1 . Speed in movement: a Jinn assured Sulaiman pbuh, that he could bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba from Yemen to Palestine before he rose from his council, and another said that he could get the throne before he could blink his eyes.
( One mighty jinn responded, “I can bring it to you before you rise from this council of yours. And I am quite strong and trustworthy for this ˹task˺.” But the one who had knowledge of the Scripture said,1 “I can bring it to you in the blink of an eye.” ) An-Naml 27: 38-39
2 Allah Almighty has given them knowledge in manufacturing and construction, and He Almighty has informed us that He subdued the Jinns to His Prophet Sulaiman pbuh and they would do work for him which required intelligence and skills.
( and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze. They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues,1 basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ) Saba’a 34: 12-13
3 . Their ability to form themselves and appear in human and animal forms, and there are many examples in the Holy Book and the Prophet’s Sunnah .
One example is: the devil appeared to the polytheists on the day of Badr in the form of Surraka Ben Malik, and he promised the polytheists victory, but when the two armies met face to face, and he realized that angels had descended from the sky, he ran away in fear, and Allah Almighty says:
(And ˹remember˺ when Satan made their ˹evil˺ deeds appealing to them, and said, “No one can overcome you today. I am surely by your side.” But when the two forces faced off, he cowered and said, “I have absolutely nothing to do with you. I certainly see what you do not see. I truly fear Allah, for Allah is severe in punishment.”) Al-Anfal 8:48
AlBukhari narrated that Abu Huraira my Allah be pleased with him, said: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) deputed me to keep Sadaqat (al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Sadaqa) (stealthily). I took hold of him and said, By Allah, I will take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) . He said, I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need. I released him, and in the morning Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked me, What did your prisoner do yesterday? I said, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again. I believed that he would show up again as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, I will definitely take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). He said, Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again. I pitied him and let him go.
In the morning Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked me, What did your prisoner do. I replied, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free. Allah’s Apostle said, Verily, he told you a lie and he will return. I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, I will surely take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come. He said, (Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you. I asked, What are they? He replied, Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi– ‘Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-l-Haiy-ul Qaiyum’ till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no satan will come near you till morning. So, I released him. In the morning, Allah’s Apostle asked, What did your prisoner do yesterday? I replied, He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked, What are they? I replied, He said to me, ‘Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi from the beginning to the end —- Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-lHaiy-ul-Qaiyum—-.’ He further said to me, ‘(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no satan will come near you till morning.’ (Abu Huraira or another sub-narrator) added that they (the companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Huraira? Abu Huraira said, No. He said, It was Satan.’
It may be formed in the form of an animal: such as a camel, a donkey, a cow, a dog, or a cat, and most of what it is formed into are black dogs and cats, because the blackness is more powerful for the satanic forces as mentioned by the Sheikh of Islam Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah.
( Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you stands up to pray, he should put a screen in front of him as tall as the height of the back of a saddle. If he does not have something the height of the back of a saddle in front of him, his prayer would be invalidated if a donkey, a woman, or a black dog that passed in front of him.” I asked: “O Abu Dharr, what is the difference between a black dog and a red or a yellow dog?” He said: “O nephew, I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the same question and he answered: “A black dog is a devil.”)
Jinn can transform themselves into snakes, and be visible to people. Therefore the Prophet pbuh forbade the killing of snakes, for fear that that snake may be a jinn that has converted to Islam.
(Abus-Saib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhra said, “I went to Abu Said al-Khudri and found him praying. I sat to wait for him until he finished the prayer. I heard a movement under a bed in his room, and it was a snake. I stood up to kill it, and Abu Said gestured to me to sit. When he was finished he pointed to a room in the house and said, ‘Do you see this room?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘There was a young boy in it who had just got married. He went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to al-Khandaq, (the ditch which the muslims dug in the 5th year of the Hijra to defend Madina against the Quraysh and their allies). When he was there, the youth came and asked his permission, saying, “Messenger of Allah. Give me permission to return to my family.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him permission and said, “Take your weapons with you, for I fear the Banu Quraydha tribe. They may harm you.” The youth went to his family and found his wife standing between the two doors. He lifted his spear to stab her as jealousy had been aroused in him. She said, “Don’t be hasty until you go in and see what is in your house.” He entered and found a snake coiled up on his bed. He transfixed it with his spear and then went out with it and pitched it into the house. The snake stirred on the end of the spear and the youth fell dead. No one knew which of them died first, the snake or the youth. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, “There are jinn in Madina who have become Muslim. When you see one of them, call out to it for three days. If it appears after that, then kill it, for it is a shaytan.” ‘)
The Shaitan circulates in a human being as blood flows in the veins. This is a characteristic of the devils. Anas reported that the Prophet pbuh said: “The devil circulates in the son of Adam like blood. “
Of course we do not see these facts, but we believe in what the Prophet pbuh tells us.
( One mighty jinn responded, “I can bring it to you before you rise from this council of yours. And I am quite strong and trustworthy for this ˹task˺.”) An-Naml 27: 39
( And to Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride. And We caused a stream of molten copper to flow for him, and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze. They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues,1 basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ “Work gratefully, O family of David!” ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.) Saba 34: 12- 13
( And ˹We subjected˺ some jinn1 that dived for him,2 and performed other duties. It is We Who kept them in check.) Al-Anbiya 21: 82
سرعة الحركة والانتقال، فعفريت الجن تعهد لنبي الله سليمان بإحضار عرش ملكة اليمن إلى بيت المقدس في مدة لا تتجاوز قيام الرجل من جلوسه، وقال الآخر: أنا آتيك به قبل أن يرتد إليك طرفك، وهو قوله تعالى في القرآن:” قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ. قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ
علمهم بالإعمار والتصنيع: فقد أخبرنا الله أنه سخر لنبيّه سليمان، فكانوا يقومون له بأعمال كثيرة تحتاج إلى قدرات، وذكاء، ومهارات: “وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَمَنْ يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ (١٢) يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ مَحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَاسِيَاتٍ
قدرتهم على التشكل بأشكال الإنسان والحيوان، ولذلك أمثلة كثيرة في الكتاب الكريم والسنة النبوية نذكر منها ما يلي:
أ. جاء الشيطان إلى المشركين يوم بدر في صورة سراقة بن مالك ووعد المشركين بالنصر، ولكن عندما التقى الجيشان، وعاين الملائكة تتنزل من السماء، ولى هارباً، وفيه أنزل قوله تعالى: ” وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَكُمْ فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَتِ الْفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكُمْ إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لَا تَرَوْنَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ
الْعِقَابِ”.
ب. ومثل ذلك حديث أبي هريرة في حفظه لمال الزكاة، فقد روى البخاري وغيره من حديث أبي هريرة-رضي الله عنه- قال: وَكَّلَنِي رَسولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بحِفْظِ زَكَاةِ رَمَضَانَ، فأتَانِي آتٍ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ، فأخَذْتُهُ وقُلتُ: واللَّهِ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إلى رَسولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، قَالَ: إنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ، وعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ، ولِي حَاجَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ، قَالَ: فَخَلَّيْتُ عنْه، فأصْبَحْتُ، فَقَالَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ: يا أبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، ما فَعَلَ أسِيرُكَ البَارِحَةَ؟ قَالَ: قُلتُ: يا رَسولَ اللَّهِ، شَكَا حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً وعِيَالًا، فَرَحِمْتُهُ، فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ، قَالَ: أَمَا إنَّه قدْ كَذَبَكَ، وسَيَعُودُ، فَعَرَفْتُ أنَّه سَيَعُودُ؛ لِقَوْلِ رَسولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: إنَّه سَيَعُودُ، فَرَصَدْتُهُ، فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ، فأخَذْتُهُ، فَقُلتُ: لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إلى رَسولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، قَالَ: دَعْنِي؛ فإنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ، وعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ، لا أعُودُ، فَرَحِمْتُهُ، فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ، فأصْبَحْتُ، فَقَالَ لي رَسولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: يا أبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، ما فَعَلَ أسِيرُكَ، قُلتُ: يا رَسولَ اللَّهِ، شَكَا حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً وعِيَالًا، فَرَحِمْتُهُ، فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ، قَالَ: أَمَا إنَّه قدْ كَذَبَكَ وسَيَعُودُ، فَرَصَدْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ، فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ، فأخَذْتُهُ، فَقُلتُ: لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إلى رَسولِ اللَّهِ، وهذا آخِرُ ثَلَاثِ مَرَّاتٍ أنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ لا تَعُودُ ثُمَّ تَعُودُ، قَالَ: دَعْنِي أُعَلِّمْكَ كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُكَ اللَّهُ بهَا، قُلتُ: ما هُوَ؟ قَالَ: إذَا أوَيْتَ إلى فِرَاشِكَ، فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الكُرْسِيِّ: “اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ”، حتَّى تَخْتِمَ الآيَةَ؛ فإنَّكَ لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ، ولَا يَقْرَبَنَّكَ شَيطَانٌ حتَّى تُصْبِحَ. فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ، فأصْبَحْتُ، فَقَالَ لي رَسولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: ما فَعَلَ أسِيرُكَ البَارِحَةَ؟ قُلتُ: يا رَسولَ اللَّهِ، زَعَمَ أنَّه يُعَلِّمُنِي كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللَّهُ بهَا، فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ، قَالَ: ما هي؟ قُلتُ: قَالَ لِي: إذَا أوَيْتَ إلى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الكُرْسِيِّ مِن أوَّلِهَا حتَّى تَخْتِمَ الآيَةَ: “اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ”، وقَالَ لِي: لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ، ولَا يَقْرَبَكَ شيطَانٌ حتَّى تُصْبِحَ -وكَانُوا أحْرَصَ شَيءٍ علَى الخَيْرِ- فَقَالَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ: أَمَا إنَّه قدْ صَدَقَكَ، وهو كَذُوبٌ، تَعْلَمُ مَن تُخَاطِبُ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ يا أبَا هُرَيْرَةَ؟ قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: ذَاكَ شَيطانٌ.
ت. قد يتشكل في صورة حيوان: كالجمل، أو الحمار، أو البقرة، أو الكلب، أو القط، وأكثر ما تتشكل بالأسود من الكلاب والقطط؛ لأن السواد أجمع للقوى الشيطانية كما ذكر ذلك شيخ الإسلام تقي الدين ابن تيمية.
