Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, first may Allah give shifa (healing) to all brothers and sisters who have fallen ill, Amin ya Raballalamin! May Allah subhana wa ta’ala protect you from impure people, Amin ya raballalamin!
How can you tell that a sister or brother is affected by Jinn?
Firstly, it is very important not to claim rashly that that sister or brother has something to do with Jinn or Sihr (sorcery).
However, if this is the case and the Jinn speaks out of that person, then one should first know that the Jinn lies a lot.
Accordingly, the following questions should be answered:
- Can one see Jinn?
- Is one allowed to believe what the Jinn says?
- Is it permissible to establish a relationship with the Jinn?
These 3 questions are addressed in the following texts. (This post is about the following question:)
1.) Can one see the Jinn?
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
Allah subhana wa ta’ala has created the Jinn in such a way that we cannot see them in their true form.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala says:
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّڪُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخۡرَجَ أَبَوَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنۡہُمَا لِبَاسَہُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتِہِمَآۗ إِنَّهُ ۥ يَرَٮٰكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ ۥ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَہُمۡۗ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
7:27 {{ …..Surely he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Surely We have made the satans protectors of those who disbelieve}}
Al-Imam Ash-Shafii رحمه الله explained this verse in his Tafsir:
من زعم من أهل العدالة أنه يَرى الجن أبطلتُ شهادته ؛ لأن الله عز وجل يقول ( إِنَّهُ يَرَاكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا تَرَوْنَهُمْ ) إلا أن يكون نبيّاً .
(انظر ” أحكام القرآن )
Al-Imam Ash Shafii رحمه الله said, “Whoever claims that he has seen the Jinn (in their true form), his Shahada has become invalid (أبطلتُ شهادته).”
That is how dangerous this claim is!
Al-Imam Ibn Hazm رحمه الله also made the following statement:
وأن الجن حق ، وهم خلْق من خلق الله عز وجل ، فيهم الكافر والمؤمن ، يروننا ولا نراهم .
” المحلى ” ( 1 / 34 ) .
Al-Imam Ibn Hazm رحمه الله said, “Allah has created the Jinn and of them there are believers and disbelievers, females and males. They (the Jinn) see us, but we humans cannot see them in their true form.”
There is an ijma (agreement) among scholars of the Ahlu Sunnah that a human cannot see the true form of a Jinn. However, anyone who claims this is a liar. However, Jinn can show themselves to humans in other guises, as the following well-known hadith from Abu Hurayrah shows:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ وَكَّلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِحِفْظِ زَكَاةِ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَانِي آتٍ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو مِنْ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ وَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ وَعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ وَلِي حَاجَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ قَالَ فَخَلَّيْتُ عَنْهُ فَأَصْبَحْتُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ( يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ الْبَارِحَةَ ) قَالَ : قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ شَكَا حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً وَعِيَالًا فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ قَالَ ( أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ كَذَبَكَ وَسَيَعُودُ ) فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَعُودُ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّهُ سَيَعُودُ فَرَصَدْتُهُ فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنْ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ دَعْنِي فَإِنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ وَعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ لَا أَعُودُ فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ فَأَصْبَحْتُ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ( يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ ) قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ شَكَا حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً وَعِيَالًا فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ قَالَ ( أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ كَذَبَكَ وَسَيَعُودُ ) فَرَصَدْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنْ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَهَذَا آخِرُ ثَلَاثِ مَرَّاتٍ أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ لَا تَعُودُ ثُمَّ تَعُودُ قَالَ : دَعْنِي أُعَلِّمْكَ كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُكَ اللَّهُ بِهَا ، قُلْتُ : مَا هُوَ ؟ قَالَ : إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ ( اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ) حَتَّى تَخْتِمَ الْآيَةَ فَإِنَّكَ لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ وَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ فَأَصْبَحْتُ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ( مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ الْبَارِحَةَ ) قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يُعَلِّمُنِي كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللَّهُ بِهَا فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ قَالَ ( مَا هِيَ ) قُلْتُ : قَالَ لِي : إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا حَتَّى تَخْتِمَ الْآيَةَ ( اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ) وَقَالَ لِي : لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ وَلَا يَقْرَبَكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ – وَكَانُوا أَحْرَصَ شَيْءٍ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ – فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ( أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ صَدَقَكَ وَهُوَ كَذُوبٌ تَعْلَمُ مَنْ تُخَاطِبُ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ) قَالَ : لَا ، قَالَ ( ذَاكَ شَيْطَانٌ ) .
