All about Jinn Question 1: Who are the jinn?

The jinn are among the creatures that Allah (swt) created. Allah (swt) created angels, jinn, mankind, animals, plants and others. Jinn have some qualities like human beings. These qualities are intellect, discrimination, freedom, and the power to choose between right and wrong, between true and false, as well as between good and bad. Question 2: When did Allah (swt) create the jinn? Allah (swt) created the jinn before Adam (pbuh) was created. Both were created in heaven and lived in paradise. One may read in Surah Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) [Qur'an, 15:26-27]. However, nothing was mentioned about the duration of time of the jinn's creation before Adam (pbuh). Question 3: What are jinn created from? Jinn are created from fire of hot wind [Qur'an, 15:27]; and from smokeless fire [Qur'an, 55:15]. They were originally made from fire and then molded and shaped in the form and shape that Allah (swt) wanted them to be. This means that they do not anymore possess their fiery nature. It is not known therefore, their final shape, form, and chemical composition. Since we cannot see them, therefore, it is not easy to do any analysis of their chemical nature. In contrast, mankind was created from soil, mud, and clay. They were molded as human beings. Our final form is no more mud or clay. Question 4: Do jinn have bodies? Yes and no! It depends upon the information that one has. One group of scholars believe that jinn do not have bodies of their own. They also do not inhabit bodies of other creatures. However, they do exist independently by themselves. Therefore, they do not know how they exist without bodies: smoke, flame, fire or what? The other group of scholars do believe that jinn do have bodies either definite or subtle. If their bodies are definite then they have some density; otherwise, if they are subtle, then they are so fine that our weak eyes cannot see them. One may read Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights) [Qur'an, 7:27]. Even if they are subtle they should have weight and density similar to that of the air itself. Question 5: Do jinn die? Yes. Jinn do die. As long as they are creatures created by Allah (swt), they should die. They are creatures that marry, produce children, eat, drink, and die like all other creatures in the universe. One may read Qur'an Surah Al-Rahman (The Most Merciful) [Qur'an, 55:26-28].

Question 6: Do the jinn feel envy of us? Yes. There are two types of evil eye: human and the jinn. One has to read regularly 'A'oozu Billahi Minash-shaitanir Rajeem. Also, by reading Ayah Al-Kursi and AlMu'awwazatain, one will be protected from the evil eyes of both the jinn and mankind. Question 7: Are there messengers and prophets from within the community of jinn? Yes. Allah (swt) has sent prophets and messengers to jinn from within the jinn community. Also, Allah (swt) sent Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to mankind, to jinn, and to other creatures. In Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), Allah (swt) explains that He sent messengers to men and to jinn. See Qur'an [6:130]. Question 8: Do jinn have different religions, sects and denominations? In Surah Al-Jinn (Ch. 72), Allah (swt) informs us that some jinn accepted Islam, while others refused. Those who refused have deviated, and developed for themselves different methods, different ways of life, and different religions, sects and denominations. Question 9: Do jinn marry and have children? Yes. Jinn do marry and they do have children. The way they marry is not known to us yet. We may be able to know the future if Allah (swt) wants us to know. People never knew about microbes, viruses, and the unseen micro creatures. Now we are able to know many things about their life cycles, their life duration, their methods of duplication or reproduction: sexually and asexually. The mere fact that we do not know how the jinn marry and reproduce does not negate their being married and reproduced. The Qur'an stipulates in Surah Al-Kahf (18:50) that they have offsprings. Similarly, the Qur'an states in Surah Al-Rahman (55:56) that jinn and human beings never touched (married) the ladies of paradise. Question 10: Can human beings and jinn inter-marry? Yes and no. It depends upon how one looks at it. It is a known fact in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Israa' (17:64) that jinn may share with us our wealth and our children. The Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) reconfirms this concept when he says that when a man has marital relationship with his wife, he should mention the name of Allah (swt). He should seek refuge in Allah (swt) from the outcast shaitan. Otherwise, shaitan folds himself up in the man's urethra and shall have sexual relations along with him. Moreover, when a man goes to his wife while she is in her menses, shaitan precedes him. She shall conceive and will bring forth a sterile person (Mukhannath). Such a sterile person is considered to be child of the jinn. Question 11: Do jinn have animals as pets?

Yes. Jinn do have animals or beasts of their own. The Prophet (pbuh) mentioned that every piece of dung is fodder for the beasts of the jinn. However, we do not know what type of beasts the jinn have. The same thing is to be said as to the varieties of beasts, their number, their shape, their size, their weight and so on. Question 12: Do jinn have homes of their own? Yes. The jinn do have homes. They live all over the planet earth. However, there are special places that one may find them in abundance and on a regular basis. These are deserts, ruins, places of impurities such as dunghills, bathrooms and graveyards. They live in houses of human beings too. For those who enter their houses mentioning the name of Allah (swt), the jinn cannot have a place to stay overnight in that house. If the people of the house mention the name of Allah (swt) before eating, then the shaitan will not be able to eat with them. Question 13: Is it true that animals see jinn and angels? Yes. Animals do see angels and shaitan. When a rooster sees an angel, it starts crowing. However, when a donkey starts braying it is seeing a jinn.

The above is the root meaning of the word Jinn. The existence of the Jinn is firmly established by the Qur?an and the authentic Sunnah and the consensus of the Scholars (Ijma?) It suffices to say that the word Jinn and its derivatives occur more than 29 times in the Qur?an. A related word ?shaytan? and its plural ?shaytana? together occur more than 80 times. In fact, there is an entire Surah called Surah Al-Jinn, which speaks in clear explicit terms about the Jinn. The reality which we have to affirm is that the Jinn live in an established world unseen to us. They eat and drink, and procreate. Similar to Humans, some are righteous while others are not. The Jinn were created before the creation of mankind. There origin is from fire. The Qur?an verified these facts in Surah Al-Hijr: ?And verily, We created mankind from sounding clay of altered smooth mud and the jinn We created from smokeless fire.? Qur?an 15:26-27 The creation was also reported by Ibn Abbas (ra): ?Two thousand years before (mankind) was created, there were Jinn on (the Earth), and they caused corruption on it and shed blood. Then Allah sent against them a troop of Angels who beat them and cast them away to islands in the seas. So, when Allah said: ?I am placing (mankind) generations after generations on Earth,? They (the Angels) said, ?Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood? (Al Baqarah, 2:30), That is: Just as those Jinn did?? Then Allah said: ?I know that which you do not know.?? Al-Hakim We can not ordinarily see the Jinn, unless they take a material form, which is usually in an unpleasant or ugly form such as a snake or a black dog, as opposed to angels who take pleasant and handsome forms. They can also take a human form. For example: In the battle of Badr, a kind of Jinn known as Ibliss, assumed the form of a man named Suraqah Ibn Malik, and urged the disbelievers to move forward to the battle, saying: ?There is none who can overcome you today? Qur?an 8:48 Then Al lah sent the Angel Jibreel against him and when Ibliss saw him, he cried out to the disbelievers: ?I have nothing to do with you ! I see that which you do not see ! I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in retribution,? and then he fled. There are 3 types of Jinn as described in the following authentic Hadith: The Prophet Muhammed (saws) said: ?There are 3 types of Jinn; One type flies through the air, another type consists of snakes and dogs. A third is based in one place but travels about.? Tabarani and Buhaqi

