What is the meaning of the word jinn and where are jinn to be found? In what ways are they different from us? Also please speak about the spirit, good and evil. Some people suggest that Jinns sometimes attack the Muslims that turn their backs on their faith. Please comment.

Allah tells us in the Quran that He has created a different type of creature from us whom we cannot see, in the same way as we cannot see the angels or sound waves or the electric current. We are required to believe in what Allah has mentioned about them in the Quran, such as the fact that they were created before us and that they were made out of fire. It does not follow that they remain in the shape of fire, because we ourselves have been created originally from clay. They do see us in this world.

They will also face the reckoning on the Day of Judgment and will either be rewarded with heaven or punished in hell. They are required to believe in the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as they are required to believe in the message of Prophet Moses. However, some of them do respond and believe while many do not. The disbelievers among the jinn are the devils, or shaitans. They are man's worst enemy because it was shaitan who worked hard to cause man to be thrown out of heaven. Shaitan or Satan cannot do to man anything worse than trying to persuade him to abandon the path which draws him nearer to Allah and to indulge in sin.

Many people ask me about the spirit and I prefer not to answer any question on that because Allah instructs the Prophet in Quran to say: "They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you (O men!)" (Al-Isra 17:85)

If Muslims turn away from their faith, they incur Allah's anger and make themselves open to His punishment. This may take any shape or form Allah chooses. Allah can call on any of His creatures to carry out His orders. When He wants to punish any of His creatures, He may employ any agent for inflicting it.

Allah may punish those who challenge His authority with floods, storms, volcanoes, catastrophes of every variety or He may allow any nation to subdue them. Whether He employs the jinn or not is a matter open to Him. Having said that, I should add that in the normal situation, the jinn live their lives separate from human lives. If Allah wishes the two lives to interact, He can accomplish that. However, we have not heard of any community which was attacked by jinn on a large scale.

Is there any real contact between humans and jinn? Is it true that a jinni can possess a person and speak on his lips, or not?

Yes, it is proven that the jinn can possess humans and harm them. Allah says concerning those who deal in riba (interpretation of the meaning):

�Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity� (Al-Baqarah 2:275)

i.e., when they rise from their graves at the Resurrection, they will only stand like one who has been possessed by the jinn because the belly of the one who deals in riba � Allah forbid � will be huge, so when he wants to stand up he will fall down, and every time he wants to stand up he will fall down and be exposed before all people, so he is likened to the possessed man who has been overcome by the jinn and devils. This indicates that the jinn can possess humans, which is something that is proven and well known from visible experience. The jinn can enter humans and possess them, causing them to go insane, either because the human has harmed them and they want to take revenge on him, or because they are toying with him, or for some other purpose that they are seeking.

To sum up: it is proven that the jinn can harm humans by possessing them, and this is indicated by the Quran and by visible experience that no one can deny but one who is ignorant.

The best means of dealing with that is reciting Quran over the one who is affected, and treating him with ruqyah that contains du�aa�s narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and what he is suffering will disappear, in sha Allah.

As for what some charlatans and liars do nowadays, such as prescribing some du�aa�s and drinks, claiming that this will bring the jinni out of the body of the person, the basic principle is that this is haraam and it is not permissible to treat such cases except with du�aa�s from Quran and Sunnah.

3. IBN TAYMEEYAH'S ESSAY ON THE JINN (DEMONS)

Ahmad ibn 'Abdul-Haleem ibn Taymeeyah was bron in the town of Harran [near Edessa, in what was once Northern Iraq, but is now called Orfa and is a part of Turkey.], in the year 1263 CE. His father was a leading scholar of the Hanbalite school of Islamic law and so was his grandfather, who authored Muntaqaa al-Akhbaar, the text of ash-Shawkaanee's Hadeeth classic Nayl al-Awtaar.

Ibn Taymeeyah mastered the various disciplines of Islamic study at an early age and read extensively the books of the various sects and religions in existence at that time. Much of his time and effort was spend defending the orthodox Islamic position against a tidal wave of deviation which had swept over the Muslim nation. Consequently, he faced many difficulties from both the prominent sectarian scholars of his time and from the authorities who supported them. His clashes with them led to his imprisonment on numerous occasions.

Ibn Taymeeyah also fought, not only against internal enemies of Islam, but also against its external enemies by both his Fatwaas (Islamic legal rulings) and his physical participation in battles. His ruling allowing the taking up arms against groups which recognized the Shahaadataan (declaration of faith) but refused to uphold some aspects of the fundamental principles of Islam, greatly affected the resistance movement against the Tartars who had declared their acceptance of Islam but did not rule according to divine law.

During these struggles he wrote countless books and treatises demonstrating his extensive reading and knowledge, not only of the positions of the early scholars, but also those of the legal and theological schools which had subsequently evolved. Ibn Taymeeyah also had a major effect on the open-minded schloars of his day, most of whom were from the Shaafi'ite school of law. Among the most famous of his students were IBN KATHEER, ADH-DHAHABEE and IBN AL-QAYYIM.

The author died in 1328 while in prison in Damascus for his Fatwaa against undertaking journeys to visit the graves of saints [Ibn Taymeeyah's ruling was based on the authentic statement reported by Abu Hurayrah wherein the Prophet Muhammad (saws) said, "Do not undertake a journey except to three masjids; this masjid of mine, Masjid al-Haraam (Makkah) and Masjid al-Aqsaa (Bayt al-Maqdis)."

Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. His Fatwaa had been distorted by his enemies to say that he forbade visiting the Prophet Muhammad's (saws) grave.

Those involved in incantations and oaths often swear by some devils to help them against others. Sometimes the evil JINN fulfill their request but frequently they do not, especially when the JINN against whom help is sought is honored among them. Neither the one chanting incantations nor his incantations have any power to force the devils to help them. The reciter of incantations earnestly entreats a being whom he considered great - which may or may not be the case - to harm others who may conceivably be greater.

In the case where someone entreats the JINN to harm someone whom the JINN hold in high esteem, they will ignore him. In fact, it may prevent them from even responding at all. Their situations is quite similar to that of humans except that human beings are generally more intelligent, truthful, just and trustworthy while the JINN tend to be ignorant, untruthful, oppressive and treacherous.

The point is that though the oaths and incantations of devil-worshippers may contain statements of idolatry and disbelief, they are frequently ineffective against the JINN. When requested to kill or apprehend another JINN who has possessed a human, the JINN will often mock those who make the request by falsely giving them the impression that they killed or detained the offending JINN. This is especially so in cases where humans believe in the illusions created by the JINN.

The JINN usually communicate by either visions or voices ["The gleaning of hidden information by way of visions and voices has been well documented among clairvoyants and mediums. 'A medium' may be defined as a person through whose agency or through whose organism there are received communications ostensibly from deceased human beings or other discarnate or remote entities. In what is called 'clairvoyant mediumship' -now popularly known as channeling- the medium 'sees' or 'hears' the deceased friends and relatives of persons present and relays messages from them.

Generally speaking, the experiences concerned seem not to have the distinctness of ordinary perception but are rather a seeing or hearing 'in the mind's eye' or ear. Sometimes, however, the figures seen or voices heard may attain as hallucinatory vividness; the medium's experience then resembles that of one who witnesses an apparition." (Benjamin B. Wolman. ed., Handbook of Parapsychology, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1977, pp, 579-580)] with those seeking information among the idol-worshippers, Christians, Jews, and heretical Muslims driven astray by the devils.

JINNS may take the form of a live picture portraying whatever the sorcerers and fortunetellers wish to know about. When these deviants see the image of what they sought, they then inform other humans about it. Some of them may know that the image is actually an illusion, while others may be deluded into believing that they are actually witnessing the real scene.

JINNS may also make humans hear the voice of those whom they call upon who are far away. Such cases are frequent among idolaters, Christians, Jews and ignorant Muslims who seek refuge in those whom they consider holy. When some devotees call on their spiritual masters for help saying, "Oh my Lord so and so!" the JINN will address them in the voice of their masters.

When the masters answer their request, the JINN, in turn, answer the devotees in the masters' voice. This has happened to many people some of whom are known to me. The devils will often respond while talking the form of the one besought, whether dead or alive, even if he is unaware of those who call on him.

Those committing Shirk in this fashion believe that the person beseeched has actually replied when in fact it is the JINN replying. This frequently happens to Christians who call on those whom they edify, whether dead or alive, like George or other holy figures [ROME, Feb 24 1989 (AFP) - A retired Italian roadman Renato Baron claims that he has been seeing and talking to the Virgin Mary for nearly three years now. Visions by Baron and about THIRTY others have attracted tens of thousands of people from Italy, France, Belgium, and West Germany to a hill near Venice, causing huge traffic jams.

Ambridge, Pennsylvania - A small Roman Catholic Church in a western Pennsylvania mill town is preparing for a deluge of pilgrims after a reported Good Friday miracle in which the eyes of a statue of Christ suddenly closed. The Rev. Vincent Cvitkovic, a Franciscan friar, and many of his parishioners reported that the eyes of a life-size statue which depicts the crucified Christ, which have been open for 60 years, closed during a prayer meeting. (The Times, Monday, April 10th 1989, no. 63, 364, p.8)

In 1981 a group of five children were playing on a hill just outside of a village in the Yugoslavian Republic of Bosnia - Herzegovina called Medugorje when a vision of a beautiful woman claiming to be the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared before them. Since 1981 some seven to eight million pilgrims from different countries, cultures and Christian traditions have climbed up the holy hill of Medugorje.

