This verse summarizes the basis of the relationship between the humans and the Jinns stating that it is based on the exchange of – what the two parties perceive as - interests, which are in fact no more than absolute harms. The benefits that the humans can get from the Jinns are represented in seeking refuge with them and the feeling that they are under their protection. That is why when the people of Jaahiliyyah would settle in a valley or any place in the wilderness, they used to say, `I seek refuge with the master of this valley…” As for the benefits that the Jinns get from the humans, it is the feeling of pride and arrogance. That is because when the humans seek refuge with them, they would then boast and say, "We have become masters of mankind and Jinns.''
This is the opinion of the scholars of Tafseer, but it is obvious that this is a mini picture of the relationship of the mutual utilization between the Jinns and the humans, because the relationship is wider than mere seeking refuge with the Jinn and the latter considering this as a source of pride. However, the relationship remains within this framework, as some humans obey and even worship the Jinn in return for getting services related to sorcery and jugglery. Hence, there is a real relationship between the humans and the Jinns but in the worst and meanest forms.
In this article, we will try to shed light on some aspects of this relationship between the two parties (the humans and the Jinns) depending on Quranic texts and authentic Hadeeths to form a correct perception about it:
1- Misleading humans and corrupting them:
This is the ultimate wish of the devils and their life mission. Satan only honors the devils who excel in misleading and corrupting people. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.} [Quran 35:6]
Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “Satan erects his throne on water and sends his emissaries among the people. The closest to him is the one who causes the most Fitnah. One of them (a devil) would come to him and would say, ’I kept inciting so-and-so, until he said such and such words.' Satan says, ‘You have not done much.' Another devil would come to him and would say, ’I kept inciting so-and-so, until I separated between him and his wife.' Satan would draw him closer, saying, ’Yes, you are the (best) one.” [Muslim]
2- Humans worshipping Jinns:
This is the worst aspect of the relationship between the Jinns and the humans. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {But they have attributed to Allah partners - the Jinn...} [Quran 6:100]
Al-Qurtubi may Allah have mercy upon him commented on this verse saying:
This refers to another ignorant belief of the Arab polytheists who used to attribute partners from the Jinns to Allah The Almighty. Attributing partners from the Jinns to Allah means obeying them just as they obey Allah The Almighty.
3- Devils teach people sorcery:
Some people believe that magic or sorcery confers a supernatural power that allows them to control the other humans. Others believe that the Jinns and devils possess the power of sorcery and the knowledge of teaching it; hence, they obey them in return for getting this power or learning its principles. The devils exploited this belief and made it contingent upon Disbelief in Allah The Almighty. Thus, this achieved two benefits for them; they deceived people into disbelief and they spread corruption among them. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon, who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut, and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.} [Quran 2:102]
There is no doubt that sorcery is the widest window through which the devils of the Jinns contact the devils of the humans, and because of it many people have been misled.
4- Harming the humans:
The Jinns have the ability to harm the humans by the Permission of Allah The Almighty. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “The devil circulates in a person like blood (in the blood streams).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah may Allah have mercy upon him said, “The Jinns may harm the humans either in ways that are prohibited for both humans and the Jinns or through coercion and oppression.”
The harm that the Jinns may inflict upon the humans has many forms such as:
A. Entering the human body and causing epilepsy:
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands that is being beaten by Satan into insanity.} [Quran 2:275]
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah may Allah have mercy upon him said:
The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven by the consensus of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah…
‘Abdullaah son of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; “I said to my father, ‘There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of the epileptic.’ He said: ‘O my son, they are lying; the jinn could speak through this person’s tongue.’”
What he said is well-known, because a person may suffer an epileptic seizure and speak in a language that no one understands, and his body may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the epileptic does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is saying. The epileptic and others may be dragged about, or the carpet on which he is sitting may be pulled, and utensils may be moved about from place to place, and other things may happen. Anyone who witnesses such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking through the person and moving these things is not human.” And he said, may Allah have mercy on him: “There is no one among the Imaams of the Muslims who denies that jinn may enter the body of the epileptic and others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam denies it is lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of Sharee’ah to show that it does not happen.
As regards the causes of entering the human body by the Jinns and causing epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyyah may Allah have mercy upon him said:
When the jinn touches a person with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens between one human and another… or it may – as is usually the case – be because of hatred and punishment, such as when a person has harmed them or they think that he has harmed them deliberately, either by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or killing them, even if the person did that unknowingly. There are ignorant and wrongdoing ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or they may be playing with him and mistreating him, like foolish people among mankind.
B. Striking humans by the evil eyes of the Jinns:
Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) saw in her house a young girl whose face had a discolored spot. He said: “Seek Ruqyah for her, because she is struck with an evil eye.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Al-Haafith may Allah have mercy upon him commented on this Hadeeth saying:
The scholars held different opinions regarding what is meant by the “evil eye” in this Hadeeth. Some scholars said that this evil eye is from the Jinns, while others said that it is from the humans, and Abu ‘Ubayd Al-Harawi may Allah have mercy upon him confirmed the latter opinion. However, it is more acceptable to consider that the indication here is general and that the girl was struck by an evil eye. Hence, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) allowed her to seek Ruqyah. Of course, this Hadeeth proves the permissibility of seeking Ruqyah to treat those who are struck by the evil eye.
C. Sharing with the humans their food, drink, and all affairs:
Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “The devil attends everything done by you; he attends even one's dinner. When a morsel falls from any of you, he should pick it up and remove any dirt on it, and then eat it. He should not leave it for the devil, and when he is done he should lick his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the blessing lies.” [Muslim]
D. Harming the human newborns by the Jinn:
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “No child is born but the devil touches it when it is born whereupon it screams, except Mary and her son." Abu Hurayrah then said, "Recite, if you wish: {and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled [from the mercy of Allah]."} [Quran 3:36] Al-Qurtubi may Allah have mercy upon him said, “That poke from the devil is the beginning of empowerment; so Allah protected Maryam and her son by the blessing of the supplication of her mother, who had said: {I seek refuge for her in You and for her descendants from Satan, the expelled from the mercy of Allah}.”
5- Causing diseases (especially the plague) to the humans: Abu Moosa Al-Ash‘ari, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “The end of my Ummah would come through stabbing and Taa‘oon.” They said, “O messenger of Allah! We know stabbing, but what is the Taa‘oon?” He said, “Taa‘oon is the piercing of your enemies from among the Jinn, and, for you, both of them are martyrdom.” [Ahmad]
Ibn Al-Atheer may Allah have mercy upon him said:
Piercing is like stabbing that is not deep . As for the Taa‘oon (pestilence), Avicenna described it as a poisonous substance that causes lethal tumors that infect the soft areas of the body, mostly under the armpits, behind the ear or near the tip of the nose. It is caused by bad blood that is rotten and corrupt. Its symptoms include vomiting, nausea, fainting and palpitation. You may say that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said that Taa‘oon is caused by the piercing of the Jinn, and this apparently contradicts the explanation of doctors. However, I would confirm that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) has told the truth, and doctors spoke about Taa‘oon according to their rules and within the limits of their knowledge. They did not mention the piercing of the Jinns, because this is a supernatural phenomenon. Nevertheless, the symptoms that the doctors have mentioned may happen to those who become infected with Taa‘oon as a result of the piercing of the Jinns. This opinion is supported by the fact that plague usually occurs in the best seasons and in the areas that have the best weather, air, and water. If Taa‘oon were caused by bad air, then it would have infected most people and animals as well. [‘Umdat Al-Qaari Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhari by Al-‘Ayni]
6- Seeing the ‘Awrah of the humans:
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “The screen between the eyes of Jinn and the ‘Awrahs of the members of my Ummah if one of them enters the bathroom is to say: Bismillaah (In the Name of Allah).” [At-Tirmithi]
Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said, “Whenever the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) entered the lavatory, he used to say, "Allahumma inni a‘uthu bika min al-khubuthi wal khaba’ith i.e. O Allah, I seek Refuge with You from male and female devils).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Al-Munaawi may Allah have mercy upon him said in Faydh Al-Qadeer:
This shield protects the believer from this enemy, which means that one must never forget it, because the Jinns mix with the humans all the time. So, if the human wanted to deprive the Jinn from sharing anything with him, then he should say “Bismillaah (In the Name of Allah)”. That is because the Name of Allah The Almighty seals all the provisions of the son of Adam, and it is impossible for the Jinns to remove this seal.
These were some forms of harms that the Jinns can inflict upon the humans to hurt or mislead them. However, these prohibited acts are committed only by the deviant Jinns and the devils, because the believing Jinns are as righteous and pious as the human believers are. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.} [Quran 72:11]
The Muslim must know that the only protection that he has against the evils of the devils is the remembrance of Allah The Almighty (Thikr), which is the stronghold of all believers.
Prophet Yahya (John), may Allah exalt his mention, said to his people, “…I command you to always remember Allah The Exalted. The example of this deed is that of a man whom the enemy is tirelessly pursuing. He takes refuge in a fortified fort. When the servant remembers Allah The Almighty, he will be resorting to the most fortified refuge from the devil.” [Ahmad]
Ibn Abu Ad-Dunya may Allah have mercy upon him reported that Qays ibn Al-Hajjaaj said, “My devil said to me ‘I entered your body while I was as strong as a camel, but today I am as weak as a sparrow.’ I asked him about the reason and he said, ‘You melted me through reading the Book of Allah The Almighty.’”
Abu Al-Ahwas reported that ‘Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The devil of the believer is skinny.”
