The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agenda of Genies
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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.