Jinn

Jinn (Arabic: جن, jinn) are a class of supernatural being invisible to ordinary sight and part of Islamic doctrine. The term derives from the Arabic root j-n-n, meaning 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. Chapter 72 of the Qur'an is titled 'Al-Jinn'.

According to Islamic scholarship, jinn are characterized as having free will and moral responsibility—they may be righteous or wicked. This distinguishes them from angels, who in Islamic belief are described as always obedient.

Appearance in religious texts

The Qur'an states that jinn were created from fire, while humans were created from clay. Chapter Al-Jinn recounts a group of jinn who listened to Qur'anic recitation and then reported it to their people. Other verses mention that the Prophet Sulayman was granted power over some of them.

Categories and names

Arabic literature and tradition distinguish jinn by different names such as 'ifrit' and 'shaydān'. Some scholars classify Iblis (the Devil) as a jinn, attributing this to his creation from fire. This classification is not universally agreed upon in Islamic scholarship.

Somali culture

In Somali tradition, jinn are associated with isolated places, trees, and water. Certain ailments in folk medicine are treated with Qur'anic recitation known as 'ruqyo' or 'faleh'. The practices of Saar and Mingis are customary rituals linked to jinn that some Somali communities observe, though many Somali scholars reject them.