The Jinn - Part I.

The Jinn

[Part one] [Part two]

Among the creation of man Allah has also created a vast number of other creations throughout the heavens and the earth, as he himself states:

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YUSUFALI: And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through them: and He has power to gather them together when He wills.

So as you can see, Allah makes it clear that he has created several living beings throughout the heavens and the earth, Allah does tell us about some of these creations but not all, one of these creations is the man off course:

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YUSUFALI: We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape;

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YUSUFALI: He Who has made everything which He has created most good: He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay,

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YUSUFALI: Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from clay:

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YUSUFALI: He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery,

Among his other creations is the angel’s off course:

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YUSUFALI: Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers with wings,- two, or three, or four (pairs): He adds to Creation as He pleases: for Allah has power over all things.

And off course the animals:

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YUSUFALI: When the she-camels, ten months with young, are left untended;

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YUSUFALI: When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);

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YUSUFALI: Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills.

Now among these creations Allah also created another race, called the Jinn. Now there are several miss-conceptions about the jinn, the main one is the belief that all jinn’s are demons and devils, this is not true, jinn’s are just like humans, there are good and bad, and the jinn have the very bad which we call demons and the devil.

In this paper, we shall discuss who the jinn are citing the Quran and the hadith, before doing so it should be made known that Allah's creation is not simply limited to humans, animals, jinn’s, and angels. There are many more creations other than these entities, however so we do not know what these entities are nor does the Quran tell us, the Quran only talks about 4 of these creations.

1- What are the Jinn created from

As we know, the Quran tells us that humans have been made from clay, while angels have been made from light, concerning the creation of jinn, the Quran tells us this:

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YUSUFALI: And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.

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YUSUFALI: And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke:

So the jinns have been created from a smokeless fire, Ibn Kathir's tafsir writes:

The Creation of Humans and Jinns

Allah mentions that He created mankind from clay, like that used in pottery, and created the Jinns from the tip of the flame of a smokeless fire. This was said by Ad-Dahhak from Ibn `Abbas. It was also said by `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "From the best part of the fire, from its smokeless flame.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger said,

(The angels were created from light, the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire, and `Adam from what was described to you.) Muslim also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement:

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) was explained above.

(And the Jinn, We created earlier) means before creating humans.

(from the smokeless flame of fire.) Ibn `Abbas said, "It is the smokeless flame that kills.'' Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi said that Shu`bah narrated to them from Abu Ishaq, who said: "I visited `Umar Al-Asamm when he was sick, and he said: `Shall I not tell you a Hadith that I heard from `Abdullah bin Mas`ud He said: `This smokeless flame is one of the seventy parts of the smokeless fire from which the Jinn where created. Then he recited,

(And the Jinn, We created earlier from the smokeless flame of fire).''' The following is found in the Sahih,

(The angels were created from light, the Jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.) The Ayah is intended to point out the noble nature, good essence and pure origin of Adam.

So naturally due to the jinn's creation from fire this makes them much different to us, in physical terms and in their nature.

Now it is also known that the jinn were also created before mankind, as the Quranic verse proves along with its tafsir.

2- Why were the Jinn created?

Jinns were created for the same reason that man was, as the Quran answers this question:

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YUSUFALI: I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.

Allah created the jinn to worship him, Ibn Kathir comments:

Allah Only created Mankind and Jinns to worship Him Alone

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

(And I created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.) meaning, `I, Allah, only created them so that I order them to worship Me, not that I need them.' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

(...except that they should worship Me.) meaning, "So that they worship Me, willingly or unwillingly.'' Allah the Exalted said,

(I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.) Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah taught the following:

`Verily, I am the Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.' Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih. '' The meaning of this Ayah (51:56) is that, Allah the Exalted, the Blessed created the creatures so that they worship Him Alone without partners. Those who obey Him will be rewarded with the best rewards, while those who disobey Him will receive the worst punishment from Him. Allah stated that He does not need creatures, but rather, they are in need of Him in all conditions

The jinn just like us will be held accountable for their deeds and actions:

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YUSUFALI: And they have invented a blood-relationship between Him and the Jinns: but the Jinns know (quite well) that they have indeed to appear (before his Judgment-Seat)!

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YUSUFALI: One day will He gather them all together, (and say): "O ye assembly of Jinns! Much (toll) did ye take of men." Their friends amongst men will say: "Our Lord! we made profit from each other: but (alas!) we reached our term - which thou didst appoint for us." He will say: "The Fire be your dwelling-place: you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth." for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge.

And just like us, the jinn will also be thrown in the hell fire, or be granted paradise:

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YUSUFALI: Except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed His Mercy: and for this did He create them: and the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: "I will fill Hell with jinns and men all together."

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YUSUFALI: If We had so willed, We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: but the Word from Me will come true, "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together."

Ibn Kathir comments:

(And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (His saying): "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.'') Allah, the Exalted, informs that He precedes everything in His preordainment and decree, by His perfect knowledge and penetrating wisdom. The result of this decree is that from those whom He has created, some deserve the Paradise and some deserve the Hell Fire. From this decree is that He will fill the Hellfire with both mankind and Jinns. His is the profound evidence and the perfect wisdom. In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

Paradise and the Hellfire debated. Paradise said, `None will enter me except the weak and despised of the people.' The Hell- fire said, `I have inherited the haughty and the arrogant people.' Then Allah said to the Paradise, `You are My mercy and I grant mercy with you to whoever I wish.' Then He said to the Hellfire, `You are My torment and I take vengeance with you upon whoever I wish. I will fill each one of you.' However, the Paradise will always have more bounties, to such an extent that Allah will create more creatures to dwell in it and enjoy its extra bounties. The Hellfire will continue saying, `Are there anymore (to enter me),' until the Lord of might places His Foot over it. Then it (Hell) will say, "Enough, enough, by Your might!'')

Also they will be granted paradise like us:

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YUSUFALI: They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).

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YUSUFALI: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

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YUSUFALI: In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-

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YUSUFALI: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

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YUSUFALI: Like unto Rubies and coral.

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YUSUFALI: Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good?

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YUSUFALI: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

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YUSUFALI: And besides these two, there are two other Gardens,-

So this is a whole description of how it will be in heaven, and as you can see, the jinn’s will be there too. So jinn’s are not exempt from their actions, they are held accountable, what this means is that the jinn have a free will.

3- The Jinn community

Now as I said, the jinn are like us, they have a free will and will be held accountable for it. Just like us the jinn have their own communities, and their own life-styles with their own dwelling places. In this section we provide information on the life of jinn’s and how they are.

The jinn just like us receive their own messengers:

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YUSUFALI: "O 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

The verse makes it clear that the jinn themselves receieved messengers to them, to convey the truth, Ibn Kathir comments:

Chastising the Jinns and Humans after their Admission that Allah Sent Messengers to Them

Allah will chastise the disbelieving Jinns and humans on the Day of Resurrection, when He asks them, while having better knowledge, if the Messengers delivered His Messages to them,

("O you assembly of Jinn and humans! Did not there come to you Messengers from among you'') We should note here that the Messengers are from among mankind only, not vice versa, as Mujahid, Ibn Jurayj and others from the Imams of Salaf and later generations have stated. The proof for this is that Allah said,

(Verily, We have sent the revelation to you as We sent the revelation to Nuh and the Prophets after him.) [4:163], until,

(Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the (coming of) Messengers.) [4:165] Allah said, concerning the Prophet Ibrahim,

(And We ordained among his offspring prophethood and the Book) [29: 27], thus sending the prophethood and the Book exclusively through the offspring of the Prophet Ibrahim. No one has claimed that there were Prophets from among the Jinns before the time of Ibrahim, but not after that. Allah said,

(And We never sent before you any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets.) [25:20], and,

(And We sent not before you any but men unto whom We revealed, from among the people of townships.) [12:109] Therefore, concerning prophethood, the Jinns follow mankind in this regard and this is why Allah said about them,

O you assembly of Jinn and humans! "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.'') meaning, we affirm that the Messengers have conveyed Your Messages to us and warned us about the meeting with You, and that this Day will certainly occur. Allah said next,

(It was the life of this world that deceived them.) and they wasted their lives and brought destruction to themselves by rejecting the Messengers and denying their miracles. This is because they were deceived by the beauty, adornment and lusts of this life.

