© Dar Al Taqwa Ltd.

1989
THIRD EDITION 1993

ISBN 1 870582 02 0

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the publishers.

Translation: Aisha Bewley

Editorial: Abdalhaqq Bewley & Idris Mears

Published by:
Dar Al Taqwa Ltd.
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CONTENTS

FOREWORD 1

THE REALITY AND NATURE

OF THE WORLD OF THE JINN 3

THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE JINN 15

THE JINN IN THEIR OWN SPHERE 21

THE JINN AND KNOWLEDGE 27

THE JINN AND THE PROPHETS 31

MISCELLANY 35

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE STRUGGLE

BETWEEN SHAYTAN AND MAN 39

MAN’S WEAPONS AGAINST SHAYTAN 51

GLOSSARY 64
FOREWORD

Praise be to Allah! He has created man from dry clay and created
the jinn from smokeless fire and made them invisible to the eyes of
men. He has made some of them righteous and some he has led
astray and he has not given them any power over man other than in
whispering and the allurements of Shaytan.

Blessings and peace be upon Muhammad! Allah has sent him as a

mercy to all the worlds and has sent him to all peoples. Passing jinn
were drawn by his recitation of the Qur’an and they stopped to listen
and when he had finished they went back and conveyed the message
to their people.

Allah then revealed to the Prophet:

‘A company of the jinn gave ear, then they said,
We have heard a wonderful Qur’an,
guiding to right action.
We believe in it
and we will not associate anyone
with our Lord.’ (72:1-2)

l testify that there is no god but Allah alone without partner! I have
learned from His faultless Book that Shaytan is a clear enemy to
man.

I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger! He sent him

with the means to well-being for all men. He revealed to him His
clear words:
‘And say, O my Lord, I seek refuge with You
from the whisperings of Shaytan
and I seek refuge with You, my Lord,
lest they be present with me.’ (23:97-98)

May Allah bless him and his family!

The world of the jinn is brimming over with secrets, marvels and
wonders and this is what excites people’s interest in it.
Detailed research into the term ‘jinn’ in the Arabic language
uncovers an astonishing number of words which refer to them,

1
either directly or indirectly. There are names for the jinn as reality
and concept, words which refer generally to their connections with
mankind, and phrases used specifically for how they attack men and
how they associate with them. The jinn have certain distinguishing
features as does their environment.
Accepting the existence of the jinn is an integral Part of the deen
since the Noble Qur’an indicates the existence of Creature which
are called jinn, some of whom are righteous and some of whom are
not.
Those who deny the jinn deny the Qur’an. They are denying that
there exists beyond the material world an unseen world which has its
own special properties as clearly supported by the science of hadith.
Only an ignorant person or an unbeliever would deny this!
We as Muslims must hold to what has come from the Lord of the
Worlds.
Shaykh ash-Sha’rawi says, ‘It is obligatory to believe in the judg-
ments of the deen in unseen matters. It does not matter that we do
not fully understand them. Belief has a peak and its peak is to
believe in Allah. If you believe in Allah by choice and reach the peak
with your intellect, then you accept all that Allah tells you whether
or not your intellect can grasp it.’
So this book which Allah has enabled us to write is a clear call to
pure tawhid and worship of Allah alone and forbids innovations,
superstitions and fables which prevail among people, past and pres-
ent. It presents the world of the jinn to the reader as it is, being
based on the Qur’an, the sunna, traditions and the words of
scholars.
The contents cover those matters which concern us as human
beings and answer our questions on the subject. I hope I have
presented the truth in a simple, straightforward and clear way. The
pleasure of Allah is my goal and my success is due only to Allah. I
have relied on him and to Him I turn.

Mustafa Ashour
Cairo, Dhu’l-Qa’da, 1407
July, 1986

2
 CHAPTER ONE

THE REALITY AND NATURE

OF THE WORLD OF THE JINN

Comprising:

Confirmation of the existence of the world of the jinn.

Who are the jinn?
From what are the jinn created?
When were the jinn created?
The types of jinn.
Do the jinn have bodies?
Do the jinn have other names?
Do the jinn have the power to take on forms?
The capabilities and powers of the jinn.
Do the jinn die?
How does Shaytan walk?
What is the time when Shaytan is most frequently present?
Where is the throne of Iblis?
The actions which Iblis did before the sons of Adam.
Is Iblis a jinn or an angel?
Do the jinn feel envy? Can they harm us?

3
CONFIRMATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD OF
THE JINN

Many people, past and present, have disagreed about the

existence of the jinn. Some completely reject their existence, where
as some claim that what is meant by the jinn are the evil inclinations
and tendencies of the corrupt human soul and likewise that what is
meant by angels are good inclinations.
Spiritualists, while they recognise the existence of the jjnn, call
them lower spirits. They claim that these lower spirits are quick to
respond but that their response is weak whereas the celestial spirits
are very slow to respond although their response is more
powerful.
Some idol worshippers claim that what is meant by jinn are the
spirits of the planets.
So it can be seen that most people believe in the existence of the jinn in one
form or another.
There are empirical proofs of the existence of the jinn as well as
Qur’anic ayats, prophetic hadiths and direct testimony by eyewit-
nesses.
As for the Qur’anic ayats which indicate the existence of the jinn,
they are numerous and we will only quote a few of them:
Allah says,
‘I only created the jinn and men to worship Me.’ (51:56)
There were certain men of mankind
‘who would take refuge with certain men of the jinn
and they increased them in ill nature.” (72:6)
‘Say: It has been revealed to me
that a company of the jinn listened...’ (72:1)
‘We created the jinn before from the fire of hot wind.’ (15:27)

There are also a number of hadiths from the Prophet. For

instance, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘There are three types of jinn. One type flies
through the air. Another type consists of snakes and dogs. A third
type is based in one place but travels about.’ (This hadith is related by
aI-Hakam, at-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi.)
There are many other hadiths which give absolute proof of the
existence of the jinn and we will be mentioning some of them later in
this book.
4
WHO ARE THE JINN?

The jinn are part of Allah’s creation, separate from man and the
angels, but they share with man certain qualities like intellect, discri-
mination, freedom and the power to choose between true and false,
right and wrong, the good and bad. They are distinct from man in
certain essentials, the most important of which is their origin since
the basic substance of jinn is not the same as the basic substance of
man.

FROM WHAT ARE THE JINN CREATED?

Allah informs us in many ayats that He has created the jinn from
fire. For instance, He says,
‘We created the jinn before from the fire of hot wind.’ (15:27)
He also says,
‘He created the jinn from smokeless fire.’ (55:15)
Smokeless fire means the tips of flames as Ibn ‘Abbas. Mujahid
and others have reported. One version says it means the purest and
best of the fire. An-Nawawi says that smokeless fire is the flames
mixed with the blackness of fire.
The Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also
reported that the jinn were created from fire when he said, “The
angels were created from light and the jinn were created from
smokeless fire and Adam was created from what has been described
to you.’ (Muslim transmits it.)
But someone might ask: Allah informs us that the jinn are created
from fire and also informs us that the flames harm and burn them
but how can fire burn fire? The answer to that is that Allah has
related the shaytans and jinn to fire in the same way that man is
related to earth, clay and mud. What is meant by that in respect of
man is that his origin is mud, not that he actually is mud. In the same
way the jinn are fire in their origin.
The proof of that is in the hadith which Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal
relates from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: ‘The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, got up to pray the Morning
Prayer and I was praying behind him. He recited and he became
confused in the recitation. When he finished the prayer, he said, “If
you could have only seen me grabbing Iblis and how I kept on

5
throttling him until I felt the coolness of his spittle between my
thumb and index finger. If it had not been for the supplication of my
brother Sulayman, morning would have found him ied to one of the
pillars of the mosque so that the children of Madina could have
played with him. Whoever can avoid it should not let anyone come
between him and the qibla.” ‘
How can the spittle of someone made of burning fire be cold? If
the jinn were still possessed of their fiery nature they would not have
spittle.
Another indication that the jinn no longer possess their fiery
nature is in the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, ‘The enemy of Allah, Iblis, brought a brand of fire to put
in my face.” (An- Nasai relates this hadith from Abu’d-Darda’, in the
Chapter on Cursing Iblis and Seeking Refuge from him with Allah in
the Prayer.)
Imam Ahmad relates that a man asked ‘Abdu’r-Rahman b. Khan-
bash what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, did when the shaytans meant to harm him. ‘Abdu’r.
Rahman said that some shaytans came down on the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from the valleys
and canyons, including a shaytan with a fire-brand with which he
wanted to burn the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman said that the Prophet was
alarmed and Ja’far said that he had no doubt that he would be.
‘Abdu’r-Rahman continued, ‘He began to hesitate and Jibril, peace
be upon him, came and said, “Muhammad, speak!”
‘He replied, “What shall I say?”
‘Jibril said, “Say: I seek refuge with the perfect words of Allah,
which neither the pious nor impious overstep, and from the evil of
what He created, and from the evil of what descends from the sky
and from the evil that rises in it, and from the evil of what is sown in
the land and from the evil of what comes out of it, and from the evil
of the temptations of night and day, and from the evil of every visitor
except a visitor who brings good, O Merciful One!” ‘ The fire of the shaytans was
extinguished and Allah defeated them.
This evidence makes it clear that if the jinn had retained their
fiery nature and were burning fire, the ‘ifrits or shaytans among
them would not have needed to carry a fire-brand. Since the hand of
a shaytan or ‘ifrit or any of their limbs do not burn man when they
touch him, as real fire burns man by touch, that would indicate that
the fire is submerged in the other elements so that the limbs or

6
things that come from the body like spittle are cold in the way such
things usually are, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘until I felt the coolness of his spittle.’
There is no doubt that they eat and drink from what we eat and
drink and that this gives their bodies sustenance and growth accord-
ing to the nature of the food - hot and cold, wet and dry. This is in
addition to how they are propagated from the fiery element which
has become one of the four humours in their make up.¹

WHEN WERE THE JINN CREATED?

The jinn were created before man was created. Allah says,
‘We created man from dried clay from black mud
and We created the jinn before
from the fire of hot wind.” (15:26-27)
Allah makes it clear in this ayat that the jinn were created before
man.

THE TYPES OF JINN

There are three types of jinn as stated in the hadith of the

Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in which he says,
‘There are three types of jinn. One type flies through the air.
Another type consists of snakes and dogs. A third is based in one
place but travels about.’ (Al-Hakam and at-Tabarani transmit it and
al-Bayhaqi also transmits it in Names and Attributes with a sound
isnad.)
Abu’d-Darda’ said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless]
him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah created three types of jinn.
One type are snakes and scorpions and creeping things of the earth.
One type is like the wind in the air. Another type are subject to
reckoning and punishment.’

DO THE JINN HAVE BODIES?

Those who acknowledge the existence of the jinn disagree on this

point and there are two positions about it. One group say that the
jinn do not have bodies of their own nor do they inhabit bodies and
that they exist independently.
The other group say that the jinn do have bodies, but those who
¹ i.e. hot, cold, wet and dry.
7
say this have a further disagreement. Some say that they have
definite bodies and personal forms and that it is quite possible that
these bodies have some density.
Others say that their bodies are so subtle that our eyes are too
weak to see them. That is the only reason we cannot see them. If
Allah were to strengthen our eyes or make their bodies denser, we
would see them. The fineness of their physical forms is indicated by
what Allah says,
‘Surely he (Shaytan) sees you, he and his tribe,
from where you see them not.’ (7:27)
If we could see them with no barrier from behind which they
whisper to us and they were dense, then we would be able to see
them as they see us and as they see each other. The fact that in our
world both our state and their state is different from that indicate
the soundness of what we have said.
These are some of the opinions which seek to explain the nature
of the bodies of the jinn. We must take note of the fact, however,
that knowing whether the bodies of the jinn are subtle or dense can
only come from direct witnessing or a report coming from Allah or
from the Messenger of Allah and neither exist. It is for that reason
that we hesitate to make a statement on this matter.