At 7:30 every evening pilgrims and tourists anxiously crowd around the dark rectory of a nearby church staring at the stream of light which will signify that once more the children, who still gather there daily, are having their private audience with the Blessed Mother. (IRF, Newsletter of the International Religious Foundation, Inc., Vol II, No. 6, Nov-Dec 1987, pp 1-2).

Divine grace (salvation) is felt to be especially potent in places visited by Jesus Christ or Saints or by Mary; where they have appeared in visions. Major pilgrimage centers include Lourdes where visions of the Virgin Mary were first seen in 1858 and where healing has been occurring since that time. (John R. Hinnells, ed., Dictionary of Religions, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1984, p. 284)].

It also occurs to heretical Muslims who call on the dead or those not present, and the devils take the form of the one called upon even without him realizing it. I know of many cases where this has occurred and the people called upon have told me that they did not know that they were called upon, though those beseeching them for help saw their images and were convinced that it was the actual person. More than one person has mentioned that they called on me in times of distress, each telling a different story about how I have responded.

When I told them that I never answered any of them nor did I know that they were calling on me, some said that it must have been an angel. I told them that angels do not benefit those committing SHIRK and that it was actually a devil trying to further misguide them.

Sometimes the Jinn will take the form of those admired and stand at 'Arafat, and those who believe well of him will think that he actually stood in 'Arafat. Many others have also been actually carried by the devils to 'Arafat and other sacred places.

In such cases they pass the Meeqaat (boundaries that may not be crossed while on Hajj, around Makkah) without formally entering the state of Ihraam, or performing many of the obligatory rites of Hajj like making the Talbeeyah (chant of response to God's call) or circulating the Ka'bah, and walking between the mounts of Safaa and Marwah.

Among them are some who do not even pass through Makkah, others who stand at 'Arafat without performing the pre-requisite rite of casting stones at the Jamaraat etc.

It is by these and other similar feats that Satan leads seemingly pious people in misguidance. Sincere devotees among heretics are in this way enticed to do acts which are prohibited (Haraam) or despised (Makrooh) in the religion. Satan is able to make such misdeeds appealing to them by convincing them that they are among the Karaamaat (supernatural or quasi-miraculous feats) of the righteous. However they are, without a doubt, Satanic deceptions because Allah cannot be worshipped by any religious injunction which is neither compulsory (Waajib) nor recommended (Mustahabb).

Whoever performs an act of worship which is neither Waajib nor Mustahabb believing that it is so, has been deceived by Satan. Even if it is decreed that such a person will be forgiven due to his good intention and striving, the act itself is still unacceptable to Allah

[An example may be seen in the mistaken belief held by some that a man's head must be covered while he is in formal prayer - Salaah - as is the case among Jews or that a woman's hair to be covered while reading the Qur'aan. However, the Prophet saws did not order that it be done nor recommended it but merely followed the customs of his people during that time.].

Such acts are not among the things with which Allah honors His pious servants who are close to Him, as there is no honor in performing prohibited (Haraam) or despised (Makrooh) acts

[Such is the case of the celebration of the Prophet's saws birthday - 'Eed Meelaad an-Nabee - which probably began among ignorant Muslims trying to outdo or at least compete with the Christians's celebrations of Christmas. Meelaad celebrations are a form of innovation - Bid'ah - in religion which has been forbidden by the Prophet saws who said: "Whoever innovates in this affair ouf ours - i.e. Islaam - something which does not belong to it will be rejected. � [Reported by 'Aa'eshah in Al-Bukaaree and Muslim].

Divine honor lies in protecting one whom Allah loves from such acts and preventing him from doing them. For, committing misdeeds debases one who does them and does not in any way favor him, even if he is not punished for doing them. Doing despised or Haraam acts MUST decrease the spiritual level of both the one who does them as well as his followers who praise such acts and glorify him. For, heaping praise on prohibited and despised acts, and honoring the one who does them is definitely a form of deviation from the path of Allah.

The more and more a man innovates in the religion as a result of independent judgment (Ijtihaad), the farther he becomes from Allah, because innovation (Bid'ah) removes him from Allah's path; the divine path of "All who obey Allah and the messenger in the company of those on whom is theGrace of Allah - of the prophets, the sincere, the witnesses, and the Righteous: Ah! what a beautiful fellowship" (An-Nisaa 4:69)

unto the path of "....not the way of those with whom Allah is angry and those who have gone astray" (Al-Faatihah 1:7)

Ibn Taymeeyah mentioned the following [This begins a segment from vol.35 of Ibn Taymeeyah's compendium, Majmoo' al-Fataawaa.] historical incident concerning al-Hallaaj [Al-Husain ibn Mansoor al-Hallaj (858-922 CE) studied under the eminent Sufi teachers of his time (Tustaree, 'Amr Makee and Junaid) then broke with them and went out into this world to preach asceticism and mysticism in Khurasan, Ahwaz, Fars, India and Turkistan.

On his return to Baghdad from Makkah in 908, many were attracted by his teachings, and disciples rapidly gathered around him. He taught that the five pillars of Islaam may be replaced by other works. He also taught about the existence of an uncreated Divine spirit (Rooh Naatiqah) which becomes united with the created spirit of the ascetic through desire of and submission to suffering. In his teachings the Saint (Walee) became the living and personal witness of God (H.A.R. Gibb and J.H. Kramers, Encyclopedia of Islam, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1st ed., 1953, pp 127-80).

Consequently he stated in his book: "If you do not recognize God, at least recognize His sign, I am the creative truth -Ana al-Haqq-, because through the truth, I am eternal truth. My friends and teachers are Iblees (Satan) and Pharaoh. Iblees was threatened with Hellfire, yet, he did not recant. Pharaoh was drowned in the sea, yet he did not recant, for he would not acknowledge anything between him and God

(i.e. Hallaaj felt that Iblees' refusal to prostrate to Aadam and Pharaoh's statement "I am your Lord, most High" were correct!). And, I, though, I am killed and crucified and though my hands and feet are cut off; I do not recant." - Kitaab al-Tawaaseen, Massignon Press, Paris, 1913, vi, 32.

The leading scholars from all orthodox schools of Islamic law as well as the leading Shi'ite scholars and some of his former Sufi teachers declared him a heretic and he was subsequently executed due to his refusal to retract his claim to be the personification of God on earth.] and a group of his followers, "Some of them requested some sweets from al-Hallaaj, so he got up and went to a spot a short distance away, then returned with a plateful of sweets.

It was later discovered that it had been stolen from a candy shop in Yemen and carried by a devil to that area." Ibn Taymeeyah went on to say, "Incidents similar to this have happened to others who, like al-Hallaaj, also achieved the pinnacle of satanic states, and we know of quite a few such people in our time as well as other times.

For instance, there is a person presently residing in Damascus whom the devil used to carry from the Saaliheeyah mountain to villages around Damascus. He would appear out of the air and enter the windows of houses in which people were gathered to witness his 'miraculous entrance.'" Ibn Taymeeyah also quoted another mystic master who admitted that he used to fornicate with women and sodomise young boys.

The former mystic master said, "A black dog ["Abu Dharr reported: The Messanger of Allah said: 'When any one of you stands for prayer it should be towards something that shields him equivalent (in height) to the back of a saddle, otherwise his prayer will be broken by passing of a donkey, a woman or a black dog.' I asked 'O Abu Dharr, what is the difference between a black dog, a red dog and tan-colored dog?'

He replied, 'O son of my brother, I also asked Allah's Messenger as you are asking me, and he said: 'The black dog is a devil.'" (Saheeh Muslim and all other in the six Saheeh books with the exception of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree)] with two white spots between his eyes would come to me and say, 'Verily such and such a person has made an oath by you and he will come to you tomorrow to inform you about it. I have already fulfilled his need for your sake.'

[When questioned during his trial, the infamous New York City mass murderer of the seventies, "Son of Sam", claimed that a dog used to come in backyard of his house and tell him to kill his victims. It was assumed by the court and his psychiatrists that he was mentally deranged and the dog a figment of his imagination.]

The person would then come to him the next day and the Sufi master would reveal the details of his oath to him and how it was fulfilled. The Sufi master went on to say, 'I used to walk about the city and a black pole with a light on top of it would lead the way.' " Ibn Taymeeyah said, "When the Sufi master repented and began to pray, fast, and avoid the forbidden, the black dog went away."

He also narrated the following about another mystic master who had the aid of devils whom he would dispatch to possess people: "When the family of the possessed would come to him seeking a cure, he would send a message to his demon companion and they would leave the possessed persons, as a result, the Shaykh would be given many dirhams for his services.

Sometimes the Jinn would bring him dirhams and food which they stole from people, so much so that the Shaykh would request dates from his devils and they would take them from beehives in which some poeple had hidden their dates. When the beehive owners would look for their dates they would find them gone."

About yet another mystic, Ibn Taymeeyah relates, "There was a Shaykh knowledgeable in the religious sciences and Quranic recitation to whom the devils came and eventually managed to seduce. They told him that Salaah was no longer required of him and that they would bring him whatever he wished. As soon as he complied with their wishes, they began to bring him a variety of sweets and fruit. This continued until he was advised to repent by some scholars that he visited who were firmly following the Sunnah.

He subsequently repented and repaid the owners of the sweets for what he ate while under the influence of the JINN." He then went on to say, "Many of those who call on Shaykhs in time of need saying, 'O master so and so, or Shaykh so and so, fulfill my need' have seen an image of the Shaykh saying, 'I will fulfill your need and put your heart at ease,' then it fulfills their needs or repels their enemies.

In such cases it is a devil taking the Shaykh's form when they committed Shirk by associating partners with Allah and calling on others beside Him." Ibn Taymeeyah then went on to enumerate similar instances involving himself saying, "I know of many such incidences even among a group of my companions who called on me in times when they were struck by calamities. One was afraid of the Romans and another of the Tatars.

Both of them mentioned that they called out to me, they saw me in the air and I repelled their enemies for them. I informed them that I did not hear their cries no did I repel their enemies. It was a devil taking my appearance to seduce them when they associated partners with Allah the Almighty.

Similar incidents have also happened to the students of my contemporaries among the scholars, whereby some of their students have sought refuge in them and have seen them fulfill their needs. The scholars have also denied doing so and indicated that it was in fact the work of devils." [Majmoo' Al-Fataawaa, Vol. 35, pp. 112-116]

In another book, Ibn Taymeeyah said, "I know people whom the plants greet and inform them of their beneficial ingredients, however it is, in fact, Satan who has entered the plants and spoken to them. I also know of others to whom stones and trees speak saying, "Congratulations, Oh friend of Allah" and when the people recite Aayatul-Kursee it stops. I am acquainted with yet others who have gone bird-hunting and the sparrows addressed them saying, "Take me so that the poor may eat me."

Such are cases of the evil JINN possessing the birds in the same way that others who, while in their house with the doors and vice versa [Many of those in our times who have claimed what is known as 'out-of-body experiences' or 'astral-travel' have recorded in vivid detail incidences similar to those mentioned by Ibn Taymeeyah. Others have met beings which claimed to be guides, guardian spirits or their higher selves.

However, the common thought which links most of these experiences is the ultimate expression of idolatry: that man is God, as was expressed by Al-Hallaaj and countless others before and after him.] He may even be taken through the closed city gates and back again swiftly by the JINN. Lights may shine on him or someone looking like his friend may call on him but, if he recites Aayatul-Kursee continually, it will all disappear."

He also said, "Some mystics have also said that the JINN showed them something shiny like water and glass in which images or pictures of whatever they sought information would appear and they in turn would inform people." Ibn Taymeeyah mentioned other instances and then concluded by saying, "This is a so vast a topic that if I were to mention all that I knew, it would fill a very large volume." [Ibn Taymeeyah, Al-Furqaan Bayna Awliyaa ar-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa ash-Shaytaan, pp. 87-92]

This is only a part of the book which also contains chapters on THE JINN, POSSESSION, EXORCISM AND WRITTEN EXORCISM as well as Sh. Ibn Baaz's Refutation of those who Deny Demonic Possession.

My husband has told me that in his country, many people including shiekhs have gone to talk with the jinn. He told me that when someone has an ailment they go to the jinn for help. I have told my husband that I believe that this is Haraam, but he says that it is halaal because the shiekhs do that. Could you please give me some evidence (daleel) about this matter?.

1 � Seeking the help of the jinn or turning to them to fulfill one�s desires to cause harm or bring benefit is shirk or associating others in worship with Allah, because it is a kind of mutual benefiting whereby the jinni responds to the human�s requests and fulfills 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.

�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 Allah may will. Certainly your Lord is All‑Wise, All‑Knowing.� (128) 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 6:128-129)

�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 Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�....If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers� (Az-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.

I would like to inform you that in Zambia there is a Muslim man 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?

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 fulfill 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 Allah 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 Allah 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.

We need to make da�wah, but one of us is focusing on treating those who are affected by the jinn. Is it permissible to neglect da�wah in order to do this deed?

How should those who are affected by evil whispers from the jinn be treated? Is it permissible to accept payment for this reading?.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn �Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked this question and he said:

Calling people to Allah (da�wah) is a communal obligation (fard kafaayah); if sufficient people undertake to do it, the rest are then absolved of the obligation. If a person finds that he has to do it and no one else can take his place, then it takes priority over reading Quran over one who is affected by the jinn. That is because the results of da�wah are certain whereas the results of reading Quran over one who is affected by the jinn may not be certain. How many people have had Quran recited over them and have not benefited.

So if this man realizes that he has to do da�wah and no one else can take his place, then he must do da�wah even if that means he does not recite Quran over one who is affected the jinn.

But if it is the matter of fard kafaayah, then you should look and decide what is in people�s best interests. If it is possible to combine the two � which seems to be the case � by devoting a day for one and day for the other whilst continuing to engage in da�wah, that is better, so that he may benefit his Muslim brothers who are suffering from this affliction and so that the work of calling people to Allah may continue at the same time.

With regard to the correct treatment of those who are affected by the jinn, that varies from one case to another, but the best is to recite Quran over the person, such as the words (interpretation of the meaning):

�O assembly of jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah)! (33) Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny? (34) There will be sent against you both, smokeless flames of fire and (molten) brass, and you will not be able to defend yourselves. (35) Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?� (Ar-Rahman 55:33-36)

Because this reminds them [the jinn] that they cannot flee from Allah. You should also recite al-Mi�wadhatayn [the last two Soorahs of the Quran] and Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad [al-Ikhlaas 112] and Aayat al-Kursiy [al-Baqarah 2:255]. You may also preach to them as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah used to do, telling them, �It is haraam for you to harm the Muslims or to beat them,� etc.

With regard to accepting payment for that: if he does not take money that is better, but if he takes it without stipulating payment beforehand that is acceptable. If those for whom he is reading do not carry out their duties towards the reader and he insists that he will only read for them if he is given something in return, there is nothing wrong with that, as this is what the people of the raiding party sent out by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did. It was narrated that Abu Sa�eed (may Allah be pleased with him) said: �A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them.

The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, �Why don�t you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.� So they went to them and said, �O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?� One of them said, �Yes, by Allah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.� Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.� Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-�Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, �Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.� So they went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked, �How did you know that it (al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?� Then he added, �You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.� And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) smiled.�

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.

�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)

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 Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah. 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 Allah will benefit you.� I said: �What is it?� he said:

�When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi, �Allah! 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 Allah, and no devil will come near you until morning comes. So I let him go, and the next morning I told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) what had happened. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah, �....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 Allah 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 Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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.

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 Quran 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 Allah 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 Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Is it possible that a prophet could have been sent to the Jinns in their form seeing that Allah sent a messenger to all nations?

With respect to prophets being sent to the Jinns from among their own form (i.e the Jinns), there is a difference of opinion among the scholars.

The great expert of the Quran Adh Dhahak was asked about whether prophets were sent from among the jinns, and he replied, �Have you not heard the statement of Allah where He says:

�O you assembly of jinn and Mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My Verses and warning you of the Meeting of this Day �� (Al-An�aam 6:130)

He said, �From this (verse), it shows that there were Messengers from men and Messengers from Jinns.� (Tafseer At Tabari, Vol.8, Pg.45, Dar Ihya At Turath Ar Arabi, Beirut 2001)

It is evident from the above that Dhahak (A.R) and those who agreed with him from among the scholars of Tafseer, held the opinion that just as prophets from among human beings were sent to humans, prophets from the Jinns were sent to the Jinns.

The opinion and verdict of the majority of the commentators and scholars however, is that from among the Jinns, no one was sent as a prophet/messenger. Prophets and Messengers were sent from only the human beings. This is the opinion of Abdullah bin Abass (R.A), Mujahid, Kalbi, Ubu Ubaid and the majority of the former and latter scholars. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Vol.3, Pg.82, Dar Al Kitab Al Arabi, Beirut 2013)

With respect to verse 130 of Sura An�am which states, �O you assembly of jinn and Mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you ..�� (Al-An�aam 6:130)

the great exegete, Mujahid says, �There was no messenger from among the Jinns. Messengers were sent from among humans only. However, from among the Jinns, �Warners� were sent (to warn their tribes). These warners from among the Jinns were agents who carried the message of the Prophets/Messengers to the Jinns. (Tafseer Mazhari, Vol.4, Pg.150, Darul Ishaat, Karachi 2010)

The great Scholar of Tafseer, Imam Kalbi has stated that before the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S), prophets were sent to the Jinns and to humans. Different prophets were sent to various tribes and nations. It was only the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S) who was sent to both Jinn and men. (Tafseer Mazhari, Vol.4, Pg.149 Darul Ishaat, Karachi 2010)

The Author of A�kam Al Marjan has stated, �Most of the Scholars have explained that from among the jinns there were some who were not made as prophets by Allah. However, Allah had sent them to different places on the earth to convey the message which they heard from the (human) Prophets/Messengers to their tribes from among the jinns. (Tareekh Jinnaat Wa Shayateen Luqt Al Marjan Fi Ahkam Al Jaan � Pg.111 Darul Ma�arif Multan, Pakistan)

The great exegete of the Quran, Qadhi Muhammad Thana�ullah Uthmani (A.R) has discussed this topic in his famous commentary of the Quran and has mentioned the different narrations of the great commentators. After mentioning the different opinions in his Tafseer, he writes, �I humbly state that it is evident from the verse of the Holy Quran, �O you assembly of jinn and Mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My Verses and warning you of the Meeting of this Day �� (Al-An�aam 6:130) �that whether it be Jinn or humans, Allah sent Messengers with guidance to each one of them. It is possible that Allah had sent only humans as prophets, and it is also possible that Jinns were also sent as prophets, before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S) to their tribes with guidance.�

Qadhi Thana�ullah further explained that before Adam (A.S), the Jinns inhabited the earth for thousands of years, and since they were also obligated to follow the religion of Allah and guidance, like human beings, it meant that before Adam (A.S), from among the jinns, some were chosen as prophets to their tribes. (Tafseer Mazhari, Vol.4, Pg.150 Darul Ishaat, Karachi 2010)

I am a Muslim woman living in Europe. I have been living in my home for a year. Few months ago I noticed that some things are disappearing from my home. Initially I did not care about it. But something returned after it disappeared, I have been looking for this thing for three months in the same place where I found it eventually. I became really frightened and started to remember all things that disappeared before. My heart is full of fear and doubt. Are there devils or something in this house? I pray regularly and read Quran daily, Alhamdulillah. I may neglect the daily adhkaar sometimes but now I am Alhamdulillah regular in saying them. I still fear for myself and family. Shall I leave this home or not? I cannot tolerate living here anymore, I am really tired, please help me.

Answer: Praise be to Allah.

You have done well to pray regularly and recite Quran daily, because these are among the best of deeds and means of protection against destructive and harmful things. We ask Allah to protect you and give you well being in your religious and worldly affairs.

If you are certain that some things have disappeared from your house, and that no one who lives with you has taken something for some reason, and that has happened repeatedly, then it is not unlikely that that was done by the jinn, because there are good and bad among them, and there are some who steal for themselves or for others. But the remedy for that is simple, praise be to Allah. If you mention the name of Allah when you put something down, and you say the name of Allah when you enter the house, and when you shut the door, then the jinn will have no way of entering your house or taking any of your things.

Muslim (2018) narrated from Jaabir ibn �Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: �When a man enters his house, and mentions Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, when he enters and when he eats, the shaytaan says: �You have no place to stay and no dinner.� But if he enters and does not mention Allah when he enters, the shaytaan says, �You have found a place to stay.� And if he does not mention Allah when he eats, he says: �You have found a place to stay and dinner.��

And Muslim (2012) narrated from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Cover vessels, tie up waterskins, close doors and extinguish lamps, for the shaytaan does not undo waterskins or open doors or uncover vessels. If one of you cannot find anything but a stick to place over his vessels, or to mention the name of Allah, let him do so��

Al-Bukhaari (3280) narrated it with the wording: �Shut your door and mention the name of Allah; extinguish your lamps and mention the name of Allah; tie up your waterskins and mention the name of Allah; cover your vessels and mention the name of Allah, even if you just place something on top of it.�

Based on this, if you shut the door and mention the name of Allah, and you put your things in a box, for example, and say the name of Allah, then they will be protected, in sha Allah, because the shaytaan cannot open a door or uncover a vessel.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, concerning the lessons learned from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah and his conversation with the jinni who was stealing from the zakaah dates: The jinn eat human food, and they speak human words, and they steal and cheat. It also points to the virtue of Aayat al-Kursiy and the virtue of the last verses of Soorat al-Baqarah, and tells us that the jinn can get food over which the name of Allah has not been mentioned. End quote.

If you take these means, but you still do not feel comfortable staying in the house, then it is better to look for another house. Abu Dawood (3942) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man said: O Messenger of Allah, we lived in a house and we were great in number and wealthy, then we moved to another house where our numbers and our wealth grew less. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Leave it for it is bad.� Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

I was living in a flat in Sharjah and after some months passed I realized a finger print with blood was on the wall and on the floor and the same day the noise started coming, so I left that flat and moved to another one, in that also the same thing happened, then I sent my family back home. Now I am staying with my friend, there also I realize a noise, but if I stay alone, then it troubles me a lot. I used to pray 5 times and recite the Quran in the morning and while going to bed. I read Surah al-Muzzammil 7 times and Surah al-Mulk. Now slowly it�s reducing. Please could you tell me what steps I should take.

These noises and actions may come from the jinn. The jinn are part of the creation of Allah whose existence we must believe in, because Allah mentions them in many verses of the Quran, and there is even a Surah named after them, namely Surah al-Jinn. Their existence is a matter upon which there is consensus.

All nations believe in the jinn and they have had many encounters with them, which it would take too long to describe. No one denies the existence of the jinn except for a very few ignorant philosophers and doctors and the like. [Majmoo� al-Fatawa]

Their powers are greater than those of man, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�An �Ifreet (strong one) from the jinn said: �I will bring it [the throne of the Queen of Saba] to you before you rise from your place.� (Suratul Naml 27:39)

There was a great distance between Sulayman (peace be upon him) and the Queen of Saba (Sheba).

Allah has enabled the jinn to change shape and to fly, etc, but despite their great powers they have no control over the righteous slaves of Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs� (Al-Isra 17:65)

And he (Ibl�s - satan) had no authority over them, except that We might test him, who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt about it�� (Saba 34:21)

(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,- (39) "Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)." (Al-Hijr 15:39-40)

Rather he has control over those people who agree with his kufr (disbelief) and follow him willingly, as Allah tells us (interpretation of the meaning):

"Certainly, you (satan) shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Gh�w�n (Mushrik�n and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers, etc.) (Al-Hijr 15:42)

Allah may give them [the jinn] power over believers because of their sins, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Allah is with the qadhi (judge) so long as he is not unjust; if he is unjust then Allah has nothing to do with him and will cause the shaytan to stay with him.� [al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi].

The Muslim must, above all else, arm himself with the weapon of faith and righteous deeds, for these are the best provision he may have and the best means of foiling the plots of the devils among mankind and the jinn.

You have to strengthen your relationship with Allah, for He is the One on Whom you should depend. Remember Allah a great deal in all situations, and strive to keep your tongue busy constantly with dhikr (remembrance of Allah).

No one can find any better protection against the shaytan than the remembrance of Allah. It was narrated in a saheeh (authentic) report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that Allah enjoined five things upon Yahya ibn Zakariyya, which he was to do and to command the Children of Israel to do, one of which was: �I command you to remember Allah, for the likeness of that is that of a man whose enemy comes after him, until he comes to a strong fortress where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect himself against the shaytan except by remembering Allah.� [Saheeh al-Tirmidhi].

Constantly recite the dhikrs narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), such as the dhikr when entering the toilet, when having intercourse, when hearing the braying of a donkey, when entering the house, in the morning and the evening, when going to sleep, and in other circumstances and at other times for which a specific dhikr has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

These dhikrs have been compiled in books such as al-Adhkar by al-Nawawi, al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah, and Hisn al-Muslim by al-Qahtani [the latter is available with English transliteration and translation under the title �Fortress of the Muslim � Invocations from the Quran and Sunnah�, published by Darussalam, Riyadh � Translator].

You should also read a lot of Quran in the house, especially Surah al-Baqarah. Ahmad and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Do not make your houses (like) graveyards, for the shaytan flees from a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is read.�

You should also purify your house of everything in which there is disobedience towards Allah, such as keeping images and dogs. Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.� [al-Bukhari, Muslim].

With regard to reading Surah al-Muzzammil and al-Mulk when going to sleep, there are reports that indicate that it is mustahabb (recommended) to recite Surah al-Mulk before sleeping. Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used not to sleep until he had recited Alif-Lam-Meem Tanzeel (al-Sajdah) and Tabarak alladhi bi yadihi�l-mulk (Surah al-Mulk). [Saheeh al-Tirmidhi].

With regard to Surah al-Muzzammil, there is no report to indicate that it is mustahabb to recite it when going to sleep.

Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah said. When any one of you awakes up from sleep and performs ablution, he must clean his nose three times, for the devil spends the night in the interior of his nose. Muslim vol. 1, no. 462 concerning Satan living in one's nose If we should take it literally, this is a reference to the fact that the nose and ears provide openings to the heart without barrier unlike the other sense organs and thus gateways for Satan. This is confirmed by other authentic narrations such as: "The devil circulates in human beings just like blood,". "One who yawns should close up his mouth lest the devil enters it,". "The devil cannot open something that has been closed," and similar orders to close doors at night and cover up edibles. And it is possible to take it metaphorically in the sense of accumulated dirt, dust, and mucus since it is established that devils privileges dirty places, dirty smells, etc. Hence the Sunna in wudu' is not only to snuff water up the nostrils (istinshaq), but to blow one's nose as well (istinthar) in order to expel impurities.

A woman had seven sons and daughters, and when she went to live in a new house, one of her sons died, as did one of her daughters. After they died, she saw in a dream that if she stayed in that house, all her children would die. I hope that you can offer some advice.

If the situation is as described, then she has the choice. If she wishes she may continue to live in that house, and if she wishes, she can move to another house, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Bad omens are in three things: a house, a woman and a mount.� May Allah help and guide us all. End quote.

Is there any difference between the demons and the jinn? Please give me more information about the world of Jinn and tell me more about their hidden secrets? How can I find more information about them?

Answering your questions, we�d like to cite for you the following fatwa issued by Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, who states:

�Allah Almighty has created certain creatures, some of them are known to us and some of them are not.

In his capacity as Allah�s vicegerent on earth, man is ordained by Allah to worship Him Alone without partners. Consequently, we should not get absorbed in stories about jinn, as it is not a form of worship.

The Quran and Sunnah indicate that jinn exist, and that there is a purpose for their existence in this life, which is to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate. Allah Almighty says: �And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans, except they should worship Me (Alone).� (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

Scholars are in disagreement over the difference between jinn and demons. Some of them say that the word jinn goes far to encompass the jinn as well as the demons. The word also includes believing and unbelieving jinn. Allah Almighty says, �And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.� (Al-Jinn 72:11)

�And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.� (Al-Jinn 72:14)

However, the word demon or shaytan is used to refer to the unbelieving ones among the jinn. Allah Almighty says, �� and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord.‏� (Al-Isra� 17:27)

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 things in common, such as the ability to understand and choose between good and evil. The word jinn comes from the Arabic root meaning �hidden from sight�. Allah Almighty says: �� Verily he (shaytan) and his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe see you from where you cannot see them�� (Al-A`raf 7:27)

Allah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn were created. He says: �And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind� (Al-Hijr 15:27)

A�ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: �The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.� (Reported by Muslim)

Allah 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-Khushni says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says:�The jinn are of three types: a type 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 At-Tahawi in Mushkil Al-�Athar)

Every individual among the sons of Adam has a jinn who has been appointed to be his constant companion (qarin). Ibn Mas`ud reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: �The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: �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 Allah?� He said, �Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good.�� (Reported by Muslim)

Allah has given jinn powers that he has not given to humans. Allah has told us about some of their powers such as the ability to move and travel quickly. One of the jinn guaranteed to Prophet Sulayman (Solomon, peace and blessings be upon him) that he would bring the throne of the Queen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment, faster than the time needed for someone to get up from where he was sitting.

�A powerful one from among the jinn said, �I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy� (39) �Said one who had knowledge from the scripture, �I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you. �And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him, he said, �This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful � then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous.� (An-Naml 27:39-40)

Ibn Mas`ud reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: �There came to me an inviter on behalf of the Jinn and I went along with him and recited to them the Quran.� He (the narrator) said: The Prophet then went along with us and showed us their traces and traces of their embers. The Jinn asked the Prophet about their provision and he said: �Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited is your provision. The time it will fall in your hand it would be covered with flesh, and (you can have) all the droppings as food for your animals.� The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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 (Jinn).� (Reported by Muslim)

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

The beasts of the jinn

According to the Hadith reported by Ibn Mas`ud, that we have quoted above, the jinn asked the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for provision, and he said to them: �� and (you can have) all the droppings as food for your animals.�

The jinn live where we do live on this earth. They are mostly to be found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms, dunghills, garbage dumps and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering such places, by reciting the adhkar(mentioning Allah�s Name) prescribed by Islam.

One of these are reported by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who says: �When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say, 'Allahumma inni a`udhu bika min al-khubuthi wal-khaba�ith (O Allah, I seek Refuge with You from all offensive and wicked things [evil deeds and evil spirits]).'�

Some jinns are Muslims and some are non-Muslims

Allah tells us that some of the jinn said �And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.‏� (Al-Jinn 72:14)

Protection from harm of jinn

Because jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us many ways to protect ourselves from their harm. They are seeking refuge of Allah from the accursed shaytan, reciting surat Al-Falaq and surat An-Nas, and reciting the words taught by Allah in the Quran.

Allah Almighty says, �And say: My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones (97) And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with me.� (Al-Mu�minun 23:97-98)

Saying Bismillah (in the Name of Allah) before entering one�s home, eating or drinking, and having intercourse will keep Satan from entering the house or partaking with a person in his food, drink and sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the name of Allah before entering the toilet or taking off one�s clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a person in a state of undress or harming him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of be upon him) says: �To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the `awrah of the sons of Adam, let any one of you say �Bismillah� when entering the toilet.� (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent jinn from harming a person, so much so that if they were to fight, the one who has faith would win. Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says: �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 Allah, 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 (the verse):

�Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)� (Al-Baqarah 2:255)

The human said, �Fine.� He said, �You will never recite this in your house but the shaytan will come out of it like a donkey breaking wind, and he will never come back in until the next morning.�� (Reported by Ad-Darami)

We hear a lot that jinn possess some people. What is the viewpoint of Islam regarding this?

Scholars differ in opinion concerning the question in hand. Some say that jinn may possess human beings and some say this is not true. In fact, this question will remain controversial. Those who do not believe in the jinn possession need to reasonably explain the symptoms that the said-possessed people suffer from. On the other hand, those who adopt the other opinion take the strange cases of the said-possessed people as concrete evidence of their view, exploiting the fact that people are psychologically prepared to believe that jinn can possess their bodies.

In this regard, we would like to cite for you the following fatwa issued by the eminent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:

Jinn are a kind of being that we cannot see as they are in reality. Allah Almighty says about Satan: �� Verily he (shaytan) and his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe see you from where you cannot see them�� (Al-A`raf 7:27)

However, jinn may appear in human form, as happened during the Prophet�s time when a jinn in a human form came to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) while the latter was guarding the zakah of Ramadan according to the Prophet�s order. Seeing the jinn gathering food of sadaqah in his hands (without permission), Abu Hurayrah caught him and was about to take him to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), but he set him free when the jinn gave him a piece of advice. When Abu Hurayrah told this story to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), he (peace and blessing be upon him) said, �that was a jinn, and he was truthful about the piece of advice, though he was a liar in fact� (Reported by Al-Bukhari).

There are many people who claim that they have seen jinn or that they have relations with them, and some may even say they are married to a jinn. In fact, many of these claims are false. Moreover, many of those who claim that they are possessed by jinn do, in effect, suffer from psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and the like, and jinn have nothing to do with such disorders.

Moreover, Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi vice-chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, further states:

Scholars have differed regarding jinn�s possession of human beings and their ability to harm and afflict them with diseases and pains. Some scholars do believe that this may happen and cite as evidence for their view Almighty Allah�s words: �And make mention (O Muhammad) of Our bondman Job, when he cried unto his Lord (saying): Lo! The devil doth afflict me with distress and torment‏.� (Saad 38:41)

This group of scholars have explained this verse literally and thus said that what afflicted Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) in his body, possessions, and family was caused by the Satan.

On the other hand, some other scholars are of the opinion that jinn cannot possess human beings, nor can they harm them, for Almighty Allah says: ��. Feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.� (An-Nisaa� 4:76) According to this group of scholars, had jinn possession and jinn�s ability to harm people been true, people might have confused jinn�s deeds with Almighty Allah�s.

Moreover, those scholars have explained the verse concerning Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) in a way that goes in line with the other verses and hadiths that indicate that Satan cannot harm or influence true believers. According to them, if this is the case with true believers in general, it should also be the case with prophets, with the more reason.

In Al-Jami` li-Ahkam Al-Quran, vol. 15, Imam Al-Qurtubi mentioned that Imam Ibn Al-`Arabi and other scholars have explained the verse in question as that what afflicted Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) in his body, wealth, and family was destined by Almighty Allah, yet Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) attributed it to Satan out of extreme politeness to attribute such afflictions to Almighty Allah.

According to At-Tafseer Al-Kabir by Imam Al-Fakhr Ar-Razi, some scholars also explained this verse on the same basis, that is, the afflictions that occurred to Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) were destined by Almighty Allah. Yet those scholars were of the opinion that Satan would whisper to Prophet Job reminding him of the many blessings that Almighty Allah caused him to lose so that Prophet Job (peace and blessings be upon him) might lament his losses and become displeased with Allah�s destiny for him. Prophet Job would resist such evil whispers, but Satan remained whispering those evil thoughts to him in such a strong way that Prophet Job was afraid to succumb to them. So, he prayed to Almighty Allah to help him get rid of such whispers, and that is what is referred to by �distress and torment� in Almighty Allah�s words: �And make mention (O Muhammad) of Our bondman Job, when he cried unto his Lord (saying): Lo! The devil doth afflict me with distress and torment.� (Saad 38:41)

There are two other verses in the Glorious Quran that tackle Satan�s influence on people; one deals with this influence indirectly and the other directly.

The first verse is �Those who fear Allah, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance, when lo they see (aright).� (Al-A`raf 7:201)

The influence here refers to the Satan�s whispering to people so that they may commit sins; it has nothing to do with the jinn�s possession of human beings.

�Those who eat Rib� (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shait�n (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: "Trading is only like Rib� (usury)," whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Rib� (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Rib� (usury) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns [to Rib� (usury)], such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein� (Al-Baqarah 2:275)

According to Imam Al-Fakhr Ar-Razi, there are two explanations of this verse. The first is held by Abu `Ali Al- Gubba�ie (a follower of Al-Mu`tazilah). Al-Gubba�ie believes that Satan�s prostrating people by touch here refers to harming them via the evil whispers he tries to inculcate in their minds. It is this kind of harm that Prophet Job meant when he said, according to the Quran: �And make mention (O Muhammad) of Our bondman Job, when he cried unto his Lord (saying): Lo! The devil doth afflict me with distress and torment.� (Saad 38:41)

Such evil whispers affect people of weak faith and cause them to have epilepsy. This is because those people are too weak to resist Satan�s whispers; they are in this case like cowards who faint from fear when left alone in a dark place. In this sense, Satan�s whispers have no influence on people of strong faith.

Thus, Al-Gubba�ie, reasoning the issue and citing many bits of evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah, refutes the claim that Satan might have far-reaching influence on people. According to him, the only influence that Satan might have is through the evil thoughts he whispers to people.

The second explanation of the verse, according to Imam Al-Fakhr Ar-Razi, is presented by Al-Qaffal (a scholar from the Shafi`i school). Al-Qaffal is of the opinion that people used to attribute epilepsy to Satan and jinn in general. They also used to describe ugly things and unfortunate events as likened to Satan or attributed to him.

Based on this belief of people, Almighty Allah describes the bad condition of usurers as that of he who arises as if prostrated by the devil�s touch. In this sense also, Allah describes the Tree of Zaqqum that springs out of the bottom of the Hellfire saying: �Its crop is as it were the heads of devils.� (As-Saffat 37:65; Tafseer Al-Fakhr Ar-Razi, vol. 7, pp. 88-89).

Az-Zamakhshari said in his Al-Kashaf, vol. 1, p. 399: The verse �Those who swallow usury �� (Al-Baqarah 2:275) likens the condition of usurers when they get up, to that of those hit by jinn. This comes in line with the Arabs� belief that jinn may hit human beings and knock them down, and may even cause them mental disorder. There are many stories related by the Arabs about people seeing jinn with their very eyes. Hence, denying the people�s probability of seeing jinn is to the Arab like denying seeing concrete and material things around one.

Abu As-Su`ud was also of the same opinion as Az-Zamakhshari. This is obvious in his book: Tafseer Abu As-Su`ud. It seems to me, furthermore, that he borrowed such opinion from Az-Zamakhshari.

Al-Qurtubi said, �This verse clearly refutes the opinion of those who deny the jinn�s capability of harming human beings� (Al-Jami` Al-Kabir, vol. 3, p. 355).

The eminent scholar Al-Alusi said that usurers would rise up on the Day of Judgment like those who are strongly hit by jinn in this world.

Al-Alusi also quoted in one of his writings the scholar Ibn `Atiyyah as saying that the verse in question likens usurers� keenness on accumulating money and their running after this end to the condition of unstable people who move in such great haste that one may call them mad.

Al-Alusi commented on this opinion saying, �It is obvious that this opinion contradicts what people in general hold in this respect.�

Al-Alusi also tackled the point of jinn�s beating some people and knocking them down and declared his agreement to this view. Furthermore, he strongly opposed the views of Al-Mu`tazilah and Al-Qaffal, who denied the jinn�s having any influence on human beings. They cite as evidence of their view what Satan said according to the Quran:

�And satan will say when the matter has been decided: �Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me ....� (Ibraaheem 14:22)

Al-Alusi commented that Satan�s saying he has no power according to this verse refers to his inability to have thorough control or to enslave human beings, not to his inability to harm them in general.

According to Al-Alusi, there is much evidence from Shari`ah that contradicts this opinion of Al-Mu`tazilah and Al-Qaffal. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, �When any human being is born, Satan touches it and thus it cries.� Another version of this hadith goes �When any human being is born, Satan touches him at both sides of the body.� The only exception in this regard is Mary and her son Jesus (peace and blessings be upon both of them), because Mary�s mother prayed to Almighty Allah as reported in the Quran: ��. Lo! I crave Thy protection for her and for her offspring from Satan the outcast �.� (Aale `Imran 3:36)‏

There is also a hadith reported to the effect that the jinn kidnapped some person during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and then returned him. Later that person reported, �A bird like a camel came to me and carried me on a small feather of it.�

According to Al-Alusi, the predecessors and Sunni people believe that what these hadiths refer to are true events, and explaining them in a non-literal way complicates matters. It is the strict school of Al-Mu`tazilah and the like that tend to resort to complex explanations of this kind. Reviewing hadiths reported about jinn proves true their capability to harm people.

How can a person know if he has been possessed by the jinn or if he is affected by the evil eye?

Those who deal with ruqyah as prescribed in Islam have mentioned some of the symptoms from which it may be known whether a person has been possessed by the jinn or affected by the evil eye. They are not definitive symptoms and may vary in some cases, and may be more or less in other cases.

As for the symptoms of being affected by the evil eye, Shaykh �Abd al-�Azeez al-Sadhaan (may Allah preserve him) said:

Headaches that move from one part of the head to another; yellow pallor in the face; sweating and urinating a great deal; weak appetite; tingling, heat or cold in the limbs; palpitations in the heart; pain in the lower back and shoulders; sadness and anxiety; sleeplessness at night; strong reactions due to abnormal fears; a lot of burping, yawning and sighing; withdrawal and love of solitude; apathy and laziness; a tendency to sleep; health problems with no known medical cause.

These signs or some of them may be present according to the strength of the evil eye or the number of people who put the evil eye on others. End quote.

What is the evil eye? I've seen this terminology been used so many time on this webpage. Can you please explain in detail?

These follow some information and fatwas that have to do with the evil eye. We ask Allah to benefit readers thereby.

What is the definition of the evil eye? Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Is the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saheeh in which it says that �One third of those who are in the grave are there because of the evil eye�? If a person thinks that someone is envying him, what should the Muslim do and say? If the person who put the evil eye on someone washes himself, will the water he used bring healing to his victim? And should he drink the water or wash himself with it?

The Arabic word al-�ayn (translated as the evil eye) refers to when a person harms another with his eye. It starts when the person likes a thing, then his evil feelings affect it, by means of his repeated looking at the object of his jealousy. Allah commanded His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to seek refuge with Him from the envier, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

Everyone who puts the evil eye on another is envious, but not every envier puts the evil eye on another. The word haasid (envier) is more general in meaning than the word �aa�in (one who puts the evil eye on another), so seeking refuge with Allah from the one who envies includes seeking refuge with Him from the one who puts the evil eye on another. The evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies and the one who puts the evil eye on another towards the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye is put; sometimes it hits him and sometimes it misses. If the target is exposed and unprotected, it will affect him, but if the target is cautious and armed, the arrow will have no effect and may even come back on the one who launched it.

There are ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which speak of the effects of the evil eye. For example it is narrated in al-Saheehayn that �Aa�ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to tell me to recite ruqyah for protection against the evil eye.

Muslim, Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn �Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath.� This was classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, and also by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1251.

Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi (2059, where he classed it as saheeh) narrated that Asma� bint �Umays said: �O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja�far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?� He said, �Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the evil eye.� Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Abu Dawood narrated that �Aa�ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The person who had put the evil eye on another would be ordered to do wudoo�, then the person who had been afflicted would wash himself (with that water). This was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Imam Ahmad (15550), Maalik (1811), al-Nasaa�i and Ibn Hibbaan narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out and traveled with him towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of al-Kharaar in al-Jahfah. There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl, and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. �Aamir ibn Rabee�ah, one of Banu �Adiyy ibn Ka�b looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said: �I have never seen such beautiful skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin,� and Sahl fell to the ground. They went to Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came and said, �O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl, because by Allah he cannot raise his head.� He said, �Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?� They said, � �Aamir ibn Rabee�ah looked at him.� So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called �Aamir and rebuked him strongly. He said, �Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessing for him.� Then he said to him, �Wash yourself for him.� So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him, then Sahl got up and joined the people and there was nothing wrong with him.

The majority of scholars are of the view that people can indeed be afflicted by the evil eye, because of the ahaadeeth quoted above and others, and because of the corroborating reports and other evidence.

With regard to the hadeeth that you mention, �One third of those who are in the grave are there because of the evil eye,� we do not know how sound it is, but the author of Nayl al-Awtaar said that al-Bazzaar narrated with a hasan isnaad from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Most of those who die among my ummah die because of the will and decree of Allah, and then because of the evil eye.�

The Muslim has to protect himself against the devils among the evil jinn and mankind, by having strong faith in Allah and by putting his trust in Him and seeking refuge with Him and beseeching Him, reciting the prayers for protection narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), reciting al-Mi�wadhatayn [the last two soorahs of the Quran], Soorat al-Ikhlaas, Soorat al-Faatihah, and Aayat al-Kursi.

A�oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created).

A�oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min ghadabihi wa �iqaabihi, wa min sharri �ibaadihi wa min hamazaat al-shayaateeni wa an yahduroon (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His wrath and punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the evil promptings of the devils and from their presence).

�� Hasbi Allahu laa ilaaha illa huwa, �alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabb ul-�arsh il-�azeem

(�.Allah is sufficient for me. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne)� (At-Tawbah 9:129 � interpretation of the meaning)

And there are other similar du�aa�s that are prescribed in sharee�ah. This is what was meant by Ibn al-Qayyim in the words quoted at the beginning of this answer.

If it is known or suspected that a person has been afflicted by the evil eye, then the one who put the evil eye on him should be ordered to wash himself for his brother. So a vessel of water should be brought, and he should put his hand in it, rinse out his mouth into the vessel. Then he should wash his face in the vessel, then put his left hand into the vessel and wash his right knee, then put his right hand in the vessel and wash his left knee. Then he should wash inside his garment. Then the water should be poured over the head of the one on whom he put the evil eye, pouring it from behind in one go. Then he will be healed, by Allah�s leave.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa�imah li�l-Buhooth al-�Ilmiyyah wa�l-Ifta, 1/186

Can the evil eye afflict a person? How is it treated? Does being on one's guard against it contradict putting one's trust in Allah?

Our opinion concerning the evil eye is that it is real and is proven both by Islamic teachings and by real life experiences. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred) �� (Al-Qalam 68:51)

Ibn �Abbaas and others said, commenting on this verse: this means, they put the evil eye on you with their glances. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath.� Narrated by Muslim. Al-Nasaa�i and Ibn Maajah narrated that �Aamir ibn Rabee�ah passed by Sahl ibn Haneef when he was bathing� and he quoted the hadeeth.

In the event that you are afflicted by the evil eye, you should use the treatments recommended in sharee�ah, which are:

1 � Reciting ruqyah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, �There is no ruqyah except in the case of the evil eye or fever.�al-Tirmidhi, 2057; Abu Dawood, 3884. Jibreel used to do ruqyah for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and say,�Bismillaahi arqeeka min kulli shay�in yu�dheeka, min sharri kulli nafsin aw �aynin haasid Allaahu yashfeek, bismillaahi arqeek (In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allah heal you, in the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you).�

2 � Asking the person who has put the evil eye on another to wash, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded �Aamir ibn Rabee�ah to do in the hadeeth quoted above. Then the water should be poured over the one who has been afflicted.

With regard to taking his waste, such as his urine and stools, there is no basis for doing so; the same applies to taking any of his belongings. Rather what is narrated is that which is mentioned above, washing his limbs and washing inside his garment, or likewise washing inside his headgear and garments. And Allah knows best.

There is nothing wrong with taking precautions against the evil eye before it happens, and this does not contradict the idea of tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allah). In fact this is tawakkul, because tawakkul means putting one�s trust in Allah whilst also implementing the means that have been permitted or enjoined.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn and say: U�eedhukuma bi kalimaat Allah al-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli �aynin laammah (I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every evil eye).�� Al-Tirmidhi, 2060; Abu Dawood, 4737. And he would say, �Thus Ibraaheem used to seek refuge with Allah for Ishaaq and Ismaa�eel, peace be upon them both.� Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3371.

Khalifa Umer (RTU) was very Allah fearing but kind to oppressors. There are many examples and hadiths of his kindness, and same way his strong action against oppressors. He was very strict in actions against those who show cruelty. People were usually fearing him, is given in following hadith.

Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the permission of Allah's Apostle to see him while some Quraishi women were sitting with him, talking to him and asking him for more expenses, raising their voices above the voice of Allah's Apostle.

When 'Umar asked for the permission to enter, the women quickly put on their veils. Allah'� Apostle allowed him to enter and 'Umar came in while Allah's Apostle was smiling, 'Umar said "O Allah's Apostle! May Allah always keep you smiling." The Prophet said, "These women who have been here, roused my wonder, for as soon as they heard your voice, they quickly put on their veils. "'Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! You have more right to be feared by them than I." Then 'Umar addressed the women saying, "O enemies of yourselves! You fear me more than you do Allah's Apostle ?" They said, "Yes, for you are harsher and sterner than Allah's Apostle." Then Allah's Apostle said, "O Ibn Al-Khattab! By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Never does Satan find you going on a way, but he takes another way other than yours.

The question of whether a human may marry a jinni is a controversial one. There is no evidence from the Shari`ah that can be said to be authentic in that regard.

The majority of jurists are of the opinion that such a marriage is not lawful, but some jurists consider it to be lawful. The first opinion is the more correct to follow.

Allah Almighty says: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect" (Ar-Rum 30:21)

He Almighty also says: ''O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you" (An-Nisaa 4:1).

In these verses, mate and mates refer to spouses from the same kind, i.e., humankind.

Besides, there would be no offspring if a human and a jinni were to marry each other.

According to Mughni Al-Muhtaj by Al-Khateeb Asherbini, a Shafi`e scholar, there are two kinds of prohibitions to marriage: perpetual and non-perpetual. Of the perpetual prohibitions is marriage between humans and jinn; it is not lawful for a member of human kind to marry a jinni.

Allah Almighty says: ''O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind)�." (An-Nisaa' 4:1).

He Almighty also says: "It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature�." (Al-A`raf 7:189).

An unauthentic hadith was reported on the authority of Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya to the effect that it is forbidden to marry the jinn.

According to Rad Al-Mehtar `ala Ad-Dur Al-Mukhtar by Ibn `Abdein, a Hanifi scholar, the jurists define marriage as �a contract that makes it lawful for a man to make love to a woman without there being a lawful prohibition to this marriage.� A lawful prohibition here refers to marriage to another man or to a hermaphrodite, a polytheist woman, a closely related woman, or a female jinn.

Contemplating the verses ''�. Marry women of your choice�." (An-Nisaa� 4:3)

and "And Allah has made wives for you from among yourselves�." (An-Nahl 16:72),

one can realize that it is only women of human kind that are lawful for men to marry. In addition, a jinn male may take the form of a female and vise versa.

Also according to Al-Ashbah, a book on juristic rules by Ibn Nujaym, marriage between a human and a jinni is not lawful, for they are of different worlds.

It was said that Al-Hassan Al-Basri was of the opinion that such a marriage is lawful so long as there are witnesses to it. But it was also reported that he did not believe it is lawful.

Any way, the more correct opinion to follow in this regard is that it is not lawful for a human being to marry a jinni, for they are of different worlds.

In Al-Ashbah wa An-Nadha'r, Imam As-Suyuti, an eminent Shafi`i scholar, wrote: ''Answering the question 'is it lawful for a human being to marry a jinni?' Imad Ibn Yunus said, 'Yes.'�

This question was also one of those that Sheikh Jamal Ad-Din Al-Esnawi posed to the supreme judge Sharaf Ad-Din Al-Barazi.

Sheikh Jamal asked the supreme judge, �Is it lawful for a man to marry a female jinn? Contemplating Allah's Words "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves �." (Ar-Rum 30:21)

I find that from among yourselves refers to that one's mate or spouse is to be from the same kind as one, and this is a blessing from Almighty Allah. But if we supposed that this might be lawful, as Ibn Unus said in Sharh Al-Wajeiz, would the man in this case have the right to oblige his jinn wife to stick to home or not? Suppose also that he would dislike to see her in a form other than the human one; would he have the right to prevent her from incarnating in other forms? Also, would the conditions required in a valid marriage contract be required in this case, also? For instance, would the jinn�s guardian's approval be required? Would their marriage be acceptable according to the jinn laws? Suppose that once, he did not recognize her, for she was incarnating in a form different from that he usually sees her in, but she told him it was she. Would he believe her and thus could he make love to her? Would he also be required to provide her with food that the jinn eat, such as bones and the like?�

It is not lawful that members of human kind marry members of jinn kind. This is inferred from the following verses: 'And Allah has made wives for you from among yourselves �.' (An-Nahl 16:72)

and 'And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves �.' (Ar-Rum 30:21).

The exegetes say about these verses that the words from among yourselves in both verses refer to human kind; they may be paraphrased from your own kind or from your own nature.

These verses are analogous to the verse �Now hath come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves�.� (At-Tawbah 9:128), for from amongst yourselves here refers also to human kind.

Besides, Allah Almighty refers in His Book to the women who are lawful for men to marry: �O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts �.� (Al-Ahzab: 50). [What was applied to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) according to this verse is also applied to Muslim men in general.] Mind that it is juristically known that this verse also indicates that single women who are not related to one may also be marriageable to one.

Allah Almighty also refers in His Book to the women who are prohibited in marriage to one. Notice all this is about marriage to women of human nature. This is because there is no marriage between human beings and jinn. (The words of Sharaf Ad-Din Al-Barazi end here.)

This is Al-Barazi�s answer. If I was asked for my opinion in this, I would say that marriage between human beings and jinn is unlawful for many reasons.

First, Al-Kermani reported in his Masa�il that there was a hadith reported to the effect that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade marriage from the jinn.

Though this hadith is not authentically reported, yet its truthfulness is supported by the opinions of the scholars in that respect. For example, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, Al-Hakam ibn Uyaynah, Ishaq ibn Rahawei, and `Uqbah Al-Assam were of the opinion that this marriage is not lawful. Also, Al-Jamal As-Sajstani, a Hanifi scholar, said in his book, Minyat Al-Mufti `an Al-Fatawa As-Sirajjiyyah: �Marriage between human kind and jinn is not lawful, for they are of different worlds.�

Second, the aims of marriage are to find tranquility, peace, and compassion with a partner close to one. All this would be lacking with jinn partners, for hatred for human kind is innate in their nature.

Third, there is nothing in the Shari`ah to the effect that it is permitted to marry members of the jinn. Allah Almighty says: ��.Marry women of your choice �.� (An-Nisaa� 4:3).

It is known that women refers to female members of human kind. This indicates that it is unlawful to marry other than women.

Fourth, it is not principally permitted for a free man to marry a slave woman, in order that they not may bring forth a slave child, which is not in the interest of the child. By comparison, marrying a female jinn may result in bringing forth a child having jinn characteristics, which is far worse than slavery. Hence, so long as it is not permitted for a free man to marry a slave woman, though both belong to the same kind (human kind), it is with greater reason not to permit marriage to jinn, for they are of different nature.

By analogy, we also find that it is prohibited to cross donkeys and horses, for this results in a hybrid different from horses, and this may, in turn, lead to the rarity of horses. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commented on those who do so by saying, �Those who do so are ignorant.�If so is the case with animals, it is with greater reason that it also be the case with marriage between humans and jinns.

However, Abu `Uthman Sa`id ibn Al-`Abass Ar-Razi said in his book Al-Ilham wa Al-Waswasah that it was reported that some Yemeni people wrote to Imam Malik: �A male jinni has come to us and proposed to marry a young (human) woman saying, �I seek to stick to the right path by this proposal.�� Imam Malik answered, �I see that there is nothing wrong in doing so, but I dislike to expose this woman to a situation where she might be asked about her husband and she would answer, �It is a male jinni.� This may lead to corruption among Muslims.�

In his book Akam Al-Murjan, Ash-Shabli, a Hanifi scholar, stated: Scholars are of two opinions regarding marriage between humans and jinn. One says it is unlawful and the other says it is lawful. The first view was adopted by a group of Hanbali scholars and was also reported in As-Seraji Fatwas. They cited as evidence in this respect Almighty Allah's words "And Allah has made wives for you from among yourselves�." (An-Nahl 16:72)

and "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect" (Ar-Rum 30:21).

They also cited as evidence in this regard a hadith to the effect that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited marriage to jinns. The second point of view in this regard was reported to have been adopted by Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, and others.

Question:

What is the reality of the Jinn?

Answer :

It can be deduced from the literal meaning of this word that the Jinn is an entity that is invisible; numerous characteristics of this being are mentioned in the Quran, such as:

1. It is an entity that has been created from the flames of fire, unlike man, who has been created from earth:1

وَ خَلَقَ الْجَآنَّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ

�And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke�(Ar-Rahmaan 55:15)

2. Possesses knowledge, perception, the faculty of logic, the power of reasoning, and can distinguish between truth and falsehood (various verses of Suratul Jinn).

3. Possesses (religious) obligations and responsibilities (verses of Suratul Jinn and al-Waqi'ah).

4. Some of them are believers while others are disbelievers:

وَ أَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَ مِنَّا دُونَ ذٌلِكَ‏�

�And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that�.� (Al-Jinn 72:11)

5. They shall be resurrected:

وَ أَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَكَانُوا لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَباً

�And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell� (Al-Jinn 72:15)

6. They initially possessed the power to penetrate into the skies, eavesdrop and procure news but were later prohibited:

وَ أَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَنْ يَسْتَمِعِ الآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَاباً رَصَداً

�And that we used to sit in some of the sitting-places thereof to steal a hearing, but, he who would (try to) listen now would find a flame lying in wait for him.� Al-Jinn 72:9)

7. They used to establish contact with some of the people and, by means of the limited knowledge of the Unseen that they possessed, endeavored to misguide the people:

وَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَــالٌ مِنَ الإِِنْسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقاً

�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]

8. From amongst them there are those who, like some humans, possess great powers:

قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ‏

�An �Ifreet (strong one) from the jinn said: �I will bring it [the throne of the Queen of Saba] to you before you rise from your place.� (Suratul Naml 27:39)

9. They possess the power to perform some of the tasks that are required by man:

وَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَ مَنْ يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَآءُ مِنْ مَحَارِيبَ وَ تَمَاثِيلَ وَ جِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ‏

��.. and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire� (12) They made for him what he pleased of fortressesand images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and cooking-pots that will not move from their place.� (Saba 34:12-13)

10. Their creation on the earth was prior to man's creation:

وَ الْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ‏ مِنْ نَّارِ السَّمُوْمِ

�And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind� (Al-Hijr 15:27)

In addition, it can be clearly inferred from the verses of the Noble Quran that, contrary to what is popular amongst the common masses, humans are a species superior to them. This can be concluded by the fact that all the divine prophets had been chosen from the humans; moreover, many jinn too had believed in the Noble Prophet (S) - who was a human - and pledged allegiance to him. Additionally, the obligation upon the Shaytan of prostrating before Adam at a time when he (the Shaytan), according to the explicit statements of the Quran, had been of the elders of the Jinn9, further reinforces this idea of superiority.

The discussion thus far has revolved around the aspects that can be inferred about this invisible entity from the Noble Quran, which is devoid of all superstitions and non-scientific issues. However, we do know that the general and the unaware masses have concocted great superstitions about this entity which neither conforms with logic nor intellect, and consequently have imparted an irrational appearance to this being such that whenever the word 'jinn' is uttered, a handful of strange ideas immediately come to mind - entities possessing dreadful appearances, who have horns and tails, are harmful, troublesome, malicious and ill-mannered, who can set a house on fire by pouring a cauldron of boiling water in one corner of the house! These are examples of such fanciful and superstitious beliefs!

If our perspective of the existence of jinn is purified from such superstitions, the main issue is totally acceptable for, there exists no reasoning to restrict living entities to only those that can be seen by us. On the contrary, scholars of natural sciences state: The entities that man can perceive by means of his senses are marginal in comparison to those that cannot be perceived by means of them.

Prior to the discovery of microscopic organisms, no one would have believed that in one drop of water or blood, there existed hundreds of thousands of living entities that man could not see.

The scientists also state: Our eyes can perceive a limited (range of) colours and our ears can hear a limited (range of) sound waves; the colours and sounds that cannot be perceived by means of our eyes and ears are more numerous than those that can be perceived by them.

When the state of the world is such, why should the existence of a species of living entities, whom we cannot perceive by means of our senses, be so fantastic and astonishing? And why should we not accept it when we have been informed of it by a truthful informer like the Noble Prophet (S)?

In any event, on the one hand, the Quran has informed us of the existence of the jinn possessing the aforementioned characteristics; while on the other hand, there exists no rational proofs which deny the existence of such an entity. Accordingly, we ought to accept their existence but simultaneously disregard the inappropriate superstitions of the general public in connection with these beings.

It is important to note that at times, the term jinn is used in a more expansive meaning - one that tends to encompass a number of invisible entities, irrespective of whether they possess intellect and perception or not. In this expanded meaning of the word, even animals that are not seen by the eyes, usually remaining hidden in their lairs, are included.

This is proved by a tradition of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) wherein he says: �Allah (s.w.t.) has created the jinn in five kinds - some are like the wind in the air (invisible), some are in the form of snakes, some in the form of scorpions, some in the form of the insects of the earth while some are like the humans and they shall be subjected to Reckoning and punishment.�

In the light of the above tradition and its expansive meaning, numerous problems encountered in narratives with respect to the jinn appear to be solved.

For example, in some of the traditions of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), we read:

لاَ تَشْرَبُوا الْمَآءَ مِنْ ثُلْمَةِ الإِِنَاءِ وَ لاَ مِنْ عُرْوَتِهِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَقْعُدُ عَلَى الْعُرْوَةِ وَ الثُّلْمَةِ.

�Do not drink water from the broken portion of the vessel nor from the portion of the handle, for surely, the Shaytan sits upon the handle and the broken portion.�

In view of the fact that Shaytan is from the jinn, and knowing the fact that the broken portion of the vessel and similarly its handle are places of accumulation of numerous microbes, it does not appear too far-fetched that jinn and Shaytan, in their expansive meanings, should also include these entities too, in addition to possessing a specific meaning, i.e. an entity, who possesses understanding, intelligence and religious obligation.

3. IBN TAYMEEYAH'S ESSAY ON THE JINN (DEMONS)

TOP

The Angels and the Jinn - Bilal Philips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toiqdm5XHMw

3 Types of Jinn [NEW VIDEO]

Magician, Jinn & Black Magic Exposed! by Mufti Menk

Jinn Know The Unseen? - Mufti Ismail Menk

The World of the Jinn - Dr. Bilal Philips

Jinn & Black Magic Exposed! by Mufti Menk

Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan - Lessons from Surah Jinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW7sEcCQnSY

Ghosts, Spirits, and Demons: The Islamic Perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft4EU8Oon3E

The Reality of Jinn in the Quran and Sunnah ~ Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 20th April 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzhSwxJQAFU