ROSEMARY ELLEN G U I L EY
PHILIP J. IMBROGNO
For john Keel, who established a path into an unknown land so we could all follow, explore, and learn
Also by Philip J. Imbrogno
Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings
Celtic Mysteries in New England: Windows to Another Dimension in America's Northeast
Interdimensional Universe: The New Science of UFOs, Paranormal Phenomena, and Otherdimensional Beings
Files from the Edge: A Paranormallnvestigators Explorations into High Strangeness
Ultraterrestrial Contact. A Paranormallnvestigator's Explorations into the Hidden Abduction Epidemic
Forthcoming by Philip J. Imbrogno and Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Multidimensional Portals: The Emergence of a New Reality
Preface xiii
Introduction xix
5 Unveiling an Ancient Race 29
+ Djinn in the Qur'an, Sahih al-Bukhari, and the Bible 47
5 The Djinn Order: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Bad 67
6 Djinn Nature, Abilities, and Powers 85
7 Angels and Demons: The Djinn Connection 107
8 Djinn, Fairies, and Leprechauns 125
10 Djinn and Shadow People 173
11 They Want Our World and They Want It Now! 185
12 Human-Djinn Contact: Is It Possible? 201
Appendix I.• Djinn Social Structure 249
Appendix II.• Djinn Order ofPower 251
Bibliography 253
Index 257
UR RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION OF djinn not only required
an in-depth study of legends from many cultures, but also quite a
number of books on mysticism and magic. The correct spelling of the
word djinn translated directly from Arabic to English is djinn.
Western readers may be more familiar with the commonly used
phonetic spelling, jinn. Throughout this book, we have used "djinn
"as the preferred spelling in order to conform as much as possible
to Arabic translations.
During our research we spent a considerable amount of time reading several English versions of the Qur'an. Although all the translations are similar, they are not exactly the same. According to Abu Dhabi in his book Basic Principles of Islam, the many versions of the Qur'an in English and other languages are the result of the different interpretations by the translators.' This is why most Islamic scholars such as Muhammad Fahd Khaarum and Muhammad Kareem Ragheh insist that all readings of the Noble Qur'an must be done in its original Arabic form. It is astonishing to discover that no other religious work in recorded history can match the Qur'an in that it is recited the same and has remained unchanged for the past 1,400 years.
When Muhammad died there was no singular codex of the Qur'an. No collection of his revelations in final written form existed either, because even while he was alive, new teachings were added to the earlier ones.' Companions who memorized his teachings passed on the information orally to students. Early Islamic teachers in the fourth Islamic century decided to write down completed versions handed down from seven authoritative "readers," which in turn created seven basic texts in Arabic. All seven versions are basically the same but with minor variations in phrasing. For the research in this book, we used the Abu Bakr "Asim" reader version of the Qur'an. This is the predominant reading used today by many Islamic African and Middle Eastern countries.
Although we were not able to read the original Asim version of the Qur'an in Arabic, its teachings and historical information in the English version still made considerable sense to us. We both found the Qur'an a wonderful book of information and spiritual teachings, and we highly recommend its reading to all persons, regardless of religious background or philosophy concerning life. The Qur'an, like many great religious books, is a guide concerning spiritual awareness and ascension to a higher plane of existence.
HE DJINN-CALLED THE "HIDDEN ONES" in Middle Eastern
lore-are aptly named. This mysterious race of beings has remained
cloaked in shadows for centuries. Created out of smokeless fire,
they have powers and life spans that far exceed those of humans.
Their shapeshifting abilities have enabled them to hide in plain
sight the world over, either as the unseen or in a host of
paranormal guises. We are interacting with them, whether we know it
or not. Our awareness of otherworldly realities is rapidly
expanding via both paranormal experience and science, and we need
to know about the djinn, who comprise a major part of the
picture.
My serious interest in the djinn began some years ago during my explorations of the paranormal and occult. I had of course, come across them in childhood, when I read Middle Eastern folk tales about the wish-giving genies, such as the famous tale of Aladdin and his magical lamp in The Book of 1001 Nights. Within the confines of folk tales, the genies were intriguing but seemed relatively harmless-they were mischievous tricksters who had to be dealt with carefully. Aladdin used them to his favor to gain riches, but in other tales people did not fare so well, making wishes that genies granted in peculiar, distorted, and even cruel ways. The saying "be careful what you wish for" takes on a heavy importance and an entirely new meaning when dealing with the djinn.
Years later, when I was well into my career researching the paranormal, the genies cropped up again, this time as their proper name of djinn. Despite the recognition, their identity was blurry in Western interpretations. Works on angels and demons sometimes cast them in the same light as demons, beings with supernatural powers and a dark, evil nature. I sometimes found them to be completely equated with demons. Clearly they were something else in their own right, but their true nature remained hidden. I included brief descriptions of them in some of my books, most notably The Encyclopedia ofAngels, The Encyclopedia of Demons eT' Demonology, and The Encyclopedia ofMagic and Alchemy.
The desire to explore and reveal the hidden drives my work in the paranormal. I have never been content to focus on any narrow field or topic. My interests and curiosity have always cast a wide net. The work I do now-full-time since 1983-was sparked in childhood by a combination of a voracious reading appetite; a fascination with mythology, folklore, the supernatural, science fiction and fantasy; a sprinkling of psychic experiences; a passion for astronomy; and an intense desire to understand the big picture and write about it. All of these things seemed naturally connected to me, and as I grew up and delved into my paranormal research career, those connections became evident in new ways. The "paranormal" revealed itself as a vast and fluid field, a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of interconnections and patterns. Pick up a thread anywhere in the paranormal-angels, demons, fairies, extraterrestrials, shadow people, mysterious creatures, psychic experiences, visionary encounters, and so on-and it will lead you to everything else. Sooner or later, the paranormal transforms into the mystical, where we confront all of the big questions about the "meaning of everything" that humans have grappled with over the centuries.
Our encounters with paranormal phenomena are subjective, filtered through a looking glass of time periods in history, cultural backgrounds, religious and spiritual views, and personal beliefs. Yet if you trace the supernatural experiences of people throughout history, you find consistent patterns lying beneath the surface, hidden from plain view. It has always seemed to me, as it has to a great number of other explorers and researchers, that there is something else behind our experiences-perhaps something that can explain them all, or at least shift us into a clearer view of them.
Thus we come back to the mystery of the djinn, the hidden ones. Are they an integral part of what lies concealed beneath the paranormal? We can make a strong case that they are.
My plumbing of the dark depths of the djinn began in earnest several years ago, after I reconnected with Philip J. Imbrogno. I had first met Phil in the early 1990s, in the course of my interests in ufology while living in New York and Connecticut. About a decade went by, and we reconnected on one of Phil's guided trips to the stone chambers in New York, which he had been exploring in depth as a result of his research into the Hudson Valley UFO wave of the 1980s and beyond. Like me, Phil had been following his own threads of interconnections. His excellent presentation of the interconnections is in his book Interdimensional Universe.
In catching up on our respective work, it became evident that we had been pursuing both the same and parallel paths, and that, as Phil put it, we held some missing pieces to each other's research. We began some collaborative work regarding the stone chambers, paranormal hot spots, and high-tech spirit communication. Our far-ranging discussions hit upon the djinn, and this book was born.
We believe the djinn are a strong and active-but nonetheless hidden-presence in the world. They are not confined to the Middle East, the birthplace of the lore about them. They are known by many names, many guises, and many forms. Name any supernatural entity-even the ghosts of the dead-and you can fit the djinn behind them. We may think we are dealing with angels, demons, fairies, extraterrestrials, and such, but we may actually be dealing, at least some of the time, with djinn in disguise. This does not negate the existence or reality of the aforementioned entities in their own right, but simply that the opportunistic djinn may take on appearances that fool us into interacting with them in specific ways.
Are the djinn the answer to our paranormal encounters? We still do not know, but the evidence points to them being a significant part of our intersections with parallel dimensions and otherworldly realities that intrude into ours. The djinn are powerful and formidable, and at least some of them seem to have agendas that are not in the best interests of humans.
This book examines the djinn from a variety of perspectives. We journey into the Middle Eastern lore, which Phil experienced firsthand in his international travels, and into science and physics. We cover the Qur'an's position on djinn and the teachings of Islamic scholars, as well as Western lore and interpretations of them. We explain djinn behavior and characteristics. We give special attention to the relationship between djinn, demons, fairies, shadow people, hooded beings, elementals, and extraterrestrials, types of entities where we have found some of the strongest evidence of djinn connections.
As mentioned earlier, the djinn are everywhere, and in the course of researching this book, we discovered what we believe are some of their modern-day habitats, right here in America. What are they doing in these pockets? Pursuing covert operations? Or have they retreated to remote areas because they wish to be undisturbed? Is it possible to have any meaningful relationship with them? We present our ideas on the intentions of djinn.
Our desire in writing this book is to put the hidden ones in the light. Few in the West know much about them. It is said that knowledge is power, and knowing about the djinn stands to benefit our understanding of the truth that is out there.
Rosemary Ellen Gulley
HERE HAS BEEN A GROWING interest in the paranormal in
the past several decades. Ghosts, poltergeists, spook lights,
demons, angels, fairies, shadow people, strange creatures, and UFOs
have become staples of movies and prime-time television shows. Our
attraction to the supernatural is more than a passing
fascination-claims of encounters with paranormal entities such as
those mentioned above are not restricted to believers or wide-eyed
dreamers. Accounts of sometimes frightening experiences are made by
people from all walks of life-credible people-who report seemingly
incredible things.
I have been investigating paranormal phenomena with an emphasis on UFOs for more than thirty years. I have found myself amazed and sometimes even confused by the variety of reports I've received. I'd often ask myself, "Where do these phenomena come from and where do they go when they aren't seen?" The answer to this question can now be answered by new ideas in theoretical physics. One of these new ideas states that our universe is composed of not one, but multiple dimensions, some very close to our own and many far away in space and time. Periodically, several of these closer dimensions may interact with our world, resulting in the merging of several realities.
My investigations over the years have led me to believe that what we call "the paranormal" takes on a variety of guises, making us humans think we are witnessing multi-faceted phenomena. Actually, this may not be the case at all. In one of these other realities or dimensions close to our own is an intelligent, ancient race that has existed before humans walked the earth-beings with great power who throughout recorded history have been identified by every culture. The Native American shamans call them the "great tricksters," and to the Hindu of India they are known as "deceivers." In the West, they are called "devils" and "demons." New Age spiritualists know them as "the con men of the universe." This ancient race may be responsible for the majority of paranormal events witnessed over the centuries. We have known very little about them, for only one part of the world has historically documented them and their effect on the human race. Ancient Middle Eastern lore tell tales of a race of mysterious and highly intelligent creatures called the djinn. In the Qur'an, a surah entitled Al-djinn frequently mentions the djinn and refers to them as "God's other people." The word djinn is thought to be derived from the Arabic rootjanna, which means "hidden" and should not be confused with the Arabic word jannah, which means "paradise."
In the West, the djinn are known as the genies of fairy tales, wish-giving entities trapped in bottles, lamps, and rings. The word genie usually conjures up exotic but harmless images, such as the 1960s television series I Dream ofJeannie, in which Barbara Eden played an obliging, well-meaning, and often ditzy genie freed from a bottle by an astronaut, played by Larry Hagman. "Genie" also has comical associations, such as in the Disney movie Aladdin, based on the tale from Arabian lore. In these depictions, genies may have a bit of prankster in them, but they seem benign, even helpful, and we in the West laugh at them. We have little knowledge and lack fear of the real race, the djinn.
Middle Eastern cultures have a considerably different view of the djinn, however. In many Islamic households, just speaking the name of the djinn will cause the bravest to flee in terror. They consider the djinn to be quite real and a great threat to humanity, causing misfortune, illness, possession, and even death. The djinn hide in the shadows, biding their time and watching us, looking for opportunities to strike, interacting with humans only when it suits their purpose. They are powerful shapeshifters and can live for thousands of years. To cross the djinn is to invite destruction.
My introduction to the world of the djinn began in the mid1990s while I was traveling through the Middle East researching the Knights Templar and their connection to the Holy Grail. After two weeks of what seemed to be nothing more than a wild goose chase, I began to hear stories about the djinn. At first I had no idea what they were. An old friend, who later became my guide through some very perilous country there, explained the djinn as the origin of the Western "genie." Like many westerners, I laughed, thinking of those jolly wish-granting spirits. Well, my host took the existence of the djinn very seriously-to him, they were very real. The djinn's true nature and reality became evident to me as I collected a great deal of information on them and visited some of the places where they are reputed to enter our world. I realized they represent an aspect of the paranormal that had been largely untouched by western researchers. I also realized the djinn could be the hidden source of the diversity of paranormal events everywhere.
I briefly introduced the djinn in two of my previous books, Interdimensional Universe: The New Science of UFOs, Paranormal Phenomena, and Otherdimensional Beings and Files from the Edge: A Paranormal Investigator's Explorations into High Strangeness. Although I didn't go into much detail, I found the djinn attracted a lot of curiosity and attention among readers.
Several years ago, noted paranormal investigator Rosemary Ellen Guiley and I began investigating paranormal hot spots in New York that generate a great number of reports relating to UFOs and other types of phenomena. We have been exploring the possibility that in many of these high strangeness locations, portals that connect our world to an unseen world exist. When I mentioned my research on the djinn to Rosemary, she told me she was very interested in them due to her research into angels, demons, fairies, and shadow people. After many long discussions, things began falling into place; we could see the connections among parallel dimensions, the emergence of paranormal phenomena, and the race of ancient beings that exist in a reality very close to our own. During our research, we gathered evidence of the djinn in the Western Hemisphere and applied it to paranormal and UFO phenomena. The result is an interesting and compelling picture that raises many questions about what people are really experiencing. Are the djinn behind our paranormal encounters and experiences? Are they behind some of the terrifying experiences people report? If so, what is their purpose? According to ancient lore, the djinn once occupied this world, and they seek to reclaim it. Are they using paranormal avenues to invade our reality? Is their reality merging with ours? We should consider all of these possibilities. There may be a dark agenda below the surface of our experiences, and we fail to see it because we're preoccupied with the superficial characteristics of the experiences themselves. No one has the complete solution to this cosmic puzzle yet, but I believe we are offering a number of important pieces to solve the mystery.
This book will take you on an adventure into a world of the unseen, hidden from us in the shadows for countless centuries. We present to you the truth about the race of beings you thought only existed in your imagination-or your nightmares. If you choose to fear anything in your life, fear the djinn. Enter their world... if you dare!
Philip J. Imbrogno
F YOU TAKE A WALK on a sunny day, any number of
beautiful things might attract your attention: the blue sky,
beautiful flowers, green leaves on trees, or the fresh smell of
nature adding fragrance and oxygen to the air. This is the world we
perceive with our five senses, and our conscious mind identifies it
as the reality in which we live. As we age, what we see, smell,
hear, and taste comprises more of the real world, as we are taught
in school that things outside our physical existence and beyond the
extension of science don't exist. When we touch the ground, throw a
stone, or bump our elbows on furniture, it certainly feels solid.
Who in their right mind would say it isn't? Most of us are shocked
to learn that what we interpret as our physical reality is not what
it appears to be. There is actually a great deal of space between
the atoms that compose matter. Although everything we touch feels
quite solid to us, it isn't. Observations made using only one's
physical senses can be very deceiving. For example: during the
early Renaissance, the greatest minds would have staked their
reputation on the fact that earth was stationary in space; the sun,
moon, and stars circled our planet, it was said. Really, who could
argue this point? When people looked up at the sky, they saw
celestial objects rising in the east and setting in the west, and
there was no sense of motion (rotation) on terra firma. The
geocentric (or "earth-centered") theory was the logical train of
thought explaining this movement because it was supported by visual
observations made daily and nightly.
