The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agenda of Genies (17 page)

Critics called Muhammad "djinn-possessed" and said he was not a true prophet because God hadn't sent down His angels to him. Later, Muhammad began publicly describing the creature as an angel, but doing so failed to quiet his opponents and critics, who accused him of retro-fitting an angel onto his revelations in order to be accepted as a prophet.'
Regardless of exactly how it happened, the first night of Qur'an revelations is referred to as the
"Night of Power." According to tradition, the Qur'an was revealed
gradually over the rest of Muhammad's life, in nearly daily trance
states and frequent dreams at night, with the final revelation coming just months before his death in 632. The transmitting entity is
sometimes described as an angel, sometimes as a mysterious man.
The holy book totals 6,666 verses and forms the doctrine of Islam.
Muhammad himself never explicitly stated how he received all of
it. Surah 17:106 states that it was sent from God gradually so that
it could be recited to people at intervals.

The "Night of Power" is part of Ramadan, held in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a time of fasting, prayer, and pilgrimage. fibril and other angels descend on the faithful on this night, and will continue to do so until the end of all time:

We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousands Months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit (Ar-Rooh, or Jibril) by God's permission on every errand. Peace! This until the rise of morn!'

Was the Creature an Angel or a Djinni?

Muslim scholars today still debate whether or not Muhammad actually had a visitation by the angel Jibril; some feel it could have been a djinni. According to Zakara Botrous, a well-known expert on Islam and the Qur'an, the creature Muhammad saw in the cave lacked an angel's characteristics. The angels of the Islamic belief are pure and can do no wrong, and would never try to force someone to do something by strangling them. The entity that appeared to Muhammad greeted him with aggression and threats. We make no claims to know whether the prophet Muhammad encountered
an angel or a djinni, but whatever attended him in the cave succeeded in its task, for Islam is the largest of the world's major religions today.

In discussing the events surrounding the revelation, we also are
not diminishing or questioning the truth of the word of God as
revealed to Muhammad. In all great religions, divine word is channeled through prophets who transmit the word to the masses. The
stories of how they received the word vary even within their own
religions, and become embellished over time with legends that
lack historical data. Details of events remain uncertain or obscure,
but at the core is the word itself, to which the faithful anchor their
spiritual lives.

Contrasts and Similarities Among
Angels, Djinn, and Demons

The ancient world that birthed Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
teemed with supernatural entities who had the power to intervene
or interfere in humanity's affairs, and their characteristics overlap.
Numerous similarities and ambiguities exist among angels, demons,
and djinn that provide ample opportunities for djinn to masquerade as one or the other. In many ways, djinn resemble some of the
descriptions of early angels, in that they are capable of being either
kindly and helpful toward people, or coldly righteous and rigid.
Djinn also embody the demonic traits of cruelty, deceit, destruction,
and chaos.

In the ancient world, angels were God's divine messengers and
were morally righteous, but they were capable of destroying entire populations without mercy. Demons were lesser, interfering
entities of good, bad, and neutral persuasions, but were usually
responsible for anything bad that happened. Djinn were closer to
demons in behavior, but with original ties to the angelic realm, as we saw in an earlier chapter. Djinn lore absorbed into the Western tradition tended toward demonic overtones.

The distinctions between djinn and demons are often confusing: djinn can act like demons and have more associations with demons-but they also have similarities to angels. According to M. S. Al-Munajiid, a prominent Saudi sheikh, lecturer, and author, scholars are in disagreement over the difference between djinn and demons. Some of them say that the word djinn goes far to encompass the djinn as well as the demons because the word also includes believing and unbelieving djinn. Allah says, "And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules." (Al-Jinn: 11) "And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully." (Al-Jinn: 14)

However, the word shaitan is used to refer to the unbelieving djinn. Allah says, "... and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord." (Al-Isra, 27)

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world with its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of humans. Djinn and humans have things in common, such as the ability to understand and choose between good and evil.'

In the Western tradition, demons do not choose between good and evil: they are the embodiment of all that is evil, and are completely and totally dedicated to it.

According to Islamic tradition, angels and djinn exist in the world beyond, sometimes referred to as the invisible world. Humans were formed from clay, djinn from smokeless fire, and angels from a type
of spiritual light called poor. This light has structure, and so angels,
like djinn and demons, can shapeshift into any form. While djinn
follow their own whims and desires, angels take on other forms only
when God has directed them to do so.

Parts of the invisible world can be perceived on the human level
by babies, animals, saints (including religious authorities) and the
simple-minded. Djinn see more of the invisible world than we
can, but angels see even more. Evil djinn serve the forces of darkness and destruction, and seek to turn people away from God,
dooming them to hell.

As in the Judeo-Christian world, angels in Islam are viewed as
positive, protective forces. They are God's messengers and taskmasters, obeying His will. Our modern perception of the shiny,
comforting angel of the West evolved over time, however. In early
Hebrew lore, some angels didn't look kindly upon humans. In
fact, some were downright hostile and didn't want to share Paradise with them, considering it their own privileged territory. When
asked by God to bow before his creation, some refused. They were
not cast out of heaven as fallen ones, but were incinerated into
oblivion. God destroyed these refusing angels until He found
those who agreed to honor Adam. Nonetheless, there remained
unfriendly angels who attempted to bar access by humans to the
various levels of heaven. The mystical merkabah tradition features
prayers and secret words that can circumvent such angels.

As mentioned earlier, early Judeo-Christian angels were the
"muscle" for enforcing God's rules. When displeased with people, God sent angels to beat, punish, chastise, and even kill them.
In the story of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, God
sent angels to level these cities off the face of the earth. In modern times, westerners have a more idealistic and sanitized view of
angels, considering them to be pure spiritual allies in the struggle
against evil.

In Islamic tradition, angels are always obedient to God; there are no defiant or fallen angels. When God ordered angels to kneel before Adam, all complied. The role of defiance fell to the djinn.

The defiant djinn and the Western fallen angels have points in common besides their defiance and expulsion from God's presence. The fallen angels followed Lucifer, who committed the sin of pride, and fell from heaven to the underworld. From there, they have reign over mankind to tempt, possess, and cause every illness and misfortune among us.6
Though they are completely evil in magical lore, they can be forced to aid and educate people, a risky undertaking.

The djinn who refused to kneel to Adam followed Iblis, who by some descriptions was a once-great angel, but now equal to Satan. The evil djinn live in another dimension but also operate on earth, trying to deceive and lead people astray, causing possession and misfortune.

Another kind of wayward Western angel has similarities to the evil djinn: the Watchers. A brief reference to them is made in Genesis 6:1-4, and more information about them is given in the book of Enoch. Called "the Sons of God," they were angels set in heaven to watch over humanity. They coveted women and decided on their own to come down and cohabit with them. In exchange for sexual favors, they taught people the "forbidden arts" of science, metallurgy, chemistry, and divination, among others. Their hybrid offspring, the Nephilim, were cannibalistic monsters, abominations that so offended God that he brought on the Flood to cleanse the earth and begin anew with Noah and his sons.

Evil djinn are credited with teaching humans the forbidden arts, too. Djinn-human offspring are not quite as fantastic as cannibalistic monsters, but they are considered abominations, and such unions are forbidden. In both Western and Eastern traditions, angels act as a mouthpiece for God, who does not speak directly to people, with
the exception of certain prophets. Angels speak from behind veils or
in revelations, dreams, and visionary experiences.

Guardian Angels and the Qur'an

In both Christian and Muslim traditions, people are born with
guardian angels that provide protection, guidance, and companionship. The Christian guardian angel evolved from helping and protecting beings such as the fravashi of Zoroastrianism (pre-existent
souls with human-angel characteristics who reside in homes and
communities); the karabu of the Assyrians (half-human, half-animal
winged guardians of temples and buildings); the daimones of the
Greeks (personal attendant spirits); and the genii of the Romans
(guardians of places). The Bible does not refer specifically to guardian angels, but Psalm 91:11-13 does indicate that God provides angels to watch over people:

He will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your
ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your
foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

In Islam, there are two recording angels who sit on either shoulder, recording all the thoughts and deeds of a person through life:

Behold two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings)
learn (and note them) one sitting on the right and one on the
left. Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him
ready (to note it). Al-Qaf, 50.17-18.

The record is presented after death in preparation for judgment
Day. In another tradition, two angels appear after death to ask a
soul questions about its most recent life, and for the purpose of presenting a life record of good and bad thoughts and deeds. If they give the soul their book to hold in the right hand, it means that soul will go to heaven. If they present it to the left hand, the soul will go to hell.

Another tradition holds that one of the entities is not an angel, but a wicked djinni. The good angel whispers in one ear and the bad djinni whispers in the other, both in a battle for a person's moral conscience. The role of the bad influence in Western tradition falls to the demons, while angels are considered to be solely an influence of good.

In addition to recording angels, Islam also holds that every person has a qarin, a special companion spirit or djinni permanently assigned to a person at birth.'
The qarin combines features of the Greek daimones, who whispered both seduction and advice, and the Christian guardian angel. By some accounts, the qarin is ambiguous in intention, with a primary purpose to seduce and lead its assigned person astray by whispering temptations in the ear. (`Qarin " also refers to a nonbeliever who can lead a Muslim person astray.) By other accounts, the qarin provides companionship, comfort, and protection, including against illnesses and possession by other djinn. The qarin can be of either gender. It is called a double and a brother or sister who lives below the earth.

Some believe that people are assigned qarin of the person's gender, while others believe it is always the opposite gender. An opposite-gender qarin is jealous of any romantic partners a person may have, and will thwart relationships and potential marriages. When humans are said to marry a djinni, it may be with their qarin. Parents warn children not to spend too much time looking into a mirror because the qarin will react in a jealous rage. A qarin who is displeased with its human can cause headaches, illnesses,
nightmares, bruises, and other physical discomforts, insomnia, depression and loss of appetite.'
When the qarin exerts an evil influence, it disavows responsibility for actions on the basis of the free will of the mortal: "His companion (devil) will say: `Our Lord! I did not push him to transgress (in disbelief, oppression, and evil deeds), but he was himself in error, far astray."'9
In other words, the djinni says to God, "It wasn't me who made this person sin, I just helped him follow his own desires." Thus, the qarin reveals a Trickster nature in the deliberate and often malicious sowing of discord and chaos.

Muhammad acknowledged the qarin, but said his own converted to the faith, and functioned only in benevolent ways: "`There is no one among you but a comrade from among the djinn is assigned to him.' Sahaba e Karam present in that occasion asked: `Even you, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: `Even me, but Allah granted me victory over him and he became Muslim (or: and I am safe from him), so he only enjoins me to do that which is good'."1°
The qarin knows everything about its assigned person, including all his or her weaknesses. Giving in to temptation and evil feeds the qarin, enabling it to gain in power and strength. Only leading a righteous life can weaken it.