Jinn الجن

Overview

The jinn (الجِنّ) are a class of created beings, formed before humankind from a smokeless flame of fire. Like humans, they are endowed with intellect and free will, are accountable on the Day of Judgement, and may be believers or disbelievers. They form one of the central realities of iman in the unseen world.

Etymology

The Arabic root ج ن ن conveys the meaning of concealment, from which derive words for garden (jannah), shield (junnah), and madness (junun). Jinn are thus "the concealed ones," beings hidden from ordinary human perception. The Quran devotes an entire surah to them — Surah Al-Jinn — and references them across many chapters.

Quranic references

Surah Al-Hijr 15:27 — 'And the jinn We created before from scorching fire.' Surah Ar-Rahman 55:15 — 'And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.' Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:56 — 'And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.'

وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِن مَّارِجٍ مِّن نَّارٍ

Surah Al-Jinn 72:1-2 — 'Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it.'"' The Prophet Sulayman was given dominion over them, as in Surah Saba 34:12.

Hadith and tradition

Aishah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you."— Sahih Muslim 2996

Ibn Mas'ud said the Prophet ﷺ recited the Quran to the jinn at a place called al-Hajun, and that they came in delegations to hear him.— Sahih Muslim 450

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated the famous "Night of the Jinn" episode, in which the Prophet ﷺ taught a delegation of jinn from Nasibin, recorded in Jami at-Tirmidhi 3258 (graded Sahih by al-Albani).

Significance

The jinn are not angels, nor are they devils by nature, though Iblis is from among them (Surah Al-Kahf 18:50). Among them are muminun and disbelievers, and they live in parallel communities with their own moral struggles. They cannot pierce the heavens to steal divine speech without being repelled by shooting stars (Surah Al-Mulk 67:5). Belief in them is part of belief in the unseen.

See also

Shaytan · Iblis · Sulayman · Angels · Adam

References

1. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, exegesis of Surah Al-Jinn and Surah Ar-Rahman.
2. al-Qurtubi, al-Jami li-Ahkam al-Quran, treatment of jinn-related verses across the mushaf.
3. Ibn Taymiyyah, Idah ad-Dalalah fi Umum ar-Risalah, on the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ to humans and jinn alike.
4. al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, commentary on hadith 2996.