Section The Jinn – Part 2

We started the introduction to section Al-Jinn last time and will continue with getting acquainted with the creation of Jinn as presented by the Qur’an. We went over how we should not be lost and frightened over the Jinn stories whereas the Qur’an presents them as very friendly lovable creatures. The verses we looked at mentioning “Jinn” used the phrase “زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ” translated as “two pair”, everything in the universe comes in pairs and here the phrase adds “two” for each of those pairs. Most of the scholarship generalized this phrase by saying that everything comes in pairs, for example, man and woman, day and night, force of attraction and repulsion, expansion and contraction, birth and death, etc. However, when it comes to the existence of Jinn, we have to widen this understanding of things as pairs.

In verse 18:50 of the Qur’an, we looked at the scenario of Iblis who was one of the Jinn and disobeyed his Lord’s command. This gives us a hint that there are some Jinn who may disobey God’s command. We can also see that disobedience is a choice for the Jinn which means that there are other Jinn that would obey their Lord’s command. This presentation of Jinn in the Qur’an corresponds to human beings who also have a choice to obey or disobey their Lord’s command. In another verse 2:34, we looked at how Iblis did not prostrate because of his pride and thus became an unbeliever. This gives us the idea that similar to Jinn, humans as well can be lost in pride and become an unbeliever. The Qur’an is indicating that each pair also has another pair in them, i.e. “pair two”.  

Let’s summarize these points in the following table format:

The human being is composed of two parts, mainly the body and the soul. The human soul has two parts which are conscience which includes human feelings (Qalb), and free will.

Let’s break down the human free will where conscience works alongside with free will, i.e. conscience does not work automatically like “consciousness” which works outside of free will; it is always there but can become temporarily disabled with intoxication. Human conscience always points to the truth whereas the human free will may choose the truth or not, even may reject it and take an antagonistic attitude towards the truth. We can make our conscience dysfunctional by not taking any notice of it. Human free will can choose to follow conscience or egoistic tendencies. To follow conscience is what our human feelings encourage us to do. When the free will follows conscience, we will be on the right path, acting in accordance to our nature, what we are created for. In other words, fulfilling the purpose we are created for, i.e. when we follow our conscience, we are not contradicting our nature, the way we are created. 

If human free will chooses to follow egoistic tendencies, it is following the false options. The pairs that we are studying shows that there are two options where human free will is faced with this duality of options: either conscience or false options. There is nothing existing in this universe that does not have two sides to it which is very important to realize. These two sides are diametrically opposite to one another, contradicting each other. For example, North pole and South pole, black and white, human free will choosing to follow conscience or egoistic tendencies are diametrically opposite to each other. 

This contradiction does not mean that there is disorder in the existence of the universe. On the contrary, it is the miraculous way of realizing the existence of the universe that exists in a perfect balanced way with contradicting elements but complementing each other. It is not possible to say that such an order can be the result of an accident, which cannot make the order. Secondly, accident cannot come out of something that is in order and thirdly accident cannot unite opposites to make them complementary to each other and implement balance. We saw the example given in the Qur’an about the day where we enjoy the light and do our work and at night sleep, which is meant for our rest, i.e. opposites that are completely complementing each other. The whole system of night and day is the order in the universe where the rotations of the solar system are arranged in order to provide the best resting place for human beings.

Living in this wonderful creation with opposites perfectly complementary to each other, the human being is always faced with two options where one is to follow conscience and the other is to follow egoistic tendencies. Following conscience would make us follow what our reality is and the other option is to follow satanic whisperings (egoistic tendencies) which have no reality, no existence.

The Angels are given existence having an invisible body; they do not have free will and always obey their Creator. The classical example to understand angels is through a book written where there is the body of the book with cover, pages and ink. What makes the book is the information contained within the book. The information exists but it does not have a body. Definitely when I read the book, I learn something and communicate through the meaning with its author. Another example is a piece of art which has a canvas, frame and colors of paint which all have physical existence. What about the art manifested on it? Even the most atheist person would not deny the art in that piece of painting. Aren’t we able to see the art in the painting? If we remove the physical elements of canvas and paint, there would be no art. Can anyone say that those physical elements are the source of the existence of the art? No one can say that but that there must be an artist. By looking at the art, I am admiring the qualities of the artist. I am communicating with something (qualities) that does not have a body. Neither the information in the book, nor the art reflected in the painting, nor the meaningful side of creation of the universe have a body. The art and meaning don’t distort or corrupt the meaning inscribed in them, that is the angelic side of the things. They don’t have a body, they don’t have free will and function in their way to obey their Creator only.

