Explorations of the Jinn Descriptions in Islam

Jinn, also called Genie, Arabic Jinni, in Arabic mythology, a supernatural spirit
below the level of angels and devils. Ghul (treacherous spirits of changing shape),
'ifrit (diabolic, evil spirits), and si'la (treacherous spirits of invariable form)
constitute classes of jinn. Jinn are beings of flame or air who are capable of
assuming human or animal form and are said to dwell in all conceivable
inanimate…

Jinn,Jinni - The Arab singular (whence the French "genie"); fem. Jinniyah; the
Div and Rakshah of old Guebre-land and the "Rakshasa,' or "Yaksha," of
Hinduism. It would be interesting to trace the evident connection, by no means
"accidental," of "Jinn" with the Roman "Genius"

Invisible beings, that constitute a world almost parallel to the human, according
to Islam. The jinns are living with humans, and are a central part of the Muslim
world view. The belief in jinns is orthodox, as they are mentioned several times in
the Holy Koran. Jinns are created out of smokeless flame, while man and angels
are from clay and light. We find the concept of jinns also in pre-Islamic Arabia,
where they constituted the nymphs and satyrs of the desert. In the time of
Muhammad they were revered as a sort of gods. The existence of jinns are fully
accepted in Islam, and relations between man and jinns have been dealt with in
Sharia, covering matters like marriage and inheritance.

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ASHE in Cuban Santiera........"Santerians have five different levels of power in

the Yoruba cosmology: Olodumare , the Orisha, human beings, human
ancestors, and the lowest group (which includes plants, animals, natural entities,
and manufactured items) 7 . They believe in one supreme god, Olodumare (also
known as Olorun ). He is the supreme source of ASHE , the spiritual energy that
makes up the universe, all life, and material objects."

Jinni - The Arab singular (whence the French "genie"); fem. Jinniyah; the Div
and Rakshah of old Guebre-land and the "Rakshasa,' or "Yaksha," of
Hinduism. It would be interesting to trace the evident connection, by no means
"accidental," of "Jinn" with the "Genius" who came to the Romans through the
Asiatic Etruscans, and whose name I cannot derive from "Gignomai" or
"genitus." He was unknown to the Greeks, who had the Daimon, a family which
separated, like the Jinn and the Genius, into two categories, the good (Agatho-
daemons) and the bad (Kako-daemons). We know nothing concerning the Jinn
amongst the pre-Moslemitic or pagan Arabs: the Moslems made him a
supernatural anthropoid being, created of subtle fire (Koran chapts, xv. 27; lv.
14), not of earth like man, propagating his kind, ruled by mighty kings, the last
being Jan bin Jan, missionarised by Prophets and subject to death and
Judgement. From the same root are "Junun" = madness (i.e., possession or
obsession by the Jinn) and "Majnun" = a madman. According to R. Jeremiah
bin Eliazar in Psalm xli. 5, Adam was excommunicated for one hundred and
thirty years during which he begat children in his own image (Gen. v. 3) and
these were Mazikeen or Shedeem - Jinns.....Elsewhere in his translation, Burton
notes that Jann is usually taken as the plural form of Jinni. ......Classes of Jinni
include the Ifrit ("pronounced Aye-frit", fem. Ifritah) and the Marid (fem.
Maridah) who are usually, but not always, hostile to mankind.

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http://www.turcoman.btinternet.co.uk/turcoman-jinni.htm

By Tuygun Shefki......Beings of airy bodies, intelligent, imperceptible, capable of

appearing under different forms and of carrying out heavy labours. They were
created of smokeless flame, while mankind and the angels (the other two classes
of intelligent beings) were created of clay and light.

"The caravan... came at last, at the fall of a certain night, to a column of stone to
which a strange being was chained, one half of whose body was visible and the
other half deeply hidden in the ground. The upper half seemed to be that of
something of monstrous birth imprisoned there by some infernal powers. It was
black and large as the trunk of an old and naked palm-tree; it had two great
black wings and four hands, of which two were like the taloned feet of lions. A
shaggy covering of rude onager-tail hairs moved savagely upon the terrible head,
while under the roofs of the sockets flamed two red eyes, and a third shone
immovable green like that of a tiger or a panther, between the twin horns of the
bull-like brow."

