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
Before people were created, the djinn reigned supreme, building great cities and enjoying God's favor. Egyptian lore tells of this more peaceful time, ruled by a succession of either forty or seventytwo kings all named Sulayman (Solomon), the last of whom was Gann Ibn Gann. The djinn under this last king were said to have built the great pyramids of Egypt, a belief still held by some at the turn of the twentieth century.6
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
Djinn can never be trusted to tell the truth, no matter how sincere and convincing they appear. If they don't know the answer to a question, they make one up on the spot, with no regard to consequences. They make false promises and abandon people. One story tells of a war in which believers engaged in battle against a band of infidels. Iblis promised to protect the believers and said they would be unconquerable. But when the enemy armies came into view, he fled.'
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.
Besides whispering, djinn create disturbances such as whistling and strange noises, which distract people at crucial moments. They confuse people by speaking in their own language, Surian, which sounds like a combination of Greek and Latin, or German and Italian. Certain sheikhs are able to understand it.13
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 fo
rtune-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.
The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agenda of Genies Page 9