These Renaissance-era scientists made the mistake of arriving at their conclusions about movements on the celestial sphere based only on their sense of sight, not a very good tool for judging reality. The people who supported the geocentric idea (including the astronomer Ptolemy [90 CE-160 CE]) were considered the greatest minds of their day. However, just being intelligent and well educated doesn't guarantee that one will never be wrong. For a very long time in history, anyone who contradicted the geocentric model was laughed at and called a heretic, fool, or troublemaker. The revolutionary thinkers who opposed this idea were ridiculed, jailed, or sometimes even put to death for insisting that our earth circled the sun, and not vice versa. Today, we know these "heretics" and "fools" were correct.
The question of physicality concerning matter may seem like a wild claim, but it was scientifically proven at the beginning of the twentieth century by Dr. Ernest Rutherford and two assistants. Today, it's known as the Geiger-Marsden experiment, or sometimes the Gold Foil experiment. This experiment was performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden in 1909, under the direction of Ernest Rutherford at the Physical Laboratories of the University of Manchester, England. Rutherford's team measured the deflection of alpha particles-particles that have an atomic mass of four, consisting of two protons and neutrons, carrying a +2 positive charge.' Using a controlled radioactive source, the scientists directed the particles to strike a sheet of very thin gold foil. They observed that a very small percentage of particles were deflected through the dense gold foil, and some were even scattered back toward the source. However, most of the particles passed through the metal sheet without hitting any gold matter at all. From this observation, Rutherford concluded that the physical space between atoms was much greater than anyone had previously thought. Although the gold metal appeared solid, it was mostly empty space! Rutherford and his associates were astonished to find that only 1 in 9,000 particles were reflected by the gold sheet and the rest passed through as if nothing was there. This result was completely unpredicted, prompting Rutherford to later comment, "It was almost as incredible as if you fired a fifteen-inch shell at a piece of tissue paper, and it came back and hit you."
In 1911, Dr. Rutherford published an analysis of his by-then famous experiment, and his results shocked the physics and chemistry communities. His observations indicated that a model of the atom with a diffuse charge was incorrect; actually, a large amount of atomic charge was concentrated at a very small point, giving it a very strong electric field. He concluded that an atom is mostly empty space, and that most of an atom's mass and a large fraction of one of its two kinds of charge are concentrated in a tiny center.
To give you a clearer idea of this theory, imagine we expand the nucleus of the atom to the size of a penny. We place the penny in the middle of Giants Stadium in New York. The first level of electrons would be in the top bleachers while the next closest atom would be about 1,200 feet from the penny's center! The apparent solidity of a substance is the result of strong electrical bonds between electrons and their nuclei. Despite their distance from the nucleus, the negatively charged electrons are held strongly in place by their attraction to the protons in the atom's center. This attraction creates a great deal of structural integrity and a strong force that repels the electrons of other atoms. To explain this principle, imagine a fan that has been unplugged-its blades aren't moving. Looking at the fan, we see there are three blades, and the space between the blades is large enough for us to stick our fingers and perhaps our whole hands through, from front to back. We plug in the fan, turn the power on, and set the control to maximum speed. The fan blades now appear as one solid object. If we attempt to stick a pencil through the blades, the pencil will be deflected, as if hitting a solid wall.
We benefit from this repellent force every day. Despite the empty spaces that exist in every atom, when we lean on a tabletop, our hands cannot pass through the wood or metal in that surface because the electrical fields of the electron clouds in the table and our hands repel each other. This gives the impression, illusion, or whatever you wish to call it, that matter is very solid ... in reality, it isn't.
Now that we have uncovered the fact that our perception of living in a physically solid world of matter is nothing more than the repulsion of electrical fields, the concept of other dimensions where intelligent beings other than humans exist seems easier to accept. In order to understand the djinn and their location in time and space, you must be ready to perceive the multiverse beyond the range of your physical senses-you must explore it with your mind.
The Djinn Homeland
The word djinn is Arabic and means "unseen or hidden." We don't know what they call themselves, but this is the name given in Middle Eastern mythology and in the Qur'an. It suits them well, for they are hidden from our view. The word djinn can be used to identify any nonphysical being that exists in another reality, but we believe the Middle East used the term to describe a particu lar type of entity that exists between the multiverse (multiple universes) of matter and energy. The djinn exist in a dimension close to our own, and they seem to have the ability to interact with certain people who live here when it suits their purpose. To some, this idea of other dimensions and parallel universes may seem like metaphysical or New Age nonsense, but the idea is quickly becoming accepted in twenty-first-century physics circles. A new theory called "string theory" supports the structure of a multidimensional universe, and simply states that the smallest units of matter are not point particles, but two-dimensional vibrating strings. The vibration of string determines if a particle will become a proton, neutron, or electron. By adding or taking energy away from a vibrating string, one particle can change into another. Thus a proton can become an electron if its "vibration" changes. The actual energy used to vibrate each string is thought to originate from a parallel universe.
Strings can be closed or open, supporting the belief that there are at least ten dimensions in our universe. An aspect of string theory, called the Membrane (or "M") theory, states that all vibrating strings are attached to a membrane or fabric that acts as a giant web, tying all the forces of the universe together. Scientists know these membranes as "branes"; the stuff that makes up space and time. The theoretical existence of branes has expanded string theory to eleven dimensions. It is theorized that entire universes are attached to branes in a multidimensional fashion. In the multiverse, there are an infinite number of branes, each with its own particles and in some, different physical laws.
Branes allow for an entirely new set of possibilities in multiverse physics because particles confined to the brane would look more or less as they would in a three-dimensional universe and could never venture beyond it. Protons, electrons, neutrons, quarks, and all sorts of fundamental particles could be stuck on the brane, like water drops on a shower curtain. However, the mechanisms that make the fundamental particles stick to the brane of our universe do not apply to gravity. Gravity, according to the theory of general relativity, must exist in the full geometry of space.
The graviton-the particle of gravity-is thought to be created by a closed vibrating string, thus also encompassing the full geometry of all the theoretical extra dimensions and parallel universes. String theory can also be used to explain why the graviton is not stuck to any brane. Open strings are like hooks attached to a curtain. The graviton is associated with the closed string, and only open strings can be anchored to a brane. The evidence for these extra dimensions and other universes is in fact shown to us in gravity's weakness. Gravity should be a very strong force in our universe, but it isn't. The waves of gravitons filtering through other dimensions and branes of parallel universes weaken the effects of gravity in our reality. The effect is much like feeling the heat from an electric heater. If you are directly in front of the heater, you feel very warm, but if you place barriers or distance between yourself and the heater, the total amount of infrared radiation reaching you is greatly diminished.
When we consider the many variations of string theory it is easier to accept the idea that djinn exist in another dimension rather than our own in the multiverse. It's here they would definitely live up to their "hidden" nature-this race of beings would be invisible to us in our spatial plane of reality. Also, many theoretical physicists from well respected institutions of advanced learning such as Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California-San Diego, and the University of Texas-Austin are open to the possibility that these other realities may be inhabited by living beings.
So far, we have used terminology like "parallel universes" and "dimensions," but there are many people in the twenty-first century who can't differentiate between the two. In addition, the multitude of scientific papers that have been published on the subject seems to indicate that some authors are unclear if the two terms mean different things or are one and the same. A dimension is a spatial coordinate. We live in the third dimension with an X, Y, and Z axis. The fourth dimension is time-often considered to be the past, present, and future-existing in the same place, but at a different frequency, so to speak. This has made our view of this dimension more nebulous than it really is. The fourth dimension is the spatial parity within our own physical universe, and is not on any other brane in the multiverse.
In our physical universe are six additional dimensions, each existing at angles we cannot turn to see or enter. It has been theorized that these extra dimensions are folded around our reality and are nothing more than tiny pockets, perhaps no larger than the nucleus of an atom. If you were djinn, this would be a good place to hide, but its hardly enough space to harbor an entire race of beings. However, we must consider the fact that according to legends, the djinn are not physical beings but are composed of smokeless fire. Such a phenomenon is a lot like plasma, the fourth state of matter. Although many schools still teach that there are only three states of matter, there are actually four. To put it simply, plasma is an ionized gas into which sufficient energy is provided, freeing electrons from atoms or molecules, and allowing charged atoms and electrons to coexist. This "strange" fourth state of matter is actually the most common in the universe-our sun is made of plasma, as is lightning.
A plasmic creature, then, would require very little physical space to exist. Many physicists are beginning to believe that these extra dimensions are actually quite large, an idea supported by the apparent weakness of the gravitational force. As mentioned earlier, gravitons may be filtered through other dimensions and parallel universes; if these other realities were small, gravity would have no effect. The gravitational force's weakness actually supports the theory that these extra dimensions comprise a considerable amount of physical space.
The eleventh dimension is thought to be the brane on which we exist. The brane of our universe is all around us and the elementary particles that make up your body are attached to it. So why can't you see it? Mainly because you are part of it and it moves when you do. It has been calculated that the brane of our universe is somewhere in the order of a several hundred trillionths, trillionths of a millimeter in proximity to you. Scientists sometimes identify the brane our universe exists on and all the other branes in the multiverse as parallel universes. Think of the brane as the eleventh dimension rather than a parallel universe, since it is the intricate web that binds our universe together. All the planets, stars, galaxies, and extra dimensions we see in our universe, in addition to all the electromagnetic energy, belong to this brane and their existence depends on it.
A parallel universe is another brane with galaxies, stars, and perhaps ten or more dimensions. Some of these branes may be larger than our own, and some may be smaller. Some are far from us in space and time while others are very close and could interact with our brane. When the branes have a close encounter, two things can happen theoretically:
The first possibility: If the branes pass closely and interact at a dimensional level, wormholes or tunnels could form, connecting the two parallel universes together at multiple points for an unpredictable period of time. This might allow matter from one universe to flow into the other. If there are intelligent beings that have developed a technology in at least one of these parallel universes, they might send ships or devices through the wormhole to explore the other universe.
The second possibility: The branes may smash into each other causing both universes to be disrupted, turning all matter into nothing more than vibrating strings of energy. A controversial theory in physics states that all matter, if broken apart, will retain its information.2 This means that after a period of time, both branes and all the material contained within them might form one new, giant universe, or a number of smaller ones. Elementary particles will eventually form, then galaxies, stars, and perhaps living beings once again.
Then Where Are the Djinn?
According to many of the Arabian stories and Islamic texts, the djinn live in a place that is very close but invisible to humans. Given this information, they may exist in another dimension, perhaps somewhere between dimensions five through ten. If the dimensions are numbered according to their proximity, then the most logical candidate would be five. The ancient people of the Middle East knew the djinn coexisted with our world, but in a place no man or woman could ever visit. This is one of the reasons why djinn were said to live in desolate caves, deserts, forests, mountain tops, graveyards, and even in the deepest depths of the sea. These areas were considered the djinn's hiding places, where humans very rarely ventured. The cultures that proposed these possible hiding places did so more than a thousand years ago, when people had no idea of the concept of other dimensions. Most would have shuddered to think that djinn could be "hidden" right next to you, perhaps in your bedroom as you sleep. Some Islamic households accepted the fact that djinn could exist on one's property or home and remain invisible. It was thought that when these djinn chose to show themselves, they would appear in the form of a snake, or their favorite, a black dog or cat.
According to the thirteenth-century Muslim scholar Iman Ibn Taymeeyah, the djinn can take the form of any human or animal they choose.' When a djinni takes on a physical form, it is much more vulnerable, but still very hard to kill. For this reason, the djinn do not keep physical forms for very long, but will shapeshift into hideous monster-like animals to frighten people or keep them away from what they consider their own property.
Ancient Stones
Centered in New York's Hudson River Valley are a series of mysterious stone chambers and carved standing megaliths that have perplexed researchers of the paranormal and archaeology for decades.' We have studied the chambers for more than twenty years and believe they are evidence that the East Coast of North America was explored by people from Europe centuries before Columbus. The ancient people who constructed these chambers may have been druids who came to the new world in search of a gateway to the world of the gods. The paranormal and UFO phenomena associated with these stone chambers today suggest they may have been used as markers to the world of the djinn. During a recent field exploration of a stone chamber located in Fahnestock State Park, a black dog joined us as we trekked through the woods. The dog seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and followed us the entire time. Although it appeared friendly, most of the people with us on this trip commented on how strangely the dog behaved. It followed us very closely, as if keeping an eye on us. We joked amongst ourselves about the djinn connection. At the time, we didn't really take it seriously, but thinking back on the day, who knows for sure?
If the djinn exist in a nearby dimension, it would stand to reason that the two realities must interact from time to time, giving us a view of their world and them a view of ours. However, because humans are three-dimensional, physical beings, we may only get a partial view of the djinn world. Instead of seeing detail, we may only see shadows, two-dimensional lines, or vague orbs of light. Since the djinn live in a higher dimension-perhaps the fifththey should be able to perceive all dimensions below them, much like we humans can interact with the three dimensions in our space.
A belief that predates Islam states that the djinn can see us, but we cannot see them. The only time we're able to catch glimpses of them is when they allow it. Many people may find this thought somewhat unsettling, but it may be true. Have you ever been outside or in a dark basement, or even in your bedroom at night, and gotten the feeling that you were not alone-that someone or something was watching you? Most people brush off the feeling and go about with their business or fall back to sleep, but your inner voice and feelings may be telling you that a djinni is watching. The djinni is in the same space, perhaps alongside of you, but in a higher dimension. As a djinni presses against the membrane that divides the dimensions it may appear as a shadow image or a ghost-like apparition. It is the Islamic belief that sightings of phantoms and reports of hauntings are the result of djinn interacting with our reality.
Although the idea of djinn closely observing us may seem ridiculous to the paranormal investigators who research haunted places, it must be considered nevertheless. We must also take it into account that only certain djinn may have the ability to peer into our world when near geographic locations where their reality crosses ours. We believe their restricted entry points could account for the number of locations around the world that are considered as paranormal hot spots. Some of these may include Sedona, Arizona; the Bermuda Triangle; the Hudson Valley of New York; and the Bridgewa- ter Triangle in Massachusetts, just to name a few.
The djinn world is very complex and may also be the home of a number of other living creatures. According to Turkish mythology, the djinn (known there as the cinn) have a variety of pets. The pets are said to be much different than our cats and dogs and are described as horrible monsters you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Perhaps the sightings of strange creatures throughout time are nothing more than a djinni's stray pet.
Since the home of the djinn is beyond the fourth dimension, time in this other reality is most likely different from ours. One thousand years in our world may be only a year there. Whether the djinn can enter the fourth dimension and travel back and forth in time is also unknown, but they are reportedly able to tell the future. On the other hand, other accounts say the djinn cannot really tell the future-they only appear to have this ability. Some of the more powerful djinn receive their "gift" of prophecy by traveling to the higher realms and eavesdropping on the angels who occasionally meet to discuss future plans for humanity on planet earth.
The concept of the djinn and all these extra dimensions and parallel universes opens up a great number of possibilities for paranormal investigators. To fully understand the hidden secrets of the multiverse and the world of the djinn, we must change our view of reality and open our minds to new possibilities. Our thinking must no longer be rigid and two-dimensional. Rather, we must take our conscious minds beyond the confines of the physical body and use our deeper inner intelligence to help us perceive and understand what our five senses cannot. When we are able to achieve this, we will learn more about not only our own reality, but also that of the djinn.
HE DJINN ARE CALLED "GOD'S other people" and the Qur'an
makes it very clear that they existed on this planet long before
humans, but exactly how long ago, no one knows. According to most
Islamic stories, the djinn were created by Allah sometime between
one and two thousand years before the first humans appeared on
earth. It is hard to accept the notion that the djinn were only
masters of this planet for twenty centuries, and in that time were
able to create kingdoms and societies with an almost supernatural
technology. The early Islamic people believed that with each
passing millennium, great changes took place on earth that affected
all living things. Many human cultures throughout time used the
passage of a thousand years to mark the beginning of a new age. For
example, in the biblical book of Revelation, the prophet John talks
about a new age of man that will last for onethousand years after
which the devil will be set free and once again attempt to corrupt
the human race. We must remember that before the fifteenth century
a thousand years seemed like a very long span of time; no one
thought of time in terms of millions. The idea of millions of years
was something that these people of long ago could not fathom, since
the common belief was that God created the earth only six thousand
years earlier.
Though it's believed the djinn were around for a long period of time before they were exiled from the physical universe, it's possible they appeared on this planet millions of years before mankind. In fact, many of them could still be with us today. While traveling through the Middle East, Phil gathered many tales of the djinn. A considerable number of these stories were not written, but passed orally from generation to generation. After listening to the many djinn tales, he asked a question that the typical, skeptical westerners would pose: "If you have never seen djinn, how do you know they exist?" The answer he got was always the same: "They are mentioned in the Qur'an, the word of Allah, who does not lie."
The origin of the djinn is indeed mentioned in the Qur'an in more than thirty verses, such as "He (Allah) created man from sounding clay. The angels from light and the djinn from smokeless flame of fire (Ar-Rahman 55.15). "The origin of the djinn also appears in Al-Hijr 15.26-42, but is slightly different: "And indeed, Allah created man from sounding clay of altered black and smooth mud. The djinn, Allah created aforetime from smokeless fire and the angels from light. " No one really knows how long ago djinn were created, or what their past and current population number could be. However, there is a great deal of information about this ancient race of beings in the mythologies of the cultures of the Far and Middle East-but not in the Western Hemisphere.
Archaeologists agree that when dealing with the ancient legends of a Middle Eastern culture, any spirit below an angel and not human can be referred to as a djinni. The idea of the djinn pre-dates Islam. The ancient Persians believed injainni and jaini, evil spirits of both genders who lived in an invisible world and often interacted with humans in different ways. They brought pleasures like fine food and gold, but also delivered disease and death. Inscriptions from northwest Arabia dating to three thousand years ago indicate worship of djinn-like beings called ginnaye, the "rewarding gods," also known as the "gods of pleasure and pain." In most of these early legends, these gods could be benevolent, but then suddenly without warning or cause, turn malevolent. These beings are similar to early Western European concepts of demons, who were summoned to teach the sciences and medicine, and locate buried treasure. If the summoner didn't perform the proper ritual or exercise extreme caution, the demon could instantly change into a hideous killing monster.
Djinn and Fallen Angels
The Christian faith believes a certain angel most beloved by God was tired of serving and decided to do things his own way. This rebel angel, known as Lucifer, conspired with other powerful angels to overthrow God and become the new masters of the universe. As a result, a war among the angels broke out. In the end, Lucifer and one-third of the heavenly host were cast into hell. In another version of this story, Lucifer and the angels of heaven were forced by God to bow before man, His most perfect creation. Lucifer convinced a great number of other angels that they were the true first-born, and that man should bow before them. God sensed Lucifer's excessive pride and disobedience, and so he and his minions were thrown out of paradise. According to Roman Catholic belief, after the Fall, God made a deal with Lucifer, allowing his demonic horde to test the human race by using enticing, tempting thoughts to encourage actions that would take humankind away from the Creator's grace.
In the Islamic faith, there are no fallen angels. Muslim people believe that angels were created from pure light and have no free will. Thus, they are above sin and can only do the work of Allah (God). However, there is a similar story in the Qur'an of a powerful being who fell from God's grace and was shunned forever. This being, whose power was almost equal to an angel's, was a djinni named Iblis.' The story goes that God orders all the angels to bow before Adam, the first human. All the angels obeyed God's command except for Iblis, the leader of the djinn, who had access to heaven. This lone djinni was proud and arrogant, and felt that he and the other djinn were superior to the new creation:
It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who prostrate.
(Allah) said: "What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?"
(Iblis) said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay."
(Allah) said: "Get thee down from this: it is not for thee to be arrogant here: get out, for thou art of the meanest (of creatures). Be thou among those who have respite."
(Iblis) said: "Because thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on thy straight way: Then I will assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left. Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies)."
(Allah) said: "Get out from this, degraced and expelled.
If any of them follow thee, Hell will I fill with you all."'
For this act, God cursed Iblis and all the djinn who followed him, and banished them to hell for eternity. They were no longer allowed to visit heaven and mingle with angels. Iblis begged for forgiveness. God relented and gave him and all the disobedient djinn until Judgment Day to mend their ways. Iblis obtained permission from God to "prove" that humankind was unworthy of His love, and was given the power to attempt to lead all men and women astray. According to one Arabian story, after Iblis was thrown out of paradise, his name was changed to Shaitan (meaning "adversary") similar to Satan, as he is known in the West.
Just as in the Christian story of Lucifer, Iblis was allowed by God to test the human race with the pleasures and thoughts that tempt people to turn away from God's love. After centuries passed, Iblis convinced many other djinn that God had in fact wronged them. Iblis raised an army whose sole purpose is the downfall of the human race. He and his horde of renegade djinn have recruited many humans to their cause, promising them power, wealth, and pleasures, the so-called wishes a genie grants. However, the price those who make requests of the djinn must pay is not loyalty to Iblis, but their very souls.
Iblis as an Angel
In some early Islamic accounts, Iblis was once a powerful angel named Azazel. The name "Azazel" means "God strengthens" and this angel may have originally been a Semitic god of shepherd's flocks who became demonized as Abrahamic religions flourished. Azazel is associated with the ritual of scapegoating as an expiation of sin, as described in Leviticus 16. In verse nine, God tells Moses that his brother Aaron shall take two goats and sacrifice them: one is to the Lord for sin and the second is for Azazel, to be presented live for atonement, and then sent into the wilderness supposedly to the demon. This reference to the wilderness has led to beliefs that Azazel was a demon of the desert. Coincidentally, the desert is also considered to be Iblis' home when Allah permits him to enter our world.
In the apocryphal story The Apocalypse of Abraham, Azazel is mentioned as the angel of disgrace, lies, evil, wrath, and trials. He is the lord of hell, confined to earth by God because he became enamored with it. In Judaic lore, Azazel figures prominently in folk tales, along with another fallen angel, Samyaza (sometimes spelled Shemihazah or Shemhazai). Azazel refuses to bow to Adam when presented to God and the heavenly hierarchies. Islamic lore also tells of Azazel refusing to bow to Adam, and God casting him out of heaven and changing him into Iblis as a result. Although the angelic origin of Iblis contradicts Islamic beliefs, it is still considered by some scholars as a possible origin for this rebellious spirit.
According to Islamic belief, the evil that exists everywhere is due to corrupt humans and djinn who have turned their backs on Allah. Demons, fairies, ghosts, demonic possession, and even sightings of extraterrestrial aliens are believed to be the work of djinn, or in some cases, spiritually corrupt humans who have joined Iblis. If we take into account the reality of the existence of djinn, we can understand the paranormal's great diversity. Rarely do djinn present their true identity to us. Instead, they enjoy taking on many disguises. Many djinn merely play a harmless game with us for their amusement, but some have a more deadly agenda.
Stories about the djinn reveal a long history of perceived injustices and indignities from their perspective, creating valid reasons (in their minds) for many of them to plot against humanity. Believing themselves to be wronged by God in favor of human beings, some djinn have carried a deep grudge for millennia. Add to that the abuses they believe they've suffered at the hands of one of the few men to ever have dictatorial control over them-King Solomon. In order for us to understand the djinn and their feelings about humans, we must study both their past and present interactions with our race.
Solomon and the Djinn
The legendary Solomon, renowned as one of the wisest and most powerful rulers of antiquity, had absolute power to command and exorcize the djinn. Solomon ruthlessly forced them into slave labor to build the first Temple of Jerusalem and the entire city of Jerusalem as well. He sent them off into war to fight against men and djinn controlled by other men, and used them to impress the Queen of Sheba-who was rumored to be half-djinn herself. The djinn were resentful to be reduced to the status of slaves, but were powerless to do anything other than Solomon's bidding as long as he wished to control them. Even Iblis was powerless before the king, and could do nothing but provide a small measure of comfort to his kind.
Solomon's ability to control the djinn was a divine gift. He was the son of David, the second ruler of the united kingdom of Israel. According to the Old Testament book of Samuel, David's reign probably corresponded to the years 1000-970 BCE. After David's death, Solomon took the throne and ruled until his own death, circa 922 BCE. Historical details about Solomon are hard to find, but he figures as one of the most important persons in Biblical accounts of Jewish history. In Islamic lore, Solomon (Sulayman) is regarded as one of the greatest of world rulers, a true apostle, and messenger of Allah, the prototype of the prophet Muhammad.
Solomon's great powers were bestowed by God, who came to him in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give you."3 Many men might have asked for great wealth and power, but Solomon answered that he wanted an understanding mind for governing his people, and for the ability to discern between good and evil. Pleased with the man's response, God replied, "Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you."4
Solomon's construction of the first Temple of Jerusalem brought him into direct contact with djinn, the site itself has a long, sacred history. It was the place where Cain and Abel argued over division of the earth and on whose portion a temple was to be built. It was the same spot where Abraham had prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. During David's reign, it was the place where the Angel of Death, sent by God to punish the Israelites for David's sins, stayed his executing hand.
In his gratitude, David ordered that a great temple be built on that holy ground. Although he received divine revelation about its construction, he was forbidden from undertaking the project himself because he had shed blood. David passed the building instructions to Solomon. During the fourth year of his reign, Solomon launched construction and sent out calls for labor. According to different sources, both humans and djinn were recruited, most of them as slaves. Various rulers sent human slaves, and Solomon enslaved the djinn himself by the power and authority God had granted him.
Some accounts hold that the stones for the temple were fetched from quarries by female djinn. Some rabbinical interpretations of the Bible hold that the stones cried out in loud voices and moved themselves to the temple site.' The djinn dug for diamonds, dove for pearls, and brought the finest marble from all over the world.
The djinn participation is not included in all accounts of the temple: Biblical versions of the construction are given in 1 Kings 6-8 and 2 Chronicles 2-4; these omit mention of both djinn and demons. The Roman Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37-c. 100 CE) also gave no mention of the djinn in his Antiquities of the Jews, though he did cite Solomon's ability to exorcize demons (djinn) with the help of a magical ring.
Other sources provide a different picture of how the construction of the temple was accomplished. The great Persian poet and saint Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-73) wrote in his epic the Masnavi:
Solomon acquired his power over djinn through a vampiric djinni named Ornias. During the temple's construction, Ornias crept in one day at sunset in the form of burning fire and attacked the son of the master workman, a child Solomon loved as well. Ornias stole half the boy's pay and food, and sucked out his vital life force through his right thumb. The boy grew thinner and thinner. Worried, Solomon summoned him and learned about the djinni's attacks.
The king prayed intensely night and day for Ornias to be delivered into his hands. In answer, God sent the archangel Michael to Solomon with a ring made of copper and iron bearing an engraved seal of a pentagram, a five-pointed star. Michael instructed Solomon to wear the ring and use it to lock up all djinn, male and female, and force them to help build the temple.
The next morning, Solomon gave the ring to the boy and told him to throw it at the chest of Ornias and say, "King Solomon summons you here." The boy complied. Ornias tried to avoid the command by offering the boy all the riches in the world. The boy refused, and Ornias reluctantly appeared before Solomon, who demanded that he reveal his identity and purposes. Ornias, bound by the ring's magic, was forced to obey. He confessed he was the offspring of the archangel Uriel, and could shapeshift into the forms of a beautiful woman and a lion. In the form of a woman, he had sexual power over sleeping men.
Solomon ordered Ornias to cut stones for the temple, but the djinni was terrified of the withering power of iron tools.' The iron at the time was very pure, a form called magnetite. If djinn are composed of plasma, which can be affected by magnetic fields, then the magnetic energy given off by the ore might have been harmful to them.
Ornias cut a deal with Solomon to produce the prince of the djinn in exchange for his freedom. He took Solomon's ring and threw it at Beelzeboul.9 The prince gave out a mighty roar of flame, but was forced to appear before Solomon. Beelzeboul said he was the first angel in the first heaven, and he alone was left of the angels who fell from heaven. He ruled all the souls in Tartarus, (the underworld)." He had a son who haunted the Red Sea, who one day would return in triumph. He said he incited men to murder, wars, sodomy, lawlessness, heresy, and all manner of wicked deeds. "And I will destroy the world," he vowed.'
Solomon sentenced Beelzeboul to sawing blocks of Theban marble. The other djinn howled in protest at this degrading treatment of their prince, which surely must have strengthened their resolve to have revenge against humanity. Beelzeboul was helpless, and he agreed to summon all djinn for the king.
The Testament of Solomon gives a catalog of some of the djinn summoned to appear. Solomon forced them to tell their names, how they harmed people, and how they could be thwarted, or nullified, by angels. Some of them appeared in monstrous, half-human, half-animal forms, while others attended him as fire or wind.
The first was Onoskelis, who appeared as a half woman, half mule. She said she was born from "a voice of the echo of a black heaven, emitted in matter."" She lived in caves, ravines, and precipices-some of the favorite abodes of djinn. She strangled and perverted men. Solomon sentenced her to spinning hemp ropes for the temple construction.
Onoskelis' birth is an interesting statement; today, we know that much of the multiverse is composed of what scientists call "dark matter" and dark energy. It is called "dark" because we cannot see it; scientists can only observe its effect on the visible matter in our universe. Any reference to a dark heaven or universe could be interpreted today as originating from another dimension.
The second djinni forced to appear was the powerful Asmodeus (Asmodai), who was enraged at being subjected to such humiliation. He said he was born of an angel and a mortal woman, and his star burned bright in the heavens.13 Asmodeus angrily informed the king not to ask many questions because his kingdom and glory would soon end. The djinni then gave a chilling prediction of the battle cry still believed today to be held by many djinn resentful of humanity: "And your tyranny will be short over us; and then we will again have free range over mankind, so as that they will regard us as if we were gods, not knowing, men that they are, the names of the angels set over US. 1114
Angry, Solomon had Asmodeus bound more tightly and flogged with ox hide thongs. The djinni was forced to describe how he ruined marriages and love relationships, drove men to insanity, and caused them to commit murderous deeds. Asmodeus confessed how the archangel Raphael had taught men to exorcize him with the smoke of burned fish gall and livers." He also revealed the secret of his knowledge of the future: he could fly up into heaven and eavesdrop on angels.
Solomon sentenced Asmodeus to be weakened by iron, to carry ten water jugs, and to make clay by treading it with his feet. This was a great humiliation, for as you recall from page 18, Iblis told God that as a being of fire he would not bow before Adam, an inferior creature of mere clay. Asmodeus groaned terribly at his enslavement, but was forced to comply.
Solomon summoned other djinn. Some gave names that described their functions, such as Power, Strife, Deception, Jealousy, Error, and Battle. In addition to creating chaos and mayhem, they confessed to causing specific diseases and illnesses.
Lore tells us that the proud djinn were angry and embittered at the harsh treatment Solomon had given them. The only djinni not subjected to the slave labor was Iblis. A story goes that one day Iblis visited the temple site to comfort his djinn.
"How do ye fare?" he asked them.
"We have no rest in our condition," they answered.
"Do ye draw stones from the quarry, and then return empty thither?"
"Yes!" they replied.
"Then ye have some ease!" Iblis said.
Solomon overheard the djinn talking on the wind, and he punished them by ordering them to carry loads to and from the quarry.
When Iblis came again to comfort the djinn, they complained about the increase in their burdens. He said, "Do ye sleep at night?" When they said yes, he replied, "Then ye have some ease!" Solomon retaliated by ordering the djinn to work day and night.
According to The Testament, however, Solomon completed the temple, installed the Ark of the Covenant within it, and rested in glory. He had another significant djinn encounter when Adares, the king of Arabia, appealed to him to use his power to banish an evil spirit, a powerful wind djinni who was killing people and animals. Solomon gave a servant a wine flask and his magic ring, and told him how to capture and seal the djinni in the flask to imprison it. The servant did so. When presented to Solomon, the djinni stood up inside the flask and made it walk around. Solomon tricked this djinni, Ephippas, and another djinni from the Red Sea, Abezithibod (Abbadon), to raise a very large and heavy pillar into the air. He froze them in the air, as they held the pillar aloft.
Solomon would have lived out his days in peace and grandeur, according to The Testament, had he not fallen madly in love with a Jebusite woman. The priests of Moloch promised him the woman if he would bow to the gods Moloch and Remphan. He did, and the blessing of God left him for the rest of his days.
According to Rumi's Masnavi, God tested Solomon after the temple was finished. Solomon's magical ring was stolen by a djinni named Sakhar, who assumed the king's shape and impersonated him for forty days. Solomon was forced to wander about the land and beg for bread. After forty days, God restored Solomon to his rightful place, and the king began his worship inside the temple.
The stories about Solomon reinforce central themes in djinn history: outcast, abused and shamed, unable to exert their full powers in the world they coveted, their repressed resentment increased. Some djinn shrugged off the indignities and went about their lives and affairs, avoiding human contact. Others vowed revenge, biding their time over the centuries for the perfect opportunity to strike back.
It's clear that at one time humans enjoyed a more direct contact with the djinn, the latter of whom were unhappy with their situation. Knowing this, Solomon imprisoned an unknown number of djinn in brass bottles laced with iron, and sealed them with lead and a magical talisman. Some of the djinn were also held captive in magic rings made of rubies and fire opals. Many powerful but innocent djinn were also imprisoned at the time because Solomon feared that in the future, they may cause trouble for mankind.
Djinn Classifications
Before we continue presenting our research of the djinn, it's important that we clarify a few things. Djinn who choose to live next to humans or interact with them are known as aamar. Young djinn are called arwaah. Djinn who have evil intentions are called shayteen, and the more powerful djinn leaders are known as afrit. This identification of djinn is a very broad one, much like describing a person as only listening to one kind of music, or only enjoying one kind of food to the exclusion of all others. We shall see in the chapters to follow that djinn social structure is quite complex.
HE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT FEATURES PHIL'S djinn experiences
during a trip to Saudi Arabia in December of 1995. On his trip to
the Middle East, he was able to make a number of important
connections and contacts. The purpose of this trip originally had
nothing to do with the djinn, but as Phil traveled from country to
country he heard more of this ancient race and decided to make
learning about them a priority.
Phil's Uncertain Journey
During my tenure in the United States military, I served with a number of individuals who today are in influential positions not only in the American government, but also in two foreign countries, one of which is Saudi Arabia. On a trip to the Middle East in the 1990s, I discovered that a fellow soldier I knew from our service in the Vietnam War was now a high-ranking member of the security force of the royal Saudi family. At the time I was in Israel, and sent him a telegram explaining that I would like to visit him and asking if he could arrange entrance through customs without a hassle. Within twenty-four hours, I received an invitation to join him at his home, not far from the royal palace, and one of the only luxurious places in the country. I can only refer to this person as "Jack," becaues he's an American in service to a foreign power and his position requires a great deal of anonymity. I have not heard from him in more than ten years, and as of the writing of this book, have no idea of his current situation.
I arrived at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and went through customs. The officer there looked at my passport, paused for a very long time, looked at me again, and turned to his computer screen. I got a little worried and the people behind me in line began to step back as though they knew something was wrong. The customs officer then got on the phone and spoke in Arabic, a language I don't understand. He called over two nearby soldiers and had them escort me to a security room. I grew more worried. You see, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the ruling monarch at that time, had recently suffered a stroke and was unable to perform his duties as king. Many feared that dissidents would use this opportunity to seize control of the government. Perhaps my friend had already left the country, or was jailed by whoever was in control. You can understand my growing concern, thinking I might also be jailed because of my past military association with Jack.
A half hour later, a soldier walked into the small room. Speaking almost perfect English, he identified himself as Captain Yar- ramish and told me a car was waiting outside to take me to my destination.' I tried to ask him where I was being taken, but he insisted that I not ask any questions. We walked out the security area of the customs building. My mind flashed to an incident Jack and I had in Bangkok back in 1970. I said to myself, "Surely he must have forgotten about that by now!"
Outside was a white stretch limousine. The captain got in with me and we began our journey to our destination. I thought, "Well, they sure aren't going to take me to a prison in a limo, but then again, Jack always had a strange sense of humor." As we drove through the city, I was shocked at the living conditions: people were still living as they had lived in the eighteenth century. We must have passed forty gas stations on our trip and the price was no more than ten cents a liter!
Soon, we found ourselves in the upper-class part of the city. Here, the homes were fantastically large with very expensive cars in the driveways. The difference between this area and the poor section and outer fringes of the city was like day and night. The wealthy Saudi people lived much better than Americans, and the neighborhood I was now riding through would put Beverly Hills to shame. It was clear that there were two financial classes in this country: the extremely wealthy and the poor.
We stopped at a gate with two guards who waved us in. The car pulled into a long circular driveway. As I got out of the limo, Jack appeared, and greeted me with a smile and a hug. We went into a small villa they had prepared for me and we sat down to have a drink. Jack told me he had the rank of colonel in the Saudi security force, a position he had been in for the past five years. He asked me about my life since we last met. I told him that for the past thirteen years, I had been teaching science and had written a number of books on various topics. He looked at me, laughed, and said,"Yes, but that's the cover story. What are you really doing?" I couldn't get Jack to believe that I was nothing more than a science teacher-he was certain I was in the Middle East doing some type of reconnaissance for an intelligence agency. Jack said we were invited to a dinner party that evening with a member of the royal family. He then excused himself to attend to his duties, and recommended I get some rest.
A Strange Dinner Party
As soon as Jack left, I fell into a deep sleep. Not too much later, I was awakened by a knock on the door. It was a secretary from the royal family asking me if I was ready for dinner. What seemed only like a few minutes of sleep was actually several hours! I must have been very tired, since it is not normal for me to sleep so deeply, especially in a strange place. I let the gentleman in and apologized for not being ready. He seemed quite upset and insisted that I hurry because Prince Khalid bin Fahd was attending the dinner party and it is a custom and show of respect that the guests arrive first and wait for royalty to make their entrance.
As I hurried to get ready, dressing in the tuxedo already cleaned and pressed for me, the gentleman identifying himself as my "advisor" gave me brief instructions on behavior and social protocol in the Arab world, especially in the presence of royalty. The instructions for proper behavior made me feel like I was back in medieval times. In a strict serious voice, he told me, "We must arrive before His Highness. When he enters the room, if you are sitting, you must stand. If you are talking, be silent. If you have a drink in your hand, set it down. If you have a cigarette, put it out at once. Most importantly, do not walk up and introduce yourself. You must wait for His Highness to come to you."
Those were just the instructions for the cocktail party-there were more concerning the dinner: "Do not walk over to the table until the servant asks all present to do so. Stand by your chair and wait for His Highness to sit first. Do not look at His Highness unless he is addressing you, and under no circumstances talk to the prince. His Highness will make a toast, so be sure you stand and hold the wine glass with your right hand and look at His Highness when he gives the toast. After the toast, you may say `Thank you,' `Very nice,' or `Hear, hear.' Make sure you take one long drink and that Prince Khalid lowers his glass before you do."
After he had finished, I jokingly replied, "Is that all?" My advisor looked confused when I said, "Do you think after the toast I can give him the Vulcan salute and say `Live long and prosper?"' Of course, I was just kidding around, but my advisor didn't see the humor in it. As we drove to the palace, I was reminded that I was not in America-disrespect in even the slightest form was taken as an insult.
At the palace, I entered the hall and started to mingle. I must have looked quite sharp in my black tie tuxedo-many foreign dignitaries whose names I couldn't remember thought I was an ambassador for some western country!
One of the servants called us into the main dining room. All the guests, including myself, stood around a large table. My position was second from the right of the head of table and I was quite excited to think I was going to sit next to the prince. At that moment, another servant walked in and said that Prince Khalid had been called away on urgent business, and he apologized to all his guests. However, the prince's cousin was to take his place and would settle all business in His Highness's name after dinner. The cousin entered the room with two large bodyguards, and everyone bowed. He sat in his chair and everyone did the same. I was thankful there was no toast and that dinner was served promptly.
The royal cousin looked to be about thirty-five years old. The other guests addressed him as "Excellency" so I assumed he was a minister in the Saudi government. My friend Jack was sitting next to me on the left and he whispered that it would all right to ask a question. Before I could open my mouth, his Excellency looked at me and asked if I was an American, and why I was visiting his country. I replied that I was interested in learning more about the djinn. When His Excellency heard the word djinn, his expression changed from neutral to one of concern and excitement. He seemed surprised to hear the word djinn come from a westerner, and it seemed to catch his interest! "The djinn!" He said the word so loudly, the entire table went silent and everyone looked in his direction. "I will tell you about them. They are very real and live in my country." The story he proceeded to tell me is unverified, but His Excellency seemed very serious; I believe it is the truth. I will relate the story to the best of my memory.
To CATCH A DJINN
I asked His Excellency for a source of more information about the djinn and he instructed me to read the Qur'an. He turned to Jack, said something in Arabic, and then looked at me once again, and said, "This conversation is over." His Excellency then spoke with a number of his other guests. Jack knew I wanted to ask more and before I opened my mouth he elbowed me in the ribs quite hard. This I took as a very strong hint to keep my mouth shutmy conversation time with His Excellency was over.
After dinner I asked Jack what the prince's cousin had said to him. Jack told me he was instructed to take me to a mosque at the edge of the city to meet a holy man who knew everything about the djinn. I was thrilled and asked when we could go. Jack responded that the trip could be made in the morning, but he would not be going and would send his assistant, the captain who picked me up at the airport. A car then pulled up and took me back to the villa.
Visit with the Holy Man
Morning came too soon, and I was again awakened with a knock on my door. It was the captain. He said that we must leave immediately and asked me to dress in the more traditional clothes of the Saudi people in order to attract less attention. He told me that the area of the city we would be visiting was not safe for westerners. I dressed as he instructed and found the clothing quite comfortable, made of the finest Egyptian cotton. I looked like someone who had just stepped out of Lawrence ofArabia.
It took us about a half hour to reach our destination: a rundown part of the city inhabited by people who were quite poor. We pulled up in front of a building the captain said was more than three hundred years old and a former worship center of some sort. We were greeted at the door and taken into a room where a very old man was sitting smoking a water pipe. The captain bowed and started speaking in Arabic. He turned to me and said, "Please sit down. I will translate. You may ask any questions about the djinn but nothing more. Also, you will only get one response to each question. Do not get into a discussion with him." I was taken aback. I regretted not preparing a list of questions since my knowledge of the djinn at that time was limited only to what most westerners knew. I had no tape recorder, but it didn't matter, anyway, because tape recording was not allowed. I did take notes. Even though the meeting was more than fifteen years ago, I still remember everything the man said word for word.
A DARK STORY
According to the holy man, Allah created three intelligent races in the multiverse: Angels, djinn, and physical beings that include humans and all other "alien" races in the universe. Angels were created first, then djinn, who were placed on earth as stewards and masters. They were most loved by God. The djinn are made of fire, and have long life spans and great power. They are able to manipulate matter and change form. As a djinni becomes older, it acquires more knowledge and power. No one knows how long they live, but like all things, they eventually die and are answerable to Allah at the Day of Judgment.
In their time in the physical universe, the djinn built great cities ruled by powerful kings. The number of djinn who existed during their time on earth is unknown, but it could have been in the billions. Each group of djinn belonged to clans rather than states or countries, neither of which they had. According to the holy man, the clans frequently fought, often going to war over trivial matters. The wars lasted for thousands of years and polluted the environment. Before the djinn wars, earth was a paradise but their conflicts were turning it into a wasteland.
The djinn grew more powerful, using great and terrible weapons, eventually reaching the point of irreversibly damaging the physical universe. Allah knew that unless the wars were stopped, the djinn were also in danger of destroying themselves. Allah ordered an army of angels to stop them, but the djinn gathered their armies and engaged the angels in a war that lasted a thousand years. As the war drew to an end, the older and more powerful djinn finally fell. The djinn were cast into a parallel world close to our own. It is said that most went willingly, but some did not. They remain in this parallel dimension today.
Some of the djinn were allowed to stay in the physical universe to help repair the damage done by their race so that Allah's new creation, Adam, could populate the earth. These remaining djinn were ordered to help humans in their early years, teaching them language, the sciences, and the will of Allah. These groups of djinn were known as amir to the human race and interacted with men and women quite frequently. As time passed, many of the djinn who were allowed to remain behind began to isolate themselves from humans and became resentful. After many centuries, their resentment turned into hate and instead of helping humankind, they set out to destroy us. The holy man said that these djinn were influenced by Iblis, an evil djinni who made it his mission to destroy all the beings in the physical universe who were not djinn. The amir were then quarantined (by angels) into certain geographic locations, where they remain today. These areas became their home, and is the reason why many places on the planet are thought to be haunted. These places are actually occupied by djinn who can shapeshift into almost any form they please. The amir djinn's main purpose is to keep humans out by terrifying them and preying upon their impressionable nature.
WHAT ABOUT THE ROLE OF IBLIS?
I asked the holy man how Iblis fit into the story he had just told me. The holy man replied, "Iblis was the most powerful of the djinn; he was ascended and even associated with the angels. After the djinn wars, Iblis took the side of his race and refused to help prepare the world for humankind. When he refused, Iblis was cast out of heaven and could no longer associate with angels or other ascended beings."
The holy man said the majority of djinn have never seen Iblis and often debate whether he exists or not. Some of the djinn actually worship Iblis and look upon him as a savior who will help them reclaim the world they were forced to leave. To humans, Iblis is the greatest threat humanity will ever face, but to many djinn, he is considered a hero and a Christ-like figure.
The old man said that Iblis, still fearing the wrath of the angels, often takes a human form to conceal himself and lead the armies of man against each other in the hope of making them destroy themselves, thus leaving him and other djinn blameless. In one example, prior to a great battle, Allah saw that the leader of the evil army of men was really Iblis. Allah then sent the angel Jibril against Iblis.3 When Iblis saw the powerful angel descending from the sky, he yelled out, "I have nothing to do with this! I am not part of this army and this war is of no fault of mine!" He praised Allah and fled. The great battle was stopped, and thousands of human lives were saved.
Iblis' ability to take on human form and become a great leader parallels the Christian prophecy of the coming of the Antichrist, a powerful being who is the devil incarnate that will lead the human race to a great war known as Armageddon. The holy man continued to talk of the djinn for several hours, after which he be came tired and asked us to leave. He mentioned a cave near Oman which the djinn use to enter our world.
The holy man also said there were a number of towns and small villages in Oman, Iraq, and Syria in which the djinn have established strongholds. To me, this behavior seems to indicate they were creating beachheads to mount an invasion on the human race. When I heard about a place in Oman where these beings could enter our world, I had to see it for myself. I was already in the area, and knew that unless I took advantage of my proximity to visit the cave, I might never get another chance to explore it.
Majlis al Djinn
The djinn enter our world through some kind of interdimensional portal. We have many cases in our files where wormhole-like openings have appeared, and strange creatures or beings have emerged. These dimensional travelers would be regarded as djinn in the Middle East, but here in the Western Hemisphere, they are called "aliens." Some Muslims believe there are locations on the planet in which a djinni or a djinn family exist and share our world. One of these locations is located in Oman on the Selma Plateau in a very remote area known as Majlis al Djinn-"the meeting place of the djinn." Although many citizens of Oman, especially in the nearby villages, believe the cave is the home of djinn, the name was actually given by twentieth-century explorers who were fascinated with the locals' beliefs. The original Omani name of the cave was KhoshilatMaqandeli, which means "the place to harbor goats."
Majlis al Djinn is the eighth largest cave in the world and has the fifteenth largest chamber. The cave's main chamber is so huge, it could fit the Great Pyramid of Giza inside it and still have room. The cave was formed by water that slowly ate away at carbonate rocks in the Tertiary period.' The cave was not fully explored until 1983, but local residents knew of its existence for centuries and kept their distance because they believed a djinni had made its home there.
