THE JINN – Continued Part 9:
JINN POSSESSION.
Shortly stated, it is known that many Islamic scholars deny Jinn possession and hold that Satan has no influence on Adam’s children unless it be through whispering. According to Imam Qurtabi, the Qur’anic verse 2:275: “Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity” (Al-Baqarah 2:275) is an evidence against the people who reject and deny jinn possession and its evil affect or those who believe a jinn cannot enter a human and roam through his body and rather they say he just has a medical illness.” [al-Jam’e Li Ahkam al-Quran [3:255 no.12] also Mukhtasar Tafsir Qurtubi [1:210] of Basam Ni’mah]. Shaikh Ibn Taimiyyah too relies on this Ayah in his Majmua al-Fatawa to prove that Jinn can possess human beings. He also quotes Abul Hasan Al-Ashari’s reliance on this verse in Maqalat to show that Jinn can enter a human body. He further points out that according to Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal: “I said to my father, ‘People say a jinn cannot possess (ie enter) a human (body) and cause harm.’ He replied, ‘Oh my son, these people lie and in reality, it is shaytan himself who makes them say this (lie) (whilst possessing them).’ Referring to the said Quranic verse, Hafiz Ibn Kathir said, “It means the one who consumes interest will rise up from their graves on the Day of Judgment just like the person who has been possessed by a Shaitan, who renders him insane meaning that he stands in a strange and peculiar way in a fit of madness. Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abbas said, “One who devours interest will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement insane in a suffocating form of madness.” Ibn Abi Hatim also said that similar commentaries were narrated from Awf ibn Malik, Sa’id ibn Jubair, al-Suddi, al-Rabi Ibn Anas, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir [1:326] refer also to Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim [2:544]. There are many other scholars who have dealt with this aspect but here we are concerned only generally.
Evidence from the Sunnah:
A number of prophetic traditions do indicate that the jinn may enter the human body as well. In one hadith, the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) was reported by his wife, Safiyyah, to have said: “Verily, Satan flows in the bloodstream of Adam’s descendants.” Sunni scholars who use this hadeeth as evidence, it clearly indicates that Satan – and by extension, the jinn – is able to invade the human body and its various parts, similar to the way blood circulates within the limbs.
According to one Hadith, Abdullah bin Numayr narrated to us, from Uthmaan bin Hakeem, he said: Abdur Rahmaan bin Abdul Azeez informed me, from Ya’la bin Murrah, he said: I have seen three things from the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) that no one else would have seen before me nor after me. I went out with the Prophet on a journey until when we reached a certain street; we passed by a woman who was sitting holding a child with her. She said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this child has been afflicted with a curse and it worries us. He gets attacked in a day (with fits) for I don’t know how many times.’ The Prophet said, ‘Hand him to me’ so she lifted the child to him and he sat him down with a saddleback between him and the boy. Then he opened his mouth and put some spittle in it for three times and he said, ‘In the name of Allaah, I am the slave of Allah, go away O enemy of Allaah.’ Then he gave the child to her and said, ‘when we return to this place, tell us how has he faired’ Then we went and later came back to that place and we found that woman along with three (other narrations say: “two”) lambs. The Prophet asked, ‘How is the child?’ She replied, ‘By the one who sent you with truth, we have not seen anything wrong in him until now; please take these lambs.’ The Prophet said, ‘Get down and take only one of them and return the rest to her.’”
According to another hadith collected from Ibn Abbas by Abu Nu’aym, al-Baihaqi and ad-Darimi, he said: A woman came with a son of hers and said, 'O' Messenger of Allah, this son of mine is insane. He is seized by fits every morning and evening, and ruins our lives.' Allah's Messenger wiped him and prayed for him. The boy then vomited and a black puppy came out of his mouth and ran away." (See al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 290).]
