Islam, Arabs, and Intelligent World of the Jinn

by Amira El-Zein

According to the Qur’an, God created two parallel species, man and the jinn, the former from clay and the latter from fire. Beliefs regarding the jinn are deeply integrated into Muslim culture and religion, and have a constant presence in legends, myths, poetry, and literature. In Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn, Amira El-Zein explores the integral role these mythological figures play, revealing that the concept of jinn is fundamental to understanding Muslim culture and tradition.

Examining closely a wide range of sources, from the fields of law, theology, and folklore, El-Zein clearly places the status of the jinn in the metaphysical and cosmological economy of Islam. The author also illuminates the Islamic concept of the jinn by comparing it to other similar concepts in different religions and mythologies. She probes the complex relationships between the jinn and humans, as well as the jinn and animals, providing critical insights into the function of the jinn in the process of poetic and cultural creation. The author’s access to Arabic sources and her ability to contextualize them make this a compelling and thorough account, enriching our knowledge of Islamic religion and tradition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Islam, Religion, Mythology, History, Folklore, Spirituality

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[آية · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing book about beliefs Muslims have had about the jinn. I was a bit skeptical at first regarding whether the author would distinguish between what common Muslims say versus Islam itself says, because I've found that orientalist or non-Muslim scholars often lump everything cultural or religious together into one monolith “Muslim culture and religion.” But I was happy to see that this author splits her sources into three categories: "orthodox" Islamic sources (Quran, hadith, sunnah, and what Muslim scholars and jurists have said or written about the jinn), Sufi sources (like Ibn al-Arabi), and folklore (such as the 1001 Arabian Nights).

The author examines various aspects of the jinn, from their roles as characters in literature, Muslim jinn and their interactions with the Prophet pbuh, diseases and possessions, different types of jinn (demons, ifrits, marids, and how commoners vs scholars vs the Quran dealt with these differences), magic, and shapeshifting.

There were some really fascinating facts--like did you know that in the Abbasid period, some muftis issued fatwas stating that it's illegal for jinn and humans to marry each other? It makes me really wonder about what was going on in the Abbasid period! Like, how would that even be possible--and shouldn't the forbidenness of such a union be obvious? Perhaps these fatwas were inspired by stories from the 1001 Nights?

There was also a chapter on jinn inspiring poets, and apparently many famous historical Arab poets pre- and post-Islam had their success attributed to a jinn who would inspire them with their poetry. It reminded me of some video I'd watched years ago about famous singers in the music industry saying that they get inspired by some "spirits" or "alter egos" for their music. Like, that's clearly another term jinn in this context, right? Just another reason to stay away from music lol

Another thing I loved about the book is that the author compares Muslim beliefs about the jinn with beliefs from different cultures about the "spirits" or other terms used. For example, she compares jinn to European "fairies," Greek, Indian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian "gods/goddesses," and spirits in central African and Native American beliefs. It was amazing to see the similarities between very different cultures/religions/regions/time periods.

I would include a warning to just be careful with some of the quotes used about the Prophet and his companions--sometimes the author points out that they may not be authentic but other times she doesn't and I found myself questioning the authenticity. I wouldn't take this as a reference for Islamic beliefs, but it's just an interesting read about the cultural beliefs Muslims (particularly Arab Muslims) had about the jinn. It's definitely good inspiration/research for fantasy authors!

[Ons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun!
It's very different from what I normally read, but it was a topic I very much required to read for research purposes.
This book was well-researched and well written. The tone was far from boring and the chapters and topics handled were very interesting.
I liked the notes a lot and the wealth of resources in them. Also, the incorporation of Arabic in including the true names of things and their translations. The objectivity of the author on the subject of Jinn and Islamic mythology and core concepts is also note-worthy.
Unfortunately, there aren't many books that tackle the issue of Jinn like this one. So, this book in its wealth of resources and research is basically a gem and worth keeping as a reference.
So, if you're looking to read something different or in the mood for Islamic spiritualism and fantastical creatures, go for this book. It's interesting, and light-enough yet well-researched.

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar to the European fairies, Indian and Persian Devas and paris, are the Jinn. Legendary creatures made of wind and smokeless fire. They inhabit an invisible world between the realm of angels and the realm of man. They interact directly with our world but are banned from entering the realm of angels. Men who seek to find them usually travel to desolate out of the way places in the desert.

The angels are made with bodies of light, ours of clay. The Jinn used to be able to enter the realm of angels and bring back the news from heaven to mankind’s ears. With the advent of Islam the Jinn were banned from entering heaven. Their leader Iblis who may have been a lower level angel or high ranking Jinn, depending on the source refused to bow down to Adam so he was expelled to the planet earth.

Now Jinn are not necessarily evil, they have a choice. They can come in any religion or none at all. Both Jinn and man will be judged for their deeds in judgment day. Yes there are Muslim Jinn. Some are good to people and other are bad.

What follows is a scholarly examination of the Jinn concept in Arabia. Sources are pulled from pre Islamic works, Orthodox Islam and popular Muslim folklore. The concept of Jinn is compared to similar phenomena in other cultures, covering a range from Arabic, Persian, Greek, Roman, Indian and European folklore.

Covered first if the cosmology of the Islamic heaven, briefly touched upon previously. The Muslim cosmology believes in seven earths each one differing from the other and each Earth contains worlds and universes. The consonants JN mean hidden or invisible . Such a concept could apply to angels, demons and other unseen being. It was thought that prior to the revelation of the Koran that the Jinn roamed the Earth and Heaven and in certain instances were thought of as Gods. The female Deities had wings and were treated much like angels or consorts to male gods. Some believe that the old Gods were in fact Jinn. After all they were unseen.

