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Saturday, October 28, 2017

THE JINN - A SHORT ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE, PART 8.


THE JINN – Part 8, Continued.

The jinn and marriage:

Allah The Almighty says: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect" (Ar-Rum: 21). Allah The Almighty also says: ''O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you" (An-Nisaa': 1). And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves... [30:21]  In the above verses, mate and mates refer to spouses from the same kind, i.e., humankind.

The Jinn also have conjugal relations,  as is evident from this verse: "Therein (in heaven) are (women) of modest gaze, whom neither human being nor Jinn have touched before."  (Qur’an 55:56)  A pious jinni enters into marriage or nikah with a jinniya, also called ‘Pari.  Another verse establishes that they beget children:  "Will you then take (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors in preference to Me, although they are an enemy to you?" (Qur’an 18:50)  Qataadah said: "The children of the Shaytaan produce offspring just as the children of Adam produce offspring, but they are greater in number." (Laqt al-Marjaan, p. 51).  The author of Lawaami al-Anwaar al-Bahiya mentions a hadith as follows: "The jinn have children in the same way that the sons of Adam have children, but theirs are more in number."

Can humans and jinn intermarry?

According to the opinion of Muslim Jurist Al Maawardee (972/1058 c.e.), ‘the intellectual rejects the possibility of sex between human and jinn due to their differences in species, and nature and senses. Man is corporeal, Jinn are incorporeal. Thus mixing, would not be possible with such a difference, and offspring would be inconceivable’. [Al Jaami li Ahkaam al Quran vol 13 p 211].  

However, as pointed out by Hafiz Ibn Kathir, Ath-Tha`labi transmitted on the authority of Sa`id Ibn Bashir on the authority of Qatadah after An-Nadr Ibn Anas after Bashir Ibn Nahik, after Abu Hurairah that Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: “One of Bilquis ‘s parents was from among the jinn.”  After citing the genealogy, the Shaykh stated that the father of Bilquis got married to a woman from the Jinn whose name was Raihanah Bint As-Sakan who gave birth to Balqamah to be later known as Bilquis.  Bilquis is known in the Bible as the Queen of Sheba. 
Otherwise too, experts tell us that those who have seen female Jinn have fallen in love with them because of their beauty. 

Qadhi Badr al-Din al-Shibli al-Hanafi in his Aakam al-Marjan fi Ghara’ib al-Akhbar wa Ahkam al-Jann, quotes many early Muslims, such as Tha’alabi, Uthman ibn Sa’id al-Dari, A’mash and Abu Yusuf Saruji, who held the view that not only is human-Jinn inter-marriage possible, but rather, there are instances where such marriages have occurred. (Aakam al-Marjan P: 98-104)  Based on a few reports from the earlier generations, Imam Suyuti too indicated the instances of inter-marriage between humans and Jinn. According to him, Ibn Abbas ® said that epicenes are the sons of the Jinn and are conceived when men have intercourse with their wives during menses which act is forbidden by Allah (swt) and His Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  Hence, in this case, the Shaitan precedes the man in the sexual act so that when the wife gets pregnant, she gives birth to an epicene, i.e. the child having the characteristics of both male and female.  Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah said that humans and Jinn have got married and have had children as a result of their marriage. (See: Laqat al-Marjan fi Ahkam al-Jann by Suyuti)  According to the Hanafi jurist, Imam Ibn Abidin this concept [of human-Jinn inter-marriage] is a possibility, because their (Jinn) taking various forms [including the human form] is proven by many Hadiths and incidents. This is why it is reported from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) that he forbade the killing of certain snakes [since it may be a Jinn in the form of a snake]. (Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 3/5)

However, regarding the permissibility of this inter-marriage, jurists have stated that human beings and the Jinn being two different species their marriage is eternally prohibited.   Allah Most High says: “He (Allah) is the One who has created you from a single soul, and out of him created his wife, so that he may find comfort in her.” (Surah al-A’raf V 189) and: “O people, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its match, and spread many men and women from the two.” (Surah al-Nisa, V 1) (See: Mughni al-Muhtaj, 3/232)  Many classical authors such as Imam Ghazali, Imam Ar-Razi, Imam Zuhri, Hakam, Qatada, Hasan Basri and others are of the view that such a marriage is not permitted.

In short, marriage between a human being and Jinn kind is possible, extremely rare, but not permitted.

Continued in Part 9.


NASIR

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