Written by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (May Allah Protect Him)
[Majmu' al-Fatawa 9/19, 10]
The reality of jinn is well-established in the Quran, Sunnah, and consensus of the Ummah. Jinn are created from smokeless flames of fire. Just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as a messenger to mankind, he was also sent as a messenger to the jinn. Among the jinn, there are both good and bad individuals. Those jinn who have an evil nature strive to mislead humans through various whispers and thoughts. In such situations, humans should seek refuge in Allah and seek His protection.
In society, it is commonly observed that young women often complain about the presence of jinn. Frequently, the reality is that when parents do not agree to a girl’s desired marriage, she starts complaining of being possessed by jinn, and the parents, worried, turn to exorcists. These exorcists come, touch the young woman, and take money from the family. This business is thriving, and many of those who claim to remove jinn are merely after wealth and women. They perform various tricks to achieve their goals. Once the woman’s marriage is arranged as she wishes, the issue of the jinn disappears.
There are some narrations that explicitly mention the entry of jinn into the human body. For example, a narration from Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) states:
"I went on a journey with the Prophet (peace be upon him). He would not relieve himself until he disappeared from sight. We arrived at a barren land without any trees or mountains. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘O Jabir! Pour water into your vessel and come with me.’ We proceeded until we could no longer be seen. Then we came across two trees with a distance of four arm-lengths between them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘O Jabir! Go to this tree and tell it, "The Messenger of Allah commands you to join with your companion."’ Jabir said: ‘I told it, and the tree moved towards the other.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) sat behind them to relieve himself, and then the trees returned to their places. We mounted our rides again, and suddenly, a woman approached with a child in her arms, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah! My son is seized by the devil three times a day.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) took the child, placed him between himself and the saddle, and said, ‘O enemy of Allah, leave this child, for I am the Messenger of Allah.’ He repeated this thrice. Then, he handed the child back to the mother. When we completed our journey, the woman met us again, accompanied by two rams. She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, please accept this gift. By the One Who sent you with the truth, the devil never returned to my son.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Take one ram and return the other to her.’"
[Darimi 167/1, 168; Ibn Abi Shaybah 490/11, 492; 11803; Al-Tamhid 223/1, 224; Dalail al-Nubuwwah by Abu Nu'aym 282; ‘Abd bin Humayd 1052]
However, in the chain of this narration, there is Ismail bin Abdul Malik, who has been deemed weak by Imam Abu Hatim, Imam Nasa’i, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Abu Dawood, Imam Muhammad bin ‘Ammar, Imam ‘Aqili, Imam Dulaabi, Imam Abu al-‘Arab al-Qayrawani, and Imam Ibn Shahin (may Allah have mercy on them).
[Tahdhib al-Kamal 142/3, 143]
Another long narration from Ya’la bin Murrah al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions a woman bringing a child possessed by jinn to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) grabbing the child’s nose and commanding the jinn to leave.
However, the chain of this narration includes ‘Ata bin al-Sa’ib, who experienced confusion in his later years, and ‘Abdullah bin Hafs, an unknown narrator.
[Tahdhib al-Kamal 91/20]
Regarding possession, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:
“The entry of jinn into the bodies of humans is affirmed by the consensus of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah.”
[Majmu' al-Fatawa 24/276]
Furthermore, Allah says in the Quran:
"Those who devour usury will not stand except as one whom the devil has driven to madness by touch."
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said:
"The devil circulates in the human body like blood."
[Bukhari 3281; Muslim 2175]
For further details, see "The Reality of Magic" by Ghazi ‘Aziz Mubarakpuri (May Allah protect him).
"Say: My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils, and I seek refuge in You from their presence."
[Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:97-98]
After obligatory prayers, the morning and evening supplications, and when entering the bathroom, recite:
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the male and female devils.”
If a person continues to recite these supplications, Allah will grant them healing, and they should avoid resorting to non-Shariah-compliant practices like seeking help from fraudulent exorcists.
May Allah protect us from every satanic trick and evil act. (Ameen!)
Question:
Is there a reality to the existence of jinn? Please explain the legal standing of treatment for magic and the expulsion of jinn.Answer:
The existence of jinn is known from the repeated news of the prophets (peace be upon them), and it is also known that they are living, intelligent beings, capable of acting by their will. They are commanded to do good and forbidden from evil. There is no specific shape or size assigned to them, as some atheists claim. Since the existence of jinn is continuously reported by the prophets, both common people and scholars are aware of this, and it is impossible for any group that claims to follow the messengers to deny their existence.[Majmu' al-Fatawa 9/19, 10]
The reality of jinn is well-established in the Quran, Sunnah, and consensus of the Ummah. Jinn are created from smokeless flames of fire. Just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as a messenger to mankind, he was also sent as a messenger to the jinn. Among the jinn, there are both good and bad individuals. Those jinn who have an evil nature strive to mislead humans through various whispers and thoughts. In such situations, humans should seek refuge in Allah and seek His protection.
In society, it is commonly observed that young women often complain about the presence of jinn. Frequently, the reality is that when parents do not agree to a girl’s desired marriage, she starts complaining of being possessed by jinn, and the parents, worried, turn to exorcists. These exorcists come, touch the young woman, and take money from the family. This business is thriving, and many of those who claim to remove jinn are merely after wealth and women. They perform various tricks to achieve their goals. Once the woman’s marriage is arranged as she wishes, the issue of the jinn disappears.
There are some narrations that explicitly mention the entry of jinn into the human body. For example, a narration from Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) states:
"I went on a journey with the Prophet (peace be upon him). He would not relieve himself until he disappeared from sight. We arrived at a barren land without any trees or mountains. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘O Jabir! Pour water into your vessel and come with me.’ We proceeded until we could no longer be seen. Then we came across two trees with a distance of four arm-lengths between them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘O Jabir! Go to this tree and tell it, "The Messenger of Allah commands you to join with your companion."’ Jabir said: ‘I told it, and the tree moved towards the other.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) sat behind them to relieve himself, and then the trees returned to their places. We mounted our rides again, and suddenly, a woman approached with a child in her arms, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah! My son is seized by the devil three times a day.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) took the child, placed him between himself and the saddle, and said, ‘O enemy of Allah, leave this child, for I am the Messenger of Allah.’ He repeated this thrice. Then, he handed the child back to the mother. When we completed our journey, the woman met us again, accompanied by two rams. She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, please accept this gift. By the One Who sent you with the truth, the devil never returned to my son.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Take one ram and return the other to her.’"
[Darimi 167/1, 168; Ibn Abi Shaybah 490/11, 492; 11803; Al-Tamhid 223/1, 224; Dalail al-Nubuwwah by Abu Nu'aym 282; ‘Abd bin Humayd 1052]
However, in the chain of this narration, there is Ismail bin Abdul Malik, who has been deemed weak by Imam Abu Hatim, Imam Nasa’i, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Abu Dawood, Imam Muhammad bin ‘Ammar, Imam ‘Aqili, Imam Dulaabi, Imam Abu al-‘Arab al-Qayrawani, and Imam Ibn Shahin (may Allah have mercy on them).
[Tahdhib al-Kamal 142/3, 143]
Another long narration from Ya’la bin Murrah al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions a woman bringing a child possessed by jinn to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) grabbing the child’s nose and commanding the jinn to leave.
However, the chain of this narration includes ‘Ata bin al-Sa’ib, who experienced confusion in his later years, and ‘Abdullah bin Hafs, an unknown narrator.
[Tahdhib al-Kamal 91/20]
Regarding possession, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:
“The entry of jinn into the bodies of humans is affirmed by the consensus of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah.”
[Majmu' al-Fatawa 24/276]
Furthermore, Allah says in the Quran:
"Those who devour usury will not stand except as one whom the devil has driven to madness by touch."
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said:
"The devil circulates in the human body like blood."
[Bukhari 3281; Muslim 2175]
For further details, see "The Reality of Magic" by Ghazi ‘Aziz Mubarakpuri (May Allah protect him).
The Proper Treatment for Possession and Magic:
If a person suffers from satanic whispers or possession, they should follow the Islamic method of treatment, place firm belief in Allah, rely on Him, and sincerely supplicate to Him. Additionally, they should seek refuge in Allah, as instructed by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah commands in the Quran:"Say: My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils, and I seek refuge in You from their presence."
[Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:97-98]
After obligatory prayers, the morning and evening supplications, and when entering the bathroom, recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the male and female devils.”
If a person continues to recite these supplications, Allah will grant them healing, and they should avoid resorting to non-Shariah-compliant practices like seeking help from fraudulent exorcists.
May Allah protect us from every satanic trick and evil act. (Ameen!)