Jinn

Demigods

and Demons

10 Types of Jinn

Jinn

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinn 

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Jinn (Arabic: جن‎, jinn) – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies – are invisible creatures in early religion in pre-Islamic Arabia and later in Islamic culture and beliefs. Like humans, they are accountable for their deeds, can be either believers (Muslims) or unbelievers (kafir); depending on whether they accept God's guidance.

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Since jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good, Islam acknowledged spirits from other religions and was able to adapt them during its expansion. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept; they may represent several pagan beliefs integrated into Islam.

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To assert a strict monotheism and the Islamic concept of tawhid, Islam denies all affinities between the jinn and God, thus placing the jinn parallel to humans, also subject to God's judgment and afterlife. The Quran condemns the pre-Islamic Arabian practice of worshipping or seeking protection from them.

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Although generally invisible, jinn are supposed to be composed of thin and subtle bodies (Arabic: أَجْسَام, romanized: ʾajsām), and can change at will. They favour a snake form, but can also choose to appear as scorpions, lizards, or as humans.

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They may even engage in sexual affairs with humans and produce offspring. If they are injured by someone, they usually seek revenge or possess the assailant's body, refusing to leave it until forced to do so by exorcism. Jinn do not usually meddle in human affairs, preferring to live with their own kind in tribes similar to those of pre-Islamic Arabia.

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Individual jinn appear on charms and talismans. They are called upon for protection or magical aid, often under the leadership of a king. Many people who believe in jinn wear amulets to protect themselves against the assaults of jinn, sent out by sorcerers and witches.

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Jinn is an Arabic collective noun deriving from the Semitic root jnn (Arabic: جَنّ / جُنّ, jann), whose primary meaning is 'to hide' or 'to adapt'. Some authors interpret the word to mean, literally, 'beings that are concealed from the senses'. Cognates include the Arabic majnūn (مَجْنُون, 'possessed' or, generally, 'insane'), jannah (جَنَّة, 'garden', 'eden' or 'heaven'), and janīn (جَنِين, 'embryo'). Jinn is properly treated as a plural (however in Classical Arabic, may also appear as jānn, جَانّ), with the singular being jinnī (جِنِّيّ).

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The origin of the word jinn remains uncertain. Some scholars relate the Arabic term jinn to the Latin genius – a guardian spirit of people and places in Roman religion – as a result of syncretism during the reign of the Roman empire under Tiberius and Augustus; however, this derivation is also disputed.

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Another suggestion holds that jinn may be derived from Aramaic ginnaya (Classical Syriac: ܓܢܝܐ) with the meaning of 'tutelary deity' or 'guardian'. Others claim a Persian origin of the word, in the form of the Avestic Jaini, a wicked (female) spirit. Jaini were among various creatures in the possibly even pre-Zoroastrian mythology of peoples of Iran.

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Pre-Islamic Era

The exact origins of belief in jinn are not entirely clear. Belief in jinn in the pre-Islamic Arab religion is testified not only by the Quran, but also by pre-Islamic literature in the seventh century.  Some scholars of the Middle East hold that they originated as malevolent spirits residing in deserts and unclean places, who often took the forms of animals; others hold that they were originally pagan nature deities who gradually became marginalized as other deities took greater importance.

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Since the term jinn seems to be not of Arabic, but of Aramaic origin, denoting demonized pagan deities, the jinn probably entered Arabian belief in the late pre-Islamic period.  Still, jinn had been worshipped by many Arabs during the Pre-Islamic period, though, unlike gods, jinn were not regarded as immortal. Emilie Savage-Smith, who asserted that jinn are malevolent in contrast to benevolent gods, does not hold this distinction to be absolute, admitting jinn-worship in pre-Islamic Arabia.

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In the regions north to the Hejaz, Palmyra and Baalbek, the terms jinni and ilah were often used interchangeably. Julius Wellhausen likewise states that in pre-Islamic Arabia it was assumed there are friendly and helpful beings among the jinn. He asserts that the distinction between a god and a jinni is, the jinn are worshipped in private while the gods are worshipped in public.

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Although their mortality ranks them lower than gods, it seems that the veneration of jinn had played more importance in the everyday life of pre-Islamic Arabs than the gods themselves. According to common Arabian belief, soothsayers, pre-Islamic philosophers, and poets were inspired by the jinn. Their culture and society were analogous to that pre-Islamic Arabian culture, having tribal leaders, protecting their allies and avenging murder for any member of their tribe or allies.