Jinni:Is a term used by the Arabs to refer to one Jinn. The 3 types of Jinn are as follows: 1 Amir: (Resident Jinn) used to mean that he is one of those who lives with people. 2 Shaytan: Used for a Jinni who is malicious and has become wicked. 3 Ifrit: Used for a Jinni who is stronger and more powerful than a Shaytan. The way of life for the Jinn is just like Human Beings. For Example: they are accountable for their actions, just as Human Beings are. Allah says in the Qur?an: ?I created Jinn and Mankind only in order that they might worship Me.? Qur?an 51:56 There are believers amongst them, who will be rewarded, and disbelievers, who will be punished, as they admit in the following verse from the Qur?an: ?And indeed there are amongst us, Muslims and amongst us, wrongdoers. As for those who accept Islam, they have sought out the right path. And, as for the wrongdoers, they will be firewood for Jahannam.? Qur?an 72:14-15 Whenever Allah sent a Prophet to mankind, the Jinn of that time could also receive his message. Thus, some Jinn came to Prophet Muhammed (saws) one night and he recited Qur?an to them, and taught them about Islam. Muslim They eat and drink, and have fiqh regulations similar to ours. Just as we eat meat of animals slaughtered in the name of Allah, so do the believers among the Jinn . In addition, the Jinn are allowed to eat the bones of such animals. With regard to this, the Prophet (saws) has instructed us not to use ani mal bones for istinja (i.e. to clean the private parts after relieving one?s self). The Jinn also have conjugal relations; as evident from this verse: ?Therein (in heaven) are (women) of modest gaze, whom neither human being nor Jinn have touched before.? Qur?an 55:56 Another verse establishes that they beget children:

?Will you then take (Ibliss) and his offspring as protectors in preference to Me, although they are an enemy to you?? Qur?an 18:50 The Jinn, as any other living creature, will also die. This is mentioned in the Qur?an: ?Allah will say, ?Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and Jinn, into the Fire.? Qur?an 7:38 Ibliss, however, has been given respite up to the Day of Resurrection. ?Allah said, you are, then, among those given respite up to the day of the time known (and appointed).? Qur?an 38:81-82 Ibliss is the Jinn who disobeyed Allah?s command to prostrate to Adam (as), and was consequently expelled from Heaven. Allah had promised him eternal Hell, but he had asked Allah to give him time before going to Hell to win over Adam?s descendants as their followers. Allah had granted him time, and Ibliss has worked towards the destruction of mankind ever since. Shaytan is the term used to refer to Ibliss and other disbelieving Jinn. Ibliss has his throne in the sea, and he sends out his dispatchments of shaytan to aggravate people. The dearest of them to him is the one who causes the most fitna (tribulation). One of his workers comes and tells him ?I did not leave (my victim) until I brought about separation between him and his wife.? Ibliss draws him near and says to him, ?Yes, You (are the best).? Muslim Because of this evil nature of the shaytan, the term ?shayatan? is also used for those disbelieving human beings who are active in corrupting and fighting righteousness. Allah has said: Thus, have We made, for every Prophet, an enemy, the shaytan of mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with, adorned spe ech by way of deception.? Qur?an 6:112 One of the shaytan?s endeavours in their attempt towards human destruction is to go up to the heaven?s and eavesdrop any news to carry on to earth. This news will be passed on to the fortune-tellers. A?isha (ra) said that she asked the Prophet (saws) about how it is that the fortune-tellers sometimes foretell something which turns out to be true. He replied, that?s the word of truth that the Jinn manages to catch, and so he comes and whispers in the ear of the fortune-teller, and to one truth he adds one hundred lies.

Bukhari and Muslim Man is always accompanied by a Jinn, who tries to incite him to evil, but the Prophet (saws) was protected from this harm. On the authority of Ibn Mus?ud the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ?There is not any one of you except that he has been assigned his companion from among the Jinn and his companion from among the Angels.? They the Companions said, ?Even you, O Messenger of Allah,? He replied ?Even me, except that Allah has helped me against the Jinn, so that I am unharmed, and so he orders me to do nothing but good.? Muslim Thus terrible thoughts may sometimes occur to us, but we are not responsible for these prompting?s provided, we neither allow them to take root within us, nor act upon them. The fact that we recognise them as evil is itself a sign of faith. It is possible for a Jinn to enter human beings and possess them as Allah says: ?Those who consume interest (riba) do not arise except as the one whom Satan has driven to madness by his touch.? Qur?an 2:275 Seek protection from the Jinn. In an Authentic hadith related by Bukhari and Muslim, The Prophet (saws) has instructed us to recite some supplications to protect ourselves from the harm of Satan. These include: 1. Before having sexual intercourse, we should say: ?Bismillah, Allahumma jannibnash-shaytina wa jannibish-shaytina ma razaqtana.? In the name of Allah. O Allah! Spare us from Satan and repel Satan from what you prov ide us with. Then, if a child is conceived, Satan will never harm him. 2. The shaytan like to frequent filthy areas such as toilets. Thus we should ensure that we recite the sunnah supplication (narrated by Al Bukhari and Muslim) before entering the toilet: ?Allahumma inni a?uthu bika minal-khubthi wal-khaba?ith.? O Allah! I seek refuge with you from male and female devils. 3. Reciting Ayat al Kursi (the verse of the throne in Surat Al Baqarah, 2:255) at bedtime ensures that no devil comes close to you until the morning. Related by Bukhari 4. Saying:

?La ilaha illallahu wah-dahu la sharika lahu; lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa-hawa?ala kulli shay?in qadir.? There is no God but Allah, alone, without any partner, His kingdom, and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. 100 times in the morning provides protection till the evening. Bukhari & Muslim In General, frequent remembrance of Allah and obedience to Him provide immunity from the Shaytan. Allah Says: ?Whoever withdraws himself from the remembrance of (Allah) most gracious, We assign to him a Shaytan to be his comrade.? Qur?an 43:36 In another verse Allah says: ?Satan has no authority over those who believe and place trust in their Lord.? Qur?an 16:99 Amongst the things that will keep the believer far away from falling into the snares of Shaytan is to refrain from excess in glances, words, food and socialising with people. By these four doors Shaytan gains power over the son of Adam and obtains what he wants from him. As for looking, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ?Do not follow a glance with a glance. You are allowed the first but not the second.? Narrated in the Musnad (Hadith Book) of Ahmad B. Hanbal (Sahih) As for excess words, the Prophet (saws) said: ?Part of the excellence of a Man?s Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.? Ahmad As for excess food, the Prophet (saws) said: ?A man does not fill a worse vessel than his belly.? Ahmad Luqman the sage used to say to his son, ?My son, when the intestines are full, reflection goes to sleep, wisdom falls silent, and the limbs cease to worship.?