DO THE JINN HAVE OTHER NAMES?

Yes, the jinn have a variety of names which have been given by the
theologians and scholars of Arabic. We will mention some of
them:
Jinni: used by the Arabs to refer to one particular jinn.
‘Amir (Resident jinn): used to mean that he is one of those who live
with people.
Shaytan: used for a jinni who is malicious and has become
wicked.
‘Ifrit: used for a jinni who is stronger and more powerful than a
shaytan.
It might be asked why they are called ‘jinn’. They are called jinn
because of their being concealed (ijtinan) from sight as Allah says,
‘Surely he sees you, he and his tribe,
from where you see them not.’ (7:27)

8
DO THE JINN HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE ON FORMS?

The jinn possess a great power to take on forms and change

shape. They can take on the form of snakes and scorpions, the form
of horses, cattle, camels and sheep, and the form of birds. Indeed,
they have the power to appear in human form. Reports have come
which confirm this.
It is reported that Shaytan took on the form of an old man of
Najd when the Quraysh gathered in the Dar al-Nadwa to discuss the
Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and whether
they should kill him, imprison him or expel him. Shaytan suggested
to them that they should kill him.
Muslim relates from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri said the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘A group of
jinn in Madina has become Muslim. If one of you sees any of these
resident jinn, he should issue it a warning for three days. Then if it
appears to you after that kill it, for it is a shaytan.’

THE CAPABILITIES AND POWERS OF THE JINN

The jinn have powers and capabilities that are beyond man. One of
them is their extraordinary power of movement. Perhaps the
example of this which first comes to mind is the promise of the ‘ifrit
of the jinn to Sulayman to bring the throne of the Queen of Yemen
to Jerusalem in less time than it took Sulayman to rise from his
assembly.
‘An ‘ifrit of the jinn said,
“I will bring it to you before you rise from your place.
I have the strength for it and I am trusty.” ‘ (27:39)
They also have the power to take on the form of human beings,
animals, birds and other things.
They have the power to rise up to high places in the heaven and to
eavesdrop on the reports of heaven. That was before Muhammad,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent.

DO THE JINN DIE?

There is no doubt that the jinn do die since they fall under what
Allah says,

9
 ‘All that dwells upon the earth perishes
yet still abides the Face of Your Lord, majestic, splendid.
So which of your Lord’s bounties will you two deny?’ (55:26-28)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in his
prayer. ‘I seek refuge in Your might. There is no god but You, O
You who do not die! The jinn and men die.’ (Al-Bukhari relates
it.)
As for how long they live, our only knowledge about that is what
Allah tells us concerning Iblis, that he will be watching and waiting
until the Day of Rising.
‘He said, “Respite me until the day they shall be raised.”
He said, “You are among those who are respited.” ‘ (7:14.15)
This ayat indicates that there are others who are respited in
addition to Iblis. The Qur’an does not indicate, however, that all the
jinn are respited, so while it is possible that some of the jinn will be
respited, there is no indication that all of them are.
There are reports which indicate that they do die. One of them is
Khalid ibn al-Walid’s killing of the shaytan, al-’Uzza (the tree which
the Arabs worshipped in the Time of Ignorance). There is also the
Companion who killed a jinn that had taken the form of a viper and
other such reports.
There is a clear statement about this by Ibn ‘Abbas saying that it is
Iblis alone who has been given the respite.

HOW DOES SHAYTAN WALK?

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
Peace, said, ‘None of you should walk with just one sandal. Shaytan
walks with one sandal.’ (Muslim, Abu Da’ud, at-Tirmidhi and lbn
Majah all mention it.)
He also said, ‘When one of you breaks his sandal-strap, he should
not walk in the other one until he mends it.’ (Muslim relates it from
Abu Hurayra in the Book of Dress and Adornment.)

WHAT IS THE TIME WHEN SHAYTAN IS MOST

FREQUENTLY PRESENT?

Shaytan is most frequently present at nightfall. It is established

that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘As night comes in and it is dusk, then keep your

10
children in for shaytans gather at that time. When an hour of the
time goes by, then let them out. Close the doors and mention the
name of Allah. Shaytan does not a closed door.’ (Al-Bukhari
relates it from Jabir b. ‘Abdullah.)

WHERE IS THE THRONE OF IBLIS?

The throne of Iblis is on the sea. Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal relates

that Jabir said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, ‘Iblis places his throne on the sea. Then he
sends forth his armies. The nearest of them to him in rank is the
greatest in sedition. One of them comes and says. “I did such-and-
such.” He says, “You did not do anything.” Then another comes and
says, “I did not leave him until I had split him from his wife.” He
brings him near - or Clasps him - and says, “You did well.”

THE ACTIONS WHICH IBLIS DID BEFORE THE SONS OF

ADAM

Al-Baghawi mentions that Iblis was the first to wail.

Al-Hasan al-Basri said that Iblis made analogies and the sun and
moon were worshipped by way of analogies.
This means that Iblis looked at himself and made a comparison
between himself and Adam and thought that he was nobler than
Adam. Therefore he refused to prostrate although he and all the
angels had been commanded to do so.
Jabir related in a marfu’ hadith that he was the first to sing.
Ibn Abi Shayba related that Maymun b. Mahran said, ‘I asked Ibn
‘Umar, “Who was the first to call ‘Isha’ (evening) ‘Utama’ (dark-
ness)?” He replied, “Shaytan.”‘

IS IBLIS A JINN OR AN ANGEL?

There are contrary and divergent opinions on this matter. Imam

Hasan al- Banna confirms in his book In the Shade of the Quran,
that he is one of the jinn when he says in commenting on what Allah
has said, ‘except Iblis’. ‘The context reveals that Iblis was not one of
the angels though he was with them. If he had been one of them, he
would not have rebelled. Their primary quality is that “they do not
rebel against Allah in what He commands them and they do as they
are commanded.” The word “except” here does not show that he

11
was one of them. The fact that he was with them allows this excep-
tion to be used. Iblis was one of the jinn according to the text of the
Qur’an. Allah created the jinn from smokeless fire. This is a clear
statement that he was not one of the angels.’
Certain people from both previous and modern times have dis-
agreed about this point. They use as their proof the words of
Allah.
‘When We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam
they prostrated except for Iblis.
He refused and was arrogant
and was one of the unbelievers.’ (2:34)
and other examples in which Allah excepts Iblis from the angels.
One only makes an exception, they say, from something which is of
the same kind; and that the books of Qur’anic commentary and
history have transmitted to us statements from a group of scholars
who mention that Iblis was one of the angels. These scholars say that
he was a guardian of the Garden or the lower heaven and that he
was one of the noblest of the angels and from the noblest tribe
among them, etc.
Ibn Kathir, however, points out that the early scholars related
many traditions about this point. Most of them came from Jewish
sources which were quoted so that they could be investigated. Allah
has the best knowledge of the standing of many of them. Some of
them are most definitely lies since they are contrary to the truth
which we possess.
The proof that they put forward to us, namely that Allah excepted
Iblis from the angels, is not an absolute proof because the possibility
remains that the exception is disconnected. Indeed, that is the truth
because of Allah’s statement that he is one of the jinn,
‘Iblis was one of the jinn .
and deviated from the command of his Lord.’ (18:50)
One of the proofs that Iblis was one of the jinn is that Iblis said
about himself to the Lord of Might,
‘You created me from fire
and You created him from clay.’ (7:12)
There is also the fact that Iblis has offspring in contrast to the
angels who do not.
Furthermore, as Allah mentions, the angels

12
 ‘... do not rebel in what Allah has commanded them
and do what they are commanded.’ (66:6)
Also, the angels are created from light and the jinn are created
from fire. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘The angels were created from light and the jinn
were created from smokeless fire and Adam was created from what
has been described to you,’ (Muslim relates this from ‘A’isha.)

DO THE JINN FEEL ENVY? CAN THEY HARM US?

Yes. There are two sorts of evil eye – human and that of the
jinn.
There is a sound hadith from Umm Salama, may Allah be
pleased with her, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, saw a slavegirl in her house with yellowness in her face.
He said, ‘Use a spell for her. She has been afflicted by the evil eye.’
(Al-Bukhari relates it in the Book of Medicine.)
Al-Husayn b. Mas’ud al-Farra’ says that ‘yellowness’ means the
influence of the evil eye, i.e. from the jinn.
Al-Bukhari relates from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The evil eye is real and
the prophets forbade tattooing.’

13
14
 CHAPTER TWO

THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE JINN

Comprising:

The obligations of the jinn.

Are there messengers and prophets among the jinn?
The universal mission of the Prophet to jinn and men.
Religions and sects among the jinn.
Are the jinn rewarded for their actions?

15
THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE JINN

Muslim thinkers all agree that the jinn are responsible for
their actions. As proof of this, they cite the instances Where the
Qur’an censures and curses the jinn and mentions the punish-
ment that Allah has prepared for them. Allah - glory be to him!
- only treats in this way those who oppose the command and
Prohibition, commit grave wrong actions, and violate things
which are forbidden when they are capable of choice and discri-
mination.
Ibn Muflah says in his book Al-Furu’, ‘In principle, the jinn
are responsible for their actions. Those of them who disbelieye
will enter the Fire and those of them who believe will enter the
Garden according to Malik and ash-Shafi’i, may Allah be
pleased with them. They do not become dust like the animals,
and the reward of those of them who believe is that they are
saved from the Fire. This is contrary to the opinion of Abu
Hanifa and al-Layth b. Sa’d and those who share their opinion.
The apparent meaning of the first position is that the jinn are in
the Garden just as others are, commensurate with their reward,
contrary to those like Mujahid who say that they neither eat nor
drink in it or, like ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-’Aziz, that they are on the
outskirts of the Garden. Ibn Hamid said in his book Lawami’al-
Anwar, “The jinn are the same as men regarding obligation and
acts of worship.” ‘ (Vol. 2, p. 222)
The obligations of the jinn are not the same as the obligations
of men. Their obligations are according to their nature and their
conditions. Ibn Taimiyya says in Majmu’ al-Fatawa, [4:233], ‘The
jinn are commanded to observe the roots and branches
appropriate to them. They are different from mankind in consti-
tution and experience, so what they are commanded and forbid-
den is different from what applies to men. However, they are
similar to mankind in being bound by the commands and prohi-
bitions, the halal and the haram. I do not know of any dispute
regarding this among the Muslims.’

ARE THERE MESSENGERS AND PROPHETS AMONG

THE JINN?

Ad-Dahhak was asked whether the jinn had a prophet before

the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him

16
peace, was sent. He said, ‘Have you not heard Allah’s words,
“Company of jinn and men,
did not messengers come to you from among you?...” (6:130)
Ad-Dahhak was of the opinion that this ayat indicates that
Allah has sent messengers from among the jinn.
However, in answer to this, the ayat does not clearly state that
these messengers were jinn or men because the words, ‘from
among you’ could equally apply to either group. It could mean
messengers from each of them and it could mean messengers
from men and jinn as one group. It has been verified for one
group, namely men.
There is disagreement about this among scholars and there
are two positions. The majority of both ancient and modern
scholars believe that there has never been any messenger from
the jinn and that messengers only come from among mankind.
A minority of scholars say that the jinn do have messengers.
Ad-Dahhak is among those who hold this position as has al-
ready been mentioned, and Ibn al-Jawzi says that it is the ap-
parent meaning of what the Qur’an says.

THE UNIVERSAL MISSION OF THE PROPHET TO

JINN AND MEN

Muslim scholars agree that Muhammad, may Allah bless him

and grant him peace, was sent by Allah - glory be to Him! - to all
jinn and men.
The Companions, the Followers, the Imams of the Muslims
and all Muslim groups (Ahl as-Sunna wa’l-Jama’at) agree on this
basic principle as stated by Ibn Taimiyya - may Allah be pleased
with all of them.
The challenge of the Qur’an to jinn and men indicates this,
‘Say: If jinn and men banded together
to produce the like of this Qur’an,
they would never produce its like,
not even if they backed each other.’ (17:88)
A group of the jinn were quickly moved to believe when they
heard the Qur’an.
‘Say: it has been revealed to me

17
 that a company of the jinn gave ear,
Then they said, “We have indeed heard
a wonderful Qur’an, guiding to right action.
We believe in it,
and we will not associate anyone with our Lord.”‘ (72:1-2)
Allah. glory be to Him!, mentions this group who heard the
Qur’an and believed in it in Sura Al-Ahqaf,
‘And when We turned to you
a company of jinn who wished to hear the Qur’an,
and when they were in its presence
they said, “Be silent!”
Then, when it was finished,
they turned back to their people, warning.
They said, “Our people, we have heard a Book
that was sent down after Musa,
confirming what was before it,
guiding to the truth and to a straight path.
O our people, answer Allah’s summoner
and believe in Him
and He will forgive you some of your wrong actions,
and protect you from a painful punishment.
Whosoever answers not Allah’s summoner
cannot frustrate Allah in the earth
and he has no protectors apart from Him,
those are in clear misguidance.” ‘ (46:29-32)
These Qur’anic ayats indicate the absolute proof of the uni-
versality of the message of the Prophet to men and jinn.
As for the hadiths which indicate this, one of them which is
confirmed in the two Sahih volumes is the hadith of Jabir b.
‘Abdullah in which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, mentioned that he had been given five
things that no other prophet before him had been given, and
among them was that the Prophets were sent to their own
peoples and he was sent to all people.
Al-Jawhari comments that ‘people’ consists of men and jinn,
Whilst ar-Raghib says that ‘people’ consists of every living thing
with the capacity for reflection. The jinn possess reflection. The
word ‘people’ (nas) comes from the verb, nasa, meaning to
move to and fro.

18
 Therefore Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah to men and
Jinn, a warner and a bringer of good news. (That is something in
which he has been preferred over all the other prophets.)

RELIGIONS AND SECTS AMONG THE JINN

Allah tells us that the jinn said,

‘Some of us are righteous, and some of us are otherwise:
we are parties differing.’ (72:11)
‘Some of us have surrendered and some of us have deviated.
Those who have surrendered sought right guidance.
As for those who have deviated,
they have become firewood for Jahannam.’ (72:14-15)
The jinn have different schools. As-Suddi said, ‘The jinn are
like you. They have Murji’ites, Qadiris, Rafidites and Kha-
rijites.¹ *

ARE THE JINN REWARDED FOR THEIR ACTIONS?

The scholars have two opinions on this matter. One group say
that the jinn are rewarded for obedience and punished for
rebellion. Malik, Ibn Abi Layla, ash-Shafi’i, Ahmad b. Hanbal,
and Ibn ‘Abbas are amongst those who take this position.
The second group say that their only reward is to be saved
from the Fire. Then they will be told, ‘Be dust like the animals.’
This is the position of Abu Hanifa and Layth b. Abi Salim
amongst others.
The preferable position is that the jinn are rewarded and punished. The
Qur’an indicates this when Allah says,
‘All have degrees according to what they have done...’ (6:132)
‘. . . Against them has been realized
the Word concerning nations that passed away before them,
men and jinn alike.’ (41:25)
‘Some of us have surrendered and some of us have deviated.
Those who have surrendered sought right guidance.
As for those who have deviated,
they have become firewood for Jahannam.’ (72:14-15)

*See Glossary

19
 One of the clearest proofs of this is found in the words of
Allah,
‘For such as fear the Station of his Lord,
for them shall be two gardens -
O which of your Lord’s bounties will you two deny?’
(55:46-47)
and so on to the end of the sura.
Both men and jinn are addressed. Allah - glory be to Him! -
bestows on them the reward of the Garden and describes it for
them and makes them yearn for it. This indicates that they win
receive what He has bestowed on them if they believe.
There is also a hadith to the effect that the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his
Companions when he was reciting this sura to them, ‘The jinn
had a better answer and response than you. Whenever an ayat
was recited to them, they said, “We do not deny any of Your
blessings, O our Lord!” ‘ (At-Tirmidhi transmits it.)
This makes sense because Allah has threatened those of them
who reject and rebel with the Fire. How, therefore, can those of
them who do obey not enter the Garden when Allah, glory be to
Him!, is the Wise, the Just?
We must take note of the fact that, in spite of scholars dis-
agreeing about whether the believing jinn will be punished in
the Next World, Allah mentions in His Immense Book,
‘The Fire will be a lodging for them.’ (41:24)
and he says,
‘As for those who have deviated,
they have become firewood for Jahannam.’ (72:15)

20
 CHAPTER THREE

THE JINN IN THEIR OWN SPHERE

Comprising:

Do they marry and have children?

Can jinn and men inter-marry?
Do the jinn eat and drink?
The homes and haunts of the jinn.
The animals of the jinn.

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DO THEY MARRY AND HAVE CHILDREN?

Yes, the jinn marry and have children. This fact is indicated in the
Book and Sunna.
In the Book, Allah says.
‘What, do you take him and his offspring
to be your friends, apart from Me,
when they are an enemy to you?’ (18:50)
This ayat indicates that they marry for the sake of offspring. Qadi
‘Abdu’l- Jabbar said, ‘Offspring refers to children and family.’ The
fact that they are subtle creatures does not prevent them from
reproducing. Many organisms only become visible by minute obser-
vation because they are so fine. That does not prevent them from
reproducing since what they reproduce is also fine.
Allah says,
‘Untouched before by any man or jinn.’ (55:56)
This ayat indicates that they have intercourse. This refers to
deflowering or intercourse in general.
As for the sunna, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, ‘The jinn reproduce as the children of
Adam reproduce. But there are more of them.” (Ibn Abi Hatim and
Abu’sh-Shaykh relate it from Qatada in Al–Udhma’.)

CAN JINN AND MEN INTER-MARRY?

It is common belief in certain quarters that a man may marry a

Jinn woman or that a human woman may marry or become engaged
to a jinn man. How true is this statement?
Marriage between men and jinn can take place for Allah says,
‘...Share with them in their wealth and children...’ (17:64)
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘When a man has intercourse with his wife and does not
say, “In the name of Allah,” Shaytan folds himself up in his urethra
and has intercourse along with him.’ (Ash-Shibli mentions it in his Akam
al-Marjan.)
Ibn Jarir relates that Ibn ‘Abbas said, ‘When a man goes to his
wife while she is menstruating, Shaytan precedes him. She conceives
and brings forth an effete one (mukhannath). These effete ones are
the children of the jinn.’

22
 Ash-Shibli relates from Qadi Jalalu’d-din ar-Razi that his father
told about how he went on a journey to fetch his family from the
east:
‘After we had passed Ilbira, the rain forced us to seek shelter, so we
went to sleep in a cave. There was a group of us. While I was asleep,
something awakened me. I woke up and there was a woman sur-
rounded by some other women. She had one eye fixed open. l was
alarmed. She said, “Don’t be afraid. I have come to marry you to
one of my daughters who is like the moon.” I replied out of my fear
of her, “By the choice of Allah.” I looked again and some men had
appeared. They looked like the woman who had come to me with
their eyes fixed open. They appeared to be a Qadi and witnesses.
The Qadi performed the engagement and marriage contract and I
accepted. Then they got up. The woman returned with a beautiful
girl whose eye, however, was like that of her mother. She left her
with me and departed.
‘My fear and distaste increased. I began to throw stones at the
people about me so as to wake them up. When one of them finally
woke up, I began to offer supplications. Then it was time to depart
and we set off. The young girl did not leave me. This state of things
went on for three days. On the fourth day, the woman came to me
and said, “It seems that you do not like this young girl and want to
part from her.” I said, “Yes, by Allah!” She said, “You have
divorced her.” Then she left and I did not see her again.’
Despite the great number of reports that indicate that intercourse
between men and jinn does take place, some people maintain that
since jinn are from the element of fire and man is from the four
elements (air, water, earth, and fire), the element of fire prevents
human sperm from being in the womb of a female jinn since sperm
is wet and the fiery heat is too intense for it.
The answer to this objection is that the jinn were created from
fire, but they no longer have their fiery nature. They have been
transformed from it by eating, drinking, procreation, and reproduc-
tion, just as the sons of Adam have been transformed from their
earthy element in the same way.
Furthermore, the one who was created from fire was the father of
the jinn in the way that Adam, the father of men, was created from
earth. As far as all the other jinn are concerned, other than their
forefather, they are not created from actual fire just as none of the
children of Adam are created from actual earth.
Moreover, the Prophet said that he felt on his hand the ‘coolness’

23
of the spittle of the shaytan who appeared to him while he was
praying and whom he throttled, as we have already mentioned.
This saliva of Shaytan which the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, refers to is a proof that he has changed from
his fiery element. If he had retained that state then where did this
coldness come from?

DO THE JINN EAT AND DRINK?

There are three positions regarding the jinn eating and drinking,
and a fourth sub-branch.
The first is that none of the jinn eat or drink.
The second is that one kind of them do not eat or drink and
another kind do eat and drink.
The third is that all the jinn eat and drink.
Those who take this last position disagree about how they eat and
drink. Some say that their eating and drinking consists of sniffing
and inhaling, not chewing and swallowing. This position is not
supported by any proof. Others say that their eating and drinking
consists of chewing and swallowing. This statement is testified to in
sound hadith and clear widespread reports.
The fact that they chew and swallow is indicated by the hadith of
Umayya b. Makhshi transmitted by Abu Da’ud. It says, ‘Shaytan
continued to eat with him. When he mentioned the name of Allah,
the Mighty and Majestic, he vomited what was in his belly.’
In the Sahih of al-Bukhari in a hadith related by Abu Hurayra, the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded
him to bring him some stones with which to clean himself. He said
‘Do not bring bones or dung.’ When Abu Hurayra asked the Mes-
senger later on about the reason for his forbidding bones and dung,
he said, ‘They are part of the food of the jinn. A delegation of the
Nasibi jinn, and they are the best of the jinn, came to me and asked
me for provision. I prayed to Allah for them that they would not
pass by a bone or a piece of dung without finding some food from
it.’
In the Sunan of at-Tirmidhi, it says in a transmission with a sound
isnad, ‘Do not clean yourself with bones or dung. They are the
provision of your brothers among the jinn.’
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed

24
us that Shaytan eats with his left hand and he commanded us to do
the opposite of that. Imam Muslim transmits from Ibn ‘Umar that
the prophet said, ‘When one of you eats, he should eat with his right
hand. When he drinks, he should drink with his right hand. Shaytan
cats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.’
These hadiths are proof that the shaytans eat and drink. Some
people have taken this last hadith and ones like it as being metapho-
rical, saying that the Prophet’s words, ‘Shaytan eats with his left
hand’ means that eating with the left hand is a form of eating which
appeals to Shaytan in the same way that he indicated that rouge was
‘the adornment of Shaytan’ meaning that Shaytan makes rouge
seem attractive and arouses the desire to use to it. Similarly, Shaytan
urges people to eat with the left hand and drink with the left hand
and makes it seem attractive. Some scholars have said that this point
amounts to nothing as there is no object in taking words metapho-
rically when it is possible that they are in any way real and literal.’

THE HOMES AND HAUNTS OF THE JINN

The jinn live all over the earth, although they are found mostly in
deserts, ruins, and places of impurity like dunghills, bathrooms,
and graveyards.
That is why the shaykhs to whom the shaytans had links went to
many such places which are their haunts.
There are hadiths of the Prophet which forbid us to pray in the
bathroom because there is impurity there and because it is the haunt
of shaytans, or in the graveyard because, as well as being a means of
associating things with Allah, the graves are the haunts of
shaytans.
They are frequently found in places where they can cause a lot of
mischief and corruption, like markets. That is why the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave some advice to one of the
Companions, saying, ‘If possible, do not be the first to enter the
market nor the last to leave it. It is the battle-ground of Shaytan and
he raises his banner there.’ (Muslim transmits it in the Sahih.)
Shaytan also dwells in the houses of the children of Adam. Saying,
‘In the name of Allah’ expels him and drives him off. Muslim and
Abu Da’ud relate from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘When a man mentions the
name of Allah on entering his house and when he eats, Shaytan says

25
to his cohorts, “You have no place to spend the night and no
supper.” When the man mentions Allah on entering but does not
mention Him when He eats. he says, “You have got supper but no
place to spend the night.” If he does not mention the name of Allah
when he enters, Shaytan says, “You have got a place to spend the
night and supper.” ‘
Among the places where Shaytan likes to sit is ‘between the sun
and the shade.’ That is why the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, forbade people to sit there as has been related in
the hadith which is transmitted in the Sunan collections.

THE ANIMALS OF THE JINN

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, men-
tioned that the jinn have animals. There is a sound hadith that
Muslim relates from Ibn Mas’ud that when the jinn asked the
Messenger for provision, he said, ‘You have every bone over which
the name of Allah has been mentioned which comes to your hands,
more abundant than the meat that was on it. Every piece of dung is
fodder for your beasts.’
In this hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, indicates that the jinn have beasts and that the dung of the
animals of men is fodder for their beasts.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

THE JINN AND KNOWLEDGE

Comprising:

The jinn ‘s transmission of hadith.

Preachers among the jinn.
The jinn’s knowledge of the types of wisdom.

27
THE JINN’S TRANSMISSION OF HADITH

It has come in certain traditions and reports that there are certain
individuals among the jinn who transmit hadiths from the Mes-
senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. We will
mention some of these reports.
Ubayy b. Ka’b said, ‘Some people set out for Makka and lost their
way. When they were on the verge of death, they put on their
shrouds and lay down to wait for death. A jinn came out to them
from the trees and said, “I am the last of the group who listened to
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I heard him
say, ‘The believer is the brother of the believer. They can rely on
each other’s wells and guidance. Here is water and here is the path.”
Then he guided them to water and guided them to the road,’ (Abu
Nu ‘aym transmits it.)
The client of ‘Abdu’r-Rahman b. Bishr said, ‘Some people set out
on hajj during the amirate of ‘Uthman. They were overcome with
thirst and came to some salty water. One of them advised pressing
on for he feared that the water would kill them. “There is water
ahead of you,” he said, so they travelled on until evening and still did
not find any water. They said to each other, “We should go back to
the salty water.” They set out at nightfall and reached an acacia tree.
A man who was very black came out to greet them. “Caravan!” he
said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, say, ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day
should love for the Muslims what he loves for himself and should
hate for the Muslims what he hates for himself.’ Keep going until
you reach a hill. Then go to the left of it and there is water
there.”
‘One of them said, “By Allah, we think that it was a shaytan.”
Another said, “A shaytan would never speak in such a way as he
spoke to you,” meaning that he was a believing jinn.
‘They went on until they reached the place he had described to
them and found water.’ (Abu Bakr b. Muhammad transmits it.)

PREACHERS AMONG THE JINN

As there are teachers among mankind, so there are also

Preachers among the jinn. Indeed, some of the preachers of the jinn
Possess many types of wisdom and excellent preaching. This might
become clearer to you in the course of the following narration:

28
 Abu Khalifa al-’Abdi said, ‘A small son of mine died and I was
very upset about him. I could not sleep. By Allah, that night I was in
my room on my bed and no one else was in the room. I was thinking
about my son when someone called to me from a corner of the
room, “Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.”
‘I was very alarmed and recited some ayats from the end of Sura
Ali ‘Imran until I reached the words of Allah,
“What is with Allah is better for the pious.” (3:197)
‘Then he said, “O Abu Khalifa!” I replied, “At your service.”
‘He said, “Why do you want your son in particular to live rather
than people in general? Who is more noble in the eyes of Allah -
you or Muhammad? His son Ibrahim died and he said, ‘The eyes
weep and the heart is sad, but we do not say what will anger the
Lord.’ Or do you want to avert death from your son while it is
written for all creatures? Do you intend to be angry with Allah and
oppose His management of His creation? By Allah, if it had not
been for death, the earth would not be wide enough for them! If it
were not for grief, creatures would not benefit from life!”
‘Then he asked, “Do you need anything?” I said, “Who are you,
may Allah have mercy on you?” He said, “A man from your neigh-
bours among the jinn.” ‘ (Ibn Abi’d-Dunya transmits it.)

THE JINN’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE TYPES OF WISDOM

Ishaq b. ‘Ubaydullah b. Abi Firwa reported that a group of jinn

took human form and came to a man and said, ‘What thing would
you most like to have?’ He replied, ‘Camels.’ They said, ‘You love
wretchedness, worry, and long affliction. You will be exiled and far
from those you love.’
Then they left him and went to someone else. They asked, ‘What
thing would you most like to have?’ The man replied, ‘Slaves.’ They
said, ‘Useful might, anger like pins, property and cursing.’
They left him and went to someone else. They said, ‘What thing
would you most like to have?’ He replied, ‘I like sheep.’ They said,
‘Food for the one who eats and a gift to the asker. It will not bear
you in war nor join you in the plunder nor rescue you from
trouble.’
They left him and went to someone else. They said ‘What thing
would you most like to have?’ He replied, ‘I like fields.’ They said,

29
‘Half of livelihood when they are tilled. When they are not tilled,
they do not exist.’
They left him and went to someone else. They said, ‘What thing
would you most like to have?’ He replied, ‘How many of you are
there so that I can offer you my hospitality?” He brought them bread
and they said, ‘Wheat is good.’ Then he brought them meat and they
said, ‘A soul eating a soul. A little of it is better than a lot.’ He
brought them dates and milk. They said, ‘The fruit of palm trees and
the milk of cows. Eat in the name of Allah.” They ate.
Thev said, ‘Tell us what the sharpest thing is. What the best thing
is? What the most fragrant thing is?’ He said, ‘The sharpest thing js a
sharp tooth feeding food into an empty stomach. The best thing is a
morning cloud following an evening cloud over earth which is fruit-
ful. The most fragrant thing is the sweet fragrance of flowers after
rain.’
They said, ‘Tell us what you would most like to have.’ He replied,
‘I would like death.’ They said, ‘You have desired something which
no one before you has desired.’ He said, ‘Why not? If I am good, jt
safeguards my good action for me. If I am bad, it protects me from
my evil. If I am rich, it guarantees my poverty. If I am poor, it
safeguards my poverty for me.’
They said, ‘Advise us and give us provision.’ He brought them a
skin of milk and said, ‘This is your provision.’ They said, ‘Advise us.’
He said, ‘Say, “There is no god but Allah.” That will be enough for
you in what is before you and what is behind you.’ They left him and
thought him the best of jinn and men! (Ibn Abi’d-Dunya transmits
it.)

30
 CHAPTER FIVE

THE JINN AND THE PROPHETS

Comprising:

Shaytan in the ship of Nuh.

Shaytan and Musa.
Shaytan and ‘Isa.
Can Shaytan take on the form of the Prophet?
The jinn reporting about the mission of the Prophet.

31
SHAYTAN IN THE SHIP OF NUH

‘It says in the Tablis Iblis, “When Nuh, peace be upon him,
embarked on the ship, he saw an old man whom he did not
recognise. Nuh said to him, “How have you come on board?”
He replied, “I have come on in order to afflict the hearts of your
companions so that their hearts will be with me and their bodies
with you.” Nuh, peace be upon him, said, “Get away, enemy of
Allah!” Iblis said, “There are five things by which people are
destroyed. I will tell you three of them and not tell you the other
two.” Allah, the Mighty and Blessed, revealed to Nuh, peace be
upon him, “There is no need for the three. Command him to tell
you about the two.” He said, “People are destroyed by those two
which are envy and avarice. Envy was cursed and became an
accursed shaytan. Adam was allowed the entire Garden but
because of avarice I got what I needed from him and he was
expelled from the Garden.” ‘

SHAYTAN AND MUSA

It says in the Tablis Iblis, ‘Iblis met Musa and said, “Musa,
Allah has chosen you for His message and spoken to you di-
rectly. I am one of Allah’s creatures. I have done wrong and
want to repent, so intercede with your Lord, the Mighty and
Majestic, so that He will turn to me.” Musa called on his Lord
and was told, “Musa, your request has been granted.” Musa met
Iblis and told him, “You have been commanded to prostrate at
the grave of Adam and He will turn to you.” He was arrogant
and became angry and said, “I did not prostrate to him while he
was alive, how should I then prostrate to him now he is
dead?!”
Then Iblis said, “Musa, you have a right of intercession with
your Lord. Remember me on three occasions when I am not
destroyed:
‘ “Remember me when you are angry. I move in your heart
and my eye is in your eye and I flow in you as blood flows.
‘ “Remember me when you meet the enemy face to face. I
come to the son of Adam when he meets the enemy face to face
and remind him of his children, his wife and his family until he
turns his back.

32
‘ “Beware of sitting with a woman to whom you are not
related. I am her messenger to you and your messenger to
her” ‘

SHAYTAN AND ‘ISA

Makhul Abu ‘Uthman said that once when ‘Isa, peace be

upon him was praying at the top of a mountain, Iblis came to
him and said, ‘Don’t you believe in the determination and the
decree?’ ‘Isa said, ‘Indeed I do.’ So he said to ‘Isa, ‘Then throw
yourself over the edge and only what Allah has decreed for you
will befall you.’ ‘Isa retorted, ‘The Lord puts His slave to the test
and tries him. It is not proper for the slave to test his Lord.’ (Ibn
Abi’d-Dunya transmits it.)

CAN SHAYTAN TAKE ON THE FORM OF

THE PROPHET?

Shaytan does not take on the form of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, since the Prophet has said,
‘Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me. Shaytan does
not take on my form.’ (Muslim and al-Bukhari transmit it.)
Since he cannot take on the form of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, it is even more fitting that he
cannot take on the form of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, and
more likely that the vision of Allah the Mighty in a dream be
true and that there not be any mixture in it from Shaytan. This is
the position taken up by Abu Bakr b. al-’Arabi amongst
others.
Another group of scholars believe that the protection which
makes it impossible for Shaytan to take on form and res-
emblance is only relevant to the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, because he was a mortal whose form can
be taken, and so Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, keeps Shaytan
from taking on his form so that the vision of the Prophet does
not become muddled with the false dream. The most seemly
position is that it is not possible for Allah to have a form and so
it is not possible for Shaytan to take on His form for Allah says
of Himself, ‘There is nothing like Him. He is the Hearing, the
Seeing.’

33
THE JINN REPORTING ABOUT THE MISSION OF
THE PROPHET

Ahmad b. Hanbal transmits the following from Mujahid,

‘While we were on the raid of Rawdas, an oId man called Ibn
‘Isa who had been alive in the Time of Ignorance told us, I was
herding a cow for some of our family when I heard a voice
coming from within it, ‘O such a wind! O eloquent words of a
man who says, “There is no god but Allah”!’ We went ahead to
Makka and found that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, had left Makka.” ‘
‘Abdullah b. Ahmad said that the hadith is gharib (unusual)
but with an excellent isnad. (Ash-Shibli mentions it in Akam
al-Marjan.)
report to come to Madina about the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, was to a certain woman from the
people of Madina who had a jinn who followed her around. He
would appear in the form of a bird and alight on the wall of her
house. The woman said to him, ‘Speak and tell us your news.’
He said, ‘A prophet has been sent in Makka who has forbidden
some of us to stay and he has forbidden us fornication.’

34
 CHAPTER SIX

MISCELLANY
Is it permitted to ask the jinn about the past and future?
The fettering of the rebellious jinn in Ramadan.
Are there some people who worship jinn?
Why do the jinn and shaytans obey charms and talismans?
The jinn’s testifying for the mu’adhdhin on the Day of Rising.
Does Shaytan oppose the people in the mosque?
Do animals see Shaytan?

35
IS IT PERMITTED TU ASK THE JINN ABOUT THE PAST
AND FUTURE?

Something about which there is no in doubt is that Allah has

given the jinn the power to traverse great distances in a short time.
This is proven by Allah’s words,
‘An ‘Ifrit of the jinn said,
“I will bring it to you
before you rise from your place.’ (27:39)
If someone asks a jinn about an event which has occurred or
about someone in a distant land, it is possible that he has knowledge
to impart about the event or the person’s situation. It is also possible
that he does not have any knowledge, goes to find out about it,
returns and tells what he knows. All the same, it is only a single
report and is only useful as opinion from which one cannot draw any
conclusions other than background information.
As for asking the jinn about things which have not yet happened
and believing them, based on the fact that they know the unseen,
that is disbelief. It is established in the Sahih from Mu’awiya b.
al-Hakam that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, was asked about consulting soothsayers, he said, ‘Do not
go to them.” In the Sahih of Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported as saying, ‘The
prayer of someone who goes to consult a diviner (‘arraf) will not be
accepted for forty days.’ ¹
We must point out that if someone asks a person in order to test
his state or to test what the ‘arraf conceals and he possesses the
information to distinguish the true from the false, then that is
permitted.

THE FETTERING OF THE REBELLIOUS JINN

IN RAMADAN

Muslim transmits in a marfu’ hadith from Abu Hurayra, ‘When

Ramadan comes, the gates of the Garden are opened and the gates
of the Fire are closed and the shaytans are fettered.’

¹ The ‘arraf is a type of diviner. Ibn al-Athir says that it is an astrologer or an

astrologer who claims knowledge of the unseen which Allah has kept exclusively for
himself.

36
‘Abdullah b. Ahmad said, ‘I asked my father about the hadith,
‘When Ramadan comes, the shay’tans are fettered.” He said, “Yes.”
I said, “But a man has whisperings in Ramadan and is brought down
(by Shaytan).” He said, “That is how the hadith has come.”

CERTAIN PEOPLE WORSHIPPING THE JINN

Some people used to worship a group of the jinn. Then some of

the jinn became Muslim, but those people continued to worship
them. Then Allah revealed,
‘Those they call upon are themselves
seeking the means to come to their Lord,
which of them shall be nearer;
they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment...’ (17:57)
(Ahmad b. Hanbal transmits this from Ibn Mas’ud and Shu’ayb relates
it from Al-A’mash.)

WHY DO THE JINN OBEY CHARMS

AND TALISMANS?

The unbelieving jinn and the shaytans among them choose the
path of misguidance, and of causing error and wrong actions. Iblis
and his armies desire evil and plot with it and seek it out. Iblis said,
‘Now, by Your might, I shall beguile them all together, excepting
those of Your servants among them who are sincere.” (38:82-83)
Iblis also said, ‘What do You think? This (i.e. man) whom You
have honoured above me - if You defer me to the Day of Rising, I
shall assuredly master his seed, save a few.’ (17:62)
If the nature or temperament of a man is corrupt, then he desires
what will harm him and enjoys and loves it. Shaytan has a corrupt
soul. When someone draws near him through charms, oaths, and
books of spiritual magic that contain what he loves of disbelief and
associating things with Allah, it is like a bribe to him, and therefore
he carries out some of the man’s desires.
‘The man with a foul soul begins to write down the words of Allah
with something impure and he may reverse the letters of ‘Say: He is
Allah, One’ (111:1) or the recitation of Sura Ya Sin or do other such
things which please Shaytan. When someone says or writes what
pleases the shaytans, then they in turn assist him in some of his
desires - for instance, making a water source seep away or carrying

37
him in the air to certain places or bringing him other people’s
property or by injuring someone he is hostile to.
THE JINN TESTIFYING FOR THE MU’ADHDHIN ON
THE DAY OF RISING

The jinn will testify for the mu’adhdhin on the Day of Rising. The
Sahih of al-Bukhari, the Muwatta’, and other books have the hadith
of Ibn Abi Sa’sa’a where Abu Sa’id al-Khudri says to him, ‘I see that
you love sheep and the desert. When you are out with your sheep or
in the desert, call the prayer and raise your voice in the adhan
because no jinn or man or anything within range hears the voice of
the mu’adhdhin except that it bears witness for him on the Day of
Rising.’
Abu Sa’id goes on to say, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that.’

DOES SHAYTAN OPPOSE THE PEOPLE IN THE MOSQUE?

Yes. The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Make your rows straight, bring them near each other
and stand shoulder to shoulder, for by the One in whose hand the
soul of Muhammad is, I see Shaytan coming in through gaps in the
row like small black sheep.’ (Abu Da’ud transmits it.)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘When one of you is in the mosque, Shaytan comes to him and
breaks him as a man would break his riding animal. When he is
tamed for him, he hobbles him or bridles him.’ (Ahmad b. Hanbal
transmits it.)
Abu Hurayra, who related the hadith, commented, ‘You see that.
If he is hobbled, you can see him lounging, not remembering Allah.
If he is bridled his mouth opens and he does not mention Allah the
Mighty.’

DO ANIMALS SEE SHAYTAN?

Yes. There are animals which see Shaytan. The Messenger of

Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘When you
hear the cock crowing, then ask Allah for His bounty for it has seen
an angel. When you hear the braying of a donkey, then seek refuge
in Allah from Shatyab for it has seen a shaytan.’ (Al-Bukhari trans-
smits it from Abu Hurayra.)
38
 CHAPTER SEVEN

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE STRUGGLE

BETWEEN SHAYTAN AND MAN
Comprising:

Causes of the enmity between Shaytan and man.

The reasons which led Iblis to fall into error.
What is the greatest goal of Shaytan?
The things to which Shaytan calls man.
What act of rebellion does Iblis prefer?
The jinn bringing down a man and its cure.
The jinn and the plague.
False menstruation is from Shaytan.
Shaytan and dreams.
The whispering of Shaytan.
Haste is from Shaytan.
Shaytan clings to the unjust judge.
Shaytan binding the head of the sleeper.
Shaytan’s touching man.
Shaytan is present when a child is born.
Shaytan’s presence during intercourse.
Shaytan’s presence in all the affairs of man.

39
THE CAUSES OF THE ENMITY BETWEEN SHAYTAN
AND MAN

The enmity between Shaytan and man goes back to the

depths of the distant past when Allah created Adam and
breathed into him of His spirit. Then Allah the Glorious com-
manded the angels to prostrate to Adam. Iblis was worshipping
Allah with the angels, and so he was included in the command.
But he refused and was haughty and was not one of those who
prostrated. When Allah asked why he had refused to prostrate,
he replied, ‘I am better than him. You created me from fire and
You created him from clay.’ Here is the hidden reason for the
enmity between Shaytan and man.
The best source that we can review for the history of the
enmity between them is the Noble Qur’an. Allah describes the
story of the conflict in full:

“We created you and then shaped you. Then We said to the angels,
“Prostrate to Adam,” so they prostrated except for Iblis. He was not
one of those who prostrated.
‘He said, “What kept you from prostrating when I commanded
you?” He said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire
and You created him from clay.” He said, “Get down out of it. It is
not for you to become haughty here, so get out. You are among the
humbled.” He said, “Respite me until the day that they will be
raised.” He said, “You are among those who are respited.”
‘He said, “Now, because You have sent me astray, I shall surely
sit in ambush for them on Your straight path, then I shall come on
them from before them and from behind them, from their right
hands and their left hands. You will not find most of them thank-
ful.”
‘He said, “Go out of it, despised and banished. Those of them
that follow you I shall assuredly fill Jahannam with all of
them.”
‘O Adam, inherit, you and your wife, the Garden, and eat where-
ver you wish, but do not come near this tree, lest you be one of the
wrongdoers.
‘Then Shaytan whispered to them to reveal to them that which
was hidden from them of their private parts. He said, “Your Lord
has only prohibited you from this tree lest you become angels or lest
you become immortals.” And he swore to them, “Truly, I am a
sincere adviser for you.”

40
‘So he led them on by delusion, and when they tasted of the tree,
their private parts were revealed to them, so they took to stitching
upon themselves leaves of the Garden. And their Lord called to
them, “Did I not forbid you this tree and say to you, ‘Shaytan is a
clear enemy for you.’ “
“They said, “Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not
forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall surely be among the lost.”
He said, “Get down, each of you an enemy to one another. In the
earth you shall have rest and enjoyment for a time.” (7:11-24)
The most important thing to deduce from these ayats is to
know that the enmity of Shaytan will not change or abate
because he is convinced that his banishment, curse, and expul-
sion from the Garden was because of our father, Adam, and that
he is bound to take revenge on Adam and his descendants after
him. That is why the Qur’an goes on at some length to put us on
our guard against Shaytan. Allah says, ‘O children of Adam, do
not let Shaytan tempt you...’ (7:27)

THE REASONS WHICH LED IBLIS TO FALL INTO

ERROR

When Iblis said, ‘I am better than him. You created me from

fire and You created him from clay’, he was mistaken for the
following reasons:
1. Even though one obtains certain benefits and enjoyment from
fire, evil is still concealed in it. Its evil is only averted by subdu-
ing and containing it. Were it not that it were subdued and
contained, it would devastate the fields and herds. Each con-
ceals goodness and blessing. Whenever earth is ploughed and
turned over, its blessing, goodness and fruit appear. So how
does the one bear comparison to the other?
2. Allah the Mighty has made the earth the place of His House
in which His name is mentioned and in which He is glorified
morning and evening, and in particular His Sacred House which
He has set up as an establishment for people, blessed, and made
a guidance for the worlds. If it was only that His Sacred House
was in the earth, that would have been a sufficient honour
and boast over fire.
3. The nature of fire, in contrast to earth, is corruption and

41
destruction of whatever it attaches itself to.
4. Earth is necessary for living creatures. They have absolute
need of it - what is formed of it and from it, whereas dumb
animals have absolutely no need of fire and man has no need of
it for days and months. Necessity does not compel him to it.
5. Because of his shortsightedness and weak insight, the ac-
cursed Iblis saw the form of clay as earth mixed with fire and
disdained it. He did not know that clay is compounded of two
basic substances: water, from which Allah makes every living
thing, and earth, which He has made a treasure-house of bene-
fits and blessings. If he had looked beyond the form of the clay
to its substance and end, he would have seen that it is better
than fire.
6. Furthermore, even if it were valid by some specious argument
that fire was better than clay, it would not necessitate that what
was created from fire would be better than what was created
from clay. The One who has power over everything can create
from an inferior substance something which is better than what
He creates from the superior substance. One considers the
perfection of the end not the imperfection of the subtance. The
Accursed One could not look beyond the substance nor move
beyond it to the perfection of the form and the good of the
creation.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST GOAL OF SHAYTAN?

