The jinn, in all their shape-shifting varieties, are an integral part of Islamic culture, literature and poetry
The mysterious beings are said to live on earth among humankind (MEE/Mohamad Elaasar)
In Islamic doctrine, the story of mankind begins with an act of rebellion by a jinn when the devil, later known as Iblis, refuses to prostrate himself towards the image of Adam.
As punishment, the devil is expelled from the heavens and so begins his war against God and man. He later tricks Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, catalysing their own fall from paradise.
Made from a smokeless fire, Iblis and jinn like him are nevertheless spiritually similar to man in that they are capable of independent moral judgement and freedom of action.
Not all jinn are considered devils and, in Islamic tradition, many have served as friends and helpers of mankind, although interaction between the two is discouraged.
The unseen jinn are often depicted as frightful beings as seen in this work on display at Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey (Public domain)
In the Muslim imagination, the jinn occupy a shadow world, at once shared with humans but also transcending time and physical space.
They can see and hear the things humans do, and some have the ability to influence human action, quietly influencing men and women to make choices that may not be in their best interests.
Ones that constantly accompany humans are known as qareen, just one type of several jinn that are believed by some to live in our midst.
The word “jinn” comes from the Arabic trilateral root “ja-na-na”, which means to hide or to conceal, an apt description for beings that are kept hidden from human vision, existing in a parallel world known as al-Ghaib, or the unseen.
Amira el-Zein, author of Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn, suggests the beings were worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs, who associated them with elements of nature.
Some researchers and hobbyists have also suggested that the jinn originate in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, where jinn-like entities were worshipped as gods.
Earth’s original residents
In some Arab traditions, the jinn are said to be the original inhabitants of the earth, and once ruled the planet after battling other life forms known as Hinn, made of wind, and Binn, made from water.
Zakariya al-Qazwini, an 11th-century Persian cosmographer, placed the origin of jinn early on in God’s creation of life, before humankind.
So fascinated was Qazwini with the supernatural, that he produced an illustrated book with drawings of fascinating, unnamed mythical creatures.
The book entitled Ajaib al-Makhluqat wa Gharaib al-Mawjudat, or Marvels of Things and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing was written in Arabic and translated into Persian and Turkish.
Read More – Jinn: Who are the supernatural beings of Arabian and Islamic tradition?
Leave a Reply