Contrasting the existence of angels to that of humans and jinn who are given conscience as well as free will to either distort and follow egoistic tendencies or follow conscience in order to obey their Lord, the angels do not have such an option.

Let’s look at what Jinn is through the following table:

The verse we studied last time (18:50) mentioned that Iblis used to be a Jinn, introducing one kind of Jinn. Why does the Quran bother to tell me that Iblis was one of the Jinn?

Jinn have an invisible body just like the art in the painting, meaning in the book, conscience of a human being which all have no physical body. When I look at a tree, I can understand that there must be a conscious Being that has designed it. Although I don’t see their bodies, I can understand that there must be an Artist, Maker, Organizer of the universe that is miraculously working in an ordered and balanced way. How can I ignore the Maker, Designer, Originator, Engineer of the perfectly working universe? Human beings can see through human insight (baseerah), there is no excuse for a person to deny the existence of the Creator of the universe.

The only difference between the human and Jinn is that they have no material body. Although the Jinn have no material body, they have the soul which human beings also have. Jinn’s soul is made of conscience and free will, similar to human beings. That means it is not necessary to have a body to recognize the source of existence of a thing. If the materialist interpretation doesn’t see the meaning in the universe, they wouldn’t see through human consciousness and reasoning the existence of angels, jinn and let alone of the Source of Existence of the universe. Whatever theories on the existence of things they present have no real existence. We appreciate their work in discovering the order and building useful products but the interpretation offered does not make sense which denies the meaningful side of the universe, reducing everything to matter.

Jinn and human beings have the common thing of having a soul but not bodily, as humans have a material body and Jinn do not. How about their free will? It is similar to humans to either follow conscience or follow egoistic tendencies. 

Let’s summarize what we have learnt so far:

• Believing Jinn will offer us to follow our conscience
• Believing Humans will offer us to follow our conscience
• Disbelieving Jinn will offer us to follow Egoistic tendencies
• Disbelieving humans will offer us to follow our Egoistic tendencies

With respect to free will in both human and Jinn, it is left completely free. No one is forced into making a certain choice but we are completely free to make the choice. There is encouragement inscribed in our feelings to do the right thing, and then there are the Satanic whisperings leading to choices that have no reality that go against our nature, what our purpose of existence is. Humans and Jinn are equal in their usage of free will. The Qur’an mentions about the whisperings of evil and also good news from angels. The whisperings of Satan represent the Jinn who use their free will to follow their egoistic tendencies. They also have counterparts in humans, that is why the Qur’an encourages us to seek refuge with God from the evil whisperings of Jinn and human beings which takes one away from obeying their Lord and makes them go against their nature, to contradict themselves: “Go and indulge yourself in those intoxicants so that you forget about things and feel relaxed. Forget about the reality of your life. Look at the universe and see it is just matter. Don’t bother about how it came into existence. Enjoy your food, don’t bother asking how it came into existence, be social animals, you earned money so you deserve to enjoy. Life is short, do as you please, don’t think about the Creator and the real Owner, etc.”

On the other hand, believing Jinn and believing humans will offer us to follow our conscience, recognize why we are here, who put us here, recognize this universe has an Owner and live accordingly with that awareness. 

We have been studying so far that everything has been created with its counterpart. We as human beings should ask: what kind of beings exist as my counterpart? Man and woman in human beings are within humankind but we are looking for another kind, opposite but complementary. If the Qur’an did not give us the news of the existence of Jinn, we would have to look for our counterpart based on the universal rule in the existence of the universe where everything must have a counterpart: good and bad, useful and harmful, right and wrong, matter and antimatter, illness and health, life and death, etc. There are no exceptions to the rule within the universe. If we didn’t learn from the Qur’an about the existence of Jinn, I would say that something must exist as my counterpart. 

The Qur’an is giving us the news which kind of qualities do these beings called Jinn have and what must I do with their existence. How are we going to communicate with them? We don’t know them through bodily existence but we know theoretically according to the universal order of the universe where everything must have its counterpart, therefore human beings must have a counterpart. The Qur’an calls them Jinn and tells us the qualities these beings have. We understand that although they don’t have a body they must exist. Their existence must have something to do with us because every counterpart has some sort of contradictory nature but they complement each other. That means we need Jinn to complement something, what is that? We are too lazy to investigate the existence of these creatures; to communicate with them through our consciousness as they are our counterparts, not our enemies. Just like there are some enemies among human beings who do not want us to make progress in our human side, there must be enemies among the Jinn who do not want us to make progress in our human side. At the same time, just as there are believing human beings who help us to make progress in our human side, there must be believing Jinn who do the same, supporting each other in belief matters. Those who support disbelief, deny the reality that the universe demonstrates to us and try to deviate or corrupt the human side. We have to be careful not to be carried away by the whisperings of Satan, disbelieving Jinn.

There must be collaboration between believers where believers are brothers supporting each other. There must also be our counterpart in believing Jinn, where they would be our brothers, if we only take notice of their existence and understand the nature of their creation. Realizing their existence definitely needs work. The Quran mentions that we can benefit from Jinn, employ them, including Satan. There are very interesting points that the Qur’an refers to. How do we benefit from Satan? Investigate what they are offering whether it is true or not? If it is false, try to find out the truth. Use the false to jump over to the truth by using “la ilaha”, the fundamental principle that we learn from the Qur’an: “This cannot be the creator of itself, cannot be the creator of something else. Look at the universe, everything has an order, the things cannot choose to get out of the order. The things are just obeying the order operating in the universe and have no free will. If they cannot create themselves and nothing of the universe can be their creator; they all need to be given existence, who created them then?” For example, when looking at the book, the ink and paper cannot be the source giving existence to the information in the book, so who inscribed the meaning in the book? I am utilizing Satan in this thought process.

The Qur’an gives the example of Solomon who has been given in the form of miracles the usage of Jinn and Satan. The miracle is given to him as he is not a scientist but a prophet of God who needs a miracle. The miracles are given for two reasons: to let the people know that only the Owner of the universe can change His order and demonstrate that the prophets are the Owners’ employees, endorsing their prophethood. The second reason is to address the next generations that the order allows for such events which you human beings need to discover within the order of the universe. Find out the way, i.e. find out how to employ Jinn and Satan. Another example of Noah and his ark gave us the example to build ships that although are heavy but balanced in that body of fluid, i.e. discover the order and see how to float heavy objects in a body of water.

We have to find out what kind of creatures Jinn are and how can I benefit from them. Unfortunately, science is under the monopoly of material interpretation where believing people cannot publish a single paper that mentions the universe coming into existence so miraculously necessitates the existence of a conscious Creator who has given existence to this universe in a perfect order. If one hints at such an idea, they would not be able to publish such a scientific paper. In the course of their discoveries it is hoped that they may come to realize that nothing comes into existence accidentally. There are some in the field that are investigating the sixth sense of human beings, other psychological elements in trying to find the cure for human psychological problems. However, the materialist mind attempts to measure and number them as quantifiable data, they take it to the lab. This does not let science work on the side of the existence of Jinn or angels. 

A summary of our introduction to the concept of Jinn so far:

• We have free will. We are fully free to make decisions within ourselves.
• It is for us to choose. Neither human beings nor Jinn have any independent power to affect us unless we choose to follow them.
• As long as we do not follow the wrong offers from them, they cannot have any power on us.
• When we follow the offer of disbelieving Jinn and his counterpart follower human beings, we will be believing in false (non-existent) images, according to the teaching of the Qur’an. We can confirm this while living in this universe with the evidence that is available for me in the creation of the universe. The deniers exist but the content of their denials does not exist.
• When we follow the offer of Angels (believing Jinn, angelic side of creation, human soul/spirit) We will be believing in Truth (existent). For example, there must be an author to the book, who can deny it? There must be a creator to the universe, who can deny it? There must be a source of the existence of everything, who can deny it?
• External “causes” have no effect on us to believe in something.