Jinns and witches in the Islamic Faith

Introduction:

The purpose of this paper is to explain the origin and the types of jinns that exist in the Islamic faith. The disputes of the existence and physical state of jinns will be reviewed. Furthermore, this paper would not be complete without the fall of Satan. There will be an explanation of how jinns possess humans and a case study. Following, there will be a contrast of how witches cursed human beings. There are various differences that will be explained.

Background on Jinns:

Demonic beings are called by many names, but in the Islamic faith, they are called jinns or “Sayed” (Fayez 2012: 230). Jinn “derives from the Arabic root Jann which conveys the idea of protecting, shielding, concealing or veiling” (Dein 2013:301). There are other forms of spirits as well. There are “shaytaan [which are] satanic beings, [marris which are] demons, bhut are [evil spirits] and farista [are] angels” (Dein 2013:301). Jinn’s purpose is explained in Surah 51: 56 which states, “[Allah] created the Jinn and humans [for nothing] but to worship [him]” (Khalidi 2009:431). Since jinns were both made to worship Allah, jinns most likely were not created evil they became that way. Jinns and humans differ in how they came into existence. Humans are made “from the essence of clay. Then [Allah] made him [into] sperm in a well-guarded cavity. The sperm [was] turned into a blood clot, the blood clot into a morsel” (Khalidi 2009:274 Surah23: 12-14).

Jinns were “created before [humans] from the fiery wind”(Khalidi 2009:207 Surah 15:26-27). The downfall of the Jinns started when Allah told the Jinns to bow before the humans. All of the angels “bowed down before [humans] except for Satan”(Khalidi 2009:207 Surah 15:22). Even though jinns are mainly co...

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