It was narrated that Jaabir bin `Abdullah said: We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) on the campaign of Dhaat al-Riqaa`. When we were in Harrat Waaqim (name of a place), a Bedouin woman brought a son of hers to the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and said: “O Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), the Shaytaan has got hold of this son of mine and I cannot do anything.” He said: “Bring him close to me.” So she brought him close to him, and he said: “Open his mouth.” So, she opened it and the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) spat into it, then he said:“be gone, the enemy of Allah, for I am the Messenger of Allah.” He said that three times and he said: “Take your son, there is nothing wrong with him (now), and the problem that he suffered will not come back to him.” [Al-Tabaraani in al-awsat and Al-Bazzaar]
It was narrated that ‘Uthman bin Abul-‘As said: “When the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) appointed me as governor of Ta’if, I began to get confused during my prayer until I no longer knew what I was doing. When I noticed that, I travelled to the Messenger of Allah (sal Alllahu alayhi wasallam) and he said: ‘The son of Abul-‘As?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘What brings you here?’ He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I get confused during my prayer until I do not know what I am doing.’ He said: ‘That is Satan. Come here.’ So I came close to him, and sat upon the front part of my feet then he struck my chest with his hand and put some spittle in my mouth and said: ‘Get out, O enemy of Allah!’ He did that three times, then he said: ‘Get on with your work.’” ‘Uthman said: “Indeed, I never felt confused (during my prayer) after that.” [Ibn Majah 31:3548] In a narration of a hadith in Sahih Muslim, it is stated that the same Companion, Uthman bin Abul As, was affected in salaah by 'waswasa' caused by Shaytaan called "khanzab" In that narration, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi was sallam) told him to seek refuge in Allaah and spit to his left in salaah. Consequently, the vast majority of orthodox Muslim scholars conclude that such narrations confirm the concept of diabolic possession of humans.
Some of the reasons for Jinn possession are:
According to Shaykh Ibn Taimiyyah, Jinn by their nature are very ignorant, harsh and volatile in their behaviour and in their ignorance may seek to punish humans who accidentally harm them unknowingly by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them and even by killing some of them since they are invisible. Sometimes, the Jinn might simply jest or play mischief on humans. This punishment may be more severe than the hapless humans deserve. Occasionally, Jinn's possession might occur owing to their sensual desires and falling in love with a human. According to his student, Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad al-Ma'aad: “Evil spirits mostly gain control of those having little religious inclination and those whose hearts and tongues faith has deserted; those whose souls are desolate of the remembrance of Allah and of the formulas for strengthening the faith. When evil spirits meet a man who is isolated, weaponless and naked, they are easily able to attack him and overcome him.”
It is possible to have several Jinn in the body and each jinni may have a different reason for possession. A sorcerer or magician may send a jinni to possess the victim. In that case, the jinni might be forced to possess a human. Such sorcery (sihr) may cause illnesses such as psychological and psychosomatic or cause separation between the spouses and friends. Jinn possession may also be due to revenge; malicious intention; evil intention to cause a person to deviate from his or her religious beliefs; and so on. A lustful male jinny may incline the possessed woman towards lust, while a female jiniya may incline the possessed man to lustful actions. Sometimes, a man copulates with his wife without reading the following dua: "Bismillah Allah humma jan nib nash shaytan, wa jannib bish shaytana ma razaqthana". In that case, the Jinn may enjoy the pleasure of that sexual act.
Toilets are among the dwelling places of the Jinn. So also the areas where garbage is dumped or a place like the mountaintop. Therefore, fortifying prayers as taught in Islam must be recited while visiting these places. A person may unintentionally step on invisible Jinn for which he may be punished more than he deserves. Walking naked in the dwellings is also not advisable as that may attract the Jinn.
Some of the Signs of Jinn Possession:
Some of the signs are that a person mentions that he is uneasy, he finds himself getting up and sitting down frequently, he speaks unintelligibly, etc. This is called demonic possession (sara‘ al-jinn). The signs also include constant headaches which are not because of organic disease, absent-mindedness, laziness and disability, pain in organs, epileptic seizures, treatment proving to be ineffectual. The victim may experience sleeplessness or disturbed sleep or dream seeing strange people some very tall, or very short or very black, seeing shadows and suffer recurrent nightmares, or see himself falling from heights; or see animals in dreams and see himself near garbages, graves, lonely roads and desolate places.
Shaykh Ibn Taimiyyah said: ‘The possessed person speaks a language that he himself does not understand. And his body may be struck with a ferocious beating, such that it would leave a great mark on a camel. The possessed person does not perceive the strike nor does he perceive the words that he is speaking. The possessed may lift others heavier than him. He may pull out the carpet he is sitting upon… and other such things that have been witnessed and reported by reliable sources. He speaks with the tongue of the human and he moves with that body but he is a species other than a human.’
Continued in Part 10.
NASIR
No comments:
Post a Comment