The greatest goal of Shaytan in which he expends all his

efforts is to make the children of Adam enter the punishment of
the Blaze. Allah says,
‘He calls his party only that they may be
among the inhabitants of the Blaze.’ (35:6)

THE THINGS TO WHICH SHAYTAN CALLS MAN

The first thing which Shaytan desires from the slave is disbe-
lief and associating things with Allah and antagonism to Allah
and His Messenger. If he can obtain that from the son of Adam,
his sighs abate and he can rest from his toil with him. Allah
says,

42
 ‘Like Shaytan when he said to man, “Disbelieve”;
then, when he disbelieved, he said,
“Surely I am quit of you.” (59:16)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘O people! Allah the Mighty has commanded me to teach you
that of which you are ignorant. Part of what He has taught me
on this day is: “All that My slave disregards is lawful for him. I
created My slaves all rightly inclined. Then the shaytans came to
them and made them unsteady and turned them from their
deen. They command them to associate with Me that for which I
have not sent down any authority.”“ (Muslim relates the like of
it.)
If Shaytan is unable to make people fall into associating
things with Allah and into disbelief, he does not despair and is
content with less than that. He makes them fall into innovation
which he loves better than deviation and acts of rebellion
because it contains greater harm for the deen.
Sufyan ath-Thawri said, ‘Iblis prefers innovation to rebellion
because one can repent from rebellion, but one cannot repent
from innovation.’
When Shaytan cannot succeed in the ways already men-
tioned, he calls the sons of Adam to wrong actions and acts of
rebellion, whether they are major or minor ones, as he does in
planting enmity and hatred in the ranks of the Muslims.

Allah says,
‘He only commands you to evil and outrage
and that you should say things against Allah
that you do not know.’ (2:169)
Allah also says,
‘Shaytan only desires to cause enmity and hatred
between you in regard to wine and arrow-shuffling,
and to bar you from the remembrance of Allah
and from the prayer.
Will you then desist?’ (5:91)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘Shaytan has despaired of ever being worshipped in this land of
yours. But he is content to be obeyed in some of your actions
which you think little of.’ (At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah relate it

43
with a good isnad.)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘Shaytan has despaired of being worshipped by those who pray
in the Arabian penisula, but he causes enmity and hatred be-
tween you.’ (Muslim relates it.)
What we have already mentioned is not enough for Shaytan.
He also discourages the believers from acts of obedience. The
following hadith makes this clear:
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Shaytan lies in ambush for the son of Adam on his
paths. He sits in ambush for him on the path of Islam and says,
“Are you going to become Muslim and leave your deen and the
deen of your fathers and the fathers of your fathers?”
‘He disobeys him and becomes Muslim. Then Shaytan sits in
ambush for him on the path of hijra and says, “Are you making
hijra and leaving your land and your sky? The emigrant is like a
horse on a steep slope.”
‘He disobeys him and goes on hijra. Then he sits in ambush
for him on the path of jihad and says, “Are you going out on
jihad when it is troublesome for the self and property? You will
fight and be killed and your wife will marry someone else and
your property will be divided!”
‘He disobeys him and goes on jihad.’
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Whoever does that, it is a duty for Allah to let him
enter the Garden. Whoever is killed, it is a duty for Allah to let
him enter the Garden. If he drowns, it is a duty for Allah to let
him enter the Garden, If his beast throws him and breaks his
neck, it is a duty for Allah to let him enter the Garden.’ (An-
Nasa’i transmits it from Sabra b. Abi Fakih.)
The evidence for this exists in the Noble Qur’an when Allah
says,
‘Now, because You have sent me astray,
I will surely sit in ambush for them on Your straight path.
Then I shall come on them from before them
and from behind them,
from their right hands and their left hands.
You will not find most of them thankful.’ (7:16-17)
Shaytan is not content with discouraging the slaves of Allah
from performing acts of obedience, he also strives to corrupt

44
their acts of obedience and worship. The Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘When Shaytan
hears the call to prayer, he turns his back and breaks wind so as
not to hear the sound of it. When it is finished, he returns and
whispers. When he hears the iqama, he leaves so that he does
not hear its sound. When it is finished, he returns and whispers.’
One version has, ‘When the iqama is finished, he advances so
that he can whisper between a man and his soul. He says,
“Remember such-and-such, remember such-and-such” which
the man had not in mind before until he does not know how
much he has prayed.’ (Muslim relates the like of it.)
One of the Companions came to the Messenger and said,
‘Shaytan comes between me and my prayer and my recitation
and makes it confused for me.’
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘That is a shaytan called Khinzib. When you sense him, then
seek refuge in Allah from him and spit to your left side three
times.’
He said, ‘I did that and Allah removed him from me.’ (Muslim
transmits the hadith in the Sahih.)

WHAT ACT OF REBELLION DOES IBLIS PREFER?

It is separating a man and his wife and family and causing

separation between people in general. The answer to this ques-
tion will be made clear to us in the following words of the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
‘The throne of Iblis is on the sea. He sends out his armies to
cause trouble between people. He increases the sedition which
one of them brings who says, “I did such-and-such.” He says,
“That’s nothing.” Then one of them comes and says, “I did
such-and-such.” He says, “That’s nothing.” Then one of them
comes and says, “I did not leave him until I parted him from his
wife.” He draws near him and says, “You did well.” (Muslim
relates the like of it as we have already indicated.)

THE JINN BRINGING DOWN A MAN AND ITS CURE

That the jinn can enter a human body, as Ibn Taimiyya says
Majmu’ al-Fatawa, [24:276], is established by the agreement of
the Imams of the people of the sunna and the community. Allah

45
says,
Those who consume usury shall not rise again
except as he rises, whom Shaytan
prostrates by the touch.’ (2:275)
In the Sahih, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Shaytan runs through the son of Adam like
blood.’
The jinn can bring a man down out of appetite and passion as
one man will do to another. It mostly arises from hatred and
getting one’s own back - for instance a person might have
harmed them or they think that people have deliberately
harmed them, either by urinating or pouring boiling water on
one of them, or killing one of them.
As we already stated, the jinn are slaves of Allah subject to
His command and bound to worship according to the Shari’a. If
a muslim can manage to speak to them, as is the case when the
jinn bring down a man, he is under obligation to do that.
When the jinn bring down a man in the first way, out of
appetite and passion, they do it by committing outrageous ac-
tions which Allah has forbidden men and jinn. Even if such
actions seem pleasing, how can they really be pleasing when
they amount to outrage and injustice. One reminds the jinn of
that since they know that this is a forbidden action or outrage
and enmity. The one who addresses them does this in order to
establish the proof against them and so that they know the
judgment of Allah and His Messenger whom He has sent to
both jinn and men.
If it is from the second area, that is because of injury done to
them by a human being and the person concerned was not
aware of what he had done, the jinn are told that the man did
not realize. Someone who does not cause harm deliberately
does not deserve to be punished. If it happens in his own house
and property, the jinn should know that a man’s house is his
property and he can do whatever is permitted in it, and that one
cannot remain in the property of men and not be harmed by
them. The jinn have their own places separate from the
dwelling-places of men like ruins and open country.
Ibn Taimiyya says in Majmu’ al-Fatawa, [29:42], ‘What is meant is
that when the jinn attack a man, they are told about the judgment of
Allah and His Messenger and the proof is established against them
and they are commanded to do what is correct and forbidden the

46
wrong as one does with men because Allah says,
“We never punish until We have sent a messenger.” (17:15)
Allah also says,
“Company of jinn and men,
did not messengers come to you from among you,
relating to you My signs and warning you
of the encounter of this day of yours?...” (6:130)

THE JINN AND THE PLAGUE

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘My community will be destroyed by attack and the
plague, which is the piercing of your enemies among the jinn. There
is martyrdom in each.’ (Ahmad and at- Tabarani transmit it with a
sound isnad.)
It is related in the Mustadrak of al-Hakam, ‘The plague is the
piercing of your enemies among the jinn and it is martyrdom for
you.’
Az-Zamakhshari says that the plague was called ‘the spears of the
jinn’.
Perhaps what befell the Prophet of Allah, Ayyub, was caused by
the jinn as Allah says,
‘Remember Our slave Ayyub when he called to his Lord,
“Behold, Shaytan has touched me
with weariness and punishment.”‘ (38:41)

FALSE MENSTRUATION IS FROM SHAYTAN

One of the illnesses with which Shaytan afflicts human women is

false menstruation. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, ‘It is an impulse from Shaytan.’ (At-
Tirmidhi transmits it and thought it good.)

SHAYTAN AND DREAMS

Shaytan tries constantly to cause harm to a man’s body and being.

He harms his body by illnesses. He harms his being by various
means. One of them worth mentioning is dreams.

47
 Shaytan shows man troublesome dreams in his sleep with the aim
of causing him sorrow and psychological trouble. The Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, reported that ‘There are three
types of dreams which a man sees in his sleep: the vision from the
Merciful, the dream which causes sorrow from Shaytan and the
dream which is the chatter of the self.’ (Muslim relates something
similar.)
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘When one of you has a dream he likes, it is from Allah so he should
praise Allah for it and relate it. If he sees something else which he
dislikes, it is from Shaytan so he should seek refuge from its evil and
not mention it to anyone. Then it will not harm him.’ (Al-Bukhari
relates it.)

THE WHISPERING OF SHAYTAN

The meaning of the verbal root from which the word ‘whispering’
comes, is the movement and the low voice which one does not
perceive so that one can be on guard against it. Whispering is a
hidden casting into the self.
But how does Iblis whisper and how does that whispering reach
the heart?
Ibn ‘Aqil, in answer to this question, said, ‘It consists of words to
which the self and nature inclines. It is said that he enters into the
body of the son of Adam because he is a subtle body, and whispers.
He provokes the self with base thoughts. Allah says, “He whispers in
the breasts of men.” ‘
Some people say that this statement is not sound because two
parts of it are false. They point out that Iblis’ speech can be heard by
he physical ears. As for his entering into bodies, bodies do not
intermix. Furthermore, because he is fire, he must burn man. It is
said that his speech could refer to something to which the self
inclines, for example, like the sorcerer who spits at the bewitched,
even though that is not a voice.
As for the statement that if Iblis had been able to enter a man,
bodies would intermix and the man would be burned - that is
mistaken because the jinn are not made of fire that burns. They
were created from fire in their origin. As for the statement that
bodies do not intermix, the subtle body can enter into the dense
body like the spirit or the air which penetrates all bodies. The jinn
have subtle bodies.

48
HASTE IS FROM SHAYTAN

Ibn as-Sunni related in Al-Ijaz that the Messenger of Allah, may

Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Deliberation is from
Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and haste is from Shaytan.’

SHAYTAN CLINGS TO THE UNJUST JUDGE

There is no doubt that the unjust judge does not deserve the
company of Allah. The company which he deserves is the company
of Shaytan. It is that which is fitting for him. The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah is with
the Qadi as long as he is not unjust. When he is unjust, He leaves
him and Shaytan clings to him.’ (At-Tirmidhi relates it from the hadith
of ‘Abdullah b. Abi Awfa).

SHAYTAN BINDING THE HEAD OF THE SLEEPER

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Shaytan ties three knots on the neck of one of you when
he sleeps. He ties each knot on you in the long night and goes to
sleep. If you awaken and remember Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
one knot is undone. If you do wudu’, another knot is undone. If you
pray, another knot is undone. Then you get up active and cheerful. If
not you wake up lazy and grouchy.’ (Al- Bukhari relates it.)
This occurs to the one who has not recited the Ayat al-Kursi or the
end of Sura al-Baqara or any part of the Qur’an which will protect
him from the shaytans. As for the person who has recited such
things, Shaytan has no way to get at him, as is proven by the hadiths
which will come at the end of the book, Allah willing.

SHAYTAN TOUCHING MAN

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘Shaytan has a touch on the son of Adam and the angel
also has a touch. The touch of Shaytan threatens evil and rejection
of the truth. The touch of the angel promises good and confirmation
of the truth. Whoever experiences that should know that it is from
Allah, the Mighty, and should praise Allah. Whoever experiences
the first, should seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and then recite,
“Shaytan promises you poverty and commands you to outrageous

49
action.” ‘ (Al-Tirmidhi transmits it.)

SHAYTAN IS PRESENT WHEN A CHILD IS BORN

No child is born without Shaytan being present - except for

Maryam and her son. In the hadith of Abu Hurayra found in both
the Sahih of Muslim and of al-Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “There is no son of Adam
born except that Shaytan pricks him. He begins to yell because he
has pricked him - except for Maryam and her son.’

SHAYTAN’S PRESENCE DURING INTERCOURSE

Shaytan is present when a man has intercourse with his wife,

which is why the Muslim must mention Allah then and also seek
refuge from Shaytan.
It is confirmed in both the Sahih of Muslim and of al-Bukhari that
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, ‘When one of you wants to go to his wife, he should say, “In the
name of Allah. O Allah, protect us from Shaytan and keep Shaytan
from what we are provided with.” Then if a child is decreed for them
at that time, Shaytan will never harm him.’

SHAYTAN’S PRESENCE IN ALL THE AFFAIRS OF MAN

Shaytan is present in all human affairs. Muslim and al-Tirmidhi relate the
hadith from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘Shaytan is present in all you do. He is even present when you
eat. When you drop a morsel, he takes it. One should clean it off and eat it and
not leave it for Shaytan. When you finish, you should lick your fingers. No-one
knows in which part of his food the blessing lies.’

50
 CHAPTER EIGHT

MAN’S WEAPONS AGAINST SHAYTAN

Comprising:

Seeking refuge with Allah.

Seeking refuge when reciting the Qur’an.
Seeking refuge when entering the lavatory.
Seeking refuge when going to sleep.
The two sums of seeking refuge.
Remembering Allah often.
The first three ayats of Sara Ghafir together with the Ayat al-Kursi.
The end of Sura al-Baqara.
Wudu’ and the prayer.
Recitation of the Ayat al-Kursi.
Repentance and asking forgiveness.
Reciting Sura al-Baqara.
Refraining from excess.
The fortress of knowledge.
Clinging to the Muslim community.

51
SEEKING REFUGE WITH ALLAH

One of the early scholars asked a student of his the question, ‘What
do you do about Shaytan when he tries to entice you into error?’
The student replied, ‘I struggle with him.’
‘And if he does it again?”
The student said, ‘I struggle with him.’
This goes on and on, the teacher said. “What would you do if you
passed by some sheep and the sheepdog kept barking at you
and kept you from continuing on your way?”
He replied, ‘I would keep on until I drove him off.’
‘That would take too much time,’ the teacher said. “You should
ask the shepherd’s help in keeping the dog away from you!”
The best source of help against Shaytan is the One who created
Shaytan! And the best way to protect oneself from Shaytan and his
troops is to seek refuge and protection in Allah. He has power over
him, and if He protects His slave, how can Shaytan get at him?
Allah says,
‘Take forgiveness and command what is correct
and turn away from the ignorant.
If a provocation from Shaytan provokes you,
then seek refuge in Allah.
He is Hearing, Knowing.’ (7:199-200)
Allah the Mighty commands His Messenger and every believer to
seek refuge in Him from the promptings and presence of the
shaytans,
‘Say: O my Lord, I take refuge with You
from the promptings of the shaytans
and I seek refuge with You lest they be present with me.’
(23:97-98)
If you wish to know what seeking refuge means, then according to
Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, it is to seek protection in Allah the Mighty
from the evil of everything evil. ‘I seek refuge with Allah from the
Accursed Shaytan’ means ‘I seek protection with Allah from the
Accursed Shaytan so that he does not harm me in my deen and
worldly affairs or prevent me from doing what I am commanded or
draw me into doing what I have been forbidden.’ Only Allah can
protect man from Shaytan. That is why Allah commands Shaytan to
entice and flatter man by offering him beautiful things so as to make

52
him overlook the harm in them and He commands people to seek
refuge in Him from the Shaytan of the jinn because Shaytan does
not accept bribes nor does the beautiful affect him because he is evil
by nature. Only the One who created him can avert him from
you.
It says in a hadith that ‘Abdu’r-Rahman b. Khanaysh was asked
whether he met the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace. When he replied that he had, he was asked what the Mes-
senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did on
the night when the shaytans attacked him. He said, “The shaytans
came down that night on the Messenger of Allah from the valleys
and canyons, including a shaytan holding a fire-brand. He wanted to
burn the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, with it. Jibril, peace be upon him, came down to
him and said, “O Muhammad, speak!” He said, “What should I
say?”
‘Jibril replied, “Say: I seek refuge with the perfect words of Allah
from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of what
descends from heaven and from the evil of what rises in it, and from
the evil of the night and the day, and from the evil of every visitor
except a visitor who brings good, O Merciful!”‘ ‘
Abdu’r-Rahman continued, ‘Their fire was extinguished and
Allah defeated them.’ (Ahmad b. Hanbal transmits it.)

SEEKING REFUGE WHEN RECITING THE QUR’AN

Allah commands people to seek refuge when they recite the

Qur’an. He says,
‘When you recite the Qur’an,
seek refuge from the accursed Shaytan.
He has no power over those who believe and trust in their Lord.’
(16:98-99)
Seeking refuge with Allah from Shaytan when you recite the
Qur’an has much benefit and wisdom:
1. The Qur’an is healing for what is in the breasts of men. It removes
the whisperings, appetites and false desires which Shaytan casts in
them. It is medicine against what Shaytan commands.
This healing medicine works on the heart when it is free of
conflict and opposition to it.

53
2. The Qur’an sustains guidance, knowledge, and good in the heart
just as water sustains plants, whereas Shaytan is fire which consumes
plants bit by bit. Whenever he senses good in the heart, he strives to
corrupt and burn it. The reciter of Qur’an is commanded to seek
refuge in Allah from Shaytan so that he will not corrupt what the
reciter has gained by his recitation.
The difference between this aspect and the previous one is that in
the first one seeking refuge is to gain the benefit of the Qur’an and
in the second one it is to maintain and guard it.
3. The angels draw near to the one who recites the Qur’an and listen
to his recitation. For instance it is mentioned that when Usayd b.
Hufayr was reciting, he saw something like a canopy full of lamps.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told him, “Those
were angels.’
The rest of the hadith is in al-Bukhari, “Those angels drew near to
your voice. If you had continued reciting, the people would have
looked at them in the morning and they would not have concealed
themselves from them.’
Shaytan is the opponent and enemy of the angels. Therefore the
reciter of Qur’an is commanded to ask Allah to put his enemy far
away so that His angels can be with him. The angels and shaytans
cannot be together in such circumstances.
4. Shaytan rallies his troops of horsemen and his footmen against
the reciter of Qur’an until he distracts him from his purpose in
reciting the Qur’an, namely reflection, understanding and the
knowledge of what the Speaker wants to say. He tries hard to come
between his heart and the goal of the Qur’an so that the reciter does
not derive full benefit from it. Therefore he is commanded at the
beginning to seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.
5. The reciter of Qur’an is conversing with Allah with His own
words. Allah listens more attentively to someone with a good voice
reciting the Qur’an than the owner of a singing slavegirl listens to
her singing. Shaytan’s recitation is poetry and singing. The reciter is
commanded to drive Shaytan off by seeking refuge when he con-
verses with Allah and his Lord is listening to his recitation.
6. Allah states that He has not sent any Messenger or Prophet but
that Shaytan ‘cast into his fancy when he was fancying’ (22:52). All
the Salaf say that this means when he recites, Shaytan casts some-
thing into his recitation. If he does this with the Messengers, peace

54
and blessings be upon them, then why not with other people? This is
why the reciter of Qur’an sometimes errs and his recitation becomes
confused and muddled for him - that is either on the tongue or his
mind and heart are confused about it, and when he is in the process
of reciting, he does not like this or that in it. Sometimes the two
happen together.
7. Shaytan is never so covetous towards man as when he is con-
cerned with good or sets about doing it. Then he is fierce in his
efforts to cut him off from it.¹

SEEKING REFUGE WHEN ENTERING THE LAVATORY

The sunna is that when you enter the lavatory, you should seek
refuge with Allah from Shaytan, as reported in the Sahih of Muslim
and al-Bukhari. Anas said that when the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace , entered the lavatory, he said, ‘O Allah, I
seek refuge with you from the male and female shaytans.’
In the Sunan of Abu Da’ud there is a hadith with a sound isnad in
which Zayd b. Arqam says that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘These privies are peopled with
jinn, so when one of you goes to the lavatory, he should say, “I seek
refuge in Allah from male and female shaytans.”“

SEEKING REFUGE WHEN GOING TO SLEEP

It is recommended to seek refuge when going to sleep as has been

related in the Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal from Muhammad b.
Ishaq from ‘Amr b. Shu’ayb from his father that his grandfather said,
‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
taught us some words to say when going to sleep: “In the name of
Allah. I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His anger,
His punishment, the evil of His slaves and from the spurrings of the
shaytans and from their being present.”‘

THE TWO SURAS OF SEEKING REFUGE

The best way to seek refuge is reciting the best verses of seeking
refuge, al-Falaq (113) and an-Nas (114), ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘No-one can seek refuge with anything as effectively as with, “Say, I

55
¹ Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, Ighatha al-Lahfan, 1:109.

seek refuge in the Lord of the Dawn” and “Say, I seek refuge in the
Lord of men.”“
Their excellence has been reported in many other hadiths. One of
them is that related by Muslim from Ugba b. ‘Amir who says that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, ‘Do you not see that verses have been sent down tonight whose
like has never been seen? That is, “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of
the Dawn” and “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men.” ‘
Ahmad related that the Messenger of Allah said to him, ‘Shall I
tell you the best thing to use for seeking refuge?” “Yes,’ he replied.
The Prophet said, “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the Dawn” and
“Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men.”‘
At-Tirmidhi transmits from Abu Hurayra that Abu Sa’id said,
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
used to seek refuge from the jinn and the evil eye of men until the
two suras of seeking refuge were revealed. When they were rev-
ealed, he used them and abandoned other ways.’

REMEMBERING ALLAH OFTEN

What do you think of a man whose enemies have encircled him with malicious
intent? They have him surrounded and each of them can do him whatever evil
and harm they so desire. There is no way he can throw them off except by
remembering Allah.
Remembrance of Allah according to Ibn al-Qayyim in Al-Wasil as-Sayyib is
the greatest rescuer of the slave from Shaytan, ‘If Remembrance only possessed
this one single quality, it would be proper for the slave to never let his tongue
cease from remembering Allah.’
I will recount a hadith to the noble reader to remind him of
the benefit which Allah has placed in Remembrance. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman
b. Samura said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, came out to us one day when we were in the Suffa
in Madina. He approached us and said, “I saw something wondrous
yesterday. I saw a man of my community to whom the Angel of
Death was coming to take his soul. His dutifulness to his parents
came and turned the Angel of Death from him.
“I saw a man who was being racked by the punishment of the
grave and his wudu’ came and rescued him from that.
“I saw a man of my community surrounded by shaytans.
Remembrance of Allah came and drove the shaytans away from
him.

56
 “I saw a man of my community surrounded by the Angels of
Punishment. His prayer came and rescued him from their hands.
“I saw a man of my community panting from thirst. Whenever he
drew near to a basin, he was kept from it and driven off. His fasting
the month of Ramadan came and gave him water, quenching his
thirst.
“I saw a man of my community and I saw the prophets sitting in
circles. Whenever he drew near to a circle, he was driven off. His
ablution from major impurity (janaba) came and took him by the
hand and let him sit beside me.
“I saw a man from my community with darkness in front of him,
darkness behind him, darkness on his left, darkness on his right,
darkness above him and darkness below him. He was stumbling in
confusion. His Hajj and ‘Umra came and brought him out of the
darkness into the light.
“I saw a man from my community trying to protect himself from
the heat and sparks of the Fire. His charity came and became a veil
between him and the Fire and it shaded his head.
“I saw a man from my community speaking to the believers who
ignored him. His maintaining ties of kinship came and said, ‘O
company of Muslims! He maintained ties of kinship, so speak to
him.’ Then the believers spoke to him and shook his hand.
“I saw a man from my community encircled by the Zabaniyya
(angels who guard the Fire). His commanding the correct and
forbidding the wrong came and rescued him from their hands and
brought him to the angels of mercy.
I saw a man from my community kneeling with a veil between him
and Allah. His good character came, took him by the hand and
brought him to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
“I saw a man from my community whose page had been placed in
his left hand. His fear of Allah came and took his page and placed it
in his right hand.
“I saw a man from my community who was light in the balance.
His children who had died before him came and made his balance
heavy.
“I saw a man from my community standing on the brink of the
Fire. His hope in Allah came and rescued him.
“I saw a man from my community who had fallen in the Fire. The
tears which he had wept out of fear of Allah came and rescued
him.
“I saw a man from my community standing on the Sirat shaking

57
like a leaf in a gale. His good opinion of Allah came and stilled his
terror.
“I saw a man from my community crawling across the Sirat,
sometimes inching along, sometimes frozen. His prayer came and
stood him upright and saved him.
“I saw a man from my community who had reached the gates of
the Garden which were locked against him. His testimony of “There
is no god but Allah’ came and opened the gates for him and let him
enter the Garden.”“
Abu Musa al-Madini relates this hadith in the Book At-Targhib
fi’l-Khisal al-Munjiyya wa’t-Tarhib min al-Khilal al-Murdiyya. He says
that it is a very good hadith.
According to Ibn al-Qayyim, the Shaykh al-Islam, Ibn Taimiyya,
thought this hadith very important. I have heard that he used to say,
There is testimony to its soundness.’ He meant the words of the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘I saw a man
from my community encircled by the shaytans. His Remembrance
of Allah came and drove the shaytans from him.’
Remembrance of Allah is the greatest rescuer of the slave from
Shaytan! Perhaps this will become yet clearer by mentioning the
hadith in which the Prophet of Allah, Yahya, when ordering the
Banu Isra’il to have five qualities, commanded them to remember
Allah the Great, saying that the example of it was that of a man
hotly pursued by an enemy who comes to a fortified fortress and
protects himself from him. Similarly, the slave can only protect
himself from Shaytan by remembering Allah.
The benefits of being occupied with remembrance of Allah are
innumerable. There is not enough room here to go further into it. If
the reader desires to learn more about these benefits, he should
refer to the book by Imam al- Ghazzali Al-Adhkar wa’d-Du’awat
edited by Muhammad al-Khasht, and Al-Wabil as-Sayyib min al-
Kalam at-Tayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim.

THE FIRST THREE AYATS OF SURA GHAFIR TOGETHER

WITH THE AYAT AL-KURSI

These ayats of Sura Ghafir are:

‘Ha Mim. The sending-down of the Book is from Allah,
the Mighty, the Knowing, Forgiver of wrong actions,
Accepter of repentance, Terrible in Retribution, the Bountiful.
There is no god but He and to Him is the homecoming.’ (40:1-3)
58
 This is recited together with the Ayat al-Kursi (2:255).
At-Tirmidhi transmits from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘If someone
recites the passage from “Ha Mim” to “the homecoming” from Sura
al-Mu’min together with the Throne Verse in the morning, he is
protected by them until the evening. If someone recites them in the
evening, he is protected by them until morning.’

THE END OF SURA AL-BAQARA

At-Tirmidhi relates that Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari reported that the

Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘Someone who recites the two ayats at the end of Sura al-Baqara at
night averts harm from himself.’
At-Tirmidhi relates that an-Nu’man b. Bashir said that the Pro-
phet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Two thousand
years before creating Creation, Allah wrote a book from which He
has sent down two verses with which He concludes Sura al-Baqara.
Shaytan will not come near a house in which they are recited for
three nights.’

WUDU’ AND THE PRAYER

Wudu’ and the prayer are among man’s greatest protections

against Shaytan, especially against the force of anger and appetite,
which is a cauldron simmering in the heart of the son of Adam.
At-Tirmidhi relates from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Anger is a glowing
coal in the heart of the son of Adam, haven’t you seen the redness of
his eyes and the swelling of his jugular veins? If someone feels its
touch, he should sit on the earth.’
Ahmad b. Hanbal transmits that ‘Atiyya b. ‘Urwa said that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
‘Anger is from Shaytan and Shaytan was created from fire. Fire is
extinguished by water, so when one of you becomes angry, he should
do wudu’.

RECITATION OF THE AYAT AL-KURSI

Reciting the Ayat al-Kursi is the best protection the son of Adam

59
has from Shaytan. In the Sahih there is the hadith of Muhammad b.
Sirin in which Abu Hurayra says, “The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, put me in charge of guarding
the zakat of Ramadan. Then someone came up to me and began to
take handfuls of the food. I grabbed him and said, “I am going to
take you before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace”“ - the hadith goes on at some length until the
intruder tells him, ‘When you go to your bed, recite the Ayat al-Kursi.
Allah will send down a guardian over you and no shaytan will come
near you until morning.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, ‘He has told you the truth although he is a
great liar. That was Shaytan.’

REPENTANCE AND ASKING FORGIVENESS

One of the greatest things with which the believer can confront
Shaytan is to quickly repent and return to Allah when Shaytan
makes him err. This is the state of the right-acting slaves of Allah.
Allah says,
Those who fear Allah,
when a visitation of Shaytan touches them, remember,
and then they see clearly.’ (7:201)
Al-Hakam and Ahmad b. Hanbal transmit that the Messenger of
Allah mentioned that Shaytan said to the Lord of Might, ‘By Your
might, O Lord, I will pervert Your slaves as long as their souls are in
their bodies!’ The Lord said, ‘By My might and My majesty, I will
continue to forgive them as long as they ask for My forgiveness.’

RECITING SURA AL-BAQARA

Reciting Sura al-Baqara (2) will put the shaytans far from the
Muslim and his house. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, ‘Do not make your houses into graves.
Shaytan does not enter a house in which Al-Baqara is recited.’
Ahmad b. Hanbal relates a similar hadith from Suhayl from his
father from Abu Hurayra:
‘There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. He has the
Kingdom and He has the praise and He has power over everything.’
If the Muslim repeats this a hundred times it will bring him many

60
fruits. This is made clear by the words of the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘If someone says, “There
is no god but Allah alone with no partner. He has the Kingdom and
He has the praise and He has power over everything.” a hundred
times in a day he will gain the equivalent of freeing ten slaves and a
hundred good actions are written for him and a hundred bad actions
are wiped out for him and it is a protection for him against Shaytan
for that day until the evening. No one will bring anything more
excellent than what he brings except a man who has done more than
he has.’
The hadith is in the Sahih collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim in
the hadith of Samura, the client of Abu Bakr, from Abu Salih from
Abu Hurayra.

REFRAINING FROM EXCESS

Amongst the things that will keep the believer far from falling
into the snares of Shaytan is to refrain from excess in glances, words,
food and socializing with people. By these four doors Shaytan gains
power over the son of Adam and obtains what he wants from
him.
As for looking, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, ‘Do not follow a glance with a glance. You are
allowed the first but not the second.’ (Ahmad b. Hanbal transmits it
in the Musnad.)
As for excess words, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘Part of the excellence of a man’s Islam is that he
leaves what does not concern him.’ (Ahmad relates it.)
As for excess food, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘A man does not fill a worse vessel than his belly.’
(Ahmad relates it.)
Luqman the Sage used to say to his son, ‘My son, when the
intestines are full, reflection goes to sleep, wisdom falls silent, and
the limbs cease to worship.’
As for excessive socializing, it is a chronic disease which attracts
evil. How frequently are socializing and company empty of blessing!
How often do they sow enmity! How often they plant rancour in the
heart and as long as it remains in the heart it erodes firm mountains
of good actions! Excessive socializing contains loss for this world and
the Next World. The slave must only indulge in that amount of
socializing which is necessary.
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THE FORTRESS OF KNOWLEDGE

One of the greatest fortresses which protects the believer against

Shaytan is knowledge.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, ‘One faqih is stronger against Shaytan than a thousand
worshippers.’ (At-Tirmidhi transmits it.)
The importance of knowledge for the believer in opposing Shay-
tan is well illustrated by the following story related by Ibn ‘Abbas:
The shaytans say to Iblis, “Master, we delight in the death of a
man of knowledge more than we rejoice in that of a man of worship.
We are harmed by the man of knowledge, but not harmed by the
man of worship.”
‘Iblis says, “Come on, let’s go.” So off they go to a man of worship
and come to him while he is worshipping and tell him they want to
ask him a question. Iblis says, “Can your Lord put this world inside
an egg?”
‘The worshipper replies, “I don’t know.”
‘Iblis says to the shaytans, “Don’t you see there is disbelief in his
answer?”
‘They then go to a man of knowledge in his circle joking with his
companions and say, “We want to ask you a question.”
‘He says, “Ask.” so Iblis says to him, “Can your Lord put this
world inside an egg?”
‘He replies, “Yes.”
‘Iblis asks, “How?”
‘The man of knowledge says,
“His command when He desires a thing is that
He says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (36:82)
‘Iblis says to the shaytans, “Don’t you see that that man (the
worshipper) does not have any effect beyond himself while this man
(the man of knowledge) estranges much of the world from me?” ‘

CLINGING TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

It is well known that Shaytan is with those who oppose the

community. For that reason, the Muslim must keep to the Muslim
community because that will keep him far from the errors and
snares of Shaytan.

62
 The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, “Whoever of you desires the heart of the Garden should
ding to the community. Shaytan is with the solitary person and
further off from a couple. (At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
transmit it. At-Tirmidhi says that it is a sound good hadith.)
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, also said, “The hand of Allah is over the community. Shaytan
is with the one who opposes the community. (Ibn Sa’id transmits
it.)

63
 GLOSSARY

Ayat: Verse of the Qur’an.

Dar al-Nadwa: Council chamber of the people of Makka.
Deen: Religion - way of life.
Faqih: Someone learned in religious matters.
Hadith: A direct report of what the Prophet Muhammad, peace
be upon him, said or did.
Hijra: Emigration in the way of Allah.
Iblis: Proper name of Satan.
‘Ifrit: A powerful kind of jinn.
Imam: Leader - particularly leader of the prayer.
Iqama: Call to prayer made immediately before the prayer is
done.
Isnad: Chain of transmission.
Jahannam: One of the names of Hell.
Kharijites: A sect who believed that committing major wrong
actions turns a Muslim into an unbeliever.
Marfu’ hadith: A hadith which can only be traced back to a
Companion of the Prophet.
Murji’ites: A sect who believed that a person’s Islam was not af-
fected by anything he did.
Qadi: A judge.
Qadiri: A sect who believed in the doctrine of human free will.
Qibla: Direction of Makka to be faced when praying.
Rafidites: A sect who rejected the first three khalifs of Islam.
Sahih: Faultless - used to refer to the most authentic books of
hadith.
Salaf: First generation of Muslims.
Shaytan: Satan or one of Satan’s agents.

64
Sirat: The knife-edged bridge that must be crossed to enter the
Garden.
Suffa: A veranda attached to the Prophet’s mosque in Madina
where poor Muslims used to sleep.
Sunan: Books containing a record of sayings and sunna of the
Prophet.
Sunna: Actions of the Prophet and his Companions taken as a
model for subsequent generations.
Sura: A chapter of the Qur’an.
Umra: The visit to the Ka’ba done outside the rites of Hajj.
Wudu’: Purification by washing the limbs before prayer.
Zakat: Poor tax which every wealthy Muslim must pay.

65
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