The Arabic name for the anglicized genies, the supernatural spirits or beings found mostly in Islamic or Arabian mythology and the subject of intensive development in literature and folklore in Persia, Egypt, Syria, Arabia, Turkey, and across North Africa. According to mythology, the jinn were created some two thousand years before the making of Adam and were possessors of a lofty place in paradise, roughly equal to that of the angels, although they were probably considered beneath the angels. They are said to have been made of air and fire. After God made Adam, however, the jinn, under their proud and willful leader Iblis (or Eblis, refused to bow down before the mortal. For this grievous refusal, the jinn were cast out of heaven, becoming wicked and hideous demons. Iblis, who fell with them, became the equivalent of Satan. On earth they reputedly live in the Kaf Mountains, which supposedly circle the world. While inferior to devils, the jinn are nevertheless strong and exceedingly cunning. There is, though, a tradition that not all jinn are irredeemably fallen. Some, it is thought, are actually kindly disposed toward humanity, aiding them whenever help is needed-or when it is convenient to the jinni.
In Arabic mythology, Jinni, the plural form of Jinn, are 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 objects—stones, trees, ruins—underneath the earth, in the air, and in fire. They possess the bodily needs of human beings and can even be killed, but they are free from all physical restraints. Jinn delight in punishing humans for any harm done them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the jinn to their advantage.
Belief in jinn was common in early Arabia, where they were thought to inspire poets and soothsayers. Even Muhammad originally feared that his revelations might be the work of jinn. Their existence was further acknowledged in official Islam, which indicated that they, like human beings, would have to face eventual salvation or damnation. Jinn, especially through their association with magic, have always been favourite figures in North African, Egyptian, Syrian, Persian, and Turkish folklore and are the centre of an immense popular literature, appearing notably in The Thousand and One Nights. In India and Indonesia they have entered local Muslim imaginations by way of the Qur'anic descriptions and Arabic literature.
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Also spelled afreet, afrit, afrite, or efreet, Arabic (male) 'ifrit, or (female) 'ifritah in Islamic mythology, a class of infernal jinn (spirits below the level of angels and devils) noted for their strength and cunning. An ifrit is an enormous winged creature of smoke, either male or female, who lives underground and frequents ruins. Ifrits live in a society structured along ancient Arab tribal lines, complete with kings, tribes, and clans. They generally marry one another, but they can also marry humans. While ordinary weapons and forces have no power over them, they are susceptible to magic, which humans can use to kill them or to capture and enslave them. As with the jinn, an ifrit may be either a believer or an unbeliever, good or evil, but he is most often depicted as a wicked and ruthless being.
The rare appearance of the term ifrit in the Qur'an (the sacred scripture of Islam) and in Hadith (eyewitness narratives recounting Muhammad's words, actions, or approbations) is always in the phrase “the ifrit of the jinn” and probably means “rebellious.” The word subsequently came to refer to an entire class of formidable, rebellious beings, but, in the confused world of chthonic (underworld) spirits, it was difficult to differentiate one from another. The ifrit thus became virtually indistinguishable from the marid, also a wicked and rebellious demon. See also jinni.
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In South
Asia it is called Pari. A type of fallen angel or celestial spirit
mentioned in the lore of Islam and Persia. According to Persian custom,
they were exceedingly attractive, but this only masked their evil nature,
being fallen spirits. There is a custom that the peri were the children
of the evil angels, a tradition that would make them the equivalent of
the nephilim. Unlike those beings of angelic origin, however, the peri
were said to be eligible for redemption from their unfortunate progeny
and their wicked tendencies. This is because the prophet Muhammad turned
his attentions to them and labored to convert them from their sinful lives.
In some legends they will remain unable to enter paradise until the sins
of their parents, the fallen angels, are finally forgiven by a suitable
penance.
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Two
angels appearing in Islamic lore. Described in some traditions as demons,
Munkar (also Monker) and Nakir are sent throughout the world to visit the
souls of the recently deceased while they are still in the freshly buried
corpses. The two will seize the body and examine the soul as to its worthiness
to be admitted into paradise. The believers will naturally respond to their
queries concerning Muhammad by declaring that Muhammad is the prophet and
the messenger of God. Deemed worthy, they will be permitted to enjoy a
peaceful rest in anticipation of their entry into paradise following the
Day of Judgment. The unbelievers-the infidels-will not respond properly
and will be tortured in their graves by the two angels until their final
damnation at the end of the world. Munkar and Nakir are described in tradition
as being black in color with piercing blue eyes. (See also Ruman.)
Two angels coloured blue and black, known as Munkar and Nakir, then question the deceased about basic doctrinal tenets. In a sense this trial at the grave (fitnat al-Qabr) is a show trial, the verdict having already been decided. Believers hear it proclaimed by a herald, and in anticipation of the comforts of al-jannah (the Garden, or “paradise”) their graves expand “as far as the eye can reach.” Unbelievers fail the test. The herald proclaims that they are to be tormented in the grave; a door opens in their tomb to let in heat and smoke from jihannam (“hell”), and the tomb itself contracts “so that their ribs are piled up upon one another.” The period between burial and the final judgment is known as al-barzakh. At the final judgment (yaum al-Hisab), unbelievers and the god-fearing are alike resurrected. Both are endowed with physical bodies, with which to suffer or enjoy whatever lies in store for them. The justified enter Gardens of Delight, which are described in the Qur'an in terms of prevalent, but essentially masculine, tastes (37:42–48). At the reception feast on the Day of Judgment unbelievers fill their bellies with bitter fruit, and “drink down upon it hot water, drinking as drinks the camel crazed with thirst” (56:52–55). They then proceed to hell, where they don “garments of fire” (22:19) and have boiling water poured over their heads. Allah has made provision against the annihilation of the body of the damned, promising that “whenever their skins are cooked to a turn, We shall substitute new skins for them, that they may feel the punishment” (4:56). Pleas for annihilation are disregarded. Although this is sometimes referred to as the “second death,” the Qur'an is explicit that in this state the damned “neither live nor die” (87:13).
A special fate is reserved for the martyrs of Islam; i.e., for those who fall in a jihad (“holy war”). Their evil deeds are instantly expiated and the formalities of judgment are waived; they enter the Garden immediately. Similar dispensations are promised to “those who had left their homes, or been driven therefrom, or who had suffered harm” in the divine cause (3:195). For the Shi'ites, followers of the smaller of Islam's two major branches, the prospects for martyrdom are even wider. A major event of the origin of Shi'ism, moreover, was the slaughter of the Prophet's grandson, Husayn, in 680; this heritage has imbued Shi'ism with a zeal for martyrdom. Some of the behaviour of Islamic fundamentalists is explicable from this perspective.
A gentler strand in Islamic eschatology produced, over the centuries, a series of reinterpretations or adaptations of the original doctrine, some of whose tenets were even claimed to have been only metaphorical. These tendencies, which stressed individual responsibility, were often influenced by the Sufis (Islamic mystics).
Muslims accord a great respect to dead bodies, which have to be disposed of very promptly. The mere suggestion of cremation, however, is viewed with abhorrence. The philosophical basis, if any, of this attitude is not clear. It is not stated, for instance, that an intact body will be required at the time of resurrection. It is unlikely, moreover, that the abhorrence—which Orthodox Jews share—arose out of a desire to differentiate Islamic practices from those of other “people of the Book” (i.e., Jews and Christians). The attitude toward dead bodies has had practical consequences; for instance, in relation to medical education. It is almost impossible to carry out postmortem examinations in many Islamic countries. Medical students in Saudi Arabia, for example, study anatomy on corpses imported from non-Islamic countries. They learn pathology only from textbooks; many complete their medical training never having seen a real brain destroyed by a real cerebral hemorrhage.
In 1982 organ donation after death was declared hallal (“permissible”) by the Senior 'Ulama' Commission, the highest religious authority on such matters in Saudi Arabia (and hence throughout the Islamic world). Tales inculcated in childhood continue, however, to influence public attitudes in Islamic nations. The widely told story of how the Prophet's uncle Hamzah was murdered by the heathen Hind, who then opened the murdered man's belly and chewed up his liver, has slowed public acceptance of liver transplantation. Kidney transplantation is more acceptable, perhaps because the Hadith explicitly states that those entering the Garden will never more urinate.
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An angel in Islamic lore who works with the two angels Munkar and Nakir. Ruman serves in the infernal regions, greeting each condemned soul that is sent to him and forcing it to sit down and write out each and every evil deed committed while on the earth. In some cases, of course, the writing takes nearly forever, as Ruman is aware of every wicked act, from the smallest to the largest, and waits impatiently and cruelly, while the sinner scribbles them down. Once they are finished, the poor souls are handed over to Munkar and Nakir for the inflicting of eternal punishment.
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Also
known as Rizwan. The angel on Islamic lore who is said to be the
guardian of the gates of the earthly Paradise.
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Also known as Houri. In Arabic they are called 'Hawra.' A type of female angelic being found in Islamic lore. They reside in paradise and exist to offer pleasure to those who have merited eternal bliss while on earth. Each new person arriving in the Islamic heaven is given seventy-two huris who fulfill his every want or desire. The huris, meanwhile, is rewarded in this union by becoming a virgin after each night's enjoyment. The legends of the huris are distinctly nontraditional in comparison with the other tales related about angels and angelic beings, the most radical difference being the sexual component, largely absent in other angelic accounts. The acknowledged head of the huris in some sources is the angel Kalka'il. The spirits were said to be dark eyed and stunningly lovely.
In Islam, a beautiful maiden, huri, who awaits the devout Muslim in paradise. The Arabic word 'hawra' signifies the contrast of the clear white of the eye to the blackness of the iris. There are numerous references to the houri in the Qur'an describing them as “purified wives” and “spotless virgins.” Tradition elaborated on the sensual image of the houri and defined some of her functions; on entering paradise, for example, the believer is presented with a large number of houris, 72 to be exact, with each of whom he may cohabit once for each day he has fasted in Ramadan and once for each good work he has performed.
Some theologians, such as al-Baydawi, preferred to give the houri a metaphoric interpretation. It has also been suggested that Muhammad reinterpreted angels he saw in pictures of Christian paradise as houris.
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Also
known as Haroth and Maroth. These two leading angels appeared in
both Persian and Islamic legend. Among the Persians, Harut and Marut
were two very formidable angels who knew the incomparably powerful secret
name of God. According to the Qur'an, Harut and Marut were two angels
who came down from heaven and taught certain secrets to humanity, interpreted
variously as magic and sorcery or the workings of the government.
Islamic legend also tells the tale of Harut and Marut and how they joined
the ranks of the fallen angels.
According
to Islamic mythology and legend Harut and Marut were two angels sent by
Allah to the earth, when angels derided mankind ciriticising the people
on earth and the corruption of their rule. Allah said to them, “If
you were in their Place you would be doing the same thing.” It is
also reported in another tradition that Allah said to them, ”I have given
them ten carnal desires and it is through these they disobey me.”
Allah challenged the angels to do better if they are placed in the same
condition. They accepted it and said, ”O’ Lord, if you give
these carnals desires we would descend and judge with justice.”
Harut and Marut were chosen and were sent to the city of Babylon.
Harut as scholar and Marut as a judge. (QUR’AN 2:102) Did they
fullfill their promise? Did Harut and Marut retain their angelic nature,
when given the ten carnal desires and sent to earth? No. They
became fallen angels.
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Also
known as Hafaza. A type of angel found in Islamic lore that can be
considered the Muslim equivalent of the Guardian Angel. The hafaza,
however, are not assigned one by one to each person. Rather, each
living soul is guarded by four angels, two keeping watch during the day
and two remaining vigilant during the night. Their protective duties
are centered in defending the soul against the assaults of Shaitan and
evil spirits, especially the jinn (the Islamic demon). Mortals should be
most alert or concerned with their well-being at dawn and at sunset, for
at those times the hafaza change their guard and thus the protective barrier
they form is at its weakest. The hafaza have one other important task.
They endlessly write down in great books every action-good or bad-committed
by their ward. As there are four angels, the living can be assured that
every little deed, no matter how small, will not escape their attention.
When the person dies, the four present their books, which are kept until
the final Day of Judgment, when they will be read and used to determine
whether the mortal is deserving of admission into heaven.
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Properly called 'al-Moakibat', another name used in Islamic lore for the set of angels-known also as the hafaza-who accompany and protect each living person. These angels also perform the extremely important task of recording each and every act performed by the person, whether good or evil. These recording angels, as they are known, then read their books at the time of Judgment, an event mentioned in the Qur'an (surah 82:10-14).
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The angel reportedly beheld by the prophet Muhammad when he was taken to heaven. He described this angel as the most enormous of all beings, possessing 70,000 heads, each possessing 70,000 faces; each face had 70,000 mouths, each mouth 70,000 tongues, and each tongue spoke 70,000 languages. Every word spoken was devoted to singing the endless praises of Allah. Another angel eligible for the title is the beloved archangel Jibriel, who is honored in Islamic lore as the angel who brought to the Prophet the Qur'an.
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The Arabic
word for angels and hence the name used for them in the traditions, teaching,
and lore of Islam. Mala'ikah is often interpreted as meaning "messenger"
and is said to be derived from the word alk, meaning "to send." Some
say, however, that the name is actually taken from malaka, or "he controlled,"
denoting the control or power exercised by the angels over the elements
and the physical world. Both possible meanings are still consistent
with the Muslim conception of angels as spiritual beings sent by God to
intervene or bring the message of the Lord into the lives of humans.