(And they will bear witness against themselves) on the Day of Resurrection,

(that they were disbelievers...) in this worldly life, rejecting what the Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them, brought them.

And just like us the Jinn also reject their messengers and cause a lot of hardships on them:

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YUSUFALI: Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone.

So even the jinn just like us would rebel against the messengers of God, causing them a lot of hardship, they most likely did the same thing us humans did, ridicule, mock, and insult the messengers, while also at the same time becoming violent. Ibn Kathir comments:

Every Prophet Has Enemies

Allah says, just as We made enemies for you, O Muhammad, who will oppose and rebel against you and become your adversaries, We also made enemies for every Prophet who came before you. Therefore, do not be saddened by this fact. Allah said in other Ayat:

(Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt...) [6:34], and,

(Nothing is said to you except what was said to the Messengers before you. Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of forgiveness, and (also) the Possessor of painful punishment.) [41:43] and,

(Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals.) [25:31]. Waraqah bin Nawfal said to Allah's Messenger , "None came with what you came with but he was the subject of enmity.'' Allah's statement,

(Shayatin among mankind...) refers to,

(enemies. ..) meaning, the Prophets have enemies among the devils of mankind and the devils of the Jinns. The word, Shaytan, describes one who is dissimilar to his kind due to his or her wickedness. Indeed, only the Shayatin, may Allah humiliate and curse them, from among mankind and the Jinns oppose the Messengers. `Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma`mar narrated that Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,

(Shayatin (devils) among mankind and Jinn...) "There are devils among the Jinns and devils among mankind who inspire each other.'' Allah's statement,

(inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion.) means, they inspire each other with beautified, adorned speech that deceives the ignorant who hear it,

(If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it;) for all this occurs by Allah's decree, will and decision, that every Prophet had enemies from these devils,

(so leave them alone with their fabrications.) and lies. This Ayah orders patience in the face of the harm of the wicked and to trust in Allah against their enmity, for, "Allah shall suffice for you (O Muhammad) and aid you against them.'' Allah's statement,

(And Tasgha to it.) means, according to Ibn `Abbas, "incline to it.''

(the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter...) their hearts, mind and hearing. As-Suddi said that this Ayah refers to the hearts of the disbelievers.

(And that they may remain pleased with it.) they like and adore it. Only those who disbelieve in the Hereafter accept this evil speech, being enemies of the Prophets, etc., just as Allah said in other Ayat,

Now like I said before, the jinn have their good and bad, not all jinns are bad, and not all jinn’s are demons and devils as some wrongly assume. As the Quran tells us:

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YUSUFALI: 'There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary: we follow divergent paths.

This passage is taken from Surat Al-Jinn; the chapter basically deals with the jinn community. As the passage makes it clear, there are bad jinn’s, and there are good jinn’s, each have their own different paths which they follow, Ibn Kathir comments:

The Jinns testify that among Them there are Believers, Disbelievers, Misguided and Guided

Allah says that the Jinns said about themselves,

(There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary;) meaning, other than that.

(We are groups having different ways.) meaning, on numerous differing paths and having different thoughts and opinions. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others have said,

(We are groups having different ways.) "This means among us are believers and among us are disbelievers.'' Ahmad bin Sulayman An-Najjad reported in his (book of) Amali that he heard Al-A`mash saying, "A Jinn came to us, so I said to him, `What is the most beloved food to your kind' He replied, `Rice.' So we brought them some rice and I saw the morsels being lifted but I did not see a hand lifting it. So I asked him, `Do you have these desires (religious innovations) among your kind as we have among ours' He replied, `Yes.' Then I said, `Who are the Rafidah among you' He said, `They are the worst of us.''' I presented this chain of narration to our Shaykh, Al-Hafiz Abi Al-Hajjaj Al-Mizzi and he said its chain is authentic to Al-A`mash.

There are even Muslim jinn’s as well, as the Surah continues telling us:

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YUSUFALI: 'Amongst us are some that submit their wills(almuslimoona) (to Allah), and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills - they have sought out (the path) of right conduct:

So naturally if there are Muslim jinn’s, then there would be jinn’s of other faiths as well, however so Christianity would be of no use to a jinn, since Jesus died for the sins of man and not for the sins of jinn, so therefore there would be no use for a jinn to become a Christian since it will not grant the jinn any salvation since it's not a human. So therefore the jinn’s are Muslim, Jew, or some other faith.

Now the jinn’s also do eat, as the authentic hadiths tell us:

Muslim Book 004, Number 0903:

Dawud reported from 'Amir who said: I asked 'Alqama if Ibn Mas'ud was present with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the night of the Jinn (the night when the Holy Prophet met them). He (Ibn Mas'uad) said: No, but we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one night and we missed him. We searched for him in the valleys and the hills and said. He has either been taken away (by jinn) or has been secretly killed. He (the narrator) said. We spent the worst night which people could ever spend. When it was dawn we saw him coming from the side of Hiri'. He (the narrator) reported. We said: Messenger of Allah, we missed you and searched for you, but we could not find you and we spent the worst night which people could ever spend. He (the Holy Prophet) said: There came to me an inviter on behalf of the Jinn and I went along with him and recited to them the Qur'an. He (the narrator) said: He then went along with us and showed us their traces and traces of their embers. They (the Jinn) asked him (the Holy Prophet) about their provision and he said: Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited is your provision. The time it will fall in your hand it would be covered with flesh, and the dung of (the camels) is fodder for your animals. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Don't perform istinja with these (things) for these are the food of your brothers (Jinn).

What makes this hadith more interesting is that it shows that jinn’s also have their own type of animals, as the hadith says:

and the dung of (the camels) is fodder for your animals

We can only wonder what these creatures are, and indeed they are a very strange dirty creature with the type of food they eat.

Now do jinn’s also have sex and reproduce? The answer is yes, as the Quran says:

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YUSUFALI: They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).

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YUSUFALI: Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

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YUSUFALI: In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-

These passages are describing heaven, however the point to note is the part where verse 56 talks about the maidens saying whom no man OR JINN has touched, this indicates that jinn’s themselves on earth have their own type of females who they touch and have sexual intercourse with. And off course through sexual intercourse the jinn beget other jinn, and off course anything that is given birth to will also die, the Quran says:

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YUSUFALI: And We have destined for them intimate companions (of like nature), who made alluring to them what was before them and behind them; and the sentence among the previous generations of Jinns and men, who have passed away, is proved against them; for they are utterly lost.

So just like us humans the jinn too also die, they are mortals and not immortals.

Now what about the dwelling places of jinn? Where do they live, in our homes? In the desert? In the sea? Or in the mountains? One could say that they live all these places, the jinn normally prefer to live in deserted quiet abandoned areas, which naturally include the desert, and the mountains. Many people have often recounted strange occurrences when they were in the dessert in the night. At the same time jinn’s also like to dwell in many ruined and un clean places such as dung hills, garbage dumps, grave-yards and so on.

4- The Power of the Jinn

Now although the jinn are similar to humans in many aspects, such as eating, having sexual intercourse and reproducing, dying, being judged on judgement day, being granted paradise or being thrown into hell, having a free will and so on. There are also many different aspects between the human and the jinn, this is natural, since the jinn are a different race then us, created from a different substance than we were. The jinn’s have many capabilities that us humans do not have.

For instance the jinn can move very fast, quicker than light you could say, as the Quran tells us:

At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it." So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: And admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants." And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? "I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence)." But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: "I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true. "I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne. "I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah: Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path,- so they receive no guidance,- "(Kept them away from the Path), that they should not worship Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide and what ye reveal. "Allah!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!" (Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied! "Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return"... (The queen) said: "Ye chiefs! here is delivered to me - a letter worthy of respect. "It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:"'Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission (to the true Religion).'" She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence." They said: "We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war: but the command is with thee; so consider what thou wilt command." She said: "Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest thus do they behave. "But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) ambassadors." Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift! "Go back to them, and be sure we shall come to them with such hosts as they will never be able to meet: We shall expel them from there in disgrace, and they will feel humbled (indeed)." He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns: "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted." Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !" (27: 18-40, Yusuf Ali)

