When you think of genies you’re probably expecting a blue man that sounds like Robin Williams to come out of a little golden lamp, but the Djinn are very different. The Djinn come from a legendary mountain made by God out of shining emerald, known as Mount Qaf, this mountain is supposedly the farthest point of the earth. Due to the remoteness of the mountain, the north pole is often associated with it. The mountains are said to be made of green emerald, peridot or chrysolite, whose reflection gave the sky a greenish tint. According to Arabic literature, Qaf was the largest of the mountain ranges that were created by Allah to support the earth and is the ancestor of all earthly mountains to which it is connected by additional underground ranges. Qaf symbolizes the cosmic mountain where the natural and supernatural are connected. Later in the 13th century a book whose name literally translates to “Marvels of things created and miraculous aspects of things existing” was published and became an influential text in early modern Islamic society. According to the book, the sky is held up by God so that it doesn’t crush the earth which was at first considered flat but later believed to be round. The earth was surrounded by a large mountain range, which included Mount Qaf, that held it in place like pegs. The earth is then supported by an angel who stands on a gemstone slab on the back of the cosmic bull known as Kujata who is standing on the back of a great leviathan named Bahamut who is suspended in a bowl of water that rests on the back of either an angel or a Djinn.
Unlike typical demons, Djinn are actually similar to humans, they have their own religious beliefs, they eat, sleep, procreate, and can even die. Though unlike humans, Djinn are usually invisible but can take the solid form of a thin and subtle body and some can shapeshift at will. If someone injures a Djinn they will often seek revenge. Because of this, if someone finds a snake, or any of the creatures that a Djinn could take the form of, in their home they will call out to it for three days before attempting to kill it or remove it and if it is a Djinn, it will leave if asked. Despite seeming polite, Djinn can be unreliable and deceitful, Muhammad warned people that they should cover their utensils, close doors, put out any open flame or candle, and keep their children close because the Djinn come out at night and are known to take things and drag candle wicks away, possibly starting a fire. Djinn will not open locked doors, untie knots, or uncover any vessel. If witchcraft is used, a Djinn can be commanded to guard graves and tombs, according to Egyptian belief, it is bad luck to open the tomb of a pharaoh because the Djinn guarding it will harm those that do so. As with all legends and mythology, there are conflicting stories, it is said that there are three types of Djinn; those that can fly and shapeshift, these can appear in various physical forms, those that live in a fixed location and can’t travel outside of that area such as an abandoned house or building, and those that appear as snakes, scorpions, lizards, creeping animals such as turtles, frogs, toads etc, dogs (specifically black dogs), cats, or even humans. As with the snake, it is also a bad idea to chase away a cat early in the morning in case it’s a Djinn who will be angry and seek revenge.
It is unknown how long a Djinn can live though it is much longer than humans and they can die. There are males and females, they can have children, eat, sleep, and have pets. Djinn typically eat meat, bones, and animal droppings but they can eat human food and steal the energy from it unless you say the name Allah before eating. A Djinns home can be anywhere though they prefer deserts, ruins and unclean places such as graveyards, garbage dumps, bathrooms, camel pastures, hashish dens, and even peoples homes. They enjoy sitting in places between the shade and sunlight and begin to move freely when night falls. They also like to visit marketplaces, muslims are cautioned to not be the first to enter a market or be the last to leave it. It is also possible for a Djinn to fall in love with a human and even marry them though there is no evidence of this occurring besides a clan in the United Arab Emirates that claims to have descended from a female Djinn. Allegedly, if the mother is human the children will appear as humans but if the mother is a Djinn, the children will have more traits of the Djinn such as being invisible. If a Djinn has fallen in love with a human who is currently in a relationship, they will often interfere in the relationship.
If someone injures a Djinn, they will often possess the one who hurt them to get revenge, however it is said that a Djinn can only possess someone who is in a state of “spiritual weakness” such as feeling insecure, depressed, mental instability, general unhappiness and those that live alone. If a Djinn possesses someone they often affect the mind and body as they have no control over the heart or soul. They can cause changes in mood and behavior, nausea after eating, headaches, aggressiveness, heavy shoulders, thoughts of suicide, and even changes in the voice, for example: a man’s voice may sound like a woman’s and a woman’s like a man’s. Sometimes simply asking it to leave is enough but if not, then an exorcism would be needed.
David Morehouse, author of the book “Psychic Warrior”, served in the U.S military as a clairvoyant and in his book he talks about how he experienced visions of Djinn after a head injury. Morehouse, along with several other American soldiers, were camped with Jordanian troops for a joint exercise in Jordan at Baten el Ghoul or “Belly of the Beast” an empty and jagged valley in the desert near Saudi Arabia. Morehouse had been accidentally shot in the helmet and was left with a large lump on his head, it was after this that he saw the Djinn.
“Sometime in the night, my eyes opened to a surreal light outside the tent. It was like the light of an eclipsed sun and wasn’t coming from any stove. It filled the night sky. The entire Baten el Ghoul and the hills beyond were bathed in the strange bluish gray light; I walked to the edge of the bluff and stared into the valley, dark figures moved effortlessly across its floor, like apparitions. They poured from the rocks in various heaps and shapes and moved about the clusters of tents. I could hear muffled cries from the Jordanian encampment, and momentarily I thought we were being overrun by thieves or Israelis. Panicked, I turned to run for help. Colliding with one of the figures, I reflexively closed my eyes, except I didn’t collide. I walked right through it. Turning around I watched the figure disappear over the edge of the bluff. After that, the lump on my head disappeared.”
In Jewish and Islamic belief as well as in Western occultism, it is believed that king Solomon had a magical signet ring, often shown in the shape of a pentagram or hexagram. According to religious texts, this ring gave Solomon the power to control spirits and the ability to speak with animals. This seal is believed to be the predecessor to the Star of David. According to Medieval Middle Eastern writers, the ring was engraved by God and was given to Solomon directly from heaven. The ring was made of brass and iron, and these two parts were used to seal written commands to spirits. There are various stories about Solomon and his seal, one story claims that a Djinn was jealous of Solomon and stole his ring while he bathed in the Jordan river and for a brief time, ruled over Solomon’s kingdom before God commanded the Djinn to toss it into the sea where it was swallowed up by a fish that found its way back to Solomon in the form of his dinner. The Qur’an tells another tale of how Solomon would enslave the Djinn by branding their necks with his seal and put them to work either building palaces, making carpets, ponds, statues, and gardens. It is also said that Solomon would ride on the backs of the Djinn when he needed to travel somewhere far away.
Sources: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiqPkFSvPbP/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiqPi2Dv1mE/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinn
https://occult-world.com/djinn/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/9k7ekv/what-are-jinn-arab-spirits
https://unnaturalworld.fandom.com/wiki/Djinn
https://allthatsinteresting.com/jinn
https://www.medievalists.net/2020/10/demons-djinns-devils/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/jinni
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Qaf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kujata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamut