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Although the powers of jinn exceed those of humans, it is conceivable a man could kill a jinni in single combat. Jinn were thought to shift into different shapes, but were feared especially in their invisible form, since then they could attack without being seen. Jinn were also feared because they had been thought to be responsible for various diseases and mental illnesses.

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Al-Jahiz credits the pre-Islamic Arabs with believing that the society of jinn constitutes several tribes and groups and some natural events were attributed to them, such as storms. They also thought jinn could protect, marry, kidnap, possess, and kill people. Despite that they were often feared or they inspired awe, the jinn were also pictured to have romantic feelings for humans. According to a famous pre-Islamic story, the jinni Manzur fell in love with a human woman called Habbah, teaching her the arts of healing.

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Some scholars argue that angels and devils were introduced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad to Arabia and did not exist among the jinn. On the other hand, Amira el-Zein argues that angels were known to the pagan Arabs, but the term jinn was used for all kinds of supernatural entities among various religions and cults; thus, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Jewish angels and devils were conflated with jinn.

Islamic beliefs

Jinn are mentioned approximately 29 times in the Quran. By that the Quran confirms their existence to Muslims, but does not elaborate them any further. Traditionally, the 72nd surah, Al-Jinn, named after them, is held to tell about the revelation to jinn and several stories mention one of Muhammad's followers accompanied him, witnessing the revelation to the jinn.

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The Quran reduced the status of jinn from that of tutelary deities to that of minor spirits, usually paralleling humans. They are, like humans, rational beings formed of nations (7:38). Surah 51:56 resumes that both jinn and humans were created to worship God. Surah 6:130 states that God has sent messengers to both humans and jinn. Individuals among both communities are held accountable for their deeds, and will be punished or rewarded in the afterlife, in accordance with their deeds ( 7:179, 55:56).

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Unlike humans, jinn are not vicegerents of the earth. Al-Baqara only credits Adam as a successor (khalifa). However, some exegetes, like Tabari, argue that jinn inherited the world before, and that when angels complain about God creating humans who "will shed blood", they link humans to the jinn who ruled the earth previously.

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In the story of Solomon, it is implied that the jinn live on the earth alongside humans. Solomon is granted dominion over humans, ants, birds and jinn. The jinn served him as soldiers and builders of the First Temple. According to the Quran, when Solomon died, the jinn have not recognized that his soul left his body until he fell on the ground. This is understood to be proof that the jinn, despite being generally invisible themselves, do not know the unseen (Al-Ghaib).

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The jinn are also mentioned in collections of canonical hadiths. According to the reports of the hadiths, the jinn eat like humans, but instead of fresh food, they prefer rotten flesh and bones. One hadith divides them into three groups, with one type of jinn flying through the air; another that are snakes and dogs; and a third that moves from place to place like human.

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This account parallels the jinn to humans, similar to the Quran, as another hadith divides jinn into three groups, with one kind which is like four-legged beast, who are said to remain ignorant of God's message; a second one which is under the protection of God; and a last one with the body of a human, but the soul of a devil (shaitan)

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Exegesis

Belief in jinn is not included among the six articles of Islamic faith, as belief in angels is, however many Muslim scholars believe it essential to the Islamic faith. Many scholars regard their existence and ability to enter human bodies as part of the aqida (theological doctrines) in the tradition of Ashari. In Quranic interpretation, the term jinn can be used in two different ways:

1. as invisible beings, offspring of abu Jann considered to be, along with humans, thaqalān (accountable for their deeds), created out of "fire and air" (Arabic: مَارِجٍ مِن نَّار, mārijin min nār).

2. as the opposite of al-Ins (something in shape) referring to any object that cannot be detected by human sensory organs, including angels, devils, and the interior of human beings.

Tabari records from ibn Abbas yet another usage for the term jinn, as reference to a tribe of angels created from the fires of samūm (Arabic: سَمُوم, 'poisonous fire'). They got their name from jannah ("heaven" or "paradise"), instead. They would have waged war against the jinn before the creation of Adam.

