![]() Jinn gather to do battle with the hero Faramarz. Illustration in an illuminated manuscript of the Iranian epic Shahnameh | |
Grouping | Mythical creature |
---|---|
Folklore | Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia, Islamic folklore |
Region | Muslim world |
Jinn (Arabic: جِنّ), also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies, are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabia and later in Islamic culture and beliefs.[1] Like humans, they are accountable for their deeds and can be either believers (Muslims) or disbelievers (kafir), depending on whether they accept God's guidance. Jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept, having been adapted from pagan beliefs.[2][a] Islam places jinn and humans on the same plane in relation to God, both being subject to God's judgement and an afterlife.[4] The Quran condemns the pre-Islamic Arabian practice of worshipping or seeking protection from them.[5]
Although usually invisible, jinn are supposed to be composed of thin and subtle bodies (Arabic: أَجْسَام, romanized: ajsām), and can change at will. They favor a cockroach or a snake form, but can also choose to appear as scorpions, lizards, or humans. They may even engage in sexual affairs with humans and produce offspring. If they are injured by someone, they usually seek revenge or possess the assailant's body, requiring exorcism. Jinn rarely meddle in human affairs, preferring to live with their own kind in tribes similar to those of pre-Islamic Arabia.
Individual jinn appear on charms and talismans. They are called upon for protection or magical aid, often under the leadership of a king. Many people who believe in jinn wear amulets to protect themselves against the assaults of the jinn, sent out by sorcerers and witches. A commonly held belief is that jinn cannot hurt someone who wears something with the name of God written on it. While some Muslim scholars in the past had ambivalent attitudes towards jinn, contemporary Muslim scholarship increasingly associate jinn with idolatry.
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