The Thousand and One Nights (Describing a lower class of Jinn called an Ifrit.)

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Belief in the Jinni has been with us for thousands of years. In pre Islamic
Turkish society Jinns were the nymphs and satyrs of the forests and mountains,
similarly jinns were the spirits of the desert for the Arabs. Perhaps - in both
cases - representing the side of nature still unsubdued and hostile to man. It is
said that Jinn will appear to humans in the shape of serpents, dogs, cats, or as
other human beings. If it appears as a human it can be no different from a
normal person or of a gigantic stature. If good, the Jinn will be extremely
handsome or hideously ugly if evil.

Though much is spoken of the Jinn few explanations are actually given on who
or what they are - unless, that is, you do your research. Those of a religious
persuasion will know of the frequent mention of the Jinns in the Holy Koran. In
fact the last Sura of the Koran includes a specific petition for protection from the
Jinns. The early Muslims even treated Jinns as semi-divine, and worshiped them
alongside God (sura 6.100). Generally Jinn are treated as a race parallel, though
inferior, to man. King Solomon was said to have commanded armies of Jinns
through the power of a ring inscribed with God's greatest name.

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It is said that Jinni were the first beings to inhabit earth, two thousand years
before Adam, which is why they are often called ‘preadamites'. The following
condensed account of the preadamite Jinn is given by Al-Quazwini and from
Parker Ryan:-

"It is related in histories that a race of Jinn in ancient times, before the creation
of Adam, inhabited the earth, and covered it, the land and the sea, and the plains
and the mountains; and the favours of God were multiplied upon them, and they
had government, and prophecy, and religion and law; but they transgressed and
offended, and opposed their prophets, and made wickedness to abound in the
earth; whereupon God, whose name be exalted, sent against them an army of
angels, who took possession of the earth, and drove away the Jinn to the regions
of the islands..."

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"In A Dictionary of Islam Jinn are said to have come the Earth ages before man
existed. They were the first of Earth's masters. They built huge cities whose ruins
still stand in forgotten places. Aeons later many Jinn were forced to flee Earth
while others were imprisoned. Still others roam desolate places to this day. The
Jinn are said to be invisible to normal men. They are, however able to interbreed
with humans but the human parent may suffer when the dark offspring is born
(The Jinn will, according to legend survive mankind (the last of Earth's
masters?)"

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Parker Ryan, "The Necronomicon and Ancient Arab Magick"

Jinns are still ever present especially in the conscious of rural communities, who
will warn visitors on certain things when venturing into the countryside. For
example; if disposing of water onto the ground or drawing water from a well,
especially at night, it is recommended practice to say a ‘Bismilahirahmanirahim'
[In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!] before performing the
function (this even applies to ‘passing water' in an outdoor latrine). The same
applies to small cave openings or dry wells, near which people are strongly
advised not to use any offensive language. In Arabia they will say ‘Izn ya
Mubarakun! ‘Permission, ye blessed' to warn the Jinn of their coming and seek
permission. To ignore the existence of the Jinn, and risk offending them, could
result in being ‘struck' [carpilmak] by having a limb or a joint thrown out of
place. According to belief if one is ‘struck' then an elder with knowledge of the
appropriate prayers must be brought in to correct the infliction.

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According to tradition the species of Jinn consists of five orders;

Jann (who are the weakest of all)

Jinn (Jinn are evolved Jann like apes are believed to have evolved into man)

Sheytans (or demons)

Ifrits another powerful evil Jinni (in Egyptian popular belief a man who dies a
violent death becomes an Ifrit and haunts the place of his death)

Marids. The most powerful class of all.

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The terms Jinn and Jann are often used without differentiation to represent the
whole species, although Jinn is the most commonly used. Also, Sheytan is
commonly used to signify any evil Jinni (and often confused with the Devil or
Seytan)

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Jinns, notably evil ones, are called Dev by the Persians, and the most powerful
referred to as Narahs (which signifies males though there are said to be females
too). The good Jinni are the Piri (or Peri in Turkish) which is usually applied to
the female. There are lower orders of Jinn, one of which is called Gul or Ghul
(from which the English word Ghoul is derived). These are regarded as a kind of
female Sheytan or evil Jinni (the male is called Qutrub). Guls are said to be
solitary demonic creatures resembling both man and animal; they inhabit
cemeteries where they feed on the dead, or lay in wait for a traveller to pass
where from they entice and trick him by changing their shape (shape-shifting) to
resemble another traveller, and lead him from his course till lost.

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Another demonic creature described by most authors is the Si'la which is said to
inhabit forests, and "..when it captures a man, it makes him dance, and plays
with him as the cat plays with a mouse". The Gaddar is another evil creature
which preys on men, enticing him to it then capturing and torturing him or
terrifying him into madness. The Dalhan is the demon Jinn of the small islands of
the sea, from where it will hunt down survivors from wrecked ships. It is said to
have a terrifying scream which incapacitates men before it feeds on their flesh.

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According to popular belief the kingdom of the Jinn is in the mountains of Qaf,
which are supposed to encompass the whole of our planet. They are also said to
be in the core of the earth and in the sky. As their individual places of abode they
choose baths (this is why women using Turkish baths wore high wooden clogs to
avoid the molestation of Jinns), wells, latrines (hence the warnings when visiting
the latrine), ovens, ruined houses, market-places, the junctions of roads (demons
at road junctions are a very wide belief indeed, extending as far as Europe and
the Far East), the sea and rivers.

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Jinns formerly had liberty to enter any of the seven heavens till the birth of
Jesus, when they were excluded from three of them. On the birth of Mohammed,
they were forbidden from the remaining four. But they continue to ascend to the
outer limits of the lowest heaven, and there listen to the angels speak about Gods
decrees, and about the future which they sometimes impart to men (magicians,
diviners and soothsayers), who through magical seances, talismans and secret
invocations summon the Jinni to share their secret knowledge.

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The most remarkable aspect of the Jinni are their ability to change form at will,
shape-shifting. This is reputedly the only time man can see Jinns, if the Jinn take
on a form known to man. However the Jinn takes great risks when taking a
physical form (animal, human or other) because it then becomes governed by the
laws of nature which dictate to that form ie if shot like a man or animal it will
die, likewise if it took the form of a fish and was removed from the sea it would
suffocate and die. Therefore when a Jinn takes its new form it will remain so only
for a very short time, for he knows that if he is recognised he can be killed like
any other creature of the earth. It should also be remembered that the fire of
which the Jinn is created circulates in his veins in place of blood; therefore when
a Jinn is fatally wounded, this fire, issuing from his veins, will consume him to
ashes leaving no recognisable evidence.

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Traditional defenses against the Jinni.......Jinns fear iron and steel so some people
wear steel rings or put steel daggers or knives where the protection from Jinns
are needed. Iron is similarly used. Salt is another means of protection since Jinns
hate it. Koranic or other sacred verses, the names of God, magic squares
(Muska) or a group of magical signs called ‘the seven seals' are commonly worn
by people or attached to property.

Creating a Djinn Talisman

To create a talisman by which a Djinn can be controlled, The magi or sahir must have
a personal connection to the Djinn, by knowing it's name, having a personal item, or
something from their person, like a strand of hair. The item must also be tailored to
the Djinn's tribe.

Each tribe has a particular form of vis and with which it is associated, as well as
specific type of material. In addition to the amount of vis as determined by the
Materials and size table, at least 1 pawn per 5 levels of power of the targeted Djinn
must also be added to bind that particular Djinn(this amount is not affected by size or
material of the talisman). The associated vis must be used for both preparation and
binding. The power of the vis is not added to the lab total unless it is greater than the
power of the Djinn. Any bonus from vis above the amount needed for preparation and
binding may be added to the lab total.

Other factors are equally important. The purest example of the associated material
should be used as well. The form of the talisman should match the nature of the
particular Djinn. More common talismans include lamps, rings, bags, and scabbards.
The talisman must be in a form that can contain something, however. The use of the
containment effect is constant (+5), restricted to affecting a specific being (+3), and
the item must maintain concentration (+5). The base level of the effect of the talisman
is 5 higher than the Djinn it will contain, plus the modification listed above.
Remember the greater the power of the talisman in containing the Djinn, the greater
the ability one will have in controlling it. For every 5 levels of power the talisman is
compared to it's target, the wielder/creator of the talisman gets +1 to besting the Djinn
in the contests of wills.

Remember the greater the power of the talisman in containing the Djinn, the greater
the ability one will have in controlling it. For every 5 levels of power the talisman is
compared to it's target, the wielder/creator of the talisman gets +1 to besting the Djinn
in the contests of wills.

Cat's Eye +6 (Corporem) when binding Ghul

Agate +6 (Auram) when binding Jinn
Jade +6 (Aquam ) when binding the Marid
Emerald +8 (serpents) when binding the Shaitan
Obsidian +4 (Terram) when binding Jann
Ruby +6 (Ignem) when binding Ifrit
Copper +3 when binding/summoning Jinn, Jann, or Marid*
Iron +3 when binding/summoning Ifrit, Shaitan, Ghul, or Marid*
Table: Materials and their association with the Djinn, and effects in the lab

Jinn Auram
Jann Terram
Marid Aquam
Ifrit Ignem
Shaitan Auram
Ghul Corporem
Table: Tribes and associated vis

Binding A Djinn

Djinn can be bound to a talisman, and the person who carries that talisman may have
the Djinn do his/her bidding for as long as they have it. However, there is always one
request that, if asked, will release the Djinn from its service and allow it to kill the one
who has asked it. Needless to say, Djinn do not share this information willingly,
though some who have discovered a Djinn's special request have used it for their own
ends to eliminate less knowledgeable opponents.

To bind a Djinn, one must know their name, and have a part of their person to be used
in the making of the talisman. Many legends exist telling of games of riddles between
Sahir and Djinn, with both trying to guess the other's name. Such games are often long
and dangerous, with the stakes being enslavement or death for either party. The proper
material must be used, depending on the tribe of Djinn to which the target belongs
(see below). The Form and Effects table in the 3 ed. rules also is applicable here,
especially the container, staff, and the proper gem that relates to a particular element
(earth, air, fire, water).

Once the talisman is completed, the sahir must find or summon the particular Djinni,
and best it in some form of competition. The Djinn must join in the match, but the
type of competition must be agreed upon by both parties. The length of servitude
depends on how well the sahir or magus bested the Djinni, though this only provides
the new master with an approximate time in which the Djinni may be held in
servitude. If barely defeated, the Djinni may serve for one task. If defeated by 3 or
more, it will serve for perhaps a month. 6+ it may serve a year. 9+ and the Djinni may
serve the talisman for 5 years or more. Greater than this, the time is the Storyguide's
discretion. Djinn do not grant wishes greater than their own magic can provide, but
they will follow commands. For example, if a Djinni was asked to make someone
rich, he could create the illusion of riches for the duration of his servitude, or give
actual gold he has acquired, either from his own treasure or taken from another.

Once bound, the master now has two options, depending on the type of talisman and
service he/she needs. The master may keep the Djinni near, by providing it a place to
stay inside the talisman. This is dangerous, for the Djinni is bound to the talisman, and
not to the Sahir. The owner of the talisman controls the Djinni. The other option is to
be able to summon the Djinni for a set amount of time, or for a particular service.
Here, it is possible to use the talisman as a summoning device, for a limited purpose
or number of times, to do the bidding of the wielder.

Once bound, any Djinni will try to regain control over it's own destiny. When
possessing a talisman, the owner is mystically linked to the Djinni as well. The Djinni
may try to end his servitude three times, by engaging a master in the same contest that
the Djinni lost originally. The master does not have to accept the challenge, but must
make a stress roll 9+ with his/her Presence vs the Presence of the subdued Djinni to
resist (stress + own Prs - Djinni's Prs = 9+). If a Djinni bests his master in the contest,
its power is broken. It may never be used to bind him again.
Djinn have long memories, and never forget a kindness or an injustice. If the Djinni
was treated fairly and graciously by the master, it is possible that no hard feelings
would result. If a Djinni is freed before it's service is done, it my even reward it's
liberator well. However, if mistreated or made to abuse it's power, the master should
be ready to face an angry Djinni when the service is completed. Needless to say, Ifrit,
Shaitan, and Ghul tribes take revenge much more frequently. Also, it is very bad
manners to bind a Djinni who is under your protection and hospitality. Remember as a
Storyguide to take such treatment and behavior into consideration when determining
how long and how well a Djinni will serve a master.