V1:89- The ability of the Jinn to appear to some humans and befriend them
89- The ability of the Jinn to appear to some humans and befriend them
Q: Do the Jinn (creatures created from fire) appear to some humans and hold friendships with them? Is jinni a devil?
A: Jinn do appear to some people. The Jinn are individual beings, not part of the human. It is well-known among scholars that the Jinn are the children of the Satan, in the same way that the humans are the children of Adam, so the Satan is the Jinni who refused to prostrate to Adam. He is the father of all Jinn. Some of them are kind, and others are wicked Kafirs (disbelievers) similar to the Kafirs among human beings. Among them are the Fasiqs (someone openly and flagrantly violating Islamic law), Kafirs, righteous Mu`mins (believers), and disobedient ones. They are groups and sects as humans, some people are in contact with them, they speak to them and are spoken to by them, some people can see them, but in most cases they are not seen. This is as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: "Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see the in." It means that they see us from where we cannot see them. This does not mean that we cannot see them at all; we can see them, but not from where they see us. However, they appear to some people in the desert and in houses, and they converse. We have been informed by a group of scholars of many incidents where the Jinn attend informative lectures and ask questions about different topics although they were not seen, some people have seen the Jinn in the desert and in other places. It is not permissible to worship them instead of Allah (Exalted be He), or seek their support. It is not permissible also to ask them for help in harming Muslims, nor is it permitted to ask about the Ghayb (the Unseen). In fact a person should take precautions against these things. As for calling them to Allah if possible, teaching them what will benefit them, advising them, preaching to them and reminding them of Allah, these are all permissible things. However, seeking their help and support, making vows for them, or getting closer to them by slaughtering in fear of their evil is Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect). Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression." This means that they increased theirs and transgression. This Ayah (Qur`anic verse) has two Tafsirs (explanation of the meanings of the Qur`an): the first meaning is that the Jinn increased the humans in fear of them, and the second meaning is that the humans increased the Jinn in their evil and transgression and kufr (disbelief) because when the Jinn saw that humans were scared of them they became arrogant and increased their harm of humans. Either way it is not permissible to ask them for help, or assistance, or is it permissible to make vow to them, ask them to help with something, invoke them to cure the sick, and so on. However, if one is able to speak to them, he can advise, remind, and call them to Allah. He should also teach them what will bring them benefit. There is nothing wrong with doing that with Jinn in the same way it is done with humans.
[Vol. 1, Page No. 230-231]
Q: Do the Jinn (creatures created from fire) appear to some humans and hold friendships with them? Is jinni a devil?
A: Jinn do appear to some people. The Jinn are individual beings, not part of the human. It is well-known among scholars that the Jinn are the children of the Satan, in the same way that the humans are the children of Adam, so the Satan is the Jinni who refused to prostrate to Adam. He is the father of all Jinn. Some of them are kind, and others are wicked Kafirs (disbelievers) similar to the Kafirs among human beings. Among them are the Fasiqs (someone openly and flagrantly violating Islamic law), Kafirs, righteous Mu`mins (believers), and disobedient ones. They are groups and sects as humans, some people are in contact with them, they speak to them and are spoken to by them, some people can see them, but in most cases they are not seen. This is as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: "Verily, he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see the in." It means that they see us from where we cannot see them. This does not mean that we cannot see them at all; we can see them, but not from where they see us. However, they appear to some people in the desert and in houses, and they converse. We have been informed by a group of scholars of many incidents where the Jinn attend informative lectures and ask questions about different topics although they were not seen, some people have seen the Jinn in the desert and in other places. It is not permissible to worship them instead of Allah (Exalted be He), or seek their support. It is not permissible also to ask them for help in harming Muslims, nor is it permitted to ask about the Ghayb (the Unseen). In fact a person should take precautions against these things. As for calling them to Allah if possible, teaching them what will benefit them, advising them, preaching to them and reminding them of Allah, these are all permissible things. However, seeking their help and support, making vows for them, or getting closer to them by slaughtering in fear of their evil is Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect). Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression." This means that they increased theirs and transgression. This Ayah (Qur`anic verse) has two Tafsirs (explanation of the meanings of the Qur`an): the first meaning is that the Jinn increased the humans in fear of them, and the second meaning is that the humans increased the Jinn in their evil and transgression and kufr (disbelief) because when the Jinn saw that humans were scared of them they became arrogant and increased their harm of humans. Either way it is not permissible to ask them for help, or assistance, or is it permissible to make vow to them, ask them to help with something, invoke them to cure the sick, and so on. However, if one is able to speak to them, he can advise, remind, and call them to Allah. He should also teach them what will bring them benefit. There is nothing wrong with doing that with Jinn in the same way it is done with humans.
[Vol. 1, Page No. 230-231]