وقد أخبر الرسول ﷺ ” إذا قامَ أحَدُكُمْ يُصَلِّي، فإنَّه يَسْتُرُهُ إذا كانَ بيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِثْلُ آخِرَةِ الرَّحْلِ، فإذا لَمْ يَكُنْ بيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِثْلُ آخِرَةِ الرَّحْلِ، فإنَّه يَقْطَعُ صَلاتَهُ الحِمارُ، والْمَرْأَةُ، والْكَلْبُ الأسْوَدُ”. قُلتُ: يا أبا ذَرٍّ، ما بالُ الكَلْبِ الأسْوَدِ مِنَ الكَلْبِ الأحْمَرِ مِنَ الكَلْبِ الأصْفَرِ؟ قالَ: يا ابْنَ أخِي، سَأَلْتُ رَسولَ اللهِ ﷺ كما سَأَلْتَنِي فقالَ: “الكَلْبُ الأسْوَدُ شيطانٌ
ث. تتشكل الجان بشكل الحيات وتظهر للناس، ولذا نهى الرسول ﷺ عن قتل حيات البيوت، خشية أن يكون هذا المقتول جنياً قد أسلم، ففي صحيح مسلم عن أبي السائب أنَّهُ دَخَلَ علَى أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ في بَيْتِهِ، قالَ: فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي، فَجَلَسْتُ أَنْتَظِرُهُ حتَّى يَقْضِيَ صَلَاتَهُ، فَسَمِعْتُ تَحْرِيكًا في عَرَاجِينَ في نَاحِيَةِ البَيْتِ، فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا حَيَّةٌ فَوَثَبْتُ لأَقْتُلَهَا، فأشَارَ إلَيَّ أَنِ اجْلِسْ فَجَلَسْتُ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ أَشَارَ إلى بَيْتٍ في الدَّارِ، فَقالَ: أَتَرَى هذا البَيْتَ؟ فَقُلتُ: نَعَمْ، قالَ: كانَ فيه فَتًى مِنَّا حَديثُ عَهْدٍ بعُرْسٍ، قالَ: فَخَرَجْنَا مع رَسولِ اللهِ ﷺ إلى الخَنْدَقِ فَكانَ ذلكَ الفَتَى يَسْتَأْذِنُ رَسولَ اللهِ ﷺ بأَنْصَافِ النَّهَارِ فَيَرْجِعُ إلى أَهْلِهِ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَهُ يَوْمًا، فَقالَ له رَسولُ اللهِ ﷺ خُذْ عَلَيْكَ سِلَاحَكَ، فإنِّي أَخْشَى عَلَيْكَ قُرَيْظَةَ، فأخَذَ الرَّجُلُ سِلَاحَهُ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَإِذَا امْرَأَتُهُ بيْنَ البَابَيْنِ قَائِمَةً فأهْوَى إلَيْهَا الرُّمْحَ لِيَطْعُنَهَا به وَأَصَابَتْهُ غَيْرَةٌ، فَقالَتْ له: اكْفُفْ عَلَيْكَ رُمْحَكَ وَادْخُلِ البَيْتَ حتَّى تَنْظُرَ ما الذي أَخْرَجَنِي، فَدَخَلَ فَإِذَا بحَيَّةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ مُنْطَوِيَةٍ علَى الفِرَاشِ فأهْوَى إلَيْهَا بالرُّمْحِ فَانْتَظَمَهَا به، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَرَكَزَهُ في الدَّارِ فَاضْطَرَبَتْ عليه، فَما يُدْرَى أَيُّهُما كانَ أَسْرَعَ مَوْتًا الحَيَّةُ أَمِ الفَتَى، قالَ: فَجِئْنَا إلى رَسولِ اللهِ ﷺ، فَذَكَرْنَا ذلكَ له وَقُلْنَا ادْعُ اللَّهَ يُحْيِيهِ لَنَا فَقالَ: اسْتَغْفِرُوا لِصَاحِبِكُمْ، ثُمَّ قالَ: “إنَّ بالمَدِينَةِ جِنًّا قدْ أَسْلَمُوا، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ منهمْ شيئًا، فَآذِنُوهُ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فإنْ بَدَا لَكُمْ بَعْدَ ذلكَ، فَاقْتُلُوهُ، فإنَّما هو شيطَانٌ”.
ج. الشيطان يجري من ابن آدم مجرى الدم من العروق، وتلك خاصية أعطيت للشياطين، وقد جاء في الصحيحين عن أنس، قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ:” إنَّ الشَّيطانَ يَجري مِن ابنِ آدمَ مَجرى الدَّمِ”، وفي رواية أخرى: ” إنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَبْلُغُ مِنَ الإنْسَانِ مَبْلَغَ الدَّمِ…”، ولا شك أن هذا من الغيب الذي لا يشاهد بالأعين لكننا نؤمن به كما قاله نبينا ﷺ.
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ
النمل 27: 39
وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَن يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١٢ يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِن مَّحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ
(وَمِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَافِظِينَ