Part 8

Then you spray a bit of the water in every comer of the house, and the Jinn would then leave the house, by the Will of Allah 4¢'.

Now you have the cure right in front of you; therefore, you only need to intend sincerly when you start making du‘a (supplication) and seek help from Allah, the Lord of the Heavens and Earth. Beware! Do not leave this true guidance and go to consult the sorcerers and their. misguidance; they will subject you to more hardship and tribulations. We ask Allah 8 to keep us always seeking help and relying on Him alone.

Jinn are less dignified than mankind

Shaikh Abu Bakr al-Jaza’iri says: “The Jinn, even the righteous among them, are less dignified in Allah’s sight than humans. Allah 3 has confirmed the dignity and honour of mankind when He 4% said: (We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them the sustenance things, good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of Our Creation)*. Such honour was not mentioned for the Jinn, either in any of the Holy Books of Allah, or in the sayings of any of His Prophets. Therefore, it is clear that humans are more dignified than Jinn, and this is confirmed by the fact that the Jinn themselves feel a sense of inferiority before the humans. So whenever humans seek refuge in

' al-wabil al-sayib 86. ? Surat Bani Isra’il, verse 70.

them and request their help, they feel both exalted and presumptuous — a state which is not common in their lives — so they serve the humans and increase them (humans) in wickedness. Allah 4% said: (Certain men from among mankind used to seek refuge with certain men from among the Jinn, but they increased them in wickedness). They feel weakness and baseness before a human believer who believes in Allah # and His Messenger, and is faithful in his worship to the Oneness of Allah 38. As for the person who does none of these, the righteous Jinn are better than him/her, and are more dignified than all the disbelievers of mankind”*.

Do Jinn harm mankind?

Shaikh Abu Bakr Al-Jaza’iri said: “The harm done by Jinn to humans is confirmed and cannot be denied. It has been proved by both heard and tangible evidence, and it is also acceptable to the rational mind. If it were not for the angels that Allah 3 has assigned to preserve mankind, none of the Jinn and demons would have survived, because humans cannot see them, and they have the ability to transform quickly. Therefore, there is no doubt that some Jinn harm people for different reasons, such as when a person harmis them first by pouring hot water on them or urinating on them or jumping to their places without being aware of it, so they would avenge themselves and harm hinvher.

Sometimes, Jinn harm people unjustly without any reason, as also happens among mankind themselves, they inflict pain among themselves out of tyranny, because of their corrupt nature and weak faith.

The young Ansari, in the previously mentioned authentic, Hadith killed the snake, which was actually a demon that transformed as soon as the snake died. The demon in that incident avenged the snake and killed the young Ansari 2, who died so quickly that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri 4 said: “It was not known who died first: the snake or the young man”.

3 'Agidat al-mu'min (The Creed of the Believer) (228).

Because this fact is so well-known and widely accepted, we do not need to add further evidence to support it. The incident of the young Ansari, mentioned in the Sahih book of Muslim, will suffice. But I will relate another real life incident which my family and I witnessed and endured: I had a sister named Sa‘diyya. When we were very young, we used to climb a rope up to the top of the house. One day Sa‘diyya fell from the top and landed apparently, top of some Jinn. Her landing might have hurt the Jinn badly, so he decided to avenge himself upon her. He used to come to her three to four times a week — sometimes more — and suffocate her. She would struggle with her feet, like a slaughtered sheep, yet he would only leave her when she was nearly dead. He once spoke through her, admitting that he was punishing her because of thie harm she had done to him on such a day, and in such a place. He kept on possessing her and torturing her during her sleep until he killed her, after ten years of unbearable torture. May Allah forgive her and bless her with His Mercy, Amin. This is an incident that I lived through and witnessed myself. The one who witnesses something is not the same as someone who only heard about it!’

' ‘Agidat al-mu’min (The Creed of the Believer) (230).

Chapter Two: Possession (by Jinn) its fact and treatment

Definition of Sar’ (possession by Jinn)

It is a form of mental disorder that occurs in a person, whereby he/she is not aware of what he/she says; he/she becomes unable to link what he/she has said and what he/she is about to say. He/she would suffer loss of memory as a result of the mental disturbance, which would affect on his/her movements and behaviour. He/she would completely lose the balance in his/her body.

Among the signs of the Sar’ (the possession by Jinn) is insanity, displayed in expressions, the actions and the thinking!.

The definition of Sar’ by Al-Hafid bin Hajar

This is an illness which partially prevents the principal organs from reacting, because of a ‘thick ait’ stuck in the passageways of the brain, or a harmful ‘smoke’ which rises up from other parts of the body; it might be followed by a cramp, making the person losing control of his/her body. Sar’ can also come from Jinn, from the vicious ones among them (they possess humans); they would either want to adopt’ the feature of a particular human or because they simply want to harm him/her.

The first (definition) is the one confirmed by doctors who provide its cure, and the second is the one which is argued (and denied) by many of them, yet approved by some. Its only cure is resistance by higher, good spirits who overcome the effects of the lowest evil spirits, thwarting their actions”.

' See “The World of Jinn according to the Qur’an and Sunnah” 252. ? Fath al-Bari (10/114).

Proofs of confirmation of Sar’

The existence of Sar’ (by Jinn) was confirmed by both Nag/ (texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah) and by ‘Aq/ (intellect); it is a real fact that is doubted only by the obstinate or stubborn.

First: Proof from the Quran

Allah 4 said: {Those who practice usury (Riba) will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch)'.

Al-Imam Al-Qurtubi said: “There is evidence, in this verse, about the wrongness of whoever denies Sar’ (possession of humans) by Jinn, or disapprove of Satan’s touch on some people from mankind”.

Al-Imam Attabari said, in the interpretation of this Verse: “Allah 3% informed us that those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves on the Day of Judgment except like someone driven mad by Satan’s

touchi.e. Jinn’s possession’.

Al-Hafid bin Kathir Said: “He (8) informs us about the day when they will arise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, saying: (Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection), except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan, leading him to insanity) meaning: they cannot rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, except as one whom Satan has driven to madness”.

Al-Alusi said: “Those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves, on the Day of Judgment, except like the one was driven mad by Satan’s touch in this world.”

Second: Proof from Sunnah

(1). Matar ibn Abdurahman al-A‘naq said: “Umm Abaan bint al-Wazi’ bin Zari’ ibn ‘Amir al-‘Abdi narrated from her father, that her

' Surat al-Baqarah, verse 275. 2 Tafsir al-Qurtubi (3/355).

> Tafsir al-Tabari (3/101).

‘ Tafsir Yon Kathir (1/326).

grandfather once went to the Prophet 4¢ with his son — or the son of his sister — who was “Possessed by Jinn”; the grandfather said: ‘When we reached the Messenger of Allah in Al-Madinah, I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I brought with me my son — or son of my sister ~ who is possessed by the devil, so you can make a supplication for him.’ The Prophet # said: ‘Bring him to me’. So I went back to the convoy where Thad left him, untied him, dressed him with new clothes, and brought him to the Prophet 4. He said: ‘Bring him down so I can have access to his back.’ When he 3% got hold of him, he 3 started striking him on his back, yelling: ‘Get out, enemy of Allah; get out, enemy of Allah.’ Suddenly, the boy started to look well — a look which was different from the previous one — then the Prophet 3 seated him near him, made a supplication for him, and wiped his face. After the supplication of the Prophet 4%, no one in the convoy was preferred more than him”.

Al-Haithami said: It was narrated by al-Tabarani, but Matar never narrated from Umm Abaan.'

I (the author) say: “Al-Hafid mentioned about Umm Abaan as ‘acceptable’, and al-Bukhari had transmitted her narrations, so she had passed the standard of authenticity.

We can derive from this Hadith certain issues: - That the devil can possess a person to a state of madness.

- That Sar’ (possession by the devil} can be healed by striking the sick person with authority from the Sunna.

- That the devil had entered inside the boy and taken over his body; and this is clear from the Prophet’s saying: “Get out, enemy of Allah” (An exit was certainly preceded by an entrance).

(2). Ya‘la ibn Murrah said: “I have seen three things from the Prophet 48, that no one has seen before me or will see after me: We set out on a journey, and on our way, we met a woman sitting on the ground with her son. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is a boy who is stricken

' Mujma’ al-zawaid (9/3). * Tagrib al-tahdhib (2/619).

by an illness, which harms him and both of us; he gets possessed many times during the day.’ He 3 said: ‘Bring him to me.’ She handed him to the Prophet 3 and placed him between him and his mount. He 3 spat three times deep in the boy’s mouth, saying: ‘Bismillah (In the Name of Allah) ana ‘Abdullah (i am a servant of Allah), ikhsa’ ‘Aduwullah (I chase you away, enemy of Allah).’ Then he 4 handed him back to her, and said: ‘Meet us on our way back, in this place, and tell me about his condition.’