Characteristics of Jinn

18-3-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

I want to know about Jinns. Where they live, how they live, their life style, their bodily structure, their power/strength, what they eat, how they born everything. Will you please inform me about them?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We cannot mention everything about the Jinn in this Fatwa. However, we would highlight briefly the points you asked about. Jinn are subject to the Commands of Allah the same as human beings. Therefore, some of them are disbelievers, some of them are dissolute, and others are believers.

For more details you may refer to the books written on this subject. For example, you may read the book ‘Aalim al-Jinn wash-Shayaateen” (The world of Jinn and Devils) written by Dr. Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar. We use this book as a basis for the following Fatwa.

1) Residence of Jinn: they live in the same earth where we live but they live mainly in deserts, ruins and impure places such as toilets, garbage dumps, and graveyards. They also exist in abundance in markets.

They also live in the same house where human beings live. But whenever Allah's Name is mentioned, or Allah is Glorified, or the Quran is recited, especially Soorah Al-Baqarah, they flee away from that place.

2) Their food, drinks and life-style: Jinn eat and drink as proved in the Sunnah that the Prophet said that every bone on which Allah's Name was mentioned would be full of meat for Muslim Jinn, and dung of animals becomes feed for their cattle. For this reason, the Prophet prohibited using bones and animal dung to clean oneself. The Prophet said: “Do not cleanse yourself with bone or dung because they are the sustenance of your brothers from amongst the Jinn.” [At-Tirmithi and others]

The devil eats and drinks with his left hand.

Jinn also marry, propagate, and die as reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhari that Prophet used to say: “I seek refuge (with you) by your 'Izzat' (Might), None has the right to be worshipped but You Who does not die while Jinn and human beings die.” [Al-Bukhari]

Satan has a very ugly face. Allah made the fruits of the tree of 'Zaqqoom' that springs at the bottom of Hellfire, similar to the heads of the devils. Allah makes them similar to the heads of devils because all human beings have fixed in their minds a very bad and ugly figure of devils (the evil Jinns).

Allah made the Jinn able to adopt new forms or shapes as He granted them speed in movement and motion. An ‘Ifrit’ (strong) from Jinn promised Sulayman that he would bring the throne of the Princess of Yemen to Jerusalem in less than the period of time of one standing from his sitting. Allah Says (what means): {A powerful one from among the jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.”} [Quran 27:39]

Satan also can adopt the shape of a human being and an animal, especially the shape of a black dog.

Allah says that the plot of Satan is very weak. Allah Says (what means): {Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.} [Quran 4:76] Besides, he does not have any authority over His believing slaves. Satan's power is only over those who obey and follow him, and those who join partners with Allah. It is proved in a Hadeeth that Satan used to flee from ‘Umar ; he did not walk in a street but that Satan moved in another one.

On the other hand, he is so weak that he cannot even open a closed door if the Name of Allah is mentioned upon it as narrated by Imams Ahmad and Abu Daawood with a sound chain of narrators.

Allah knows best.