Part 3

If the Jinn had remained in the original form in which they were first created i.e. fire, they would not have needed to bring a fiery flame to attack the Prophet 38.

The Prophet ¥ also said in a Hadith: “Verily, Satan circulates in the body like blood”.

' Recorded by al-Nasa’1.

? Recorded by Muslim, on the authority of Abu Darda’ #. > Recorded by Imam Malik in his Muwatta”.

4 Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Therefore, if he had remained in his original form of fire, he would have burnt mankind.

Tha‘labah al-Khashani said: “The Prophet 3 said, ‘Jinn are of three types: One type with wings that fly in the air; one type that are snakes

and scorpions; and another that settles and moves””’.

Jinn prefer places deserted by mankind, and some of them reside in refuse areas, but there are some who live with humans.

The Prophet # used to set out to the desert to call Jinn to Allah, recite the Qur’an for them, and teach them about Islam. This was repeated many times as reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim, quoting the Hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud #.

The Jinn reside in rubbish areas, because they eat the food left over by humans, as was stated in the Hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud, mentioned earlier.

They also reside in dirty premises (toilets, water closets). For it was narrated by Zayd bin Arqam that Prophet 4 once said: “These privies are frequented by the Jinn and devils. So when anyone amongst you goes there, he should say: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from male and female devils”.

' Recorded by al-Tabarani, al-Hakim and al-Baihaqi in ‘Names and Attributes’, with an authentic chain of authorities.

? Recorded by Abu-Dawud, al-Nasa’i, and [bn Méajah, in the book of ‘Purification’, and by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, in his Musnad (4/369)

This Hadith came to my mind when I had a conversation with a Muslim Jinni; I asked him: ‘Do you live in refuse areas?’ he replied: ‘No.’ I then said to him: ‘But it was narrated that you Jinn also reside in refuse areas and toilets.’ He replied: ‘Yes, but that is exclusively for the unbelieving Jinn, because they prefer impure, filthy places’.

Perhaps this is correct, because I have noticed that the unbelieving Jinn do not feel comfortable with pleasant scents and perfume, especially the scent of musk; whereas Muslim Jinn love it just as Muslim humans do.

The Jinn also dwell in caves. It was narrated by al-Nasa’i, on the authority of Qatadah from Abdallah bin Sarjis that the Prophet % prohibited urinating in a hole or a cave. People asked Qatadah: ‘But what is unpleasant about urinating in a cave?’ He replied: ‘It is said that they are the homes of Jinn’.

Do Jinn eat and drink?

It was confirmed in many authentic Ahadith that the Jinn do eat and

Abu Hurayra 4 reported that he was once in the company of the Prophet, carrying a water pot for his ablution and for cleaning his private parts. While he was following him carrying it (i.e. the pot), the Prophet 4% said: ‘Who is it?’ He said: ‘It is Abu Hurayra.’ The Prophet said: ‘Bring me stones in order to clean my private parts, but do not bring any bones or animal! dung.’ Abu Hurayra continued narrating: So I brought some stones, carrying them in the corner of my robe, till I put them by his side and went away. When he had finished, I walked with him and asked: ‘What about bones and animal dung?’ He said: “They are food for the Jinn. The delegate of Jinn of (the city of) Nusaybin came to me — and how nice those Jinn were — and asked me for some remains of human food. I invoked Allah for them that they would never pass by a bone or animal dung without finding food in them.”!

' Recorded by al-Bukhari (7/171 in Fath al-bari).

Abdallah bin ‘Umar reported that the Prophet 38 said: “When any one of you intends to eat, he should eat with his right. hand, and when he intends to drink, he should drink with his right hand; for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.”

Hudhayfah ¢ said: “When we attended a dinner with the Messenger of Allah # we did not lay our hands on the food until he 3 had laid his hand and commenced eating (the food). Once we went with him to a dinner when a maid girl came rushing in as if someone had been pursuing her. She was about to lay her hand on the food, when Allah’s Messenger # caught her hand. Then a desert Arab entered (in a hurry) as if someone had been pursuing him. The Prophet 4 also caught his hand; and then he # said: “Satan considers that food lawful on which Allah’s name is not mentioned. He had brought this girl so that the food might be made lawful for him, but 1 caught her hand. And he had brought a desert Arab so that (the food) might be lawful for him, so I caught his hand. By Him, in Whose Hand is my life, it was Satan’s hand that was in my hand along with her hand.” Muslim added: “Then he said ‘In the Name of Allah’ and ate’.”

Jabir bin Abdullah 2 reported that the Prophet % said: “When a person enters his house and mentions the Name of Allah, at the time of entering it and while eating the food, Satan says (addressing his demon brothers): “You have no place to spend the night and no evening meal”. But when he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says: “You have found a place to spend the night.” When he does not mention the Name of Allah while eating food, he (Satan) says: “You have found a place to spend the night and evening meal”.

Overall, there are three different opinions as to whether the Jinn eat and drink or not:

The first is that no Jinn eat or drink; this opinion is invalid, because it has no proof to support it.

' Recorded by Muslim (13/191 Sharh al-Nawawi) 2 Recorded by Muslim (13/190 Sharh al-Nawawi). ? Recorded by Muslim (13/190 Sharh al-Nawawi).

The second is that there is among them a category that eat and drink, and another one that neither eat nor drink. Those who hold this opinion use as evidence the narration of Ibn Abdil-Barr from Wahb bin Munabbih, who said: ‘There are different types of Jinn:

The pure kind who do not eat or drink or reproduce, and another kind who do all those things, and there are male and female demons”'.

The third is that all of them eat and drink, and this is the most likely of all three opinions. Indeed, it is referred to and supported by the Ahadith previously mentioned.

The Prophet # said, in a long Hadith about the time of Prayer: “The sun rises between the hors of the Devil... and sets between its

Jinn take different shapes and forms

Abu Hurayra said: “The Prophet 3 deputized me to look after the Sadaqah (al-Fitr) of Ramadan. Somebody came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff of the Sadaqah stealthily. I took hold of him and said: ‘By Allah, I will take you to Allah’s Apostle.’ He said: ‘I am needy and have many dependants, and I am in great need.’ I released him. The next day the Prophet 4¢ asked me: ‘What did your prisoner do yesterday?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the person complained of being needy and of having many dependants, so, I pitied him and let him go.’ He 3 said: ‘Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again.’ I believed that he would show up again as the Prophet had told me that he would return, so I waited for him watchfully. When he showed up and started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said: ‘I will definitely take you to the Messenger of

' Recorded by al-Hafid ibn Hajar, in Fath al-bari (6/345). ? Recorded by Muslim.

Allah’. He said: ‘Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependants. I promise I will not come back again.’ I pitied him and let him go. In the morning the Prophet # asked me: ‘What did your prisoner do?’ I replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, he complained of his great need and of having so many dependants, so I took pity on him and set him free.’ The Prophet 38 said: ‘Verily, he told you a lie and he will return.’ I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he came and started stealing handfuls. of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said: ‘I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah, for it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you have broken your promise and come.’ He said: ‘Forgive me and I will teach you some words with which Allah would benefit you.’ I asked: ‘What are they?’ He replied: ‘Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayatul-Kursi (Allahu la ilaha ila huwa-l-Haiy-ul Qaiyyum...) until you finish the whole verse. If you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no demon will come near you till morning.’ So, I released him. In the morning, the Prophet 3 asked: ‘What did your prisoner do yesterday?’ I replied: ‘He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah would benefit me, so | let him go.’ The Prophet asked: ‘What are they?’ I replied: ‘He told me, ‘Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayatul-Kursi from beginning to end (Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-lHaiy-ul-Qaiyyum...) He further said to me: ‘If you do so, Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no demon will come near you till morning.’ Abu Hurayrah or another subnarrator added that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said: ‘He really spoke the truth, although he is a great liar. Do you know to whom you were talking for these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?’ | replied: ‘No.’ He 4 said: ‘It was Satan.” Al-Hadid used this Hadith as a proof that Satan can take different forms and shapes, and it is possible to see him. He also said that the Verse: (He and his tribe see you from where you do not see them)” tefers to when Satan is in his original state. Al-Hadid stated in another place: “Al-Bayhaqi reported, in Managqib al-Shafi‘i, on the authority of ar-Rabi‘ who heard al-Shafi‘i say: ‘We reject the testimony of anyone who claims that he has actually seen a Jinn, unless the person is a prophet”. Al-Hafid said: ‘al-Shafi‘i’s statement concerns those who claim to see Jinn in the shape in which they were created. But those