رواه البخاري ( 3101 )
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Allah’s Messenger SallAllahu alayhi wa Sallam gave me the task of keeping the zakah of Ramadan. When I was performing my duty, someone came and rummaged around in the food. So I seized him by force. I said. “By Allah. I will take you to the Messenger of Allah! The man pleaded, “Verily, I am poor and have family members. I am in great need. “Therefore, I let him go.
The next morning, the Prophet SallAllahu alayhi wa Sallam said, “O Abu Huraira, what did your prisoner do last night? I said, “He complains of being in great distress and that he has a family. That is why I let him go. The Prophet-peace and blessings be upon him-answered, “Certainly he lied, and he will come back. “Knowing that he would come back, I waited for him lying down. When he came and started digging in the food, I grabbed him and said, “I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah.” He asked, “Let me go! Verily, I am poor and have a family. I will not return.” So I took pity on him and let him go.
The next morning, the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alayhi wa Sallam said, “O Abu Huraira, what did your prisoner do last night? “I replied that he complained about his great hardship and that he had a family (to support) so I let him go. The Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- replied, ‘Certainly he lied and he will come again. “So I waited for him and grabbed him when he began to scatter food around him. I said, ‘By Allah, I take you to be the Messenger of Allah.’ This is the third time, although you promised not to come back. In spite of all this, you have come back!” He said: “Let me teach you some words by which Allah will give you great benefit. “I said: “What words are these? “He said: “Whenever you go to bed, let the Throne Verse(al Baqara/255), from beginning to end. If you do this, a guardian of Allah will always be with you, so that the Shaytan will not approach you until morning. “After that, I let him go.
The next morning, the Prophet SallAllahu alayhi wa Sallam said, “O Abu Huraira, what did your prisoner do last night? “I replied that he wanted to teach me some words by which Allah would benefit me. When the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – asked what these were, I replied that one should recite the Throne Verse before going to bed. I also told him that then a guardian of Allah would be with me and Sheytan would not approach me until I woke up in the morning. The Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – said: “Verily, he has spoken the truth although he is an obvious liar. O Abu Huraira, do you know who you have been talking to for the last three nights? “I replied, “No”. And he replied, “It was the Sheytan.”
(Bukhari)
The Jinn can also show themselves in the form of animals, as can be seen in the following hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول : ( إِنَّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ نَفَرًا مِنْ الْجِنِّ قَدْ أَسْلَمُوا فَمَنْ رَأَى شَيْئًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعَوَامِرِ فَلْيُؤْذِنْهُ ثَلاثًا فَإِنْ بَدَا لَهُ بَعْدُ فَلْيَقْتُلْهُ فَإِنَّهُ شَيْطَانٌ ) .
( صحيح مسلم ( 2236 ).
Abu Said Al-Khudri said, “I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say, “There are Jinn in Medina who have become Muslims. If you see one of them (in the form of a snake), give him three days. After that, if you see him again, then you can kill him. For he is the Sheytan.”
Al-Imam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“The Jinn show themselves like a (black) dog, a (black) monkey, a donkey, an ox, a snake, a horse, a calf, a camel or like a human being.”
He goes on to say, “Just as a Jinn showed himself in the form of Suraqah Ibn Malik (in the battle of Badr).”
Unfortunately, there is much ignorance and injustice these days, partly because we do not have an Islamic caliphate. So the liars have more freedom and this harms Muslims.
Shaykh Khattab al Raqi
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