To begin with - not all jinn are blue.....
They can, in fact, be any color - or no color..invisible.......
They are the inspiration for Aladdin’s genie, and have held a space in Arab culture for almost as long as Arab culture itself.
And yet, having transcended both religion and the physical world, so little is understood about the 'spirits'.
The jinn, who are often seen as part of Islam, are not worshiped in it, but with their free will and obscurity, have much to teach us.
The Jinn, of course, have a striking similarity to the 'Daimon’ of the ancient Classical world.
Unfortunately, in the West, the word 'Daimon' has become associated with the word 'demon'.
This was a purposeful ploy by the christians, who systematically destroyed the civilization and culture of the Classical World, and replaced it with the so called 'religion' and 'slave morality' of the Semitic tribes of the Levant, (the Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to an area in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In its narrowest sense, it is equivalent to the historical regions of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria).
Equally the ancient knowledge of the supernatural was described as 'mythology' by these same christians, in an attempt to undermine the essential truths of classical religion and philosophy.
The 'Daimons', however, were known to the Arabian tribes as Jinn, and were later subsumed into the theology and mythology of the later arising religion of Islam - while the 'ONE' was simply transformed into the توحيد - 'tawhid', or Oneness of Allah (the God).
Withe the demise of the Classical World at the ending of the Roman Empire the 'Daimons' faded from European culture, only to re-appear with the Rebirth of Classical Learning.
Arabic lexicon mentions the following as the possible meanings of the word jinn.
It literally means anything which has the connotation of concealment, invisibility, seclusion and remoteness.
It also has the connotation of thick shades and dark shadows.
That is why the word 'jannah' (from the same root word) is employed by the holy Quran to denote 'paradise', which would be full of thick, heavily shaded gardens.
Unfortunately, in the West, the word 'Daimon' has become associated with the word 'demon'.
This was a purposeful ploy by the christians, who systematically destroyed the civilization and culture of the Classical World, and replaced it with the so called 'religion' and 'slave morality' of the Semitic tribes of the Levant, (the Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to an area in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In its narrowest sense, it is equivalent to the historical regions of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria).
Equally the ancient knowledge of the supernatural was described as 'mythology' by these same christians, in an attempt to undermine the essential truths of classical religion and philosophy.
The 'Daimons', however, were known to the Arabian tribes as Jinn, and were later subsumed into the theology and mythology of the later arising religion of Islam - while the 'ONE' was simply transformed into the توحيد - 'tawhid', or Oneness of Allah (the God).
Withe the demise of the Classical World at the ending of the Roman Empire the 'Daimons' faded from European culture, only to re-appear with the Rebirth of Classical Learning.
It literally means anything which has the connotation of concealment, invisibility, seclusion and remoteness.
It also has the connotation of thick shades and dark shadows.
That is why the word 'jannah' (from the same root word) is employed by the holy Quran to denote 'paradise', which would be full of thick, heavily shaded gardens.
Neither inherently good nor bad, Jinn are amorphous entities, able to take the shape of humans and animals alike.
Their role in society, too, has been malleable.
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| The Holy Qur’an |
Orthodox scholars say it is impossible to understand jinn.
Still, despite their mysterious nature, there are some things historians, Islamic scholars, and believers of jinn have come to discern about the spirits.
Pagan Arabs worshiped jinn long before Islam was introduced in the seventh century, believing that the spirits were masters of certain crafts and elements of nature who had the power to turn plots of land fertile.
Jinn are believed to both interact with humans in our reality and lead their own lives in a separate realm.
As spiritual entities, the jinn are considered multi dimensional, with the ability to live and operate in both manifest and invisible domains.
Jinn’s influence has been widespread both religiously and culturally in pre- and post-Islamic Arabia.
They can talk or otherwise communicate with people, though some, like poets, are more likely than others to be contacted by a jinni.
Ancient Arabs, known for their affinity for poetry, even coined the term 'sha’ir', meaning an Arabic literature poet who was supernaturally inspired by jinn, to designate poets like Kuthayyir ‘Azzah.
Poets in pre-Islamic Arabia often said they had a special jinni that was their companion, and sometimes they would attribute their verses to the jinn."
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| Seal of Muhammed |
Belief in jinn has been a part of the world’s second largest religion ever since, and one can’t be Muslim if he/she doesn’t have faith in jinn’s existence because they are mentioned in the holy Qur’an and the prophetic tradition.
And while, of course, not all who identify as Muslim subscribe to every word of the Qur’an literally, it means that around 1.6 billion people in the world believe in jinn.
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| Green Jinn |
As invisible entities with abstract definitions, belief in them manifests differently between communities and individuals.
For instance, while some Islamic scholars agree that jinn are capable of possession, others do not.
For instance, while some Islamic scholars agree that jinn are capable of possession, others do not.
Still, in both the past and present, stories of those possessed by jinn are not hard to find.
Exorcisms, which can involve reciting the Qur’an over a person or, more rarely, physically beating the jinn out of them, are performed in some circles on those thought to be possessed by jinn (despite being condemned by mainstream Muslims).
Exorcisms, which can involve reciting the Qur’an over a person or, more rarely, physically beating the jinn out of them, are performed in some circles on those thought to be possessed by jinn (despite being condemned by mainstream Muslims).
People who partake in the latter believe that the pain is not felt by the person who the jinni occupies, but the jinni himself.
And while reading the Qur’an is a popular exorcism method, Jinn’s links to possession predate Islam.
The Arabs of pre-Islam invented a whole set of exorcism procedures to protect themselves from the evil actions of the jinn on their bodies and minds, such as the use of beads, incense, bones, salt, and charms written in Arabic, or the hanging around their necks of a dead animal’s teeth such as a fox or a cat to frighten the jinn, and keep them away.
In Arabic, the word 'majnun' - meaning possessed, mad, or insane - literally means 'to be possessed by a jinni.'
Despite stories of possession, Jinn are remarkable in their propensity towards neither good or evil.
In christianity, demons and evil spirits appear as entities carrying out 'Satan's' maleficent wishes, but neutral spirits, like the jinn have no place in such activities.
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| 'One Thousand and One Nights' |
Jinn - different than both 'angels' and devils - oscillate between good and evil.
They can do wrong - they can be pious: they can help us - or they can hurt us, as shown in folk-tales from 'One Thousand and One Nights' (commonly known in English as 'Arabian Nights').
In one of these tales, 'The Fisherman and the Jinni' - the inspiration for the modern story of 'Aladdin' - a young fisherman pulls a bottle out of the sea.
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| Golden Jinn |
Angry to have been trapped in the bottle for centuries, the jinni tells the fisherman their plan to kill him.
But after the two exchange stories, the jinni changes his mind, instead bestowing the fisherman with a life of good fortune.
Fluid in form and interpretation, jinn not only possess and converse with us, but they can also fall in love with humans.
Pre-Islamic poet Ta’abbata Sharran once wrote about sleeping with a jinniyah (feminine form of jinn) in a poem.
Accordingly the ability or desire to have sex isn’t the only thing jinn have in common with humans.
Like us, jinn eat, drink, sleep, procreate and die, though their mortal lives can extend for thousands of years.
And yet, while we can relate to the spirits on many levels, the consensus remains that we can never fully comprehend jinn - though we can, and should, try
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All text - © Copyright Peter Crawford 2021
All Images - © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2021
Graphic Design - © Copyright Zac Sawyer 202