Jinn – The Supernatural Beings of Islam
30th December 2022
Categorized Under: Myths and Legends from Around the World
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JINN – THE SUPERNATURAL BEINGS OF ISLAM
The Jinn or Jinn, as known in pre-Islamic Arabic mythology, is a nation or community of supernatural beings that live among us. They have their roots in legends of ancient Mesopotamia and lie below angels and demons. The Arabic word Jinn comes from the verb Janna which means to hide or conceal because they hide from the sight of humans. The Quran states that God created them long before man and with free will; He formed man of clay, angels were born of light, and Jinn of fire without smoke. Therefore, they are sinister entities, grumpy, and unfriendly.
According to the Quran and other Islamic texts, these spiritual creatures live between the heavenly and terrestrial worlds, in a dimension not visible to humans, and are neither celestial nor human. They are associated with the desert, hiding in dark places like ancient ruins where they keep their treasure, caves, mountains, and cemeteries. Just like people, they can be benevolent and friendly or evil and dangerous. They need to eat to live. They sleep, get married, form a family, have a home, have religions, have friends, and work. They can live up to fifteen hundred years, and when they die, they go to heaven or hell according to the life they have led. They have great powers and abilities. Therefore, they can appear as humans, dogs, snakes, trees, or whatever they desire. Like spirits and demons, they can possess bodies and cause disease in people who are vulnerable and are said to have weary souls. They take over the minds of those who are unstable, unhappy, or depressed and cause mental illness, but they can be cast from the possessed body through rituals or exorcism and defeated with the power of God.
They can fly through the air, and be invisible, which is why many deny their existence. They can instantly move heavy objects from one place to another, pass through walls, travel great distances, and travel through time to quickly gather information, which is why they are valuable to magicians and fortune tellers. Both wizards and Jinn are involved in black magic. Magicians perform different rituals to invoke them and order them what to do or what to happen, either for good or for evil.
On the other hand, Aladdin’s Genie is the Western version of the Jinn, who is not kind, nor do they live and come out of a magic lamp, and do not grant three wishes either. Some believe that in the original Aladdin story, there were two types of Jinn; the Jinn of the ring, who was evil and had magical powers, and one of the lamps, who was very big and powerful. The most famous example of stories about the Jinn is the book “Arabian Nights” where there are many stories that include the Jinn, such as the story of the Fisherman and the Jinn, where he is evil and dangerous, while others may be kind and friendly.
The Jinn have exceptional powers. Some can help you, and others can kill you, but they all stimulate our imagination and are part of Middle Eastern culture.
AUTHOR: ARABIC MYTHOLOGY
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