As for excessive socialising, it is a chronic disease which attracts evil. How frequently are socialising and company empty of blessings ! How often do the sow enmity ! How often they plant rancor in the heart and as long as it remains in the heart it erodes firm mountains of good action! Excessive socialising contains loss for this world and the next world. The slave must only indulge in that amount of socialising which in necessary. One of the greatest fortresses which protect the believer against Shaytan is Knowledge. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ?One Faqih (Someone learned in Religious matters) is stronger against Shaytan than a thousand worshippers.? Tirmidhi The importance of knowledge for the believer in opposing Shaytan is well illustrated by the following story related by Ibn Abbass: The Shaytan says to Ibliss, ?Master we delight in the death of a man of knowledge more than we rejoice in that of a man of worship. We are harmed by the man with knowledge, but not harmed by the man of worship.? Ibliss says, ?Come on, lets go.? So off they go to a man of worship and they come to him while he is worshipping and tell him they want to ask him a question. Ibliss says, ?Can your lord put this world inside an egg?? ?The worshipper replies, ?I don?t know.? Ibliss says to the Shaytans, ?Don?t you see there is disbelief in his answer?? They then go to a man of knowledge in his circle joking with his companions and say, ?We want to ask you a question.? He says, ?Ask? so Ibliss says to him, ?Can your Lord put this world inside an egg?? He replies, ?Yes.? Ibliss asks, ?How?? The man of knowledge says,?His command when He desires a thing that He says to it ?Be? and it is.?(Qur?an 36:82) Ibliss says to the Shaytans ?Don?t you see that, the man (the worshipper) does not have any effect beyond himself, while this man (the man of knowledge) estranges much of the world from me?? It is well known that Shaytan is with those who oppose the community. For that reason, the Muslim must keep to the Muslim community because that will keep him far from the errors and snares of Shaytan. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:

?Whoever of you desires the heart of the Garden should cling to the community. Shaytan is with the solitary person and further off from the couple.? Timidhi and Ahmad The Messenger of Allah (saws) also said: ?The hand of Allah is over the community. Shaytan is with the one who opposes the community.? Ibn Sa?id Who are the Jinn? The Jinn are a part of Allah's creation separate from man and the angels, but they share certain qualities with man, like intellect, discrimination, freedom, and the power to choose between true and false, right and wrong. Qur?anic ayahs indicate the existence of the jinn: ?I only created the jinn and man to worship me.? Qur?an 51:56 Also in Surah al - Anaam it states: ?Oh assembly of Jinn and man, have messengers from among you not come to you, explained our signs and warned you about meeting this Day of yours? They say, 'We bear witness on ourselves.? Qur?an 6:130 The Prophet (saws) said: ?There are 3 types of Jinn, one type flies through the air, another consists of snakes and dogs , the third type is based in one place but travels about.? Tabarani, and Bahaqi The jinn are created with free will, living on earth in a world along with us, and are invisible to human eyes in their normal state. The Qur?an states that jinn were created from fire, for instance: ?We created Jinn from smokeless fire?. Qur?an 55:15 Smokeless fire means the tips of flames.

The Prophet (saws) said that the angels were created from light and the Jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from clay. (Al Tabarani, Baihaqi) So you may ask, If the jinn are created from fire how can fire burn fire? Well what is meant is that like human origin is from clay and mud the origin of jinn is also from fire. The proof of this is in a hadith related by Imam Ahmad. The Messenger of Allah (saws) got up one morning to pray fajr, and I was praying behind him. He recited and he became confused in the recitation. When he finished the prayer, he said, 'If you could have only seen me grabbing Iblis and how I kept on throttling him until I felt the coolness of his spittle between my thumb and index finger. If it had not been for the supplication of Sulayman, morning would have found him tied to one of the pillars of the mosque so that the children of Madina could have played with him. Bukhari The jinn also have the power to take on the form of human beings, birds, animals, and other things, they see you yet we see them not. This verse in the Qur?an shows, ?Surely he (shaytan) sees you, he and his tribe from where you see them not.? Qur?an 7:27 What are the names of the Jinn? Jinni: Is a term used by the Arabs to refer to one Jinn. Amir: (Resident Jinn) used to mean that he is one of those who lives with people. Shaytan: Used for a Jinni who is malicious and has become wicked. Ifrit: Used for a Jinni who is stronger and more powerful than a shaytan. The throne of Iblis is on the sea. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him said; ?Iblis places his throne on the sea then he sends forth his armies. The nearest of them to him in rank is the greatest in sedition. One of them comes and says, "O did such and such", He Says, "You did not do anything" Then another comes and says, "I did not leave him until I had split him from his wife" He brings him near and says "You did well". Muslim & Ahmad Do they marry and have children?

Yes they marry and have children, the Qur?an says: ?What, do you take him and his offspring to be your friends apart from Me when they are an enemy to you?? Qur?an 18:50 This indicates that they marry for the sake of offspring (children and family) The Jinn live all over the earth, although they are found mostly in deserts, ruins, and places of impurity like, bathrooms and graveyards. They are frequently found in places where they can cause a lot of mischief and corruption, like in markets. That is why the Prophet, (saws) gave some advise t o one of the companions, saying: "If possible, do not be the first to enter the market nor the last to leave it. It is the battleground of shaytan and he raised his barrier there. Muslim Saying, 'In the name of Allah before all our actions drives him away from our houses?. The Messenger of Allah (saws) says: 'When a man mentions the name of Allah on entering his house and when he eats, shaytan says to his troops "you have no place to spend the night and no supper", When the man mentions Allah on entering but does not when he eats, he says "You have supper but no place to spend the night". If he does not mention the name of Allah when he enters, shaytan says, "You have got a place to spend the night and supper.? Sahih References : 'Jinn' by Mustafa Ashour The Jinn (Demons) by Ibn Taymeeyah, translated by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

The jinn we know as Satan was created from fire. Before his obedience and sincerity were tested through Adam, he had been in the company of angels, acting and worshiping as they did. Unlike angels, however, who cannot rebel against God (At-Tahrim 66:6), Satan was free to choose his own path of conduct. When God tested him and the angels by commanding them to prostrate before Adam, the seeds of his self-conceit and disobedience blossomed and swallowed him. He replied in his vanity, (I am better than him. You created me from fire, whilst him you did create of clay) (Saad 38:76). Why was Satan created? Satan was created for important purposes. If Satan, who continually tries to seduce us, did not exist, our creation would be meaningless and futile. God has innumerable servants who cannot rebel and thus do whatever they are told. In fact, the existence of an absolute Divine Being Who has many beautiful names and attributes requires, not because of some external necessity but because of the essential nature of His names, that His names be manifest. God gave us free will so that we could know good from evil. In addition, He gave us great potentials. Our development of these potentials and our struggle to choose between good and evil make us experience a constant battle in our inner and outer worlds. Just as God sends hawks upon sparrows so that the latter will develop their potential to escape, He created Satan and allowed him to tempt us so that our resistance to temptation will raise us spiritually and strengthen our willpower. Just as hunger stimulates human beings and animals to further exertion and discovery of new ways to be satisfied, and fear inspires new defenses, Satans temptations cause us to develop our potentials and guard against sin. There is an infinitely long line of spiritual evolution between the ranks of the greatest prophets and saints down to those of people like Pharaoh and Nimrod; therefore it cannot be claimed that the creation of Satan is evil. Although Satan is evil and serves various important purposes, Gods creation involves the whole universe and should be understood in relation to the results, not only with respect to the acts themselves. Whatever God does or creates is good and beautiful in itself or in its effects. For example, rain and fire are very useful but can cause great harm when abused; therefore, one cannot claim that the creation of water and fire is not totally good. It is the same with the creation of Satan. His main purpose is to cause us to develop our potential, strengthen our willpower by resisting his temptations, and then rise to higher spiritual ranks. To the argument made by some that Satan leads many people to unbelief and subsequent punishment in Hell, I would reply with the following: First, although Satan was created for many good, universal purposes, many people may be deceived by him. But Satan only whispers and suggests; he cannot force you to indulge in evil and sin. If you are so weak that his false promises deceive you and you allow yourself to be dragged down, you earn the punishment of Hell by misusing an important God-given faculty that enables you to develop your potential and raise to the highest rank. You must use your free will, which makes you human and gives you the highest position in creation, properly, and to further your intellectual and spiritual evolution. Otherwise, you must complain about being honored with free will and therefore about being human.

Second, as quality is much more important than quantity, we should consider qualitative, as opposed to quantitative, values when making our judgment. For example, 100 date seeds are worth only 100 cents if they are not planted. If only 20 out of 100 seeds grow into trees due to the other 80 being destroyed by too much water, can we argue that it is evil to plant and water the seeds? I think all of us can agree that it is wholly good to have 20 trees in exchange for 100 seeds, since 20 trees will produce 20,000 seeds. Again, 100 peacock eggs may be worth a couple of dollars. But if only 20 eggs hatch and the rest do not, who will say that it is wrong to risk 80 eggs being spoiled in return for 20 peacocks? On the contrary, it is wholly good to have 20 peacocks at the expense of 80 eggs, for those 20 peacocks will lay even more eggs. It is the same with humanity. By fighting Satan and their evil-commanding selves, many worthless people have been lost in exchange for thousands of prophets, millions of saints, and billions of men and women of wisdom and knowledge, sincerity and good morals. All of these people are the sun, moon, and stars of the human world. * Excerpted with some modifications from: http://en.fgulen.com ** Fethullah Gulen is an influential Turkish Muslim intellectual who inspired a series of social activities, including a transnational education and business network, inter-faith dialogue forums, and multi-cultural encounters. His official Web site is http://en.fgulen.com/

The World of Jinn

Invitation to Islam, Issue 4, January 1998
Throughout history man has always had a deep attraction for the supernatural and the unseen. The existence of a world parallel to our own has always fascinated people. This world is commonly referred to as the spirit world, and almost every set of people have some concept of one. With some people, these spirits are no more then the souls of dead people- or ghosts. With others, spirits are either the forces of good or the forces of evil - both battling against one another to gain influence over humanity. However, both of these explanations are more in tune with folk tales and fantasy. The true explanation of such a world comes from Islam. Like every other way, Islam also claims to explain this realm of the unseen. It is from this realm that Islam explains to us about the world of the Jinn. The Islamic explanation of the Jinn provides us with so many answers to modem day mysteries. Without the knowledge of this world, the Muslims would become like the non-Muslims and be running around looking for any old answer to come their way. So, who or what are the Jinn? Existence The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb 'Janna' which means to hide or conceal. Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests. This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence. However, (as will be seen) the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of Allah's creation. The origins of the Jinn can be traced from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Allah says: "Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire"
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:26-27)

Thus the Jinn were created before man. As for their physical origin, then the Prophet (saws) has confirmed the above verse when he said: "The Angels were created from light and the Jinn from smokeless fire" [1]. It is this description of the Jinn which tells us so much about them. Because they were created from fire, their nature has generally been fiery and thus their relationship with man has been built upon this. Like humans, they too are required to worship Allah and follow Islam. Their purpose in life is exactly the same as ours, as Allah says: "I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me"
(Surah Ad-Dhariyat 51:56)

Jinns can thus be Muslims or non-Muslims. However, due to their fiery nature the majority of them are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Jinns form a part of the army of the most famous Jinn, Iblis- the Shaytan[2]. Consequently, these disbelieving Jinns are also called Shaytans (devils). As for the Jinns who become Muslims, then the first of them did so in the time of the Prophet (saws) when a

group of them were amazed by the recitation of the Qur'an. Allah orders the Prophet to tell the people of this event: "Say (O' Muhammed): It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened and said; 'Indeed we have heard a marvellous Qur'an. It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it, and we will never make partners with our lord'"
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:1-2)

In many aspects of their world, the Jinn are very similar to us. They eat and drink, they marry, have children and they die. The life span however, is far greater then ours. Like us, they will also be subject to a Final Reckoning by Allah the Most High. They will be present with mankind on the Day of Judgement and will either go to Paradise or Hell. Abilities That which clearly distinguishes the Jinn from mankind, are their powers and abilities. Allah has given them these powers as a test for them. If they oppress others with them, then they will be held accountable. By knowing of their powers, we can often make sense of much of the mysteries which go on around us. One of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like. Thus, they can appear as humans, animals trees and anything else. Over the last few years the interest in the subject of aliens and UFO's has become heightened. Programmes such as the X-files and the Outer limits have increased the popularity of the theory that aliens exist. Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world. These sightings however, have still not proven substantially that aliens exist. Rather - and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures were just Jinns parading in different forms. So the next time you see something that looks like E.T, its most probably just a wicked Jinn trying to scare and confuse you! The ability to possess and take over the minds and bodies of other creatures is also a power which the Jinn have utilised greatly over the centuries. This however, is something which has been prohibited to them as it is a great oppression to possess another being. Human possession is something which has always brought about great attention. But the true knowledge of this subject is rare amongst the people. Over the last 3 decades the subject of possession has become very commercialised. During the 70's films such as The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby were used to educate people about possession. However, because such institutions (the film industry) were heavily influenced by Christianity, knowledge of the subject was nonexistent. Rather then educate people about Jinn possession, films such as The Exorcist just tended to scare the living daylights out of us![3] Only through Islam can we understand such a phenomena. We know as Muslims, that Jinns possess people for many reasons. Sometimes it is because the Jinn or its family has been hurt accidentally. It could be because the Jinn has fallen in love with the person. However, most of the time possession occurs because the Jinn is simply malicious and wicked. For this reason we have been told by the Prophet (saws) not to loiter in those places where the Jinns reside, e.g. graveyards, ruins, deserts, market places etc. We have also been commanded to recite the Qur'an frequently in our houses as the Prophet (saws) said: "Indeed, the shaytan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah (the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an) is recited" [4].

If a person does become possessed, then the name of Allah has to be used in expelling the Jinn. If we look at the practice of the Prophet and his companions, we find many duas (supplications) to exorcise the Jinn. All these duas invoke Allah to help the possessed person. How contrary this is to many modern-day exorcists. Many exorcists, Muslim and non-Muslim, often invoke the names of others besides Allah to exorcise the Jinn[5]. When the Jinn does leave, these people believe that their way was successful. However, this is a ploy of the Jinn, as it knows that if it obeys the exorcist, then it has succeeded in making him worship others besides Allah i.e. commit shirk. The Jinn often returns when the exorcist leaves, as it knows that nothing except the words of Allah can stop it from oppressing others. It is not only humans which are possessed, but also animals, trees and other objects. By doing this, the evil Jinn hope to make people worship others besides Allah. The possession of idols is one way to do this. Not so long ago the world-wide phenomenon of Hindu idols drinking milk, shocked the world. From Bombay to London, Delhi to California, countless idols were lapping up milk. Ganesh[6] the elephant god, Hanuman the monkey god and even Shiva lingam, the male private organ(!), all seemed to guzzle down the milk as if there was no tomorrow! Unfortunately people were taken in by this (including Muslims) and many flocked to feed (?) the Hindu gods. Anyone who knows about Jinn possession, will undoubtedly know that this is a classic attempt to make people commit shirk. And it worked, as many people started to worship these lifeless pieces of wood and marble. Anyone with half a brain would say to themselves, 'why on earth does a god need to be fed?!! Surely if Ganesh, Hanuman or Shiva were divine then they wouldn't need feeding?' However, such common sense seemed to be lacking as the Jinns played havoc with these gullible people. The Occult Through their powers of flying and invisibility, the Jinn are the chief component in occult activities. Voodoo, Black magic, Poltergeists, Witchcraft and Mediums can all be explained through the world of the Jinn. Likewise, so can the illusions and feats of magicians. Because the Jinn can traverse huge distances over a matter of seconds, their value to magicians is great. In return for helping them in their magic, the Jinns often ask for the magicians to sell their souls to them and even to Iblis. Thus the magicians take the Jinn and Iblis as lords besides Allah. In our day, some of the feats performed by magicians and entertainers are without doubt from the assistance of the Jinn. Making the Statue of Liberty disappear, flying across the Grand Canyon and retrieving a ship from the Bermuda Triangle[7], have all been done by the Jewish magician David Copperfield. There is NO way that a man could do such things without the assistance of the Jinn. It would not be surprising therefore, if David Copperfield had sold his soul to Iblis himself. Because of their involvement with the Jinn, and its result in shirk, the Prophet (saws) said: "The prescribed punishment for the magician is that he be executed by the sword" [8]. Some may argue that this is barbaric, but if, the likes of David Copperfield truly had powers, then they could just put their heads back on again!! One of the most frequent activities associated with the Jinn, is fortune telling. Before the advent of the Prophet (saws) fortune-tellers and soothsayers were wide spread. These people would use their associates from the Jinn to find out about the future. The Jinns would go to the lowest heaven and listen to the Angels conversing amongst themselves about events of the Future which they heard from Allah. The

Jinns would then inform the fortune-tellers. This is why before the time of the Prophet (saws) many fortune-tellers were very accurate in their predictions. However, upon the Prophet's arrival the heavens were guarded intensely by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried to listen was attacked by meteors (shooting stars): "And We have guarded it (the heavens) from every accursed devil, except one who is able to snatch a hearing and he is pursued by a brightly burning flame"
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:18)

The Prophet (saws) also said: "They (the Jinn) would pass the information back down until it reaches the lips of a magician or forrtune-teller Sometimes a meteor would overtake them before they could pass it on. If they passed it on before being struck, they would add to it a hundred lies" [9]. Thus, it is clear from this as to how fortunetellers get predictions of the future right. It is also evident as to why they get so many wrong. Men like Nostradamus[10] are an example, as some of his predictions of the future were correct whilst many were completely wrong. Unfortunately, the amount of fortune telling which occurs amongst the Muslims is also increasing. By visiting Muslim lands such as Morocco, one is able to see as to how much inter Jinnfortune-teller activity there really is. If you look up at the sky on a clear night in Morocco, you will see the heavens ablaze with shooting stars! A clear display of the devils being chased away from the heavens. Fortune-tellers also operate through the Qareen. The Qareen is the Jinn companion which is assigned to every human being. It is this Jinn which whispers to our base desires and constantly tries to divert us from righteousness. The Prophet (saws) said: "Everyone of you has been assigned a companion from the Jinn. The companions asked: Even you O' Messenger of Allah? And the Prophet replied: Even me, except that Allah has helped me against him and he has submitted. Now he only tells me to do good" [11]. Because the Qareen is with a person all his life, it knows all that has happened to the person from the cradle to the grave. By making contact with the Qareen, the fortune-teller is thus able to make out that it is he who knows about the person. He looks in his crystal ball or the palm of a person and proceeds to amaze him with knowledge which no one else knows[12]. The severity of going to a fortune-teller is such that the Prophet (saws) said: "The prayer of one who approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, will not be accepted for forty days or nights" [13] and: "Whosoever approaches a fortune-teller and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammed" [14] The effects of the Jinn are not just limited to fortune-tellers. Other activities such as oujia boards and seances, which are used to contact the dead, are manipulated by the Jinn. 'Are you there Charlie? Speak to us Charlie!!' are the sort of words spoken by anxious relatives (names are obviously different!) seeking to make contact with their loved ones. And it is when the Jinn starts to talk and communicate as 'Charlie', that the people are truly fooled[15]. One of the biggest manipulations of the Jinn is through visions. Through these visions the Jinns are more likely to lead people away from the worship of Allah then any other way. When a person sees a vision in front of his eyes it is something which is very hard to explain away. Only by having knowledge of the world of the Jinn and conviction in Allah, can a person fight such a trial. The countless numbers of visions of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary over the centuries has been a popular choice for the devils. It almost seems as if leading Christians astray is the most easiest trick for

the Jinns! Not only are Christians fooled by these visions, but often the Jinns possess and begin to talk from their voices. To the Christians this is known as the tongues of the Angels and thus a proof for their faith. However, the amount of unintelligible nonsense and rubbish which is heard is a clear proof that this is in fact the tongues of the devils! For other people, visions of their parents or relatives are commonplace. By taking on the form of peoples parents, the Jinns can convince people that the souls of dead people still mix with the people of the earth. This is why so many people believe in ghosts. The onslaught of satanic visions has also hit the Muslims. Many Muslims claim to have seen visions of the Prophet Muhammed (saws) and even Allah! By doing this, Shaytan is able to lead astray the weak Muslims. Through such visions, Muslims are often told that the commands of Islam are not applicable to them. The Jinns tell them that Prayer, Fasting, Hajj etc. are not obligatory for them. It is a great deception and unfortunately one which has been very effective. The extent of satanic visions still continues to this day. The recent death of Diana Princess of Wales sparked off great love and adoration for this woman. In fact the grief of the British people was such, that it was as if Diana was something divine. No sooner had the mourning of Diana reached its peak, that visions of her were already being seen at Hampton Court Palace! If these visions did occur, the desire of Iblis and his army of Jinn to capitalise on this event, was evident. Such visions are clear attempts by Iblis to lead mankind away from the path of Allah [16]. The world of the Jinn is one which is both sinister and intriguing. By knowing of this world we can explain many of the mysteries and issues which bother us. By doing this we can avoid the extremes which the people have gone to; nothing being more extreme then worshipping others besides Allah. By learning the Tawheed of Allah, we defend ourselves from these hidden allies of Iblis: "Indeed he (Iblis) and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them"
(Surah Al-A'raf 7:27)

Maybe there is a Jinn sitting in the corner of your room right now, or even one behind you. If so, then how will you deal with this creation of Allah? Learn Islam properly and you will be able to deal with all of Allah's creation - and not just the Jinn. By becoming true Muslims and followers of Islam, the fear of Iblis, Jinns and anything else will leave us - nothing will touch the Believer unless Allah wills.

