Djinn: Shadow Beings in Ancient Islam

Djinn or Jinn are supernatural beings in Islamic belief that are almost like shadow humans living in a parallel shadow universe that is invisible to mankind.

Nature of the Djinn

According to the Abrahamic religions, men were made from clay, while angels were made from light. In Islam, Djinn are another type of beings that were made from fire. Aside from that, the Djinn are very much like humans, with the same bodily functions, needing to eat, sleep, procreate, and more. However, they are stronger than humans, with superior strength. They can also levitate objects and travel between planes of existence. They are sometimes described as traveling on the wind and depicted with wings. They can shapeshift, manipulate reality, and create illusions.

The Djinn are invisible to humans unless they want to reveal themselves and live in isolated communities, which are invisible shadows of the human communities. They sometimes choose to live among humans, either secretly or openly, and will mate with humans, creating half-supernatural beings. Their love tends to be scary for humans, as their fiery personalities can lead to excessive passion.

Djinn are sometimes equated with muses, inspiring artists, especially poets. On a more sinister level, they are also sometimes described as hurting children and used as a boogeyman in children’s stories. The scariest thing a Djinn can do is possess a person. Among some communities, this is believed to be the cause of mental illness and other illnesses such as epilepsy. Exorcisms are sometimes used as a means of healing.

Djinn, the Quran, and Creation

While Djinn come from pre-Islamic Arabian beliefs, they were incorporated into Islam and appear 33 times in the Quran. The first Djinn, Iblis, was made just before the first man, Adam. It was reportedly Iblis who tempted Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, making them both sinners. But Adam repented and chose to venerate God, while Iblis refused.

But it is not the case that all of Adam’s descendants have the potential to be saved and all of Iblis’ have the potential to fall. Just like every man, every Djinn chooses whether or not to follow Islam or become disbelievers, called kafir. They can be good, bad, indifferent, or mischievous.

While Djinn live for much longer than men, when they do eventually die, they are governed by the same rules of the afterlife.

Djinn and Genies

Djinn are the inspiration for genies, like those found in the story of Aladdin. But in folklore, Djinn usually don’t interfere in human affairs, preferring to keep to themselves. They only become involved in human affairs when their homes are disturbed in some way, often to take revenge. For this reason, Muslims will sometimes say “destur,” which is kind of like “excuse me,” before doing things such as sprinkling hot water into bushes to avoid accidentally offending a Djinn.

Engaging the Djinn

While many modern Muslims condemn the practice of worshipping the Djinn, working with the Djinn was part of traditional beliefs. Djinn often appear on amulets and talismans that were used for protection or medical aid.

Most notably, in Islam, it is believed that the ancient Israelite king Solomon received from God the power to speak to Djinn and enslave them to his will. He is described as using the Djinn who served Shayatin (Satan) instead of God to build his monuments. The text in the Quran implies that this enslavement was a form of punishment for the Djinn for unspecified crimes (but the Old Testament God is a  vengeful one).

The Quran also suggests that Muhammad had some kind of communication with the Djinn, since he was sent as a prophet for both the human and Djinn communities.

Sufism and Djinn Magic

Some practitioners of Sufi Islam engage in a mystical approach to Islam. They use the circle as a symbol to explain how they connect their practices to Islam. They see Shari’a, Islamic Law, as the circumference of the circle, enclosing and ruling everything on earth. They believe Haqiq, the Ultimate Truth, Allah is the center point of the circle. They believe that their way to reach Allah, which is their tariqa or path, is the radius that connects the circle to the central point. Since there are an infinite number of radii that connect the circumference to the center, there are an infinite number of possible paths.

Within this type of Sufism, groups have a spiritual leader called a Sheikh, and disciples should be absolutely obedient to their leader. Sheiks are believed to have traveled the mystical path and returned to lead others, not unlike Buddha. They are also believed to be able to call on Djinn for healing purposes, such as driving them out of possessed patients.

But while Djinn possession is usually associated with evil djinn, good Djinn could also take possession of a person, which is considered a great honor. It is described as being “worn by a Djinn.”