Jinn can take many forms and sometimes they just keep on changing. The Gods in the Ancient world could also shape shift and be tricky. The Egyptian gods were part animal part features of humans. Some animals like the dear were holy to the Jinn. They liked deer. Snakes were considered both good and evil and in some instances were reviled and in others worshipped.

In strict Islam the Jinn were prohibited from marrying humans yet coupling did happen. Usually the mission was to create a hybrid offspring. In folklore it happened with the hybrid having special powers. The book posits several examples. The Jinn lore is very similar to faerie lore from Europe.

The book goes on to discuss how Jinn inspire poets and the different types of Jinn. This is an good beginning primer for those interested in the lore of the Jinn.

[Nazmus Sadat · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐/ 1 star because the Bengali translated version of Amira El-Zein's book "Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn" is simply horrible. Even a Google-translated version would have been better. This rating is not for the content of the book itself, but for the quality of the Bengali translation. It is so bad that much of the book does not make any sense.

That’s why I usually avoid Bengali translated books—they are often indescribably poor.

PLEASE DO NOT BUY THE BENGALI VERSION OF THIS BOOK, WHICH IS TITLED "ইসলাম, অ্যারাবস এন্ড দ্য ইন্টেলিজেন্ট ওয়ার্ল্ড অব দ্য জ্বীন," TRANSLATED BY মনজুর রহমান শান্ত AND PUBLISHED BY ফ্যালকন পাবলিকেশন / FALCON PUBLICATION.

I will have to buy the original English version to give a proper review of the book and its content.

[Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and really important book by a fine and eloquent poet/scholar, who in her compendious book takes from some rare Arabic sources to present a multifaceted look at the worlds, seen and unseen, we co-inhabit with unseen but real and often powerful forces, jinn, angels, in their own created but interpenetrating dimensions.

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was much more focused on the theological implications of jinns for Islam than of its role as part of Arab, and by extension Muslim, folklore. El-Zein starts by spending a fair amount of time clarifying how literal is the existence of jinns for Muslims. She subsequently dwells on their relationship to the Prophet’s message and the classification of the differences established by Islamic scholars between humans, angels, demons and jinns. All of these discussions were certainly informative but far removed from the folk tales of jinns that drove my interest for the topic. While El-Zein does use some of these folk tales and beliefs to illustrate certain points she never diverges from the conclusions made by Islamic scholars. While this book may suffice for someone studying the religious impact of jinns on Islam it does very little for the reader looking for an anthropological study of the jinn in Arab and broader Muslim folklore.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief and very helpful sourcebook explaining the concept of jinn in both orthodox and folk Islam. Fascinating, and I am now looking to join the jinn's rights movement.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A discussion of jinn.

What is taught in Islam, and believed in folklore. Connections with pre-Islamic beliefs and analogs about the world. Their relations to and differences from angels. Divination, animals, human-jinn love matches, and poetry. Quite a bit of detail.

[Maliha Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this as one of my research books because most of my stories are about Jinns. This is a really well researched book and one of my favourites to dig into everytime I need knowledge or inspiration.

[Mustafa Al-Laylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books in the English language on the Djinn. Seemingly comprehensive without coming across as pedantic El-Zein's approach to the subject is highly readable and enjoyable.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about the tradition of jinn in the Early Near East and today. The author does a great job of weaving the traditions of pre-Islamic societies of the Near East with the modern interpretation of jinn in the Arab world of today. She uses a variety of sources that range from literary to historic and has extensive notes and references. I didn't always understand the progression from one topic/ chapter to the next but liked the wide variety of lens through which she analyzed the jinn.

[Benjamin Spurlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic read, and a great resource on the Jinn. More than that, Amira El-Zein shares a great deal of cultural context for the stories and the advancement of the concept of Jinn, including a very welcome section on the different classifications thereof. Anyone who is curious about the idea of the Jinn and what they're all about needs this book.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my Middle Eastern Gothic class. It was an interesting read. I liked how Amira El-Zein situated the Jinn within the culture as a way to push back against popular ways of contextualizing the Jinn (generally disneyfied or just looked at through political lens). This text considers the Jinn from within its spiritual and cultural grounding and goes beyond the "Arab/Muslim redundancy".

[Hannah ZR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, and clearly referenced sources that help form the stories and myths of djinns. However, some chapters felt repetitive and technical. Overall great book, some things I remember hearing about in childhood are mentioned with clarity and further detail than I can recall which was nice, and made for an interesting read.

[Gwen Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive book about jinn in both pre-Islam and modern Arabia, as well as comparison and contrast of similar world folklore such as fairies and the muses, and their various roles in relationship to humans and divinity.

[Lenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Amira El Zein provides a fascinating and informative look into the world of Jinn and Islam. This work is engagingly written and explores similar traditions and beliefs in other cultures. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Islam as well as the Jinn.

[Hassan Abdulrazzak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A monumental work of scholarship. You learn so much not only about jinn but about islamic folklore in general.

[محمد عطبوش · Rating 4 out of 5]

مفيد، ولكن حبذا لو اعتمدت الدكتورة على المصادر الأصلية في النقل.

[Maisarah Abdul Kadir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the compendium and the sources cited in the book, which is an enormous undertaking, but perhaps not synthesis or analysis made.

Anyways an interesting read.

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry, still interesting

[D. Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author/researcher insights.

[Kabir Ansari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gained deeper understanding of Ancient Arabs and The Djinns.

[Dea Schofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as research for a new character I'm intoroducing in my work. Not only did I learn about Jinn, but I feel as though I gained much better cultural, historical, and philosophical understanding. I really enjoyed the book and all it had to teach.

[Little Miss Esoteric]

$28 for the kindle edition! :/ Unfortunately I won't be reading this one for a while...

[Healingleader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book