Out of the Bottle
“Earth herself is also formed in seven layers, which rest upon the shoulders of an exceedingly powerful Jinni. This Jinni stands upon a rock and the rock upon the back of a bull; the bull is held up by an enormous fish, and the fish swims in the Sea of Eternity.” -One Thousand and One Nights
The Djinn first came to light in folkloric legends told by storytellers from the pre-Islamic regions of Persia and Arabia, and became known throughout the world when they appeared in the tales of “The Thousand and One Nights”. It is said that the Djinn were created 2,000 years before the creation of man, making them the first inhabitants of this Earth. According to the Qur’an, man was created from clay, angels were created from light, and the Djinn were created from smokeless fire or from the pure flame of fire, but only man and the Djinn were given free will. In one of the legends, God ordered the angels and the Djinn to bow down to his newest creation, mankind. Iblis, the king and father of the Djinn, refused to do so as he believed that a being made of earth was inferior to a being of pure fire. Because of his pride, God cast him out of heaven along with all of the Djinn, however, they were permitted to live amongst their ruined cities and forgotten places, invisible to us. Most Djinn are like humans, they are both male and female (called Djinniyah), they have families, clans, tribes, classes, and can even choose their own faith. They are able to comprehend both good and evil and although they are not immortal, they live much longer than us. In Moslem lore, the Djinn will also be judged for their actions come Judgement Day.
The Djinn live in a parallel world to ours and are invisible to us. According to the The Thousand and One Nights they live in a place called Qaf, which “lies all along a marvelous rock of emerald, whose reflection gives their color to the skies”. These unseen elemental beings can take on many forms and can be of any size; and can appear to humans at will. They dwell in wells and sewers, among ruins and caves, between stones and trees, and roam the desert sands, they live between the light and the shadows. It is believed that every human has been assigned with their own Djinni called a “Qareen”, which literally means “constant companion” and must be guided by us, otherwise they will turn into a “Shaytan”, a rebellious and malevolent Djinni.
“Djinn” by Artemis Kolakis
Djinn were able to enter the seven heavens freely, but the birth of Jesus banished them from three of the heavens, once Mohammed was born, they were cast out from the remaining four. Their continued ascendance into the lower heaven has allowed them to secretively observe the angels speak of the future foretold by the Gods, giving magicians and diviners the opportunity to learn from their knowledge. Great magicians like King Solomon have the ability to conjure the Djinn and use them in magical workings, though, some are very difficult to manipulate. In a later chapter, I will talk about the subject of enslaving them, a practice I do not agree with. A relationship or companionship with a Djinni should be a mutual one, any agreements made during this relationship must be kept, otherwise, the one who breaks it will end up regretting it. Be careful and be aware that some Djinn are unpredictable, even if inadvertently a Djinni feels deceived or betrayed, it won’t hesitate to seek revenge. The Djinn have a vast amount of knowledge and they are the whispers of things that have been, the things that are and the things to come. In pre-Islamic Turkey, Djinns were the nymphs and satyrs of the forests and mountains. There are only three types of Djinn are cited in the Qur’an: The Djinn (sing. Djinni); the Afarit (sing. Ifrit, fem. Ifritah) an evil fierce winged creature of fire, born of the blood of a murder victim who inhabit the grounds below and frequent desolate and devastated areas; and the Marids (sing. Marid, fem. Maridah) a very powerful Djinn which their sanctuary is found in the seas and the oceans. Along these, other types like the Ghilan (sing. Ghul), who are shape-shifting dæmons that inhabit burial grounds and uninhabited places, and from which the English word Ghoul is derived; the Nasnas a “half a human being; having half a head, half a body, one arm, one leg, with which it hops with much agility”, the Shaytans, and the Auns, are mentioned in the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. As well as the Si'la, the smartest of the Djinn; the Shiqq, half-formed creatures; and the Jann, the whirlwinds of the deserts, the lowest class and the weakest of them all. NOTE: This is the first in the series of many posts on the subject of the Djinn. Each one of these posts will be based on personal experiences and practices as I delve deeper into their world.
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Sources:
The Noble Qur’an 72:8-9
The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Facts On File, 2009
Medieval Islamic Civilization By Josef W. Meri, Routledge, 2006
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night
The World of the Jinn and Devils by Dr. Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar, Al-Basheer Publications & Translations, 1998
