arisen concerning the matter of jinn entering human bodies. Some say that this is
rationally impossible, because of the difference in the essences from which they were
created, as man was created from clay and the jinn from fire. It has also been said that
the shayaateen (devils) have no power other than waswaas (insinuating whispers) and that
Allaah has not given them any power over man. And it is said that the recorded tapes that
are in circulation (recordings of jinn supposedly speaking through people) are no proof of
anything. What is your response to all this?
Praise be to Allaah.
The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven in
the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and by real-life events. No one disputes this apart from the
Mu’tazilah who give priority to their own rational analysis over the evidence of the
Qur’aan and Sunnah. We will mention a little about this below:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the
Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan)
leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like
Ribaa’…” [al-Baqarah 2:275]
Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (part 3, p. 355): “This aayah is
proof that those people are wrong who deny that epilepsy is caused by the jinn and claim
that its causes are only physical, and that the Shaytaan does not enter people or cause
madness.”
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (part 1, p. 32), after mentioning the
aayah quoted above: “They will not rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection
except like the way in which the epileptic rises during his seizure, when he is beaten by
the Shaytaan. This is because they will rise in a very bad state. Ibn ‘Abbaas said:
the one who consumes ribaa will rise on the Day of Resurrection crazy and choking.”
According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Nasaa’i from
Abu’l-Yusr, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray:
“Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min al-taraddi wa’l-haram
wa’l-gharaq wa’l-harq, wa a’oodhu bika an yatakhabatani al-shaytaan
‘ind al-mawt ( O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from being thrown from a high
place, old age, drowning and burning; and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the
Shaytaan at the time of death).” Commenting on this hadeeth in Al-Fayd (part
2, p.148), al-Manaawi said: “[The phrase] ‘and I seek refuge with You from being
beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death’ means, lest he should wrestle with me
and play with me, and damage my religious commitment or mental state (at the time of
death) by means of his insinuating whispers which cause people to slip or lose their
minds. The Shaytaan could take control of a person when he is about to depart this world,
and misguide him or stop him from repenting…”
Ibn Taymiyah (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 42/276) said: “The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven by the consensus
of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Those
who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like
the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is
because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa’…’ [al-Baqarah 2:275].
And in as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: ‘The Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam as the blood flows
through his veins.’”
‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; “I said to my
father, ‘There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of the
epileptic.’ He said: ‘O my son, they are lying; the jinn could speak through
this person.’” Commenting on this, Ibn Qudaamah said: “What he said is well
known, because a person may suffer an epileptic seizure and speak in a language that no
one understands, and his body may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the
epileptic does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is saying. The
epileptic and others may be dragged about, or the carpet on which he is sitting may be
pulled, and utensils may be moved about from place to place, and other things may happen.
Anyone who witnesses such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking through
the person and moving these things is not human.” And he said, may Allaah have mercy
on him: “There is no one among the imaams of the Muslims who denies that jinn may
enter the body of the epileptic and others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam
denies it is lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of sharee’ah to show
that it does not happen.”
So the fact that jinn may enter human bodies is proven in the
Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah,
some of whose comments we have quoted above.
As regards the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “but they
could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave” [al-Baqarah 2:102],
this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the jinn cannot harm anyone through witchcraft
or epilepsy or through any other kind of disturbance or misguidance, except with the
permission of Allaah. As al-Hasan al-Basri said: “Whomever Allaah wills, He gives
them power over him, and whomever He does not will, He does not give them power over him,
and they cannot do anything to anyone except with the permission of Allaah.” The
Shaytaan (who is the disbelieving jinn) may gain power over the believers by making them
sin and by making them neglect the remembrance and Tawheed of Allaah and sincerity in
worshipping Him. But he has no power over the righteous slaves of Allaah, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic
Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a
Guardian” [al-Israa’ 17:65]
During the Jaahiliyyah the Arabs were well aware of this and mentioned
it in their poetry. For example, the poet al-A’shaa likened his she-camel’s
energy to that of one who was touched by the jinn, and said that it was the jinn who was
giving her her energy.
As regards the causes of epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyah explained (in Majmoo’
al-Fataawa, 19/39) the causes. He said: “When the jinn touch a
person with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens between one
human and another… or it may – as is usually the case – be because of
hatred and punishment, such as when a person has harmed them or they think that he has
harmed them deliberately, either by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or
killing them, even if the person did that unknowingly. There are ignorant and wrongdoing
ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or they may be playing
with him and mistreating him, like foolish people among mankind.”
And I say: the way to save oneself from this is to remember Allaah and
speak His Name at the beginning of all things, as it was reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to mention Allaah in many cases, such as when
eating, drinking, mounting his riding-beast, taking off his clothes for any reason, having
intercourse and so on…
As regards treatment (of one whose body has been entered by the jinn),
Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/42):
“When the jinn attack a person, they should be told of the rulings of Allaah and His
Messenger, proof should be established against them, and they should be commanded to do
what is good and told not to do what is evil, just as should be done in the case of
people, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And We never punish until
We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)’ [al-Israa’ 17:15].” Then he
said: “If the jinn does not leave after being addressed in this manner, then it is
permissible to rebuke him, tell him off, threaten him and curse him, as the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did with the Shaytaan when he came
with a falling star to throw it in his face, and the Messenger
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “I seek refuge with Allaah from you and I curse you with
the curse of Allaah” – three times. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).We may also seek help against the jinn by remembering Allaah (dhikr) and
reciting Qur’aan, especially Aayat al-Kursi. The Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites it will remain under the protection of
Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will be able to approach him until the morning.” (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari). And al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of
the Qur’aan) may also be recited.
As for psychiatrists who do not treat the epileptic in the manner
described, they cannot do him any good at all.
This issue may be discussed in much more detail, but what we have said
here is sufficient for those who want to know a little about this matter, Praise be to
Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.
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