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According to Tabari, the angels were created on Wednesday, the jinn on Thursday, and humans on Friday, though not in succession, but rather, more than 1000 years later, respectively. With the revelation of Islam, the jinn were given a new chance to access salvation. However, because of their prior creation, the jinn would attribute themselves to a superiority over humans and envy them for their place and rank on earth.

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The different jinn known in Islamic folklore are disregarded among most mufassirs – authors of tafsir – Tabari being an exception (though he is not specific about them, probably due to lack of theological significance). Since Tabari is one of the earliest commentators, the several jinn have been known since the earliest stages of Islam.

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The ulama (scholars of Islamic law) discuss permissiblity of jinn marriage. Since the Quran talks about marriage with human women only, many regard it as prohibited. Some argue that someone who marries a jinn will lose fear in God. Although conjuring jinn is considered unbelief (kufr) by Islamic scholars, most agree that they are capable of performing magic.

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The notion that jinn can possess individuals is generally accepted by the majority of Muslim scholars, and considered part of the doctrines (aqidah) of the "people of the Sunnah" (ahl as-sunnah wal-jammah'a) in the tradition of Ash'ari. A minority of Muslim scholars, associated with the Muʿtazila, denied that jinn could possess a human physically, asserting they could only influence humans by whispering to them, like the devils do.

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Other critics, such as Jahiz and Mas’udi, explained jinn and demons as a merely psychological phenomena. Jahiz states in his Kitāb al-Hayawān that loneliness induces humans to mind-games and wishful thinking, causing waswās (Arabic: وَسْوَاس, 'demonic whisperings in the mind'), causing a fearful man to see things which are not real. These alleged appearances are told to other generations in bedtime stories and poems, and when they grow up, they remember these stories when they are alone or afraid, encouraging their imaginations and causing another alleged sighting of jinn.

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The Seven Jinn Kings

In the Book of Wonders compiled in the 14th century by Abd al-Hasan al-Isfahani, there are illustrations of "The seven jinn kings". In general, each 'King of the Jinn' was represented alongside his helpers and alongside the corresponding talismanic symbols. For instance, the 'Red King of Tuesday' was depicted in the Book of Wonders as a sinister form astride a lion.

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In the same illustration, he holds a severed head and a sword. This was because the 'Red King of Tuesday' was aligned with Mars, the god of war. Alongside that, there were illustrations of the 'Gold King' and the 'White King'.

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Aside from the seven 'Kings of the Jinn', the Book of Wonders included an illustration of Huma, or the 'Fever'. Huma was depicted as three-headed and as embracing the room around him, in order to capture someone and bring on a fever in them.

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Seven kings of the Jinn are traditionally associated with days of the week. They are also attested in the Book of Wonders. Although many passages are damaged, they remain in Ottoman copies. These jinn-kings (sometimes Ifrit Afarit) are invoked to legitimate spells performed by amulets)

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Witchcraft and Magical Literature

Witchcraft (Arabic: سِحْر, sihr, which is also used to mean 'magic, wizardry') is often associated with jinn and afarit around the Middle East. Therefore, a sorcerer may summon a jinn and force him to perform orders. Summoned jinn may be sent to the chosen victim to cause demonic possession. Such summonings were done by invocation, by aid of talismans or by satisfying the jinn, thus to make a contract.

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Jinn are also regarded as assistants of soothsayers. Soothsayers reveal information from the past and present; the jinn can be a source of this information because their lifespans exceed those of humans. Another way to subjugate them is by inserting a needle to their skin or dress. Since jinn are afraid of iron, they are unable to remove it with their own power.

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Ibn al-Nadim, Muslim scholar of his Kitāb al-Fihrist, describes a book that lists 70 jinn led by Fuqṭus (Arabic: فقْطس), including several jinn appointed over each day of the week. Bayard Dodge, who translated al-Fihrist into English, notes that most of these names appear in the Testament of Solomon. A collection of late 14th- or early 15th-century magico-medical manuscripts from Ocaña, Spain describes a different set of 72 jinn (termed "Tayaliq") again under Fuqtus (here named "Fayqayțūš" or Fiqitush), blaming them for various ailments.

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According to these manuscripts, each jinni was brought before King Solomon and ordered to divulge their "corruption" and "residence" while the Jinn King Fiqitush gave Solomon a recipe for curing the ailments associated with each jinni as they confessed their transgressions.

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A disseminated treatise on the occult, written by al-Ṭabasī, called Shāmil, deals with subjugating devils and jinn by incantations, charms and the combination of written and recited formulae and to obtain supernatural powers through their aid. Al-Ṭabasī distinguished between licit and illicit magic, the latter founded on disbelief, while the first on purity. Allegedly, he was able to demonstrate to Mohammad Ghazali the jinn. He would have appeared to him as "a shadow on the wall."

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10 Types of Jinn in Islam

Sources: https://qatarjust.com/10-types-of-jinn-in-islam/,  https://procaffenation.com/types-of-jinns-fascinating-mysterious-entity/ 

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Do you know Islam has mentioned the existence of Jinn in the Holy Quran and Hadith? The word Jinn is mentioned 29 times in the Quran, even there is one chapter on Jinn.

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It has also been mentioned that Jinn can see a human being, but a human cannot see them in their actual form. They also reproduce and have religions too such as Muslim and non-Muslims. We have compiled the list of various types of Jinn in this article.

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1. Marid: According to Arabic folklore and mythology, Marid is the most powerful tribe of Jinn with great powers. They’re the classic genies that we see in movies like Aladdin and are often associated with water. Marid can change their shape and are said to have a lot of pride. Marid’s are usually depicted with hands folded with a barrel chest. They can fulfill the wishes of the mortals by a deal of flattery or battles, imprisonment, rituals. The giant fish: Bahamut of type Quaran Is an example of a non-humanoid form of Marid.

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2. Ifrit (Read More Ifrit Jinns of Fire Hell click): ‘Ifrit is mentioned only once in the Quran. In Islam, the term ‘Ifrit is always followed by the reference to a djinni who fetched the throne of the Queen of Sheba at the command of King Solomon. They are mighty, cunning and emerge out of the smoke from the ground. They form into large winged demon creatures who bleed fire, and either is a female or male. They belong to the underworld, which is where the evildoers go for their punishment. Humans can use magic to enslave or capture them.

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3. Ghouls (Read More Ghouls Demons of The Graveyard click): Ghouls are shapeshifting Jinns that haunt the cemeteries. They’re flesh-eating and blood-drinking creatures that feed on the flesh of human beings. Their targets are travelers, children, or the corpse stolen from the graves. Many types of Ghouls, like the female ghoul known as Ghula, which is the most feared type and appears as beautiful women to lure men. 

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4. Si’lat: Si’lat’s are the experts of shapeshifting and can take on the form of beautiful women to lure men and have intercourse with them and procreate with them. These are akin to the succubus, but the Si’lat isn’t always around doing evil things, sometimes they do a bit of good.

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5. Shiqq: Shiqq is considered the lower form of jinn and a half creature who goes after travelers who don’t pay much attention. The scary thing is that Shiqq can procreate with human beings.

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6. Nasnas: Nasnas is another form of a weak Djinn. They are hybrids and are half-human and half animal-like creatures. They are the offsprings of Shiqq who can procreate with humans. It is believed that they could kill a person just by a single touch, making him fleshless in mere seconds.

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7. Palis: Palis are vampiric foot lickers that are found in the desert. According to the legends, they have low intelligence levels. They attack people when they’re sleeping, draining their blood by licking the bottom of their feet. They can be fooled just by covering the bottoms of your feet while one sleeps. 

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8. Hinn: Hinn is close to animals, especially dogs. According to the legend, it is said that the Hinn are sighted in Arabia, Persia, and India.

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9. Jann: Jann is a shapeshifter who lives in the desert and takes the forms of whirlwinds and white camels. They’re pretty open-minded when it comes to humans and were the first ones whom jinns that humans encountered. They have the power to hide or reveal an oasis in the desert, and this all depends on whether or not they like a particular traveler. The Jann is also the enemy of the Ghoul. Throughout history, the Jann have protected the army that they have considered righteous while stopping those who are unworthy.

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10. Shaitan: Shaitan is known as the devil or Iblīs. According to the Islamic Theology Iblīs, the Jinn refused to bow to Adam. A devil has the powers to only cast evil suggestions into the chests of the men, women, and jinns. A shaitan is a defiant, malevolent jinn who is associated with evil forces.

Read More Zaqqum Tree of Hell click