THE JINNS, PART 1. By Bashir Habeeb A.

THE JINNS, PART 1.

By Bashir Habeeb A.

The word Jinn in ‘Arabic refers to something that is concealed and hidden.

It says in Lisaan al-‘Arab: Janana means to cover or conceal. Everything that is concealed from you is Junna ‘Anka (concealed from you). Jannahu al-layl means the night covered him. The Jinn is so called because they are concealed and hidden from view. Hence the fetus is called al-Janeen because it is concealed in his mother’s womb.

Jinns are one of the creatures of Allaah. Jinns are creatures created with free will (the ability to do good or bad). An average Muslim does not know if jinns truly exist due to their nature of existence (invisible or hidden from view).

However, it is expedient for a Muslim to know that jinns truly exist without doubting. Perhaps the creation of jinn existed before the creation of man.

While humans are created from earthly sand, the Jinns are created from smokeless fire. Among them are Muslims and Kuffar, Male and female. They procreate like humans too but live extremely long ages compared to man.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِن صَلْصَٰلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

Quran 15:26-27

There are some Muslims who believe jinns are evil spirit, thus this belief is wrong and contrary to the teachings of Islam about jinns, jinns are creatures just like mankind. Mankind and jinns are created to worship Allaah

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

Quran 51:56

There are some differences and similarities between mankind and jinn. Before then, let’s talk on the types of jinns.

TYPE A: THOSE WHO ARE GOOD AND ARE MUSLIMS

There are different types of jinns, there are some who do good and are Muslims likewise there are some who do otherwise and are companions of shaytan (devil).

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ كُنَّا طَرَآئِقَ قِدَدًا

Quran 72:11

These type of jinns are doers of good deeds, thus they perform their prayers, learn the Quran, and seeking Allaah’s protection against the evil ones. Allah commands prophet Muhammad (peace be up on him) to inform his people that the Jinns listened to the Qur’an, believed in it, affirmed its truthfulness and adhered to it. So Allah says,

قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْانًا عَجَبًا

Quran 72:1-2

Narrated ‘Abdur-Rahman: “I asked Masruq, ‘Who informed the Prophet (s.a.w) about the Jinns at the night when they heard the Qur’an?’ He said, ‘Your father ‘Abdullah informed me that a tree informed the Prophet (s.a.w) about them.’ ”

[Ref: Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 5, Book 58, Hadith 199]

TYPE B: THOSE WHO DWELL IN THE HOUSE ARE CALLED “AWAAMIR”

These group of Jinns live in the house, they can change from their own nature to a snake guise and thus, they do not harm.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree said: The Apostle of Allaah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: “Some snakes are jinn; so when anyone sees one of them in his house, he should give it a warning three times. If it return (after that), he should kill it, for it is a devil.”

[Saheeh Muslim (4158), Sunan Abu Dawood (5258)]

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: That he heard the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam delivering a sermon on the pulpit saying, “Kill snakes and kill Dhu-at-Tufyatain (i.e. a snake with two white lines on its back) and ALBATROSS (i.e. a snake with short or mutilated tail) for they destroy the sight of one’s eyes and bring about abortion.” (‘Abdullaah bin ‘Umar further added): Once while I was chasing a snake in order to kill it, Abu Lubaba called me saying: “Don’t kill it,” I said. “Allaah’s Apostle (pbuh) ordered us to kill snakes.” He said, “But later on he prohibited the killing of snakes living in the houses.” (Az-Zuhri said. “Such snakes are called Al-‘Awaamir.”) 

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3299)]

TYPE C: THOSE WHO ARE EVIL ARE CALLED SHAYTAN (PLURAL ‘SHAYATEEN’).

The term Shaytaan can also be applied to evil men too

Allaah ta’ala says: 

And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies – Shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinn

Qur’an 6:112

Jinns are oftenly found in abandoned settlements and buildings, the open dessert. They also occupy places of impurity like toilets, garbage – dumps, and graveyards. Soofi (mystic) saints (Peer Babas) who perform satanic feast often retreat to such places where devils most often reside.

The kuffar Jinns are called shayateen. Evil humans by means of filth, kufr and shirk Sometimes be friend the evil Jinns who aid their human friends and even enable them to perform supernatural deeds of variety of kinds. The evil Jinns perform extraordinary feats by which they mislead the benighted and gullible ones who run after miracles, thus tricking them into believing that they are the friends of Allaah “Auliya” (Saints). When these “shaytani Auliya” propitiate the evil jinn with Kufr, shirk and immorality, the jinns then fulfils their desires.

Supernatural deeds are manifested by shayateen on the hands of their Auliya (friends) to mislead people. The clueless and ignorant are cast into severe trials when they observe men demonstrating acts which appear to be miracles when in reality, they are satanic manifestations. Many ignorant Muslims destroy their imaan by submitting to the dictates and demands of the shayateen. May Allaah guide and protect us from the evil inclination if the shayateen. Aamyyn.

TYPE D: THOSE WHO RESIDE IN THE TOILETS ARE KNOWN AS KHUBUTH.

These kind of Jinns reside in the toilets and bathrooms. these Jinns are capable of possessing human most especially the females, if he or she failed to say her prayers from entering toilets. Hence it is necessary to say the adhkar before entering the toilets.

Anas reported that when the Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam entered the privy he would say, “In the name of Allaah. O Allaah! I seek refuge in you from male (khubuth) and female (khabaa’ith) noxious beings (devils).” 

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (142) & Muslim (376)]

Below is the prayer to say before entering the toilet.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ. اللَّهُـمَّ إِنِّي أَعُـوذُ بِـكَ مِـنَ الْخُـبْثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ

Reference: Al-Bukhari 1/45, Muslim 1/283, Fathul-Bari 1/244