages. It is possible that those of them who live in a particular region of the earth might know the language of the people of that region. But in any case this statement of the Quran clearly shows that the jinn who listened to the Quran at that time were so conversant with the Arabic language that they not only appreciated the matchless eloquence of the divine word but also understood its sublime subject-matter”. He goes on to state:

(1) That the jinn do not deny Allah’s existence and His being Lord and Sustainer.

(2) That among them there are polytheists also, who like polytheistic human beings ascribe divinity to others than Allah: thus, the community of the jinn whose members heard the Quran was polytheistic.

(3) That the Prophethood and revelation of divine scriptures does not exist among the jinn, but whoever of them believe, they believe in the Prophets raised among human beings and in the Books brought by them. This same thing is confirmed by( Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayats 29-30), where it has been stated that the jinn who had then heard the Quran, were from among the followers of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), and they after having heard the Quran, had invited their people to believe in the revelation that had been sent down by God confirming the previous scriptures. Surah Ar-Rahman also points to the same, for its whole subject-matter shows that the audience of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) invitation are both the men and the jinn.

(4) That these jinn were either from among the Christian jinn, or they were followers of a different religion in which Allah was regarded as having children and families.

(5) That at that time the Prophet (peace be upon him) was reciting some such part of the Quran hearing which they realized the error of their creed and knew that it was sheer ignorance and impudence to ascribe wife and children to the High and Exalted Being of Allah.

(6) The jinns accept that morally there are also good and bad jinn among us, and from the viewpoint of creed as well, all do not follow one and the same religion, but we are divided into different groups. With these words the believing jinn want to convince the other jinn of their community that they certainly stood in need of finding out the right way and could not dispense with this need.

In the event that the index ayahs are referring to, the Holy Prophet did not even know the the jinns were listening to him. However Mufti Mohammed Shafi refers to other reports that the Messenger actually met the jinns as part of his preaching campaign—Da’waa: Ibn Jauzi, in his book Sifat-us-Safwah, through his own chain of authorities, reports from Sahl Ibn 'Abdullah that he saw an old Jinn, in a place, who was performing salah in the direction of Ka'bah. He was wearing a woolen cloak that looked beautiful on him and in which he looked graceful. After he completed his prayer, Sayyidna Sahl greeted him. Replying to his greeting, he said: 'You seem to be admiring the beauty of this cloak. This cloak is on my body for seven hundred years. I have met Holy Prophet Isa in this cloak and in the same cloak I met Holy Prophet Muhammad and I am from among those Jinns about whom Surah Al-Jinn was revealed. According to the Hadith narratives that recount the incident of the 'Night of Jinn',(i.e.the night in which the Jinns visited the Holy Prophet) Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud was with the Holy Prophet and the Holy Prophet met the Jinns in a valley near Makkah for the specific purpose of inviting them to the call of Islam and making them hear the Qur'an by deliberate design. Apparently, this incident occurred after the incident mentioned in Surah Al-Jinn. 'Allamah Khafaji has said that reliable hadith confirm that the Jinn delegations met the Holy Prophet six times. Thus there is no contradiction between the two versions of the incident, because they are two separate incidents. The Holy Prophet was not even aware of the incident of the Jinn's coming to him and listening to the Qur'an that is mentioned in Surah Jinn. He only learnt about it later through revelation. This incident happened at Nakhlah on his way back from Taif. The other narratives from which we gather that before the advent of the Holy Prophet the Jinn and devils had free access to the heavenly information. They used to position themselves in the cloud and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels and pass the information to the soothsayers. At the advent of the Holy Prophet, there arose the need to protect the heavenly revelation. As a result, the access of devils to the upper region was stopped in such a way that if a devil attempted to go up, he would be repelled by piercing flames. This was the new phenomenon that excited the curiosity of the devils and Jinn and, dividing themselves into groups, they went to the east and to the west to investigate. One of the groups arrived at a place called Nakhlah where its members heard the Qur'an and embraced the faith of Islam as mentioned in Surah Al-Jinn. The Holy Prophet met the Jinn by deliberate design in a valley near the city of Makkah to preach to them and make them hear the Qur'an is a separate incident which took place after that.