There are no visible lower exits or passages leading from the chamber to the ground above-only several openings in the ground leading straight down into the main chamber. Water entering the cave collects along the lowest part of the floor, then slowly infiltrates into the fine-grained, mud-cracked sediment. The entrances receive surface runoff from a small drainage area, so water never reaches most parts of the cave. While surface temperatures can exceed ninety degrees, air temperatures inside the chamber hover around sixty degrees. Access to the cavern is available only through a free descent of one of three vertical entrances in the ceiling, a drop of about 320 feet.
A TRIP TO OMAN
While still in Saudi Arabia, I asked my friend Jack if he could arrange passage into Oman for me to see this cave firsthand. Fortunately, the weather was still quite cool, and the trip would not be that taxing for a person like me who was more used to the temperate climate of New England. Jack arranged for his right-hand man, Captain Yarramish, to go with me. I was delighted, as I had come to trust and know this man and his family quite well. He didn't even seem to mind me mispronouncing his last name. His first name was so long that he agreed to let me call him "Yarr." He seemed to find it amusing, and told me, "This is something only an American could say and get away with."
Saudi Arabia borders Oman, and our trip that day was short, thanks to the small passenger jet Jack had arranged for us. After about a one-hour flight, we landed at Seeb International Airport (now called Muscat International Airport). Yarr told me a vehicle would be waiting for us and we would drive to a small town called Fins, close to the Gulf of Oman in a region called the Eastern Hajar Mountains. In Fins, we would meet a person who would show us to the cave.
The trip in the four-wheeled drive vehicle was quite beautiful. We drove south on a major road; the view of the vivid blue gulf on our left was breathtaking, as were the mountains to the right. What impressed me the most was that everything looked very cleanthere was not one piece of garbage or one sign of human irresponsibility. Oman was indeed a beautiful country, and I understood why so many statesmen in the Arab world fought as hard as they did to preserve their culture and home.
Yarr and I arrived in Fins early in the afternoon. Since we planned to make the trip the next morning, we spent the rest of the day enjoying meals, drinks, and a little sightseeing; I was even allowed to visit a mosque, a rarity in the Arabic-speaking world. Later, with Yarr as my translator, I asked some locals about the djinn. To my surprise, they were quite willing to talk to me, and I was able to gather a number of interesting legends. I was told over and over again that I should not study the djinn, as my curiosity would invite their attention and they would definitely investigate my intentions. The townspeople seemed convinced that the djinn were returning to our world and one day, if appropriate action was not taken, the djinn might rule human beings. However, it was the hope of all that the djinn would return and peaceably co-exist with us as they did a very long time ago.
I spoke with one person, a teacher, who said he always thought tales about the djinn were nothing but legends-until he had an encounter with one in the mountains, close to a town called Al Jaylah. Although the teacher refused to elaborate, he said that governments of Oman and the United States know about the djinn and are trying to deal with them. When I asked how he knew this, he replied that after his djinn encounter he ran into American, Saudi, and Omani "soldiers" who said they had been tracking a djinni for two days. He went with them to a base in the mountains where he was "interrogated" for several hours. According to the teacher, the "soldiers" told him not to give details about what he saw. He seemed more fearful of the soldiers then he was of the djinn. Despite my efforts at persuasion, he would not elaborate on his encounter.
I was eager to go to the area where the djinn have been seen and could hardly wait until morning came. We stayed at a small inn and I could not fall asleep that night-I was too excited about our trip into the mountains.
THE MEETING PLACE OF THE DJINN
The next morning, we got up early, had a quick breakfast, and met our guide at the four-wheel drive vehicle. I looked in the back and saw not only climbing gear, but two 9mm pistols. I asked about the gear and was told that in order to get into the cave, one had to rappel down about a hundred meters (three hundred feet). This was all right with me-I had a great deal of experience climbing mountains and exploring caves and mines. Yarr said he brought the pistols because the area is desolate and we might encounter bandits. He and the guide expected no trouble, but they wanted to be prepared. "Better to have the guns and not need them than to need them and not have them," he said. Our guide said the cave was about ten miles to the south and we would arrive in about forty minutes. There was only one path leading to the entrance, and the going would have to be slow, as it was very rocky.
A half hour later, we stopped and got out. Our guide said that we would have to walk about one kilometer to reach the entrance. It was a sunny day and the temperature was about seventy degrees, perfect for a hike in the desert mountains. We reached the top of a hill and I saw what appeared to be a large hole with a diameter of about ten feet. I leaned over, looked into the "hole," and was quite surprised-I had heard the cave's main chamber was large, but the sight was unbelievable. I was to discover later that this was one of three cave entrances. I shined a light into the opening and the beam didn't illuminate the cave floor. Only as the sun rose higher in the sky were we able to see the illuminated ground below. I looked in once again and saw a green mist I assumed must have been coming from the cave's water. The air coming out of the cave was very cold. From my past experience in exploring deep caves and mines, I knew this meant the cave was considerably deep.
Our guide then spoke his first words of English to me, "Are you ready, my friend? You must go alone. We (referring to himself and Yarr) do not go in." I knew Yarr wasn't going to go, but I hadn't expected our guide to decline as well. In retrospect, it was probably a sign that something truly sinister was down in that cave.
We anchored several clamps in the rock and hooked the rope on the rapelling harness. I began my slow descent into the cave. The only illumination was the light of the sun projecting almost straight down into the hole from above. As I was midway down, a mist began to rise up. I thought I heard echoes coming from the darkness of the cave. They sounded like a human voice speaking Arabic. I stopped my descent and the mist appeared to take on a large form just below me. I found this strange because this part of the mist was not illuminated by the sun, yet it glowed with a greenish hue. I heard the voice again, but this time it spoke English. Although there was quite a bit of echo, I was absolutely sure it was saying, "Leave. My place."
My two companions must have also witnessed the same thing because they spoke rapidly with each other and seemed quite agitated. Although I couldn't understand what they were saying, one word was clear-djinn. They ran away from the cave opening, leaving me hanging about seventy-five feet in the air. Fearing that they were going to leave altogether, I climbed out and saw them running toward the vehicle. I got out of my climbing gear and yelled for them not to leave. Yarr yelled back, "Hurry, my friend! It is the djinn!" I scrambled to catch up with them at the car. Breathlessly, I asked them both, "What the hell is going on?!" Yarr replied, "Didn't you see it?! It was a djinni taking form and telling us to get out of this place at once!" Although I thought I heard a voice and saw a vague, cylindrical-shaped mist, both men insisted they saw the shape of a djinni and clearly heard a voice ordering us to leave.
Yarr and the guide refused to go back to the cave, insisting we leave the area immediately. I wasn't going to hang around in the mountains by myself, so I had no choice but to get in the car. On our way back to the village, both my companions said prayers to Allah in Arabic. Our guide refused to talk about the incident, but Yarr kept repeating, "I had heard they were real, but didn't think too much about it. They are real!"
The next day when I tried to get more information, Yarr informed me that some constable of the town had asked us to leave. Yarr said it would be a good idea to take his advice and leave as soon as possible. It was disappointing to be so close, yet so far from learning more about the djinn. Apparently, the people in the town thought I had awakened a nasty old djinni and they were afraid of reprisals. Yarr and I made our way back on to the road and to the airport to return to Saudi Arabia. Soon after, I spent a short amount of time in Syria to gather more information, and not too long after that, I returned to the United States.
Not long after my visit to Majlis al Djinn, the Omani government opened the cave to the public, and by 2007, it had seen more than a hundred thousand visitors. It became so famous that even a number of American and European commercials were filmed there. For some unknown reason, the Omani Ministry of Tourism closed the cave to all people in 2008 and now, no one is allowed to en ter. Their given reason was "safety concerns," but perhaps the djinn proved stubborn and unwilling to give up their "meeting place." I heard rumors from people in Oman, Syria, and Iraq that djinn have already infiltrated into our world and wield a great influence in a number of villages and cities in those countries. I will never forget the final warning I received from our guide when Yarr and I left Fins: "Watch closely, my friend-the djinn have returned to our world!"
HE HUMAN RACE HAS BEEN entrusted with the care, upkeep,
and overall balance of our planet. This stewardship is a delicate
relationship; even small mistakes can have devastating longterm
results on the environment. The Qur'an makes it clear that the
djinn failed in this responsibility and were replaced by human
beings. If the human race takes the time to study the mistakes the
djinn made when they were stewards of this planet, then perhaps we
can avoid the major environmental catastrophes that might take
place in the near future.
The djinn are a beautiful creation of God, made from fire or a special smokeless flame. In modern terminology, it can be said that they are beings of plasma in its most energetic state. Just like humans, they have free will and the ability to choose between good and evil. Their exercising it means the djinn have (or had) the ability to take action and better the state of their environment, or upset its balance for selfish or misguided reasons. Iblis, the ascended djinni who earned the right to live among the angels, exercised his free will when God ordered him and the other djinn to bow down in honor of man. In defiance, he yelled out, "No! I am superior to he!" As the result of this, Iblis was thrown out of the company of angels, becoming the adversary of the human race forever.
The Qur'an makes it clear that not all djinn are evil: some walk the path to God and follow the teaching of not only the Prophet Muhammad, but also Jesus Christ, whose teachings were meant for all sentient beings, not just humanity. The Qur'an devotes an entire chapter to the djinn race, enabling us to learn and understand more about our predecessors, hopefully learning from their accomplishments and mistakes.
Did the Djinn Affect Human History?
The djinn were created before mankind and were entrusted with great knowledge and power. That knowledge gave the djinn the ability to manipulate the physical world around them. Many civilizations of ancient history attribute their growth and development to one or a group of mysterious benefactors who descended from the sky and glowed or burned like fire. Were they actually djinn?
When Moses received the Ten Commandments, he saw God as a burning bush. The flame that engulfed the bush didn't consume it, and it didn't give off any smoke. When the Israelites left Egypt, Pharaoh's soldiers were held at bay by a "pillar of fire." Both the burning bush and the pillar of fire resemble the Qur'an's description of the djinn. If they were perceived as gods from the sky, they may have steered humanity in unique directions. They may have even shaped humanity's ancient religious beliefs and been responsible for the multiple gods and goddesses worshipped in ancient cultures around the world.
A Lesson to Be Learned
The djinn failed in the trust God had given them, and as a result, lost dominion over the earth. Responsibility was passed to the human race and we are now entrusted with that same knowledge and control. However, God states in the Qur'an that if humanity fails in what has been entrusted to us, God will raise up another to take our place, just as we were created to take the djinn's place. Is it possible that we may soon see drastic changes on our planet?
The Djinn and the Qur'an
Al-Djinn ("The Djinn") is the surah (chapter or book within the Qur'an) dedicated to them and what makes this chapter especially interesting is that the djinn seem to be speaking in first-person. Since translations of the Qur'an into English differ slightly from scholar to scholar, we have consulted three different versions in our research, but primarily used the Asim reader version. We also have included our comments at the end of a number of chapters. Please note that Qur'an references to a "him," "his," or "he" usually mean Allah (God).
The djinn are also mentioned in a number of Islamic writings, and one must read passages carefully to fully understand their meaning. We have included passages from the Qur'an and a few passages from hadith (one of the most well known being the Sahih al-Bukhari), which are texts concerning the words and actions of the Prophet, considered as important to Islamic life as the Qur'an itself.
THE QUR'AN-AL-DJINN (THE DJINN) 72.I-28
[72.1] Say: It has been revealed to me that hundreds of djinn listened (to the Qur'an) and said, `We have really heard a wonderful recital!
[72.2] `It gives guidance to the right path, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in worship) any (gods) but our Lord Allah.
[72.3] `And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son.
[72.4] `There were some foolish ones among us, who used to utter extravagant lies against Allah;
[72.5] `But we do think that no man or djinn should say aught that untrue against Allah.
[72.6] `True, there were persons among mankind who took shelter with persons among the djinn, but they increased them in folly.
[72.7] `And djinn and men came to think as ye thought, that Allah would not raise up anyone (to Judgment).
[72.8] `And we sought to reach into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires.
[72.9] `We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.
[72.10] `And we understand not whether ill is intended to those on earth, or whether their Lord (really) intends to guide them to right conduct.
[72.11] `There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary: we follow divergent paths. Many of us djinn worship Allah in their own way.
[72.12] `But we think that we can by no means frustrate Allah throughout the earth, nor can we frustrate him by flight.
[72.13]. And as for us, since we have listened to the Guidance, we have accepted it: and any who believes in his Lord has no fear, either of a short (account) or of any injustice.
[72.14] `Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to Allah), and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills-they have sought out the path of right conduct:
[72.15] `But those who swerve, they are (but) fuel for Hellfire.'-
[72.16] (And Allah's Message is): "If the non-believers had only remained on the (right) Way, we should certainly have bestowed on them Rain in abundance.
[72.17] "That we might try them by that (means). But if any turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, he will cause him to undergo a severe Penalty.
[72.18] "And the places of worship are for Allah (alone) so invoke not any one along with Allah;
[72.19] "Yet when the devotee of Allah stands forth to invoke him, they just make round him a dense crowd."
[72.20] Say: "I do no more than invoke my Lord, and I join not with him any false god."
[72.21] Say: "It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to right conduct."
[72.22] Say: "No one can deliver me from Allah (If I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him,
[72.23] "Unless I proclaim what I receive from Allah and his Messages: for any that disobey Allah and his messenger, for them is Hell: they shall dwell therein for ever."
[72.24] At length, when they see (with their own eyes) that which they are promised, then will they know who it is that is weakest in (his) helper and least important in point of numbers.
[72.25] Say: "I know not whether the (Punishment) which ye are promised is near, or whether my Lord will appoint for it a distant term.
[72.26] "He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does he make any one acquainted with His Mysteries,-
[72.27] "Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before and behind him,
[72.28] "That He may know that they have (truly) brought and delivered the Messages of their Lord: and He surrounds (all the mysteries) that are with them, and takes account of every single thing."
Comments: This is a remarkable chapter, for the djinn seem to be the ones speaking. They make it clear that only the followers of Iblis are evil and there are many djinn who are Islamic, Christian, and followers of other religions. They also indicate that they have the ability to fly and in the past have often gone up to heaven to eavesdrop on the angels, but then were blocked by "fire" or some type of energy barrier. In the Bible and other Judeo-Christian literature, angels are depicted as being, or being surrounded by, pillars of fire. The cherubim, a high order of angel, wield swords of fire to guard access to the Trees of Life and and Knowledge, and the gates of Eden-in other words, the secrets of heaven.
THE QUR'AN-AL-HIJR (STONE LAND, ROCK CITY) 15.26-40
[15.26] And indeed, we created man from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.
[15.27] And the djinn race, we created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire.
[15.28] And remember when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
[15.29] So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him the soul which I created for him, then fall down prostrating yourselves unto him."
[15.30] So, the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together. Except Iblis (Satan),-he refused to be among the pros- trators.
[15.31] Allah said: "0 Iblis! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?
[15.32] Iblis said: I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom you created from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.
[15.33] Allah said: Then, get out from here, for verily, you are rajim.'
[15.34] And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Resurrection.
[15.35] Iblis said: 0 my Lord! Give me then respite till the day the dead will be resurrected.
[15.36] Allah said: Then, verily, you are of those reprieved, Till the Day of the time appointed.
[15.37] Iblis (Satan) said: 0 my Lord! because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for mankind on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.
[15.38] Accept you are chosen among them.
[15.39] Allah said: This is the Way which will lead straight to me.
Additional References to Djinn in the Qur'an
THE QUR'AN-AL-ANAAM (CATTLE AND LIVESTOCK) 6.ioo, 112, 128, 130
[6.100] And they make the djinn associates with Allah, while He created them, and they falsely attribute to Him sons and daughters without knowledge; glory be to Him, and highly exalted is He above what they ascribe.
[6.112] And thus did we make for every prophet an enemy, the shaitans3 from among men and djinn, some of them suggesting to others varnished falsehood to deceive, and had your Lord pleased they would not have done it, therefore leave them and that which they forge.
[6.128] And on the day when he shall gather them all together: 0 assembly of djinn! You took away a great part of mankind. And their friends from among the men shall say: Our Lord! Some of us profited by others and we have reached our appointed term which Thou didst appoint for us. He shall say: The fire is your abode, to abide in it, except as Allah is pleased; surely your Lord is wise, knowing.
[6.130] "0 ye assembly of Jinns and men! came there not unto you messengers from amongst you, setting forth unto you My signs, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say: "We bear witness against ourselves." It was the life of this world that deceived them. So against themselves will they bear witness that they rejected Faith."
Comments: This chapter centers on the fall of Iblis from the grace of God. He is allowed to influence men who have strayed away from the right path, but not allowed to touch those who are chosen. Here we see that some djinn did not teach the worship of God to their children, and that some djinn have corrupted human beings. The evil djinn have assigned devils, evil men, or djinn to attack the prophets.
THE QUR'AN-AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS) 7.38, P79
[7.38] He will say: Enter into fire among the nations that have passed away before you from among djinn and men; whenever a nation shall enter, it shall curse its sister, until when they have all come up with one another into it; the last of them shall say with regard to the foremost of them: Our Lord! These led us astray therefore give them a double chastisement of the fire. He will say: Every one shall have double but you do not know.
[7.179] And surely, we have created many of the djinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not the truth. They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. Some people asked Allah's Apostle about the foretellers [fortune tellers]. He said, "They are nothing." They said, "0 Allahs Apostle! Sometimes they tell us of a thing which turns out to be true." Allah's Apostle said, "A djinn snatches that true word and pours it into the ear of his friend the foreteller as one puts something into a bottle. The foreteller then mixes with that word one hundred lies. And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan) then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, he is all-hearer, all-knower. And they have invented a kinship between Him and the djinn, but the djinn know well that they have indeed to appear before. And on the Day when He will gather them together and say: 0 you assembly of djinn! Many did you mislead of men 0 you assembly of djinn and mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you my verses and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They will say: "We bear witness against ourselves. It was the life of this world that deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.
Comments: The Qur'an is against fortune-telling and the readings of today's psychics and mediums. Christianity also takes a similar stance on this topic.
THE QUR'AN-HUD (THE HOLY PROPHET) 11.119
Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed his mercy and for that did he create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled. Surely, I shall fill Hell with djinn and men all together. This is because your Lord would not destroy the populations of towns for their wrongdoing while their people were unaware.
THE QUR'AN-IBRAHIM (ABRAHAM) 14.22
And Shaitan (Iblis/Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allah. Verily, there is a painful torment for those who do not believe or worship other gods.
THE QUR'AN-AL-ISRA (IsRA, THE NIGHT JOURNEY, CHILDREN OF ISRAEL) 17.61-64, 88
[17.61] And when we said to the angels: "Prostrate unto Adam." They prostrated except Iblis. He said: "Shall I prostrate to one whom you created from clay?"
[17.62] Iblis said: "See? This one whom You have honored above me, if You give me respite and keep me alive to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his offspring, all but a few!"
[17.63] (Allah) said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)-an ample recompense."
[17.64] "Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.
[17.88] Say: "If the whole of mankind and djinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support."
THE QUR'AN-AL-KAHF (THE CAVE) 18,50
And when We said to the angels: make obeisance to Adam; they made obeisance, but Iblis did it not. He was of the djinn, so he transgressed the commandment of his Lord. What! would you then take him and his offspring for friends rather than me, and they are your enemies? Evil is change for the unjust.
THE QUR'AN-AN-NAML (THE ANT) 27.I7, 39
[27.17] And his hosts of the djinn and the men and the birds were gathered to him, and they were formed into groups.
[27.39] One audacious among the djinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place.
Comment: The above passages indicate the djinn formed groups or clans.
THE QUR'AN-AS-SAJDA (THE ADORATION) 32.13
And if We had pleased we would certainly have given to every soul its guidance, but the word from me was just: I will certainly fill hell with the djinn and men together.
Comment: This is another reference that Hell was not made for only evil human beings, but for the djinn as well.
THE QUR'AN-SABA (SHEBA) 34.12, 14, 41
[34.12] And we (the djinn) made the wind subservient to Sulayman (Solomon), which made a month's journey in the morning and a months journey in the evening, and we made a fountain of molten copper to flow out for him, and of the djinn there were those who worked before him by the command of his Lord; and whoever turned aside from Our command from among them, We made him taste of the punishment of burning.
[34.14] But when We decreed death for him, naught showed them his death but a creature of the earth that ate away his staff; and when it fell down, the djinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment.
[34.41] They shall say: Glory be to Thee! Thou art our Guardian, not they; nay! they worshipped the djinn; most of them were believers in them.
Comments: This points to the ability of the djinn to turn one substance into another. During the time of King Solomon copper was highly sought after to make bronze. This passage also tells us of the djinn servitude to Solomon as punishment and that other powerful djinn enforced this action.
THE QUR'AN-FATIR (THE ANGELS) 35.6
Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they may become the dwellers of the blazing fire.
THE QUR'AN-AS-SAAFFAT (THE RANKS) 37.158
And they assert a relationship between him and the djinn; and certainly the djinn do know that they shall surely be brought up.
THE QUR'AN-FUSSILAT (THE EXPLANATION) 41.25, 29
[41.25] And We have appointed for them comrades so they have made fair-seeming to them what is before them and what is behind them, and the word proved true against them-among the nations of the djinn and the men that have passed away before them-that they shall surely be losers.
[41.29] And those who disbelieve will say: Our Lord! show us those who led us astray from among the djinn and the men that we may trample them under our feet so that they may be of the lowest.
THE QUR'AN-AZ-ZUKHRUF (ORNAMENTS OF GOLD, LUXURY) 43.62
It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his supporters and friends so fear them not, but fear me, if you are believers. And let not Shaitan hinder you, verily, he (Satan or Iblis) to you is a plain enemy.
THE QUR'AN-AL-AHQAF (THE DUNES) 46.18, 29
[46.18] These are they against whom the word has proved true among nations of the djinn and the men that have already passed away before them; surely they are losers.
[46.29] And when We turned towards you a party of the djinn who listened to the Qur'an; so when they came to it, they said: Be silent; then when it was finished, they turned back to their people warning them.
THE QUR'AN-AZ-DHARIYAT (THE WINDS) 51-56
And I (Allah) created not the djinn and humans except they should worship me alone.
THE QUR'AN-AR-RAHMAN (THE BENEFIT) 55.15, 33, 39, 56, 74
[55.15] And he created the djinn of a flame of fire.
[55.33] 0 assembly of the djinn and the men! If you are able to pass through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass through; you cannot pass through but with authority.
[55.39] So on that day neither man nor djinni shall be asked about his sin.
[55.56] In them shall be those who restrained their eyes; before them neither man nor djinni shall have touched them.
[55.74] Man has not touched them before them nor djinn.
THE QUR'AN-AN-NAS (MANKIND) 114.4
From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws. Who whispers in the breasts of mankind, "Of djinn and men?"
Comments: Once again we see how evil, powerful djinn influence humans by whispering in the ears. This characteristic has been ascribed to many other kinds of spirits throughout history. For example, the ancient Greeks believed in daimones ("divine beings"), a type of intelligence or attending spirit. The daimones ranged from good to neutral to bad, and attempted to persuade people to various actions good and bad. Daimones appear in the works of numerous Greek philosophers. Socrates said he had a good daimon (an agathodaimon) who whispered in one ear and a bad daimon (a kakodaimon) who whispered in the other. Plutarch described the daimones as living for centuries, and possessing thoughts so intense in vibration that they could be heard by other spiritual beings and sensitive humans. Spirits whispering in the ear is one of the most common reported paranormal experiences today.
Hadith
As mentioned earlier, the Sahih al-Bukhari is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Sunni Islam, collected by the Muslim scholar Muhammad Ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870). Most Sunni Muslims consider the Sahih al-Bukhari as the most authentic book after the Qur'an. The djinn are mentioned in these writings, and evil djinn are referred to as "devils." Other hadith are quoted as well, including the Al-Muwatta, Sahih Muslim, and the Sunan AbuDawud.
HADITH-SAHIH BUKHARI 4.533
The Prophet said, "Cover your utensils and tie your water skins, and close your doors and keep your children close to you at night, as the djinn spread out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out your lights, for the mischief-doer may drag away the wick of the candle and burn the dwellers of the house."
HADITH-AL-MUWATTA 51.10
Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya Ibn Said, "When the Messenger of Allah was taken on the night journey, and he saw an evil djinni seeking him with a torch of fire. Whenever the Messenger of Allah turned, he saw him. Jibril (the Archangel Gabriel) said to him, `Shall I teach you some words to say? When you say them, his torch will be put out and will fall from him.' The Messenger of Allah said, `Yes, indeed.' Jibril said, `Say, `I seek refuge with the Face of Allah and with the complete words of Allah which neither the good person nor the corrupt can exceed, from the evil of what descends from the sky and the evil of what ascends in it, and from the evil of what is created in the earth and the evil of what comes out of it, and from the trials of the night and day, and from the visitations of the night and day, except for one that knocks with good, 0 Merciful!"
HADITH-AL-MUWATTA 54.33
The snake stirred on the end of the spear and the youth fell dead. No one knew which of them died first, the snake or the youth. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah said, "There are djinn in Madina who have become Muslim. When you see one of them, call out to it for three days. If it appears after that, then kill it, for it is a shaitan."
Comment: This is an interesting passage, for it says that there are good djinn and one should leave them alone and live in peace with them, but beware of the evil djinn. This passage gives instructions on how to tell them apart.
HADITH-AL-TIRMIDHI 350
Allah's Messenger said: Don't cleanse yourself with dung or with bones for that is the food of your brothers from amongst the djinn.
Comment: Once again, the djinn are called the "brothers" of mankind.
HADITH-AL-TIRMIDHI 358
Allah's Messenger said: The screen between the eyes of djinn and the private parts of the sons of Adam as one of them enters the privy is that he should say: In the name of Allah.
HADITH-SAHIH MUSLIM 39.6757
Allah's Apostle said: There is none amongst you with who is not an attache from amongst the djinn. They said: Allah's Apostle with you too? Thereupon he said: Yes, but Allah helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand and he does not command me but for good.
HADITH-SUNAN ABU-DAWUD 36.5236
Muhammad Ibn AbuYahya said that his father told that he and his companion went to AbuSa id al-Khudri to pay a sick visit to him. He said: Then we came out from him and met a companion of ours who wanted to go to him. We went ahead and sat in the mosque. He then came back and told us that he heard AbuSa id al-Khudri say: The Apostle of Allah said: Some snakes are djinn; so when anyone sees one of them in his house, he should give it a warning three times. If it return (after that), he should kill it, for it is a devil.
If Djinn Are Real, Why Are They Not Mentioned in the Bible?
This is a question that comes up over and over again. There are other types of beings mentioned in the Christian Bible who are not humans or angels. In several translated verses of the Old Persian Bible, the words jinn, jaann, and Iblis are mentioned as the names of the devil and demons. In Cornelius Van Allen Van Dyck's Arabic translation of the Bible, these specific words are mentioned in Leviticus 19:31 and 20:6, Matthew 4:1 and 12:22, Luke 4:5 and 8:12, and John 8:44.
More modern translations-there are dozens in use today-use different terminology. Here are the above verses in the King James Bible, the predominant text used until the mid-twentieth century, and the New American Standard translation made in 1995:
LEVITICUS 19:31
King James-"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."
New American Standard-"Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God."
LEVITICUS 2o:6
King James-"And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people."
New American Standard-"As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people."
MATTHEW 4:I
King James-"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."
New American Standard-"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
MATTHEW I2:22
King James-"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."
New American Standard-"Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw."
LUKE 4:5
King James-"And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed [showed] unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time."
New American Standard-'And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time."
LUKE 8:I2
King James-"Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved."
New American Standard-"Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved."
JOHN 8:44
King James-"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
New American Standard-"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
So, it seems that the term jinn does appear indirectly in the Christian bible, but due to the many interpretations and translations over the years the words djinn, jinn, and Iblis were replaced by devils, demons, and familiar spirits. Perhaps the devils and demons of Christianity are really evil members of the ancient race of djinn.
T'S A DIFFICULT TASK To research and obtain information
about a race of beings that prefers to remain hidden from us. For
the most part, all we have are stories and legends that have been
handed down through generations. Most of the information in this
chapter comes from information obtained from Phil's trips to
several Middle Eastern countries. Information he gathered was in
the form of written legends, passages from the Qur'an, and stories
from holy men and families he met. Later, we found additional data
in a number of books and papers written by Muslim scholars. These
references appear in the bibliography.
The djinn are much older than the human race but exactly how much older is unknown. However, if they were around before Adam, the time period from their creation to the present day could be millions of years. A being that could exist for hundreds of centuries could accumulate a great deal of knowledge about the universe and be very powerful. As you might expect, in their long life spans, they have developed a complex society and have evolved with a great deal of diversity.
When compared to a human, a djinni's life span is very long. A person in good health may live to be eighty years old. We consider this age quite elderly, but a djinni of this age is yet a toddler. In a person's life span, an individual learns at his or her own pace. This rhythm is determined not only by the individual's interest level, but also by his or her goals, spiritual development, and intelligence.
Just like their human counterparts, djinn are born with free will and have very little knowledge and power. Humans attend school to learn more about their world, how to function within it, and how to contribute to society. The djinn do the same. The big difference is that a human child may have sixteen years or so of direct schooling, while djinn juveniles may be in training for thousands of years before they can graduate to a higher level.
People mistakenly tend to place all djinn in a single category, assuming all act with a single purpose, controlled by one mentality. This is far from the case; each djinni is an individual, just as is a person. Although djinn are subject to the same laws and morals as humans operating within a social construct, there are renegades who choose to not follow rules. The information the human race has about the djinn not only comes from historical writings and stories, but from djinn who like to talk excessively, another way information about them filters through the dimensions.
Individual djinn react differently to human presence. There are djinn who are harmless and feel indifference toward us and there are djinn who interact with humans, but benignly. Many of the younger djinn are just as curious about us as we are about them and it is in this type of encounter in which a juvenile djinni will take on a different form, such as an animal, fairy, or other type of entity that would surely get our attention and at the same time, conceal its true nature. Shapeshifting appears to be the only way these "youngsters" can get close enough to study us. On a similar note, younger djinn seem to be more attracted to children than adults and will often appear before them in one of the forms mentioned above. They may also stay invisible and communicate using only a disembodied voice. We use the term "youngster" here, but please realize that although the human child may be six years old, the djinn child is most likely thousands of years old.
Some of the very old and powerful djinn have interacted with humans in the past, but they seem to have their own agendas for the most part. A few of these powerful djinn have been sealed in prisons by angels, and in some cases, by King Solomon himself. Although these djinn are not necessarily evil, they have acquired dangerous amounts of power and are unpredictable. They have the free will to act out and may some day pose a threat to humanity. In old Arabian stories, it is this type of djinni that is freed from imprisonment. As the story often goes, the djinni is so grateful that it (usually a "he") grants its human liberator three wishes. After the three wishes are fulfilled the djinni goes on his way, completely free. However, the story doesn't always turn out well for the people involved. The centuries-long imprisonment often makes the djinni resentful, angry, and even psychotic. When finally released from his prison, the djinni sometimes takes his anger out on the human who set him free and then continues to exact revenge on all creatures he blames for his long period of captivity-the human race being enemy number one.
The Thief of Baghdad was a popular movie made in 1940 that features a bitter, angry djinni.l The hero of the film is a boy named Abu who finds a strange bottle washed ashore on a beach. The bottle is old, made of brass and glass, and the top is sealed.2 Abu breaks the seal and out of the neck of the bottle shoots thick black smoke. The smoke takes the form of a powerful, giant djinni who has been imprisoned in the bottle for more than two thousand years. Recognizing the figure as a djinni, the boy commands him to do his bidding. The djinni answers him with a thundering "NO!" Abu reminds the djinni that he set him free, and according to the will of the king who imprisoned him (King Solomon), the djinni must grant him three wishes. The djinni replies, "For two thousand years I have been in the bottle, imprisoned by the great Solomon himself, master of all djinn. For the first thousand, I vowed that I would serve in gratitude and grant three wishes to any man who freed me, but in the second thousand years, I became angry at all men and vowed to destroy he who set me free to appease my anger, so prepare to die!"
The djinni attempts to crush Abu with his giant foot, and right before he squishes him, the boy calls out to him, saying he is a liar. The djinni pauses and answers, "What do you mean? Take care what you say to me!" Abu says that he doesn't believe the djinni came from the bottle since it is so small and he is so large. They argue, and the djinni proves he was in the bottle by turning himself back into smoke and reentering it, promising that after he proves his point, he will kill Abu. When the djinni is completely in the bottle, Abu quickly reseals the bottle and raises his arm to throw it back out to sea. The djinni pleads with the young man to set him free again. From inside the bottle, he promises not to kill him and will indeed grant him three wishes. He gives his word in the name of the most powerful (Allah), so Abu cautiously opens the bottle. The djinni resumes his giant form and bows down before the boy.
The rest of the story revolves around the three wishes, two of which Abu blunders. After the third wish is granted, the djinni lets out a thunderous roar, "FREE AT LAST!" and flies up into the sky to rejoin his clan in the djinn world.
Though the above film was created for the silver screen, Middle Eastern lore also has many stories of fishermen who dredge up mysterious sealed bottles in their nets. The fishermen usually quickly throw the bottles back into the water without opening them, since they fear that bottles may be prisons confining nasty djinn.
Organization
Now that we have a basic introduction to the djinn psyche, let's explore their society.
Djinn Families
Djinn have families much like humans; however, their immediate family unit is small-usually one child for each set of djinn parents. According to what we discovered, the djinn are able to procreate only once in their lifetime, and male and female djinn can produce only one offspring. As a result, their population is slowly dwindling, and their numbers will diminish. Although this may seem unfair, Islamic teachers will tell you it is the will of Allah and that humans and djinn may not understand this grand plan, but it most likely is the way things are meant to unfold.
It is clear in the Qur'an and some written works of Persian origin that mankind is the second race in the universe, the successors of the djinn. We discussed djinn life spans earlier, and want to relate those points here to progeny: since human life spans are relatively short and prone to disease, we need to have multiple offspring in order to survive as a species.
According to Buddhist belief, a single human life span is much too short to reach enlightenment. A person must return in physical form for many generations before he or she can learn enough about the universe and the true nature of reality to ascend to a higher consciousness and be free of the physical body. Although the djinn apparently do not reincarnate, they have a similar goal, reaching enlightenment. And just like us, some djinn lose their way and are on a different path.
A certain amount of caution and care must be used when dealing with djinn families. Djinn parents are very protective of their children and if you injure or anger any family member-especially a child-its parents and relatives may seek you out for revenge. In ancient Persian teachings, it was mentioned how people could deal with the djinn and give them all the space they require. Readers were also taught not to do certain things that may injure juvenile djinn, such as starting wildfires; throwing old food and human waste into lakes, caves, and the desert; and most importantly, not building in locations where a family or individual djinni shares space with our world. As a djinni's emotions are much more intense than a human's, they are volatile and unpredictable in their reactions to injuries and affronts.
Djinn Clans
Djinn families belong to larger units called clans. The members of the clans include those who are partially or fully related to the djinn family. Each clan has a leader, a powerful older djinn master whom the others obey. Although these clans make for a loosely knit social structure, the clan leader is held responsible for the actions of its members. In most cases, male djinn are the troublemakers and break the rules. Female djinn, known as djinniyeh, are responsible for keeping the family structure intact and are quite serious about this responsibility, and most are quite protective of their children and immediate family members. Most djinniyeh will not interact with the human race unless provoked, yet are believed to be responsible for most cases of possession in human beings. In Iran and Iraq, most people will avoid isolated caves because they are afraid they might encounter a djinniyeh with her child. The people of these countries believe a djinniyeh will make the first strike-even unprovoked against a person-to protect her child. It's clear that people are afraid of the djinn, and they seem to mistrust us as well, knowing our violent and unpredictable nature.
Djinn Kingdoms
Clans are thought to be ruled by djinn kings who are able to stay in power due to their abilities. In most cases, these djinn rulers are the oldest, wisest, and the most powerful of this ancient race. According to the holy man Phil met in Saudi Arabia, djinn kings can rule over thousands of other djinn.3 The djinn who serve a king must give him tribute once a century. What this tribute consists of is unclear, but according to some legends, it involves some type of energy, and in some Arabic stories, a human soul. This belief is also mirrored in Christianity where minions of the devil will collect human souls in exchange for favors, such as money, power, and sex. The lesser demon is allowed to keep a small portion of the collected soul for itself, but the majority must be given to the master. This similarity is interesting, as some Christian and Muslim beliefs share the same roots. The question is: if you've sold your soul, was it given to a fallen angel or a djinni?
Djinn kings can only be removed from power through assassination, a reason Muslim mystics and holy men believe is evidence the kings rule with an iron fist. The highest king of all the djinn is said to be Al-Masjid al-Aswad, a member of the order of black djinn.4 In Persian mythology, the djinn color was considered the shade or color of its skin. However, since they lack a definite physical form, skin color is technically irrelevant when identifying a particular type of djinn. From what Phil discovered during his journey to the Middle East, the colors of a djinni's skin were ancient Persians' attempts to classify djinn power rather than describe a physical appearance. In Turkey, ancient drawings that are two thousand or more years old show djinn in half human-half reptilian forms with horns, scaly skin, lizard-like eyes, and claws for hands. This depiction is similar to the Christian description of devils and demons. It is also interesting to note that Islamic art dating from only eight hundred years ago shows the djinn as more human-like. It's not clear why the images have changed over the course of time, but perhaps early Islamic artists were trying to present the djinn in a form people felt was more immediately fear-inducing.
Djinn Classes
There are many names for the djinn classes describing their likes and dislikes, or where they live. The Qur'an mentions only three classes: djinn, ifrit, and marid. Other names include jann, ghoul, shaitans, hinn, nasnas, shiqq, si'lat, and a host of others, depending on the local dialect. In western lore, the ghoul is known as a cemetery-haunting, cannibalistic, blood-drinking creature. The hinn are weak djinn, closely related to animals, and prefer to appear as dogs. The ifrit class is cited only once in the Qu'ran, in reference to a djinni who fetched the Queen of Sheba's throne at Solomon's command. As a result, scholars are uncertain if the term "ifrit" definitely refers to a djinn class. The marid are unruly and rebellious. The nasnas are another weak form of djinn, hybrids of human-like and animal-like forms, and may account for some of the reported encounters with mysterious creatures throughout history. The shiqq are lower djinn, appearing as half creatures that are literally only half formed, thus giving them a monstrous appearance. The shaitans are rebellious djinn associated with demonic forces.
For simplicity's sake, we've classified the djinn according to their power and behavior. The classification we use is by color, an easier way to understand this ancient, complex race.
The color order starting with the weakest to the most powerful is: green, yellow, blue, and black. There is also another group, red, which will be described separately; they belong to an order that does not answer to any family, clan, or king-only Iblis.
The only way a djinni can advance in rank and increase in power is to obtain more knowledge. For example, djinn can manipulate the matter in the universe by changing the vibration of strings. This action is much like playing a guitar: the more chords a person knows, the wider the repertoire. Individual string vibrations determine the type of particles and matter formed, and djinn are able to change the "notes" of the strings, thus changing one form of matter into another. This talent for changing matter properties does not come naturally-just like humans who must learn any profession, it is a skill, something developed over a long period of time, usually taught. Some people go through life learning very little, staying on more or less the same intellectual level and the same is true with the djinn. A djinn's progression from green to blue is not something that happens naturally; it is earned with a great deal of practice, study, and hard work. Some djinn are tempted to abuse their power, similar to some people. However, most djinn who achieve high ranks use their power wisely, since they believe they are responsible for their actions in the face of God and will have to answer for their deeds at the Day of judgment.
Green Djinn
Green djinn have the least amount of power. The majority of green djinn are young and they usually enjoy acts of mischief and pranks played on other djinn and humans. There are some older djinn still at the green level, but for the most part, they keep to themselves and stay away from humans. It's interesting to note that in the 1960s television series I Dream of Jeannie, the genie was this green variety, very young and with limited power. As the series progressed, Jeannie became more comfortable performing increasingly amazing feats of djinn "magic" to make the shows more interesting.
Green djinn can shapeshift into animals and humans and have the ability to fly. They can also change one form of matter into another, but their power in this area seems to be limited due to their lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between matter and energy in the physical universe. A similar example would be a child trying to build a computer from a kit. The child does not have the experience and knowledge to complete the task, but an adult who has studied electronics, engineering, and computers would be able to assemble the kit's parts and have a working computer in no time because the adult possesses knowledge and experience, and understands how the device works. Although green djinn are mostly children and young adults, they can be thousands of years old, and their knowledge of human history and the multiverse is much greater than that of any human being. Green djinn are characterized as being playful, vengeful, cruel, and sometimes kind-indeed they are quite temperamental. Among the human race, it's known that some children are more aggressive, smarter, and/or stronger than others. Some are better at science, math, engineering, art, and other things. The green djinn also have different levels of power, knowledge, and talents, but like us, are all different. Some human children are cruel and some are kind. We've all heard about children who use magnifying glasses to burn ants or children who pull the wings off a fly just to see it suffer. Hopefully you'll never encounter a green djinn with the same attitudeto them, you are like that fly!
Green djinn often attempt to come into our world simply to explore or have fun, and when they do, they may interact with people of any age. It is an Islamic belief that green djinn live in holes in the ground. Consequently, you should never dump your garbage in a hole, or urinate or jump into one, as it might harbor a temperamental green djinn who won't hesitate to punish you as it sees fit.
Some holes in the ground lead to a subterranean world and it's possible they are actually portals that connect the djinn world to ours. If they are portals to another reality, once you enter, it might be impossible to find your way out without knowing where the door is. These portals are not restricted to holes in the ground, either-similar openings have been reported in outcrops of rock, the sides of mountains, and occasionally, randomly hanging in mid-air.
Many Middle Eastern mystics believe that if you jump into a djinn hole, you'll vanish from our world and enter another plane of existence. The djinn may offer to show you the way out, but for a price. A djinni may ask for your soul, or force you to agree to bring others to the hole so that it can hold you all hostage. They may also ask that you bring certain types of food, alcohol, or tobacco on a regular basis. It must be noted that although djinn in their natural state might be composed of plasma, most of them can take a physical shape for short periods of time. This means that a djinni is able to take in nourishment by absorbing energy or consuming food. It's thought that many djinn enjoy the "taste" of a variety of our everyday foods, especially ice cream and fruits. Human foods only partially provide subsistence, however: djinn must get most of their nourishment by absorbing various types of energy from living things.
THE LITTLE MAN RROM THE HOLE IN THE GROUND
The following account has been in Phil's files for twenty years. At the time he received it, he didn't know how to classify it. He was concentrating more on his investigation of the UFO phenomenon, and the report didn't seem to fit in with his current research. He filed the report away and forgot about it until much later, when he went through his old data looking for entity encounters that could have been djinn sightings. This story involves an unusual being "popping" out of a hole and engaging in a short conversation with the witness.
The encounter took place in the summer of 1989 and involved a middle-aged man who was hiking through the woods near Ellenville, New York. It was sometime in the afternoon and the day was clear and warm. While walking on a trail that had several small dirt mounds, the man stepped on a flat rock that rocked back and forth under his weight, making a very hollow sound. The man continued his walk, and a moment later, he heard a voice behind him say, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" The man turned around and saw a "small man" standing on top of the mound looking at him with a great deal of anger in his eyes. The little man was about two feet tall with a long black beard and dressed in a tight-fitting suit that was black, green, and red. The small man's hair was long, and fell past his shoulders. The hiker turned around and said, "What do you mean? Who the hell are you?" The strange little man replied, "You stepped on my home and made a noise that woke me up from a deep sleep!" Pointing to the ground, the little man said, "This is my home right here. How would you like it if I walked over the roof of your home while you were trying to sleep?"
The witness was no more than ten feet from both the hole and the little man-he couldn't believe what he was seeing. As he listened to the little man speak, the witness noticed that the flat stone he stepped on had been moved away to the side of the mound-a perfectly circular dark hole was in its place. In his report, the witness said that the hole was much too dark and deep-looking to account for the bright afternoon.
At this point, the man became fearful. He apologized to the little man, who then said, "Why don't you come in and see my home?" The man politely refused and the creature became visibly upset and said something like, "Then go to hell!" and made a number of obscene gestures with his hands. The little man jumped back into the hole and was gone. The witness slowly and cautiously walked over to the hole and to his amazement, saw that it was gone. All that was left was a small crater in the ground where the rock had rested. The man quickly made his way back to his car and drove home.
In the above story, we see the connection between holes and the appearance of what seems to be a harmless, playful green djinn. Could these holes in the ground actually be portals that open, allowing the djinn and other creatures to enter our world? It's possible that these portals can only be opened in certain areas but they don't seem to be restricted to the mountains and deep woods; we have reports of "dimensional holes" opening up in the homes of people who have had a history of paranormal events since childhood.
SUMMONING GREEN DJINN
For the most part, green djinn seem as curious about us as we are about them. As all djinn are shapeshifters, the number of forms a green djinni can take depends on its age and experience. If a green djinni's motive is harmless, it may take on a number of forms that are pleasing to the human eye, hiding its true nature. However, if a djinni is angry or annoyed at a person, it may take on a hideous appearance that would terrify even the bravest human being.
According to Turkish belief, the green djinn are the easiest to summon, due to their already-present interest and curiosity about humanity. If they are open to the communication, the djinn may take on the form of a friendly dog, elf, fairy, or even a beautiful, glowing, angelic-like being. On the other hand, if you summon one or more djinn who don't want to be bothered, you might be in for a great deal of trouble. Several years ago, we received a letter from a woman who grew up in Turkey who tells the story of how her husband and a number of his friends decided to have some fun and try to contact the djinn.
The encounter took place in Istanbul, during a summer evening some time during the late nineties. One of the friends had a brother who was quite religious and lived in a mountain village nearby. The men knew this person had abilities to call the djinn so they all decided to visit him.
There are ancient Arabic rituals pre-dating Islam that can be used in conjunction with the Qu'ran to contact the djinn and bring them into our world. The person who had this ability was reluctant to summon the beings, but the others finally talked him into it, because they didn't really believe the djinn existed.
So, the man chanted Islamic prayers from the Qur'an and after several minutes, the windows blew open. Three glowing orbs entered the room. The light the orbs gave off was so bright, the men had to shield their eyes. The lights were able to move back and forth through the glass without breaking it. The apparently called djinn were very angry they had been interrupted, and asked for what purpose had they been summoned. The men didn't know how to respond, and this angered the djinn even more. The house's lights started blinking on and off, and they heard a loud banging on the door and wall. The djinn finally left, and the frightened men began to calm down. In the middle of the commotion, they didn't notice one of the men had gone missing. The other men figured he got scared and ran somewhere to hide. They looked everywhere, but couldn't find him. Hours later, the men heard a person crying out on the balcony. They walked out to investigate and found the missing friend crouched in a fetal position, soaked with sweat, his face full of fear. He said that as punishment for their act, the djinn had taken him to their world and brought him back. The man said it was a terrible place and was so frightening that he couldn't talk about it. All the men now believe the djinn are real, and they want nothing to do with them ever again.
Blue Djinn
The blue djinn, also called marid, are the smallest in number, but are considered the most powerful. The blue djinn rarely interact with the human race and very little is known about them. Stories vary greatly about who the true evil djinn are, but many say the blue djinn are the most heinous of all. On the other hand, other accounts mention that a number of blue djinn were the ones responsible for saving the entire djinn race from extinction by defeating the evil red djinn, the worshippers of Iblis.
The blue djinn are the oldest of the djinn and their power is said to be just below that of an angel. When the race of djinn was ordered to leave the physical universe and give it up to Adam, some of the blue djinn resisted and waged war against the angels. The war lasted a thousand years and in the end, the angels were victorious, an event that resulted in a rift within the djinn race. Many repented and obeyed the order to leave what had become Adam's world, but some refused, including an unknown number of powerful blue djinn and their clans. According to an old Persian belief, if you encounter a very old man alone in the desert, he is most likely a blue djinni in disguise, secretly entering our world. Travelers are warned to be wary of those who travel in the desert alone.
Although the blue djinn are much more powerful than their green counterparts, they can still be manipulated into doing a human's bidding. On rare occasions, these djinn are known to grant wishes to those who summon them, but things always turn out badly for the wisher. If approached correctly and with respect, blue djinn may be persuaded to help a person, especially if that person is troubled by another djinni. Most blue djinn have no trouble tolerating humans, and they aren't as given over to outbursts and unpredictable temperaments as the green djinn. The blue ones lie in wait, accumulating more power as each century passes, hoping that one day, they can once again claim what was theirs and defeat their old foes, the angels, in another war.
Red Djinn
Red djinn have one purpose: the downfall of the human race. They are the followers of Iblis, and from the shadows slowly influence humanity's thoughts over the centuries. Red djinn are the true terrorists of the universe-they whisper in the ears of men and women, causing them to take actions that are against the laws of God and man. Red djinn are also in the business of collecting human souls in order to make them stronger. The Red djinn broke all allegiances to their family, clan, and king. They only follow Iblis, who is their Messiah.
Red djinn usually take on a reptilian form. They are responsible for possession, illness, and hauntings. Many modern-day Islamic clerics believe red djinn are responsible for alien sightings and all other forms of paranormal phenomena. They are the devils and demons of history, and to deal with one courts disaster. They are eager to grant favors and wishes to humans, but their fee for such services is usally quite costly.
Black Djinn
Little information is available about the mysterious black djinn. In the Sunnah tradition, they are associated with evil or black magic. We have found one brief mention of them in one other text: they seem to be leaders of the blue djinn, and are clan leaders or perhaps kings of a large number of clans. Their numbers are unknown. It is possible there is only one, who may be the ruler of all other clan leaders and kings.
According to legend, when King Solomon ordered the djinn to obey him, he had a large black djinni at his side who he was able to control to enforce his will on all of the others. If a green or blue djinni defied Solomon's orders, the black djinni punished them. It's clear this particular djinni king was forced to act as a sergeant of arms for the great king, for he stood by Solomon with his arms folded in a display of power and authority. However, there was a very discontented expression on his face. Who or what the mysterious black djinni represents, their interaction with the human race is extremely limited. It may be that they are too important to deal with us and depend on those who serve them to take care of business.
Yellow Djinn
Arabic stories of a type of djinn described as yellow exist, but not much is known about this classification; they seem to isolate themselves from the physical universe and other types of djinn. Although the term "yellow djinn" has come up more than once in our research, we have little information about this class of elusive beings.
Ascended Djinn
In metaphysics, the spiritual goal of both humans and djinn is to ascend to a higher plane of existence. Ascended humans no longer have a need for physical bodies.
Ascended djinn occasionally interact with people who have not ascended, the latter of which might mistake the former for angels or extraterrestrials.
We believe ascended djinn exist, but the only one we know of is Iblis, most likely the most powerful of all djinn. For the transgression of ascending in order to access the choirs of angels, Iblis may have been demoted and sent to an existence between the physical universe and the realm of ascended beings. From there, Iblis persuaded other powerful djinn who had not yet ascended to fight for what he convinced them was rightfully theirs: the world of human beings. Although all djinn are potentially dangerous, Iblis and his red djinn have only one thing on their minds: our extinction.
HE QUR'AN SAYS GOD GRANTED djinn abilities and powers he
didn't give humans. Indeed, some djinn run amok in the world with
those powers, creating disharmony and damage in their various
guises, sometimes for fun and sometimes for malice. The djinn are
made of smokeless fire, and they certainly act like fire, igniting
suddenly, behaving erratically, and destroying whatever lies in
their path. Humans believe they have ways of containing djinn, much
like they try to contain fire itself-but djinn, like raging blazes,
have ways of jumping the barriers to burn somewhere else. There is
another, tricky element to the fiery nature of djinn: they are not
only the blaze itself, they are the arsonist who starts the
fire-who laughs while things burn.
Djinn as Tricksters
The Trickster is an archetypal figure found in all mythologies, but is especially prominent in Native American lore. Tricksters operate outside the laws and boundaries of order. Although both a creator and a destroyer, the Trickster spirit is best known for its destructive tendencies: pranks, jokes, and malicious, cruel acts. Trickster has no morals or values, and follows only his desires and impulses. While not inherently evil, Trickster doesn't distinguish between good and evil, for both are means to an end. He has no sexual boundaries, and is even of unclear gender himself at times. He will tell lies if they suit his purpose and follow one lie with another lie that conflicts with the first, such that anyone who listens to him becomes utterly confused and disoriented. Trickster also loves to shapeshift, and his animal nature is expressed in his favorite forms, such as the coyote, snake, raven, spider, or hare.
Trickster plays the fool, but in the end, makes fools of others. Trickster especially enjoys laughing at the expense of the victims he dupes. Though he is sometimes duped himself, he often has the last laugh of chaos and disorder.
Some well-known examples of Trickster figures are Hermes, the Greek messenger god and god of deceit and thieves, as well as all arts and sciences; Loki, the sly gender-changing, shapeshifting troublemaker of Norse mythology; and Coyote, the vulgar, fire-stealing braggart found in serveral Native American traditions.
A strong Trickster element runs through the djinn, and even permeates attempts of humans to define, describe, predict, control, and best the djinn. Although djinn are explicitly acknowledged in the Qur'an, Islamic scholars throughout the centuries have debated their reality. The great Ibn Sina (known to the Romans as Avicenna, 980-1037), a physician and philosopher, was among those who said there was no reality to the djinn. Later philosophers, such as Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), acknowledged the djinn and said Allah reserved all of the knowledge about them for himself.'
The djinn are briefly discussed in Phil's book Interdimensional Universe. Shortly after the book was published, he received several letters from people of the Islamic faith from around the word. They found the descriptions and encounters he had with the djinn to be accurate and they offered him congratulations and praise for having the courage to write about a topic that has been largely ignored by the West. These people also stated in their letters that what was covered in the book confirmed their faith in the Qur'an as it proved to them that the djinn are very much alive and active in the modern world.
Recent trends in Islam recognize the undeniable reality of djinn but beliefs about their nature, characteristics, abilities, powers, and lives are, like all forms of supernatural traditions and lore, open to a great deal of interpretation. Modern beliefs blend religion with pre-Islamic folk tales. Some make distinctions between djinn and "devils," who are the evil offspring of Iblis. Some believe in good djinn and bad djinn, while others consider all djinn to be dangerous. Below we discuss traits, abilities, and powers generally attributed to djinn.
They Have Limits to Their Power
Despite the formidable range of djinn abilities and powers, they have limits. Djinn can only operate so much outside of cosmic law and order, for ultimately they are bound by the Qur'anic word of God, as are humans and angels. God gave both humans and djinn power to influence the heavens and earth, but only within the bounds He allows. Those of either race who transgress the limits will be destroyed: O company of djinn and men, if you have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! You will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction. Which is it, of the favors or your Lord do you deny? There will be sent, against you both, heat of fire and flash of brass, and you will not escape.'
Muhammad stated that "... whoever intentionally ascribes something to me falsely; he will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire."3 If djinn do not accept their limits voluntarily, they can be forced to do so, not only by God's wrath, but by taking refuge in the Qur'an through prayer and recitation. For example, djinn cannot open doors closed by Qur'anic prayer, nor can they pollute or eat food similarly protected. Even so, the djinn still have considerable latitude for destruction in the mortal world-and they use their Trickster wiles to circumvent prohibitions against them. Apparently, some of them have little concern about answering for their transgressions on the Day of judgment, and are instead governed by their whims and immediate desires.
People who tend to live hedonistic lives in addition to those who are inclined to be sinful make easy targets for djinn, but they especially love the challenge of thwarting the faithful. The Qur'an assures that Satan (Iblis and, by extension, his evil djinn followers) have no dominion over the pious; however, sometimes the pious are the most sorely afflicted by djinn.4 A biblical parallel of such Trickster treatment is job's trials at Satan's hands, who asked God for permission to attack him in order to test his faith. Job was the most pious and righteous of men-a perfect target. The faithful may argue that God must allow the attacks of evil, an argument made through the ages as attempts to explain why bad things happen to good people. Permission or not, evil has sneaky ways of infiltrating good through its cracks. When Iblis defied God, he vowed he would lead Adam and his kind to perdition.'
They Are Untrustworthy and Vindictive
The status, nature, and fate of the djinn changed drastically when God created Adam and ordered both angels and djinn to kneel. The defiant djinn were forced to give up their place, and were consumed by resentment and revenge. They became bent on using deceit, evil, and any means possible to strike back at the source of their misfortune: us. By the time the biblical King Solomon had subjected them, they had already made up their minds.
Like Trickster, the djinn are untrustworthy and unpredictable because they make no distinction between good and evil. While technically more amoral than they are truly evil, they can be quite nefarious and deadly at times, as whatever means are at hand justify their ends of revenge. Tricksters lack concern for the welfare of people; if people are harmed or if they die as a result of a Trickster's actions, it's just too bad for them. Similarly, the djinn have little regard for our welfare. For sport, they sometimes perch upon rooftops and hurl bricks down on people, wounding and even killing them.'
Djinn are vindictive, and will never forgive the person who tries to harm them deliberately. For example, if people try to get rid of a djinni attached to or possessing them, the djinni will take offense. It may leave temporarily, but return with greater force and increased malice.
They Are Masters of Deceit and Illusion
Another story is told about a pious man who was entrusted with the care of a virgin girl while her three brothers went off to war. Iblis gradually persuaded him to seduce her, and she gave birth to a son. Horrified at what the brothers would probably do to him upon their return, the man followed the guidance of Iblis and murdered both girl and infant, burying them in a ditch. When the brothers returned, the man made a great show of sorrow over their unfortunate deaths. Iblis then appeared to the brothers in dreams, taking the form of a traveler, and told them what the man had actually done, and where the bodies were buried. They discovered the corpses and confronted the man, who confessed. The brothers decided to punish him by crucifixion. As the man suffered on the cross, Iblis appeared to him and promised to save him if he would deny Allah. The man did, and Iblis vanished, leaving him to face excruciating death and divine wrath.' One can hear Iblis' Trickster laughter trailing after him as he disappeared into his parallel dimension. Even the djinn who have converted to Islam cannot be trusted. Or, they may claim they have converted when they have not, in order to gain a person's trust.
Sheikhs (a term that applies to both religious authorities and tribal leaders), magicians, and others who dominate and control djinn for the purposes of magic, fortune-telling, and healing are, in the eyes of many, vulnerable to the illusions and lies of the djinn. The Qur'an states that djinn cannot perform miracles, a gift possessed only by the true messengers of Allah." Rather, djinn can only execute the illusion of miracles. Thus, they tell lies and perform tricks to give the appearances of magic and miracles, fooling both practitioner and client.
They Possess Invisibility and Superior Speed and Strength
As residents of a parallel realm, djinn are invisible to us unless they choose to appear, giving them a great advantage over us humans. They love to lurk and spy on people, especially in bathrooms, garbage dumps, and dirty, polluted places-but also in homes and intimate places such as bedrooms. They watch and wait for opportunities to strike.
Their invisibility creates many problems for people, who may injure or even kill a djinni without realizing it. The people of the ancient Arabic world believed that you should never cast a stone or even a date pit out into the open, for you may strike an invisible djinni. Never throw water, especially boiling water, out of a window, for the same reason. Driving a stake into the ground may hit a djinni in his subterranean home." Djinn who receive injury rally their clans, who react like a swarm of angry hornets. Together, they rain all manners of disaster, illness, bad luck, nightmares, and even possession down on the offending person and his family.
Their natural form-smokeless fire or plasma-and supernatural power enable djinn to move with tremendous speed. In the story of Aladdin in The Book of 1001 Nights, a djinni builds the hero an entire palace in one night. In Egyptian lore, a djinni can travel the distance from Cairo up the Nile to Aswan (982 kilometers, or about 610 miles) in one second.12 Thus, when they choose to be visible, they can be seen in one spot one second and then vanish and be seen in a distant place almost instantly.
The djinn have superhuman strength and can use their powers to lift and levitate objects of great size and weight, such as the gigantic pieces of marble transported for the building of Solomon's temple. Any person thinking he can best a djinni in a physical confrontation is making a fatal mistake: at the least, he will be severely beaten; at the worst he will be killed in an instant.
They Influence Thoughts and Dreams
Djinn influence a person's thoughts and dreams by whispering temptations and suggestions in their ear. A djinni could be considered the "evil" force sitting on a person's shoulder to counter the good influences of an angel on the other. The ability to hear djinn whispering occurs between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Prior to that, children are protected from a djinni's influence by angels.
Djinn can enter peoples' dreams and can influence their thoughts and actions for the worse. They can prey upon desires and weaknesses, and give false counsel. They can appear as figures claiming to be messengers of God-but, as we have noted above, they cannot masquerade as Muhammad himself. Djinn who fall in love with humans come to them in their dreams and whisper in their ears, inciting them to fight with their spouses. They cause nightmares. Djinn can appear in dreams in animal guises, especially as camels, the symbol of evil djinn.
Djinn will also appear in dreams for the illusion of fortune-telling. One method of consulting them calls for taking a piece of someone's clothing-preferably unwashed underwear-and placing it beneath one's pillow, asking for information about the person. The djinn respond with the desired information, delivering it in the dream. Trusting the information is risky, given the djinn propensity for lying and deceit.
They Cast the Evil Eye
One of the most dreaded of evils since ancient times is the evil eye, a withering look that causes illness, misfortune, calamity, and death. Belief in the evil eye is universal. The oldest recorded reference to it dates to about 3000 BCE in the cuneiform texts of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The ancient Egyptians believed in it, and it is referred to in both Old and New Testaments. Evil eye beliefs are especially strong in the Mediterranean and Middle East.
The evil eye is powered by envy, a force considered in parts of the Middle East to be the root of all evil.14 In many cases, the evil eye is cast involuntarily, such as when someone, especially a stranger, admires one's family, business, or possessions; casts anyone a withering glance; or praises anything belonging to another person. Unless immediate preventive measures are taken such as ritual gestures and prayers or invoking Allah's name, disaster will strike. Children will fall ill, possessions will be stolen, or good fortune in business will turn sour. If the evil eye cannot be warded off, victims must turn to sheikhs for help. The evil eye can also be deliberate, like in a black magic spell. Djinn can influence a person to cast the evil eye and if shapeshifted into human form, the djinn can cast the evil eye themselves.
Modesty and avoiding displays of good fortune and wealth are ways to avoid the evil eye, either from other people or djinn. However, djinn know the secrets of people's wealth, their vanities, and their ambitions-all these things serve as ammunition for a weapon such as the evil eye.
They Are Capable of Possession
The djinn can stage a complete takeover of a person by dominating their thoughts and dreams as described earlier, and by entering the body. Their indefinable form enables them to easily penetrate a body and circulate through the blood. They cause all manner of physical discomforts and illnesses, in addition to paralysis, fits, and convulsions. They also cause aberrant and bizarre behavior, such as tearing one's clothes off, laughing hysterically, or dancing wildly in the street. They "come on to the tongue" of a person and speak through them. They cause extreme, even suicidal depression, and insanity. They can incite a person to crime and murder.