So as you can see, Solomon wanted to bring the pagan queen's throne to him, and he asked his chiefs who could do this task for him? An ifrit from the jinn said it could do it, and that it could bring the throne before Solomon even got up from his place, another Jinn said that he could bring it within a blink, and this was done, the jinn got the throne of the queen within a blink! Solomon was amazed by this as any one of us would be, the jinn managed to get the pagan queens throne in a blink of an eye! This shows how fast the jinn’s are and that they unlike us are not bound by long time constraints and can simply travel to anywhere they like in amazing speeds.

Now as to the ifrit, the ifrit is a type of jinn, there different types of jinn, there are shayateen among the jinn, which are the demons, and then you have the ifrit jinns who are the very powerful and strong jinn.

Let us post Ibn kathirs tafsir of these passages:

How the Throne of Bilqis was brought in an Instant

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Yazid bin Ruman: "When the messengers returned with word of what Sulayman said, she said: `By Allah, I knew he was more than a king, and that we have no power to match him, and that we can gain nothing by being stubborn with him. So, she sent word to him saying: "I am coming to you with the leaders of my people to see what you will instruct us to do and what you are calling us to of your religion.'' Then she issued commands that her throne, which was made of gold and inlaid with rubies, chrysolite and pearls, should be placed in the innermost of seven rooms, one within the other, and all the doors should be locked. Then she told her deputy whom she was leaving in charge, "Take care of my people and my throne, and do not let anyone approach it or see it until I come back to you.'' Then she set off to meet Sulayman with twelve thousand of her commanders from the leaders of Yemen, under each of whose command were many thousands of men. Sulayman sent the Jinn to bring him news of her progress and route every day and night, then when she drew near, he gathered together the Jinns and humans who were under his control and said:

(O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience (as Muslims)).''

(An `Ifrit from the Jinn said: ) Mujahid said, "A giant Jinn.'' Abu Salih said, "It was as if he was a mountain.''

(I will bring it to you before you rise from your place.) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Before you get up from where you are sitting.'' As-Suddi and others said: "He used to sit to pass judgements and rulings over the people, and to eat, from the beginning of the day until noon.''

(And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work.) Ibn `Abbas said: "Strong enough to carry it and trustworthy with the jewels it contains. Sulayman, upon him be peace, said, "I want it faster than that.'' From this it seems that Sulayman wanted to bring this throne as a demonstration of the greatness of the power and authority that Allah had bestowed upon him and the troops that He had subjugated to him. Power such as had never been given to anyone else, before or since, so that this would furnish proof of his prophethood before Bilqis and her people, because this would be a great and wondrous thing, if he brought her throne as if he were in her country, before they could come to it, although it was hidden and protected by so many locked doors. When Sulayman said, "I want it faster than that,

(One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: ) Ibn `Abbas said, "This was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman.'' It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah. Qatadah said: "He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif.''

(I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!) Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you. Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted. Mujahid said: "He said, O Owner of majesty and honor.'' When Sulayman and his chiefs saw it before them,

(he said: "This is by the grace of my Lord...'') meaning, `this is one of the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon me.'

(to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for himself;) This is like the Ayat:

(Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself.) (41:46)

(and whosoever does righteous good deed, then such will prepare a good place for themselves.) (30:44).

(and whoever is ungrateful, certainly my Lord is Rich, Bountiful.) He has no need of His servants or their worship.

(Bountiful) He is Bountiful in and of Himself, even if no one were to worship Him. His greatness does not depend on anyone. This is like what Musa said: p

(If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise.) (14:8). It is recorded in Sahih Muslim:

(Allah, may He be exalted, says: "O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as pious as the most pious among you, that would not add to My dominion in the slightest. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil one among you, that would not detract from My dominion in the slightest. O My servants, these are deeds which I am recording for you, and I will judge you according to them, so whoever finds something good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself.'')

With all that said we conclude part one of this article, in part two we shall continue to discuss the powers that jinn have, and we shall also discuss the cursed one who is iblis (satan himself). Continue to part 2

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