It seems that before the advent of the Holy Prophet the Jinn and devils had free access to the heavenly information. They used to position themselves in the cloud and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels and pass the information to the soothsayers. At the advent of the Holy Prophet ,there arose the need to protect the heavenly revelation. As a result, the access of devils to the upper region was stopped in such a way that if a devil attempted to go up, he would be repelled by piercing flames. This was the new phenomenon that excited the curiosity of the devils and Jinn and, dividing themselves into groups, they went to the east and to the west to investigate. One of the groups arrived at a place called Nakhlah where its members heard the Qur'an and embraced the faith of Islam as mentioned in Surah Al-Jinn.

As stated earlier, the Holy Prophet had no direct communication with jinns; he was informed through wahi. This contradicts the Quraish who had charged that the Prophet was assisted by jinns. The research scholar and mentor Javed Ahmed Ghamdi points out that this does not prove that our Prophet was also a prophet for jinns. However, he adds it does bear out a general rule: Truth, revealed whenever and however should be welcomed by all thinking beings. This is the basis of our positive attitude towards the teachings and shariah of all the prophets preceding Prophet Mohammed.

Like jinn, the shayatin share the characteristics of invisibility. Some scholars put them merely under one category of the supernatural. However the prevailing opinion among the mufassirs distinguish between the jinn and shayatin as following:

While among the jinn, there are different types of believers (Muslims, Christians, Jewish, polytheists, etc.), the shayatin are exclusively evil.

Jinn are mortals and die, while the shayatin only die, when their leader ceases to exist.

Since the shayatin are limited to "evil", they lack free will and are inaccessible to the "good." A hadith emphasizes the impossibility for the shayatin to access salvation: "One kind of beings will dwell in Paradise, and they are the malaikah (angels); one kind will dwell in the Hellfire, and they are the shayatin, and other kinds will dwell [such that] some are in Paradise and some in the Hellfire, and those are the jinn and the naas (mankind)."

While the Quran remains unclear about the origin of the shayatin, most commentators identify them with Iblis' progeny by referring to hadiths. Some exegetes, such as Zakariya al-Qazwini, even elaborated a more extensive account on the shayatin, based on hadith traditions. Accordingly, the shayatin are generally hermaphrodite, unable to marry, and reproduce by laying eggs. The shayatin were created from the smoke of fire, while the jinn from its blaze and angels from its light.

The existence of shayatin is generally affirmed in Islam. Commonly the shayatin are just tempters inciting the mind of humans with "whisperings" (waswās). However the characteristics of the shayatin in folk Islam is far more extensive than in standard Islamic theology. According to Islam, it is recommended to recite a certain du'a (supplication), like "A'uzu Billahi Minesh shaitanir Rajiim" and the Suras "An-Naas" or "Al-Falaq" to protect oneself from the shayatin. Supported by hadiths from Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami` at-Tirmidhi, the shayatin can not harm the believers during the month of Ramadan, since they are chained in Jahannam (Gehenna (hellfire)).

Some Sufi writers link the works of shayatin to human psyche. Ghazali linked them to man's inner spiritual development. Accordingly, the shayatin do not reproduce but lay their eggs into the heart of human. In this regard, Ghazali links the children of Iblis, mentioned by earlier scholars, such as Tabari, to humans misdeeds, caused by the corresponding shaitan, such as Daism and Zalambur.

Coming back to jinns, sufi traditions relate the meaning of jinn back to its origin "something that is concealed from sights", thus they belong to the hidden realm; the angels from the heavenly realm and the jinn from a sublunary realm. Ibn Arabi stated: "Only this much is different: The spirits of the jinn are lower spirits, while the spirits of angels are heavenly spirits".The jinn share, due to their intermediary abode both angelic and human traits. According to some Sufi teachings, a jinn is like an "empty cup", composed of its own ego and intention, and a reflection of its observer. It is suggested, it would be easier for human to contact a jinn, than an angel because jinn are closer to the material realm.

In Folk literature, Jinn is the character in the One Thousand and One Nights story of "The Fisherman and the Jinni”; more than three different types of jinn are described in the story of Ma‘ruf the Cobbler; two jinn help young Aladdin in the story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp; as Ḥasan Badr al-Dīn weeps over the grave of his father until sleep overcomes him, and he is awoken by a large group of sympathetic jinn in the Tale of ‘Alī Nūr al-Dīn and his son Badr ad-Dīn Ḥasan. In some stories, jinn are credited with the ability of instantaneous travel (from China to Morocco in a single instant); in others, they need to fly from one place to another, though quite fast (from Baghdad to Cairo in a few hours).

Some modernist commentators, on the basis of the word's meaning, reinterpreted references to jinn as microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses or undetectable uncivilized persons. Others try to reconcile the traditional perspective on jinn, with modern sciences. Fethullah Gülen, leader of Hizmet movement, had put forward the idea, that jinn may be the cause of schizophrenia and cancer and that the Quranic references to jinn on "smokeless fire" could for that matter mean "energy" Others again refuse connections between illness and jinn, but still believe in their existence, due to their occurrences in the Quran.

Modern Salafi tenets of Islam, refuse reinterpretations of jinn and adhere to literalism, arguing the threat of jinn and their ability to possess humans, could be proven by Quran and Sunnah. Jinn are taken as serious danger by adherents of Salafism. Saudi Arabia, following the Wahhabism strand of Salafism, impose death penalty for dealing with jinn to prevent sorcery and witchcraft. Salafi scholar Umar Sulaiman Al-Ashqar has stated, that demons are actually simply unbelieving jinn. Muhammad Al-Munajjid, an important scholar in Salafism and founder of IslamQA, asserts that reciting various quranic verses and adhkaar "prescribed in Sharia" can protect against jinn.

Witchcraft (Arabic: سِحْر sihr, which also means magic and wizards) is often associated with jinn specially around the Middle East. Therefore, 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. Jinn are also regarded as assistants of soothsayers who reveal information from the past and present; the jinn can be a source of this information because their lifespans exceed those of humans. Ibn Al-Nadim, a Muslim scholar and author of his Kitāb al-Fihrist, describes a book that lists 70 Jinn led by Fuqtus (Arabic: Fuqṭus فقْطس), including several jinn appointed over each day of the week.Bayard Dodge, who translated al-Fihrist into English, notes that most of these names appear in the Testament of Solomon.

During the, Rawandan 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.

Jinn frequently occur as characters or plot elements in fiction and popular culture. Genies appear in films in various forms, such as the genie freed by Abu, the eponymous character in the 1940 film “Thief of Bagdad”. A "Blue Djinn" character appears in the 1960s sitcom “I Dream Of Jeannie”. A jinni makes a short appearance in the novel “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman, originally published in 2001. In this interpretation, jinn and all other spirits are not physical beings, but are instead from another dimension of chaos called "The Other Place". To exist on Earth at all, magicians must summon sprits and force them to take some kind of form, something so alien that it causes all spirits pain. As a result, magicians must put measures in place to force spirits to do what they want in a form of magical slavery.

Let me try to make some functional sense out of this confusing literature:

2) Simply a spirit, or an invisible/hidden force or spiritual forces/beings are the common usage and explanation for the term jinn mentioned in and by the Islamic scholarship.

3) As they do not have any corporeal existence, they are beyond human sight and perception; their intrinsic reality is unknown.

4) The Quran describes several qualities and features of jinns:

........and Allah knows best.

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

Dr. Khalid Mitha

FOOTNOTES

(1) Surah 2/269

يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ

(2) Surah 102/8

ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ

(3) Folklore about Jinn (Wikipedia)

When Islam spread outside of Arabia, belief in the jinn was assimilated with local belief about spirits and deities from Iran, Africa, Turkey and India. Persians, for example, identified the jinn in the Quran with the Div from Zoroastrian lore. Developed from various traditions and local folklore, but not mentioned in canonical Islamic scriptures, jinn were thought to be able to possess humans; Morocco especially has many possession traditions, including exorcism rituals. In Sindh the concept of the jinni was introduced during the Abbasid Era and has become a common part of local folklore, also including stories of both male jinn called "jinn" and female jinn called "Jiniri". Folk stories of female jinn include stories such as the Jejhal Jiniri. Although, due to the cultural influence, the concept of jinn may vary, all share some common features. The jinn are believed to live in societies resembling those of humans, practicing religion (including Islam, Christianity and Judaism), having emotions, needing to eat and drink, and can procreate and raise families. Additionally, they fear iron, generally appear in desolate or abandoned places, and are stronger and faster than humans. Generally, jinn are thought to eat bones and prefer rotten flesh over fresh flesh. In later Albanian lore, jinn live either on earth or under the surface and may possess persons, who insulted them, for example, if their children are trodden upon or hot water was thrown on them.

(4) Surah 72/2-15

يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنَّا بِهِ ۖ وَلَن نُّشْرِكَ بِرَبِّنَا أَحَدًا

وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدًا

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى اللَّـهِ شَطَطًا

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّـهِ كَذِبًا

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقًا

وَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا كَمَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَبْعَثَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدًا

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا

وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ ۖ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّصَدًا

وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدًا

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ اللَّـهَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُ هَرَبًا

وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعْنَا الْهُدَىٰ آمَنَّا بِهِ ۖ فَمَن يُؤْمِن بِرَبِّهِ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخْسًا وَلَا رَهَقًا

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ ۖ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا

وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبًا

(5) Surah 46/29-31

وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنصِتُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم مُّنذِرِينَ

قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَابًا أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِلَىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

يَا قَوْمَنَا أَجِيبُوا دَاعِيَ اللَّـهِ وَآمِنُوا بِهِ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(6) Surah 34/14

فَلَمّا قَضَينا عَلَيهِ المَوتَ ما دَلَّهُم عَلىٰ مَوتِهِ إِلّا دابَّةُ الأَرضِ تَأكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الجِنُّ أَن لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ الغَيبَ ما لَبِثوا فِي العَذابِ المُهينِ

(7) Surah 7/27. (part of the ayah)

……..إِنَّهُ يَراكُم هُوَ وَقَبيلُهُ مِن حَيثُ لا تَرَونَهُم………..

(8) Surah 55/14-15

خَلَقَ الإِنسانَ مِن صَلصالٍ كَالفَخّارِوَخَلَقَ الجانَّ مِن مارِجٍ مِن نارٍ

(9) On The Term And Concept Of Jinn; Md Asad

In order to grasp the purport of the term jinn as used in the Qur'an, we must dissociate our minds from the meaning given to it in Arabian folklore, where it early came to denote all manner of "demons" in the most popular sense of this word. This folkloristic image has somewhat obscured the original connotation of the term and its highly significant - almost selfexplanatory - verbal derivation. The root-verb is janna, "he [or "it"] concealed" or "covered with darkness": cf. 6:76, which speaks of Abraham "when the night overshadowed him with its darkness (janna 'alayhi)". Since this verb is also used in the intransitive sense ("he [or "it"] was [or "became"] concealed", resp. "covered with darkness"), all classical philologists point out that al-jinn signifies "intense [or "confusing"] darkness" and, in a more general sense, "that which is concealed from [man's] senses", i.e., things, beings or forces which cannot normally be perceived by man but have, nevertheless, an objective reality, whether concrete or abstract, of their own.

In the usage of the Qur'an, which is certainly different from the usage of primitive folklore, the term jinn has several distinct meanings. The most commonly encountered is that of spiritual forces or beings which, precisely because they have no corporeal existence, are beyond the perception of our corporeal senses: a connotation which includes "satans" and "satanic forces" (shayatin - see note 16 on 15:17) as well as "angels" and "angelic forces", since all of them are "concealed from our senses" (Jawhari, Raghib). In order to make it quite evident that these invisible manifestations are not of a corporeal nature, the Qur'an states parabolically that the jinn were created out of "the fire of scorching winds" (nar as-samam, in 15:27), or out of "a confusing flame of fire" (marij min nar, in 55:15), or simply "out of fire" (7:12 and 38:76, in these last two instances referring to the Fallen Angel, Iblis). Parallel with this, we have authentic ahadith to the effect that the Prophet spoke of the angels as having been "created out of light" (khuliqat min nar: Muslim, on the authority of 'A'ishah) - light and fire being akin, and likely to manifest themselves within and through one another (cf. note 7 on verse 8 of surah 27). The term jinn is also applied to a wide range of phenomena which, according to most of the classical commentators, indicate certain sentient organisms of so fine a nature and of a physiological composition so different from our own that they are not normally accessible to our sense-perception. We know, of course, very little as to what can and what cannot play the role of a living organism; moreover, our inability to discern and observe such phenomena is by no means a sufficient justification for a denial of their existence. The Qur'an refers often to "the realm which is beyond the reach of human perception" (al-ghayb), while God is frequently spoken of as "the Sustainer of all the worlds" (rabb al-alamin): and the use of the plural clearly indicates that side by side with the "world" open to our observation there are other "worlds" as well - and, therefore, other forms of life, different from ours and presumably from one another, and yet subtly interacting and perhaps even permeating one another in a manner beyond our ken. And if we assume, as we must, that there are living organisms whose biological premises are entirely different from our own, it is only logical to assume that our physical senses can establish contact with them only under very exceptional circumstances: hence the description of them as "invisible beings". Now that occasional, very rare crossing of paths between their lifemode and ours may well give rise to strange - because unexplainable - manifestations, which man's primitive fantasy has subsequently interpreted as ghosts, demons and other such "supernatural" apparitions. Occasionally, the term jinn is used in the Qur'an to denote those elemental forces of nature - including human nature - which are "concealed from our senses" inasmuch as they manifest themselves to us only in their effects but not in their intrinsic reality. Instances of this connotation are found, e.g., in 37:158 ff. (and possibly also in 6:100), as well as in the earliest occurrence of this concept, namely, in 114:6. Apart from this, it is quite probable that in many instances where the Qur'an refers to jinn in terms usually applied to organisms endowed with reason, this expression either implies a symbolic "personification" of man's relationship with "satanic forces" (shayatin) an implication evident, e.g., in 6:112, 7:38, 11:119, 32:13 - or, alternatively, is a metonym for a person's preoccupation with what is loosely described as "occult powers", whether real or illusory, as well as for the resulting practices as such, like sorcery, necromancy, astrology, soothsaying -, etc.: endeavours to which the Qur'an invariably refers in condemnatory terms (cf. 2:102 and the corresponding note 84; also 6:128 and 130, or 72:5-6). In a few instances (e.g., in 46:29-32 and 72:1-15) the term jinn may conceivably denote beings not invisible in and by themselves but, rather, "hitherto unseen beings" (see note 1 on 72:1). Finally, references to jinn are sometimes meant to recall certain legends deeply embedded in the consciousness of the people to whom the Qur'an was addressed in the first instance (e.g., in 34:12-14, which should be read in conjunction with note 77 on 21:82) - the purpose being, in every instance, not the legend as such but the illustration of a moral or spiritual truth.

(10) Surah 37/158

وَجَعَلوا بَينَهُ وَبَينَ الجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا ۚ وَلَقَد عَلِمَتِ الجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُم لَمُحضَرونَ

(11) Surah 114/5-6

الَّذي يُوَسوِسُ في صُدورِ النّاسِ — مِنَ الجِنَّةِ وَالنّاسِ

(12) Surah 6/112 (part of the ayah)

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلنا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَياطينَ الإِنسِ وَالجِنِّ يوحي بَعضُهُم إِلىٰ بَعضٍ زُخرُفَ القَولِ غُرورًا

(13) Surah 21/82

وَمِنَ الشَّياطينِ مَن يَغوصونَ لَهُ وَيَعمَلونَ عَمَلًا دونَ ذٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنّا لَهُم حافِظينَ

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An Attempt to Comprehend the Existence of Jinn in the light of Quran, Hadith and Islamic Scholarship