Footnotes 1 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans. Vol. 4, p.1540, No.7134 2 It must be remembered that Iblis is a Jinn and not an Angel. The concept of the Devil being a fallen Angel is from Christianity and not Islam. 3 In fact when The Exorcist was first shown on cinema, it was so scary that many people fainted and one even died! 4 Authentic - Reported by Tirmidhee 5 Whilst Christians invoke the name of Jesus, many Muslims invoke the name of pious Muslim saints! The rituals which are conducted by many Muslims are more akin to voodoo then the exorcism practised by the Prophet and his companions!!

6 Ganesh, the elephant headed deity, seemed to be the biggest drinker! In fact it didn't just stop at milk. At the time of these occurrences, a woman in India decided to see if Ganesh would drink anything else - so she offered him whiskey!! And Lo and behold Ganesh drank the Whiskey!!! Suffice to say, the woman was kicked out of India. 7 The ship which was recovered was more then 50 years old. It subsequently caught alight and was conveniently destroyed. 8 Authentic - Reported by Tirmidhee 9 Reported by Bukhari - Eng. Trans. Vol.7, p.439, No.657 10 Michel de Nostradamus was a famous French soothsayer of the 16th century. 11 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans. Vol.4, p.1472, No.6757 12 The classic example of how fortune tellers can be wrong is the case of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed. Both went to see a fortune teller who told Diana that she would live a long and happy life. A few weeks later, on August 31st 1997, Diana and Dodi Fayed were dead. After this the fortune tellers flew for cover, as their evil art showed its decadence. 13 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans. Vol.4, p.1211, No.5540 14 Authentic - Reported by Ahmed 15 Ouija boards are so misleading, that people have even managed to get in touch with the spirit of Jack the Ripper!! 16 An informative book on the world of the Jinn is Ibn Taymeeyah's Essay on the Jinn translated by Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips.

Islam and Magic Magic is an old human practice. It is sometimes defined as deception by showing something to an audience, which is contrary to reality. In Islam this is part of magic, which is, however, defined as seeking the help of demons to perform something harmful against somebody. In the light of the above definition, Islam considers magic to be an act of blasphemy. Thus, the Holy Quran say: "Suleiman (Solomon) did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved teaching men magic" (2:102) In an authentic saying, the Prophet of Islam p.b.u.h. said: Whoever goes to a fortune teller (a soothe sayer) or a diviner and believes him, has, in fact, disbelieved in what has been revealed to Muhammad. Thus Islam condemns magic- even what is called the horoscope or luck or reading one's palm to foretell the future is also prohibited in Islam. This is based on the belief that no one knows the future or the unseen except God almighty. That is why the Quran asserts that even Muhammad does not know the unseen. Concerning this, it says: "If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance for myself, and no evil would have touched me" (7:188). Again, God is described in the Quran as the knower of the unseen and the manifest (6:73) and as the holder of the keys of the unseen (6:59). In another tradition, Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. says: "Avoid the seven deadly acts which are: ascribing partners to God, magic, killing the human self which Allah prohibited except with right, eating usury, devouring the orphan's wealth, defecting from the battle-field (without a justified reason) and slandering chaste, unwary believing women. Thus Islam has closed the door for practicing magic, simply because it is against its teachings, and it is deceptive and harmful. Let us now review some of the verses of the Holy Quran that refer to magic: In Chapter two verse 101-102, the Quran says: "And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the scripture threw away the book of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know. And they followed what the devils gave out falsely of magic of the reign of Solomon; for Solomon did not disbelieve but the devils disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angles) taught anyone (such things) until they had said: we are only for trial, so don't disbelieve. And from them (magicians) people learn that through which they would cause separation between a person and his spouse, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave; and they learn that which harms them rather than profits them. And

indeed they knew that its practitioner would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves if they but knew" (2:101-2). Although Solomon was the Prophet and Messenger of God, he was accused by some of his opponents to be practicing magic. Those who claimed this could not distinguish between magic and miracles. Almost all messengers of God were granted miracles as a proof of their authenticity. To name only a few: Moses was granted the staff by which he could divide the sea and make water gush from rocks. Abraham was flung in the middle of a huge raging fire, which Allah made cool and peaceful to him. Jesus Christ could heal the blind and the leper and bring back the dead to life. If we contemplate these acts we find that miracles are totally different from magic. While magic is always harmful, miracles are useful. Magic is from devils while miracles are from God. When these divine miracles are rejected other miracles are imposed to inflict severe punishments on rejecters. On the other hand, miracles are real while magic is sometimes deceptive. It may be said that the Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. was himself exposed to the effect of magic. How could you explain this? This is true; but God saved him from the spell of magic through the repeated remembrance of God and the recitation of some chapters and verses of the Holy Quran. This took place to confirm the humility of Muhammad p.b.u.h. who was a human like other humans. This made it easier for his followers to imitate him. Two questions are pertinent in context: How to protect one's self from magic? And how to treat a person under the spell of magic? Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. provided us with the recipe through which we can protect ourselves from magic. We shall be immune from magic if we recite - after the five daily prayers - the last three chapters of the Holy Quran which are number 112, 113 and 114 And here is their translation: (112) Unity In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally besought of all! He begets not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. (113) Daybreak In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful Say I seek refuge in the in the Lord of daybreak From the evil of that which he created; From the evil of the darkness when it is intense, and from the evil of malignant witchcraft, And from the evil of the envious when he envies. (114) Mankind In the name of Allah the beneficent, the Merciful Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The King of mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the sneaking whisper, Who whispers in the hearts of mankind, Of the jinn and of mankind.

These chapters are also recommended to be recited three times after the dawn prayer and three times after the sunset prayer. Secondly Prophet Mohammed p.b.u.h. encouraged us to recite the greatest verse in the Quran called the verse of the Throne, translated as follows: "Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, and the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. Unto Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedes with Him save by His leave? He knows that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His chair encompasses the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the sublime, the Tremendous" (2:225). This verse should be recited after each and every one of the five daily prayers and before going to bed. The Prophet p.b.u.h. also encouraged us Muslims to recite the last two verses of Chapter two at the beginning of every night whose translation is as follows: "The Messenger believes in that which has been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah and His angles and His scriptures and His messengers and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Your forgiveness, our Lord. Unto you is the journeying" (2:285). "Allah tasks not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it has earned, and against it (only) that which it has deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as you did lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us. You are our Patron; so grant us victory over the disbelieving folk" (2:286). Prophet Mohammed p.b.u.h. said: (whoever recites the last two verses of the chapter called the Cow, they will suffice him). This means that they will protect him from every evil. Again seeking refuge in Allah and remembering his name is an effective protection against all evils including magic. Two main supplications are recommended in this respect. They are: 1. I seek refuge in the complete words of Allah from the evils of what He created; 2. In the name of Allah through whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause any harm. If these two prayers are recited three times in the beginning of the day and in the beginning of the night, then no harm or evil will approach the reciter by the grace of Allah (S.W.T). It remains to mention how we can treat a person under the spell of magic. It is possible, on the one hand, to learn magic so that one can use the same tactics. All in all, the best cure is to recite the Quran and seek God's help.

Driving Away Satanic Whispers

QUESTION: I'd like to know how to get rid of satanic whispers that trouble me. Kindly furnish me with some Qur'anic verses and Hadiths that will help me get rid of this malaise. Secondly, is it true that Allah grants some of His creatures supernatural powers to do whatever they like and to order whatever they like to happen and then surely it will? ANSWER: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Dear questioner, it is to our happiness that you send us your question and we implore Almighty Allah for His help in furnishing you with the best answer. First and foremost, we would like to stress the fact that a Muslim always resorts to Allah, takes refuge in Him from Satan and his whispers. We are taught to ward of Satan whenever he tries to approach us. The way is very simple and easy. Just you say few words and Satan takes to his heels. The simple statement is A`odhu Billahi MinashShaytan Ar-Rajeem.(I seek refuge in Allah from the Accursed Satan). So as to get rid of satanic whispers, a Muslim is commanded to stick to reciting the two Protective Qur'anic surahs: surat An-Nas and surat Al-Falaq, as well as Ayat ul-Kursi and surat Al-Baqarah. As for your question concerning supernatural powers given to some people, Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former Head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states the following: "The word "magic" is mentioned in the Qur'an 60 times. Almighty Allah says: "And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harm them and profit them not. And surely they do know that he who traffic therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew." (Al-Baqarah: 102 )? The verse has the following implications: 1- Magic has been known as a well-established fact regardless of it changing the forms of things. 2- Magic involves things that may be beneficial or harmful, as Allah says: " learn that by which they cause division between man and wife." (Al-Baqarah: 102)

3- Magic cannot have any effect save by the Will of Almighty Allah, as Allah says: " but they injure thereby no one save by Allah's leave." (Al-Baqarah: 102) 4- Adhering to magic renders one a disbeliever, as Allah says: " but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic." The views of Muslim scholars carry culminate in the following: 1-Attributing the effect of the magic to anything other than Allah renders one a disbeliever. 2-Practicing magic or sorcery for the sake of harming people is totally forbidden. Based on this, it is a form of disbelief to torture people with a magic spell or subject them to the evil of jinn. As for the most common belief that some people possess extraordinary powers that enable them to do strange things, this is has no basis in Islam. Almighty Allah never grants some of His creatures powers to do evil to people but it happens that some people resort to superstition to do evil to people, and this takes the ruling applied to magic. The most important point, for a Muslim is to seek Allah's help, strengthen his relationship with Him, try his best to do good and do not let superstitions or imaginations invade his mind so that is does not drive him to the pit of sins. One should have strong belief in Allah and His Absolute Power, as the Prophet says: "If people gather to confer a favor on you, this will never be done unless it has been predestined for you. And, if they conspire together to harm you, they will never harm you unless that has been predestined for you." Allah Almighty knows best.

The Fate of Animals, Jinn & Angels in the Hereafter

QUESTION: Dear scholars, As-Salaam `Alaykum. I have recently been reading books on DEATH and LIFE AFTER DEATH. There appears to be no mention of the fate of ANIMALS, JINN or ANGELS in the Hereafter. Do we assume the Hereafter will comprise of only human beings and in what form? Will it be body or soul or both? Jazakum Allah khayran. ANSWER: Wa`alykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh. In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake. As for the question you raised, Dr. Rif`at Fawzi, professor of Shari`ah at Cairo Univ., gives the following answer: First of all, wed like to state that we should not be much concerned about the status and fate of such creatures. What one should busy himself with is what will be my fate in the afterlife and this will be determined according to what man does of good or bad deeds. However, in some reports it is stated that the hornless ram will retaliate for the harm caused to her by the horned one. This indicates absolute justice will prevail in the Hereafter to the extent that it will include some sort of oppression or aggression taking place among animals. More knowledge than this is not of any benefit for us. As for the Jinn they are held responsible for their deeds just like men and hence will be called for account on the Day of Judgment and will be either punished or rewarded according to their deeds. Almighty Allah says relating the speech of Jinn: And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules. And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight. And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression. 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. And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell. (AlJinn: 11-15)

The status of angels on that Day will be as mentioned in the Quran in several places. For instance, Allah says: Then, on that day will the Event befall. And the heaven will split asunder, for that day it will be frail. And the angels will be on the sides thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of their Lord that day, above them. (Al-Haqqah: 15-17) However, it is to be stated that they will not be called to account and will not be rewarded or punished as a result. This is because they are all-time Allahs devotees; they never disobey Him. Allah says: O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded. (At-Tahrim: 6) As for the final point in your question, Almighty Allah says: We mete out death among you, and We are not to be outrun, That We may transfigure you and make you what ye know not. (Al-Waqi`ah: 60-61) It is reported that no elderly will enter Paradise in the sense that all people will be in the age of youth. The bodies and form will be of another nature that will be prepared either for punishment or for reward. But a detailed information about the HOW PROCESS is known only to Allah alone. Allah Almighty knows best.

Seeking help from dead saints, etc for cure Question: My son is repeatedly sick especially at the time of exams; this happens suddenly; some say he has Ayen or Nazar; besides medical treatment I am performing Raqaya Sharaya fore this; but still my son gets this problem; My mother is attributing it to my change in my religious practice sin I started living in Medina Munawwarh some say I have become Wahhabi; previously I used to visit graves of Saints and Sufis/Awlia and make supplications there for such things; My mother is asking me to go one saints grave and pray for my son; what should I do; If I don't follow my mothers advice will it amount to disobedience. Please advice me. Answer: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, may Allaah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions. First of all, we ask Allaah to cure your son. We advise you to continue performing Ruqyah on him along with consulting a doctor as his disease could be physical. Besides, you should supplicate Allaah as much as possible to cure him at the earliest. It is forbidden for you to obey your mother in her request for you to go to a grave of a pious person and supplicate for the cure of your son, as the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "There should be no obedience to a creature in disobeying the Creator." [Ahmad] Supplicating Allaah at graves is an innovation in religion and a means of committing major Shirk (associating partners to Allaah). The same thing applies with regard to supplicating Allaah through them, as whoever supplicates to anyone other than Allaah in things that only Allaah is able to do, has committed major Shirk that take a person out of the fold of Islam. Allaah Says (which means): {And do not invoke besides Allaah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers. And if Allaah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no one who can repel His Favour.}[Quran 10:106-107]. Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "If you were to ask, ask Allaah." [Ahmad] So it is forbidden for you to obey your mother in going to a grave and seek its blessings or supplicate there, and the like. You are obliged to endeavour to advice your mother and teach her the correct belief free from any innovations and acts that takes a person out of the fold of Islam. A believer is required to be patient when he is afflicted and tested. Allaah Says (which means): {O, you who believe! Endure and be more patient}[Quran 3:200]. If a Muslim knows the reward of being patient, he would realize that Allaah willed good for him as Allaah tests his slaves by afflicting them with calamities. The Prophet, sallallaahu

alayhi wa sallam, said: "When Allaah loves some people, He afflicts them. So, those of them who are content get the reward of being content while those who get angry get the punishment of being discontent." [At-Tirmithi] Furthermore, when the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was asked about the people who are most afflicted he replied: "First, it is the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, then the people who are closer to them in being patient, and then the people who are less patient; a person is afflicted according to the strength of his religion." Then, being sick or afflicted could be a sign of a strong belief and the Love of Allaah for that person. So you are obliged to be patient and seek treatment to your son within permissible ways, but you should not seek forbidden ways which involve associating partners to Allaah. Allaah Knows best.

Who are the Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj?

by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali The Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj During the reign of Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) people will live an extremely peaceful life filled with prosperity and abundance. Then the wall which imprisons Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj will break and they will surge forth in large numbers. "But when Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj are let loose and they rush headlong down every hill" (Quran 21:97) Who are the Ya'jooj and Majooj? Zul Qarnain (A.S.) who was a pious and just Ruler travelled to many lands and conquered them, establishing justice and the Law of Allah therein. Allah Ta'ala provided him with all forms and material strength through which he was able to carry out his conquests and missions. He once carried out a mission in three directions, the far west, the far east, and then in a northerly direction. It was here that he came across a tribe of people who complained to him about the tribes of Ya'jooj and Majooj which inhabited the land behind two huge mountains and often emerged from behind these mountains to perpetrate acts of anarchy and plunder among them. They requested Zul Qarnain (A.S.) to erect a barrier between themselves and the tribes of Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj so that they could be saved from their atrocities. With the material strength at his disposal, Zul Qarnain (A.S.) enlisted their physical labor and set about erecting a high wall between the two mountains. The height of the wall or its exact length is unknown. What is known is that the height of this wall reaches that of the summit of both mountains. It is made with blocks or sheets of iron, which is further strengthened by molten lead. In this manner Ya'jooj and Majooj are unable to scale the wall, or cross it, except when it is the will of Allah. "And when the promise of my Rabb approaces, He will level it to dust" (Quran 18:98) They are situated in a land of ice which is hidden from our gazes and the exact location of which is unknown. Though many interpretations do exist in this respect, none of these can be said to absolute. Ya'jooj and Majooj are human beings and according to a narration they are from the progeny of Yafith ibn Nooh (A.S.). Some Ahadith... In a lengthy hadith by Hadhrat Nawwas ibn Sam'aan (R.A.) Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "...Allah will send revelation upon Eesa (A.S.) that 'Such a creation of mine is now going to emerge that no power will be able to stop them. Therefore take my servants and ascend the Mount of Toor.' Then Ya'jooj and Majooj will emerge and surge forth in all their fury. When those from among them who constitute the former part of their army pass the lake of Tiberias (which is in northern Palestine), they will drink up all the water of that lake and by the time those that constitute the latter part of that same army pass the lake, they will say, "There used to be water here (long ago). When they reach the Mount of Khamr in Jerusalem, they will arrogantly proclaim: 'We have conquered the people of

the earth, now we will annihilate those in the sky.' So saying they will fire their arrows towards the sky. When the arrows return to the ground they will be blood stained. In the meantime, Eesa (A.S.) will be on the Mount of Toor with his followers. At that time the head of and ox will be as valuable as is a hundred dinars to you in this day. [This indicates the scarcity of provisions]. Faced with these hardships, Eesa (A.S.) and his followers will make dua unto Allah (to remove this calamity). As a result, Allah will cause sores to appear on the necks of each and every individual of these people which will cause their death suddenly. When Eesa (A.S.) and his followers descend from the Mount of Toor there will not be a single space on the land where the dead rotting bodies of these people is not littered, giving off a horrendous odour. Eesa (A.S.) and his followers will once more supplicate unto Allah as a result of which Allah will send down huge birds whose necks will be as thick as that of the necks of camels, and they will dump these bodies in a place where Allah wills. (According to a narration by Tirmidhi, they will be dumped at a place called Nahbal). Allah Ta'ala will then send down a heavy rain, the waters of which will flow in every part of the earth cleansing it thoroughly. It will rain for a period of forty days. The Muslims will then burn the bows and arrows of the Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj for a period of seven years. Allah will order the earth to yield forth its crops in abundance and there will be such blessing and prosperity that one pomegranate will be sufficient for a whole group while the peel thereof will suffice to cast a shadow over them. The milk of one camel will be sufficient for many groups while one milk giving cow will be sufficient for a whole tribe. One milk giving goat will be sufficent for a whole family..." (Muslim) Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "On the day of Qiyamah Allah will say to Adam (A.S.) to pick out the Jahannamis from his entire progeny. Adam (A.S.) will ask: 'O Rabb, who are they?' Allah will say: 'Nine hundred and ninety nine of a thousand are Jahannami while the one is a Jannati.' On hearing this the Sahaba were overtaken by fear and they asked "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), who will that one Janniti be?' Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: 'Do not grieve, the nine hundred and ninety nine will be Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj while you will be the Jannati."' (i.e. your numbers in relation to them will be one in a thousand). (Bukhari and Muslim) Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Allah Ta'ala divided mankind into ten parts. Nine tenths constitute Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj while the remaining tenths constitutues the rest of mankind."

Hadhrat Zainab bint Jahsh (R.A.) says: "...once Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam) awoke from such a sleep that his face was red and these words were on his tongue: 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Destruction is upon the Arabs on account of the evil which has come close to them. Today a hole as big as this has opened up in the wall of Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj.' ..and Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) indicated the size of the hole forming a ring with his index finger and thumb." (Bukhari and Muslim) Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) narrates that every day Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj break (dig) through the wall erected by Zul Qarnain (A.S.) until they reach the end of it to that extent that they can actually see the light on the other side. They then return (home) saying that 'We will break through tomorrow.' But Allah Ta'ala causes the wall to revert to its original thickness and the next day they start digging through the wall all over again, and this process continues each day until as long as Allah wills them to remain imprisoned. When Allah wishes them to be released, then at the end of the day they will say, "If Allah wills, tomorrow we will break through." The following day they will find the wall as they had left it the previous day (i.e. it will not have returned to its orginal state) and after breaking the remaining part of it they will emerge." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah) Commenting on the above hadith, Allamah Ibn Arabi says, Three miracles are evident in this Hadith: 1.) It never occurs to these tribes that they must continue work during the night. After all, they are in such large numbers that they can easily delegate the work among themselves and work in shifts. But Allah does not allow this thought to occur to them. 2.) It never occurs to them that they can merely cross the mountains or scale the wall, which they can do through the aid of equipment and implements wich they possess in large numbers. According to a narration by Wahab ibn Munabbah it is known that these tribes are agriculturists and artisians possessing various types of equipment. 3.) The thought of saying "If Allah wills" never enters their minds and it will only occur to them to say it when Allah wills that they be released. from: "Signs of Qiyamah" by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali