It is a form of mental disorder that occurs in a person, whereby he/she is not aware of what he/she becomes unable to link what he/she said and what he/she is about to say. He/she would suffer loss of memory as a result of the mental disturbance, which would affect on his/her movements and behaviour. He/she would completely lose the balance of his/her body. Among the sings of the Sar’ (the possession by Jinn) is insanity, displayed in expressions, the actions and the thinking.
The definition of Sar’ by Al-Hafid bin Hajar.
This is an illness which partially prevents the principal organs from reacting, because of a ‘thick air’ stuck in the passageways of the brain, or harmful ‘smoke’ which rises up from other parts of the body; it might be followed by a cramp, making the person losing control of his/her body. Sar’ can also come from Jinn, from the vicious ones among them (they posses humans); they would either want to adopt the feature of a particular human or because they simply want to harm him/her.
The first (definition) is the one confirmed by doctors who provide its cure, and the second is the one which is argued (and denied) by many of them, yet approved by some. Its only cure is resistance by higher, good spirits who overcome the effects of the lowest evil spirits, thwarting their actions.
Proofs of confirmation of Sar’
The existence of Sar’ (by Jinn) was confirmed by both Naql (texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah) and by .’Aql’ (intellect); it is a real fact that is doubted only by the obstinate or stubborn.
First:Proof from the Qur’an
Allah said (Those who practice usury (Riba) will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch).
Al-Imam Attabari said, in the interpretation of this Verse: Allah informed us that those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves on the Day of Judgment except like someone driven mad by Satan’s touch i.e. Jinn’s possession.
Al-Hafid bin Kathir Said: “He informs us about the day when they will arise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, saying : (Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection), except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan, leading him to insanity) meaning: they cannot rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, except as one whom Satan has driven to madness.”
Al-Alusi said:- “Those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves, on the Day of Judgment, except like the one was driven mad by Satan’s touch in this world.” :
Second: Proof from Sunnah
(1) Matar ibn Abdurahman al-A’naq said: Umm Abaan bint al-Wazi’ bin Zari’ ibn ‘Amir al-‘Abdi” narrated from her father, that her grand father once went to the Prophet (S.A.W.) with his son – or the son of his sister – who was “Possessed by Jinn” ; the grand father said: ‘When we reached the Messenger of Allah in Al-Madina, I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I brought with me my son – or the son of my sister – who is possessed by the devil, so you can make a supplication for him.’ The Prophet (S.A.W) said: ‘Bring him to me’. So I went back to the convoy where I had left him, untied him, dressed him with down so I can have access to his back.’ When he got hold of him, he started striking him on his back, yelling: ‘Get out, enemy of Allah; get out, enemy of Allah.’ Suddenly, the boy started to look well – a look which was different from the previous one – then the Prophet seated him near him, made a supplication for him, and wiped his face. After the supplication of the Prophet (S.A.W.) no one in the convoy was preferred more than him.”
Al-Haithami said: It was narrated by Al-Tabarani, but Matar never narrated from Umm Abaan. I (the author) say: “Al-Hafid mentioned about Umm Abaan as ‘acceptable’, and al-Bukhari had transmitted her narrations, so she had passed the standard of authenticity.
We can derive from this Hadith certain issues:-
- That the devil can possess a person to a state of madness.
- That Sar’ (possession by the devil) can be healed by striking the sick person with authority from the Sunna.
- That the devil had entered inside the boy and taken over his body; and this is clear from the Prophet’s saying: “Get out, enemy of Allah” (n exit was certainly preceded by an entrance.)
(2) Ya’la ibn Murrah said: “I have seen three things from the Prophet (S.A.W.) that no one has seen before me or will see after me: We set out on a journey, and on our way, we met a woman sitting on the ground with her son. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is a boy who is stricken by an illness. Which harms him and both of us; he gets possessed many times during day.’ He said: ‘Bring him to me.’ She handed him to the Prophet and placed him between him and his mount. He spat three times deep in the boy’s mouth, saying : ‘Bismillah (in the name of Allah) ana ‘Abdullah ( I am a servant of Allah), ikhsa’ ‘Aduwullah (I chase you away, enemy of Allah)’ Then he handed him back to her and said: ‘Meet us on our way back, in this place, and tell me about his condition,’
He said : ‘We went and came back, and found her in the same place, with three lambs. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said to her: ‘What did your boy do?’ she replied: ’By He Who sent you with the Truth, we have not sensed anything unusual from him so far. You may take these lambs. ‘ He (S.A.W.) ordered one of his Companions to take one and return the ret to her”.
Al-Haythami said: ‘it was transmitted by Ahmad with two chains of authorities, and by a;-Tabarani.’ The chain of authority of Ahmad is authentic. It was also recorded by al-Hakim in ‘al-mustadrak’ (2/617), and authenticated by al-Dhahab.
(3). In another narration by Ahmad, he said: “Waki” reported from al A’mash ibn al-Minhal ibn ‘Amru, from Ya’la ibn Murrah, from his father that a woman once came to the Prophet (S.A.W) with her stricken son, so he (S.A.W.) said: ‘Get out, enemy of Allah; I am the Messenger of Allah.’ So the boy was healed. The woman offered the Prophet two sheep, some butter and cheese. He (S.A.W.) said to one of his Companions: Take the butter, the cheese and one sheep, and give her back the other one. “
(4) Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah narrated: “We set out with the Messenger of Allah (S..A.W.) in the Mission of Dhat Arriqa’, until we reached a place called ‘Harrat Waqim’. A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) and said ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is my son, and the devil has possessed him. He (S.A.W.) said to her: ‘Bring him down to me’ she did, and he asked her to make him open his mouth; so he (S.A.W.) spat inside the boy’s mouth and said: “I am chasing you away, enemy of Allah; I am the Messenger of Allah’ three times. The he said to her: ‘Do not worry about your son anymore; he will not be affected from the same thing again….’ Al-Haythami said: It was transmitted by al-Tabarani in “a;-awsat”, and al-Bazzar. The chain of authority included Abd al-Hakim ibn Sufyan who was mentioned by Abi Hatim, although no one has examined his narrations, the ret of the chain is authentic.
(5) Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that a woman brought her son to the Prophet (S.A.W.) saying: “O Messenger of Allah, he has a mental derangement, which affects him during our dinner time, so he ruins our meal;” The Prophet (S.A.W.) wiped the boy’s chest and made a supplication for him. The boy vomited, and what was inside him came out and went away (it was in the form of a black dog.).
Al-Haithami said: {The chain of authorities includes Farqad al-Sabkhi who was authenticated by Ibn Mu’in and al-‘Ajli, but was considered weak by others (for having a weak narration).
Al-Hafid said about him: “ A pious and trustworthy person, but his narration is full of mistakes.”
(6) ‘Ata’ ibn Abu Rabah said: “Ibn ‘Abbas said to me: ‘Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise? I said: ‘Yes.” He said: “This black lady came to the Prophet and said: ‘I sometimes suffer from fits and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet (S.A.W.) said (to her); “If you wish, be patient and you will have entry to Paradise; yet if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you,’ She said: “I will remain patient,’ and added ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.”
The woman ‘s name was Umm Zifr as transmitted by Al-Bukhari, in his Sahih book, on the authority of ‘Ata’; and it is clear that the Sar’ happening to that woman was from Jinn. Al-Hafid said, in the interpretation of this Hadith: Al-Bazzar has another narration, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, of this story where the woman said: ‘I fear that the evil (thing) might uncover my body,’. The evil is Satan, and for this reason, Al-Hafid said, after transmitting the different chains of this Hadith: “It could be understood from the chains of authorities that Umm Zifr was suffering from Sar’ (possession) of Jinn, nothing else.
(7) Ibn Mas’ud said: “When the Messenger of Allah entered Salat, he would say: ‘O All;ah, I seek refuge in you from Satan, the accursed, from hamzih, wa naftih wa nafkhih’.
He added: “Hamzoh is mawta ‘demise or unconsciousness;. Naftih is ‘thee erotic poetry’ and nafkhih is his ‘haughtiness’.
Al-Mawta is a type of mental disturbance that leaves a person unconscious, so when he/she comes around, he/she feels as if he/she were asleep or drunk.
Ibn Kathir said: “The hamz of the Devil is al-mawta which is suffocation (i.e. Sar’).
Abd al-Karim Nawfan said: “This Hadith confirms the ability of Jinn to possess humans, because it includes the Prophet’s seeking refuge in Allah from the hamz of Satan -the Ihamz as was mentioned earlier, is al-mawta which overwhelms a person (i.e. Sar’), leaving a stricken person dead from pain.
(8). Abu al-Yusr narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) used to make the following supplication: “O Allah, I seek refuge in thee from my house falling on me, I seek refuge in Thee from falling into an abyss, I seek refuge in Thee from drowning burning and decrepitude. I seek refuge in Thee from the devil harming me at the time of my death, I seek refuge in Thee from dying on Thy Path while retreating, and I seek refuge in Thee from dying of the sting of a poisonous creature.”
Shajar said: “Being harmed by Satan (i.e. being affected by the devil with insanity).
(9) Safiyyah bint Huyay said ; “The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: ‘Satan circulated in the body of Adam’s offspring as his blood circulates in it….’.
Some scholars have used this Hadith to prove Satan’s ability to invade the body of a person, and thus the possibility of Sar; (possession) taking place,
Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami said in his book “Al-Fatawa Al-Hadithiyah”, after mentioning this Hadith: “It is a proof against those who deny Satan’ ability to infiltrate the body of a person, such as Al Mu’tazilah.
(10) ‘Uthman bin al- ‘As ‘ narrated: “When the Prophet (S.,A.W.) appointed me as a governor of at-Ta’if, I used to feel something exposed to me during Salaat which made me forget what I had prayed; so I traveled to see the Messenger of Allah. When he (S.A.W.) saw me, he asked the reason of my visit, I replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, something comes to me during Salat, and makes me forget what I have prayed’. He replied: “That is Satan. Come closer’. So I approached near him, sitting o my heals. He struck my chest and blew in my mouth, saying : ‘Come out, enemy of Allah’. He repeated this three times, then said to me: ‘Go back to your work’. Since that moment, I have never felt anything.
(11) Ubay bin Ka’b said: “I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah, and a desert Arab came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have a brother who feels pain’ he said: ‘What is his pain?’ he replied: ‘He has a mental disorder’. He said: ‘Bring him to me’. He (S.A.W.) placed him between his hands and sought refuge for him in Allah, by reading Surat al-Fatiha, the fourt first verses from Surat al-Baqara, the verse (And your God is one God), the Ayat al-Kursi, the three last verses in Surat al-Baqara, a verse from Surat al ‘Imran’ (Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him)., a verse from Surat al-A’raf (Your Lord is Allah), the first ten verses from Surat al-Saffat, three verses from Surat al-Hashr, Surat al-Ikhlas (Say: ‘He is Allah, bsolute oneness), Surat Al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas. Then the man rose feeling no pain at all.”
Al-Haythami said: “It was narrated by Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and the chain included Abu Janab who is weak, but was considered as reliable by Ibn Hibban, yet the rest of the chain of authorities is authentic.
(12) Kharija ibn al-Silt narrated from his uncle that he went to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and embraced Islam, then on his way back, he passed by some people, and among them was a mentally disturbed man who was held in chains. His family said: ‘We are told that this friend of your has come with something good; so do you have anything to heal our man”. He said: ‘So I treated him (with ruqya) by reciting Surat al-Fatiha, and he was cured. They gave a flock of a hundred sheep; so I went to see the Messenger of Allah, and I informed him. He (S.A.W.) said, ‘”Have you said anything else”, I said “No”., he said: ‘Take (accept) your reward; you have eaten from a ruqya of truth, not falsehood.
Third : Rational proofs.
Shaikh Muhammad al-Hamid said: “If the Jinn are delicate bodies, then neither rationality nor Islamic texts deny the possibility of their (Jinn) circulation in the bodies of the offspring of Adam. For, the thin and delicate can circulate in the thick; such as the air which enters our bodies; fire circulates in coal; electric currents circulate in wire or cables or rather water may penetrate soil sand or clothes, even though it is not as thin or as fine as the air or an electric current.
Righteous scholars have approved of all the texts informing about the possibility of the entrance of Jinn in the bodies of humans. These texts are so numerous that they should not be ignored just because of those who deny them with their senseless talk. Sincere Revelation has informed us about it, and so we should show submissiveness and compliance with the texts, without making any absurd interpretations that distort believers from their Path and from true faith.
There are many real fact incidents of Jinn’s penetration into human bodies which are countless; therefore, whoever denies this fact clashes with the real world which invalidates his opinion.”
The Statements of Scholars
(1) We have already mentioned the statements of the scholars of Tafsir (interpretation) of the Qur’an such as : al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, al-Ausi.
(2) The statement of al-Ash’ari in “Articles of Ahl as-Sunna” that Jinn enter the human body, as Allah has said (Those who practice usury will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch).
(3)Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “I said to my father: ‘Some people claim that Jinn do not enter the body of humans. ‘ So he replied:-‘O my son, they lie; it is a Jinn who speaks through a human (when he possesses him/her).”
(4) Shaikh al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The existence of Jinn is confirmed by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the full agreement of the Ancestors of our Ummah. Likewise, the entrance of Jinn inside the bodies of humans is confirmed by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna; it is a visible and noticeable fact for whoever should reflect upon it. A Jinn enters the body of the stricken (possessed) person, speaks words unknown to the person he possesses, who is quite unaware of it; unaware even of the blows he receives which would likely kill a camel.
Allah said: (as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch), and the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: (Satan circulates in the bodies of the offspring of Adam like the blood” and other text emphasize this”
(5) Ibn a-Qayyim said:- “There are two different types of epilepsy (Sar’): one from evil terrestrial spirits, and the other from vicious (other) types.
(6) Ibn Hazm said: “It has been confirmed that Satan touches (posses) a person – by the Will of Allah - as said in the Qur’an; he influences him with his dark habits, and the ‘smoke’ rising to his brain, as every stricken person informs others of his/her experience, with ho contradiction among them. So Allah causes him to be left in a mental disorder, as we witness, and this is exactly how it is described in the Qur’an.
(7) ‘Amru ibn ‘Ubaid said: “The one who denies the entrance of Jinn in the body of humans is a dahri.
Medical Diagnosis of Epilpsy
(1) Dr. Bell said: “The spirits which possess humans reach some vital areas in a human body, such as the brain.”
(2) Dr. Ahmad al-Sabahi ‘Awad Allah said: “Epilepsy is, generally, a sudden disturbance and disorder that takes place in the amber side of the brain. Its function and its fits come in two forms:
a)fits of muscle contraction (spasms) which originate in the movement centre of the brain, due to physiological changes, whereby the stricken (person) loses consciousness. He/she should be treated by normal doctors(psychiatrists).
b)mental fits or contractions, originating in the centre of the senses, in the form of different degrees of sensitivity. Its principle symptom would be a mental change whereby, the sick person would not lose his/her sensitivity completely. This type of fit by possession (by Jinn) is the one which could be healed only through supplication and pleading to Allah, as doctors would not be able to cure it.
The legitimacy of the treatment of Sar’ (Exorcism).
(1) We have mentioned the Prophet’s treatment of Sar’.
(2) ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud had treated a possessed man with a recitation from the Qur’an, and the Prophet had approved it.
Abu Ya’la narrated from Hanash sl-Sanaghani from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, that he had recited the Qur’an in the ear of a stricken person, so that the latter came around. The Prophet (S.A.) asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: ‘What have you recited in his ear? He replied: ‘I read (Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?.....) until he finished the Surah. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘If a man read it properly on a mountain, it would descend”.
(3) Al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had treated Sar’ (possession by Jinn).
The Qadi Abu al-Hussayn ibn the Qadi Abu Ya’la ibn al-Fira’, the Hanbali scholar, said in his book “Generations of the Companions of Imam Ahmad” I heard Ahmad ibn ‘Ubaydillah saying: ‘I heard Abu al-Hussayn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al’Akbari who came to us from ‘Akbara, in Dhi al-Qa’da 352 A.H. say: ‘My father narrated to me quoting my grandfather who said: ‘I was in the mosque of Abu Abdillah Ahmad ibn Hanbal when a messenger from al-Mutawakkil (the Calphate) came to inform Imam Ahmad that there was a maid who suffered from Sar’ , and asked him to make a supplication to Allah for her to regain her good health. Imam Ahmad brought out the wooden sandals he used for Wudu (Abultion), handed them to the messenger and said to him: ‘You go to the house of the Emir of the Faithful, sit by the head of the maid and tell him (i.e. the Jinn who possesses her): ‘Imam Ahmad said to you: ‘What is more cherished to you? That you get out from this maid or receive seventy slaps with these sandals’.
The messenger went and told the Jinn exactly as Imam Ahmad had instructed him; thereupon the rebel Jinn spoke through the maid, saying: “I her and obey.’ If Ahmad ordered us not to reside in Iraq, we would leave. He had obeyed Allah; for he who obeys Allah, everything should obey him.’ So he left the maid who became calm, healthy and later had children. When Imam Ahmad died, the rebel Jiinn came back to her; so al-Mutawakkil dispatched his messenger to Abu Bakr al-Maruzi and informed him of the situation. Al-Maruzi took the sandals and went to the maid, but the Jinn spoke to him through her, saying: ‘I will not leave this maid. I will not obey or accept anything form you. Ahmad ibn Hanbal obeyed Allah, and so we are commanded to obey him”.
(4) Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah had treted Sar’ many times, as reported by his pupil Ibn al-Qayyim who said: “I was present when our Shaikh once sent a messenger to the possessed person and addressed the spirit inside him, saying: ‘The Shaikh told you to get out and leave, for this body is not yours’. And then a few moments later, the stricken person came around. Sometimes, the Shaikh would address the spirit himself, and if the spirit happened to be rebellious, he would chase it out with blows, yet the stricken person would come around, without feeling any pain. We have witnessed these incidents many times, and the Shaikh often used to read in the ear of the possessed person (Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?)
He once told me that he read the verse in the ear of a possessed person, and the spirit screamed: “Yes”. He said: ‘Then I took a stick and hit him on his neck, until my hand was weary. During the hitting, the witnesses through he was dying because of the blows. The spirit said:: ‘I like him’. I told her: ‘But he does not like you. ‘She replied: ‘I want to go to Hajj with him.” I told her: ‘He does not want to go to Hajj with you. ‘She said: I will leave as a mark of honour to you.’ I said: ‘No, but as obedience to Allah and His Messenger (S.A.W.)’ She said: ‘I am leaving him.’. The possessed person started to look right and left, then said :’What has brought me to the Shaikh? They asked him: ‘What about all the blows you have received? He said: ’Why would the Shaikh hit me when I have done nothing wrong? Indeed, he did not feel any blows at all”.
A question regarding Exorcism.
This question and its answer were mentioned by the scholar Badr al-Deen Muhammad ibn Abdillah al-Shibli in his book “Akam al-marjan”.
Abu al-Abbas, Ibn Taymiyya was asked about a man who had been practicing exorcism for a long period of time, because some of his people were inflicted with a gruesome and powerful sorcery, which was rarely encountered. The sorcery affected the stricken person, repeatedly, more than a hundred times, nearly destroying him in many occasions. So the man faced the Jinn with powerful resistance, by showing strong devotion to Allah, constantly supplicating Him, and observing the principles of Tawheed, which are the recommendations of Shahadah; and eventually he managed to overcome them. The stricken person used to see them Jinn) in his sleep, and also used to hear their talking while he was awake.
He herd them once as they were saying: “Some of our people have died last night, and others have fallen ill, because of the prayer of the person who made the supplication,” and they would name him. There was in Cairo a great man, who used to gather with them and check their situation, as he had an amazing influence upon them. He was asked about the reality of the stricken person’s dream and the news about the supplication. So he replied that six of the Jinn had died and many of them had fallen ill. It was repeated about a hundred times, the fact which convinced the man came to the conclusion that Allah had defeated them for him.
The Jinn submitted and asked for peace, but the question was: Is it permissible or not (in Islam) for an exorcist (a man who makes the supplication and proceeds with ruqya) to defend a unjustly possessed man, knowing that it could harm a group of Jinn in the process? Is it permissible or not for him to leave the possessed man to his plight, even though he could see him suffering and near destruction? Is this attack – on the Jinn – permissible or not in Islam, and does it have any supporting proof from the traditions of the Prophet (S.A.W.) or common practices of the Muslims? Does the Shari’ah acknowledge such facts, as determined by the person who made the quest and other believers, or is it impossible, as concluded by philosophers and some innovators?
Is it legal, in Islam, to seek help from the works of astrologists or others who use amulets, cards, smoke, etc., because they are responsible for the sins of their practices while the possessed person and his family just seek a cure, even through it is a form of polytheism – for it comes under the concept of challenging a corrupt and wrong act with a similar one?
A summary to the answer.
It is permissible, rather recommendable, and it might even be obligatory to come to the defense of the oppressed according to one’s ability. If the sick person is cured by the supplication to Allah and the recitation of the Qur’an; ordering the Jinn to leave, even by insulting or cursing them with any permissible expression, which should achieve the objective, despite the fact that some of the Jinn might be harmed or even killed, then they should blame only themselves, for they are the oppressors, the wrongdoers, especially if the exorcist who treats the patient does not transgress and oppress them like some people do, which entices the Jinn to fight back, and take revenge either on him or his family.
The exorcist who heals the patient by abiding to the Commands of Allah and His Prophet (S.,A.W.) is not an oppressor towards the Jinn; rather, he is obeying Allah and His Messenger by defending the oppressed (the possessed person), and following the way of the Right Path. Such person cannot be harmed by the Jinn, either because they know that he is just, or they feel weak before him.
If the Jinn were demons and the exorcist showed weakness before them, they would not hesitate to harm him; therefore, he should protect himself by reciting the two suras: ‘al-Falaq” and ‘an-Nass”. In his Salat and his supplication, which would increase his faith. He should avoid sins, which are their means of attacking him. He is, in this case, a Mujahid (warrior) in the Path of Allah; therefore, he should not let his enemies overcome him because of his sins. If the matter is beyond his capacity; Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can bear.
Ayat al-Kursi is among the most powerful tools for defeating demons; it was implemented by many exorcists who referred to its great effects in chasing away the Jinn from the human bodies, and also its effect on those supported by demons such as oppressors, and on people who follow their own desires like singers and other wrongdoers.
The oppressor should be repelled, whether he is a Muslim or a Kafir (disbeliever); the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Whoever is killed fighting to protect his property, then he is a martyr.” The Hadith was also narrated with an extension “…….to protect his property, honour or religion…..” If the oppressed is permitted to defend his property even if the normal oppressor dies, then he is surely entitled to repel any aggression on him to protect his mind, body and his sanctity. Satan corrupts the mind of the person he possesses, and harms his body. He might even indecently assault him; yet if such act were to be committed by a human to another human, then it is certainly permissible to kill the aggressor if necessary.
It is like repelling the human aggressor among the disbelievers and the impudent. To chase away the Jinn from the body might require striking it heavily and continuously. The hitting lands on the Jinn, not the person it possessed who does not feel any pain at all. The blows do not affect the body of the possessed one at all, even if it is hit three hundred times in his feet by a stick. If those strikes were on the body of the possessed, they would have killed him.
Therefore, it is the Jinn who felt them, and they respond by screaming, and even talking to the audience about several topics.
We have practiced such acts many times in front big audiences.
As for seeking support against them with cryptic expressions, it is not permissible if it includes any form of shirk (polytheism), because it is haram. Most people who introduce amulets generally us some expression of shirk together with some verses of the Qur’an.
Muslims might dispute among themselves about the idea of “the healing with the prohibited in Islam”. Yet they never dispute the fact that it is not permitted to use any aspect of shirk or kufr for any healing in any circumstances. This is totally different from the case when a Muslim my utter words of kufr, under subjugation, while his heart remains full of Iman (belief in Allah).
Reason of Jinn’s possession of humans.
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya said: “The Jinn’s possession of humans can be out of a desire or passion - as it exists among humans – and they might have sexual intercourse with them and have children; and this case is common, as mentioned by the scholars. The majority of scholars dislike marriage to Jinn, which might take place out of hatred towards the humans and as a punishment for them – if they (the humans )initially hurt them, by urinating on them, or pouring hot water or killing some of them - even if such acts were carried out unintentionally.
Because there is so much ignorance and injustice among the Jinn, they would punish the possessed more than he or she deserves; this punishment could take the form of mockery or pure evil, as violent humans do among themselves.
The first case is considered a vice act, which has been forbidden by Allah, as He has forbidden it among humans, even if both the man and woman consent to it. It is a vice and an unjust act; therefore, the Jinn should be addressed to understand that it is a vice act and/or an injustice so that the proof is highlighted against them, and they should know that the judgment of Allah and His Messenger, who was sent to both Jinn and humans, should be applied on them.
In the second case, if the human committed an act against the Jinn unintentionally, then this should be explained to them; that he never intended to harm them. And if the act took place in his house, then he is free to act in a way that is permitted.
As for you Jinn, you do not have the permission to take shelter in human bodies without their authorization.
So, if the Jinn act unjustly towards a human, they should be informed about the judgment of Allah and His Messenger for such an at; enjoining them to do good and forbidding them to commit evil; for Allah said (We never punish until we have sent a Messenger) and He said: (Company of Jinn and men. Did not Messengers come to you from among yourselves relating My Signs to you and warning you of the encounter of this Day of yours.)
The summary of Jinn’s reasons to possess mankind is as follows:-
1. The passion for the male Jinn for a woman or that of the female Jinn for a man.
2. A person’s unjust act committed against the Jinn: pouring hot water on them or falling on them from a higher place, etc.
3. A Jinn’s possession of a human unjustly, without any reason, which can occur under four conditions: a) severe anger; b) intense fear; c) indulgence in desires and passions; d) complete negligence.
The definition of Sar’ by Al-Hafid bin Hajar.
This is an illness which partially prevents the principal organs from reacting, because of a ‘thick air’ stuck in the passageways of the brain, or harmful ‘smoke’ which rises up from other parts of the body; it might be followed by a cramp, making the person losing control of his/her body. Sar’ can also come from Jinn, from the vicious ones among them (they posses humans); they would either want to adopt the feature of a particular human or because they simply want to harm him/her.
The first (definition) is the one confirmed by doctors who provide its cure, and the second is the one which is argued (and denied) by many of them, yet approved by some. Its only cure is resistance by higher, good spirits who overcome the effects of the lowest evil spirits, thwarting their actions.
Proofs of confirmation of Sar’
The existence of Sar’ (by Jinn) was confirmed by both Naql (texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah) and by .’Aql’ (intellect); it is a real fact that is doubted only by the obstinate or stubborn.
First:Proof from the Qur’an
Allah said (Those who practice usury (Riba) will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch).
Al-Imam Attabari said, in the interpretation of this Verse: Allah informed us that those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves on the Day of Judgment except like someone driven mad by Satan’s touch i.e. Jinn’s possession.
Al-Hafid bin Kathir Said: “He informs us about the day when they will arise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, saying : (Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection), except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan, leading him to insanity) meaning: they cannot rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, except as one whom Satan has driven to madness.”
Al-Alusi said:- “Those who practice Riba will not rise from their graves, on the Day of Judgment, except like the one was driven mad by Satan’s touch in this world.” :
Second: Proof from Sunnah
(1) Matar ibn Abdurahman al-A’naq said: Umm Abaan bint al-Wazi’ bin Zari’ ibn ‘Amir al-‘Abdi” narrated from her father, that her grand father once went to the Prophet (S.A.W.) with his son – or the son of his sister – who was “Possessed by Jinn” ; the grand father said: ‘When we reached the Messenger of Allah in Al-Madina, I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I brought with me my son – or the son of my sister – who is possessed by the devil, so you can make a supplication for him.’ The Prophet (S.A.W) said: ‘Bring him to me’. So I went back to the convoy where I had left him, untied him, dressed him with down so I can have access to his back.’ When he got hold of him, he started striking him on his back, yelling: ‘Get out, enemy of Allah; get out, enemy of Allah.’ Suddenly, the boy started to look well – a look which was different from the previous one – then the Prophet seated him near him, made a supplication for him, and wiped his face. After the supplication of the Prophet (S.A.W.) no one in the convoy was preferred more than him.”
Al-Haithami said: It was narrated by Al-Tabarani, but Matar never narrated from Umm Abaan. I (the author) say: “Al-Hafid mentioned about Umm Abaan as ‘acceptable’, and al-Bukhari had transmitted her narrations, so she had passed the standard of authenticity.
We can derive from this Hadith certain issues:-
- That the devil can possess a person to a state of madness.
- That Sar’ (possession by the devil) can be healed by striking the sick person with authority from the Sunna.
- That the devil had entered inside the boy and taken over his body; and this is clear from the Prophet’s saying: “Get out, enemy of Allah” (n exit was certainly preceded by an entrance.)
(2) Ya’la ibn Murrah said: “I have seen three things from the Prophet (S.A.W.) that no one has seen before me or will see after me: We set out on a journey, and on our way, we met a woman sitting on the ground with her son. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is a boy who is stricken by an illness. Which harms him and both of us; he gets possessed many times during day.’ He said: ‘Bring him to me.’ She handed him to the Prophet and placed him between him and his mount. He spat three times deep in the boy’s mouth, saying : ‘Bismillah (in the name of Allah) ana ‘Abdullah ( I am a servant of Allah), ikhsa’ ‘Aduwullah (I chase you away, enemy of Allah)’ Then he handed him back to her and said: ‘Meet us on our way back, in this place, and tell me about his condition,’
He said : ‘We went and came back, and found her in the same place, with three lambs. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said to her: ‘What did your boy do?’ she replied: ’By He Who sent you with the Truth, we have not sensed anything unusual from him so far. You may take these lambs. ‘ He (S.A.W.) ordered one of his Companions to take one and return the ret to her”.
Al-Haythami said: ‘it was transmitted by Ahmad with two chains of authorities, and by a;-Tabarani.’ The chain of authority of Ahmad is authentic. It was also recorded by al-Hakim in ‘al-mustadrak’ (2/617), and authenticated by al-Dhahab.
(3). In another narration by Ahmad, he said: “Waki” reported from al A’mash ibn al-Minhal ibn ‘Amru, from Ya’la ibn Murrah, from his father that a woman once came to the Prophet (S.A.W) with her stricken son, so he (S.A.W.) said: ‘Get out, enemy of Allah; I am the Messenger of Allah.’ So the boy was healed. The woman offered the Prophet two sheep, some butter and cheese. He (S.A.W.) said to one of his Companions: Take the butter, the cheese and one sheep, and give her back the other one. “
(4) Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah narrated: “We set out with the Messenger of Allah (S..A.W.) in the Mission of Dhat Arriqa’, until we reached a place called ‘Harrat Waqim’. A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) and said ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is my son, and the devil has possessed him. He (S.A.W.) said to her: ‘Bring him down to me’ she did, and he asked her to make him open his mouth; so he (S.A.W.) spat inside the boy’s mouth and said: “I am chasing you away, enemy of Allah; I am the Messenger of Allah’ three times. The he said to her: ‘Do not worry about your son anymore; he will not be affected from the same thing again….’ Al-Haythami said: It was transmitted by al-Tabarani in “a;-awsat”, and al-Bazzar. The chain of authority included Abd al-Hakim ibn Sufyan who was mentioned by Abi Hatim, although no one has examined his narrations, the ret of the chain is authentic.
(5) Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that a woman brought her son to the Prophet (S.A.W.) saying: “O Messenger of Allah, he has a mental derangement, which affects him during our dinner time, so he ruins our meal;” The Prophet (S.A.W.) wiped the boy’s chest and made a supplication for him. The boy vomited, and what was inside him came out and went away (it was in the form of a black dog.).
Al-Haithami said: {The chain of authorities includes Farqad al-Sabkhi who was authenticated by Ibn Mu’in and al-‘Ajli, but was considered weak by others (for having a weak narration).
Al-Hafid said about him: “ A pious and trustworthy person, but his narration is full of mistakes.”
(6) ‘Ata’ ibn Abu Rabah said: “Ibn ‘Abbas said to me: ‘Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise? I said: ‘Yes.” He said: “This black lady came to the Prophet and said: ‘I sometimes suffer from fits and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet (S.A.W.) said (to her); “If you wish, be patient and you will have entry to Paradise; yet if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you,’ She said: “I will remain patient,’ and added ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.”
The woman ‘s name was Umm Zifr as transmitted by Al-Bukhari, in his Sahih book, on the authority of ‘Ata’; and it is clear that the Sar’ happening to that woman was from Jinn. Al-Hafid said, in the interpretation of this Hadith: Al-Bazzar has another narration, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, of this story where the woman said: ‘I fear that the evil (thing) might uncover my body,’. The evil is Satan, and for this reason, Al-Hafid said, after transmitting the different chains of this Hadith: “It could be understood from the chains of authorities that Umm Zifr was suffering from Sar’ (possession) of Jinn, nothing else.
(7) Ibn Mas’ud said: “When the Messenger of Allah entered Salat, he would say: ‘O All;ah, I seek refuge in you from Satan, the accursed, from hamzih, wa naftih wa nafkhih’.
He added: “Hamzoh is mawta ‘demise or unconsciousness;. Naftih is ‘thee erotic poetry’ and nafkhih is his ‘haughtiness’.
Al-Mawta is a type of mental disturbance that leaves a person unconscious, so when he/she comes around, he/she feels as if he/she were asleep or drunk.
Ibn Kathir said: “The hamz of the Devil is al-mawta which is suffocation (i.e. Sar’).
Abd al-Karim Nawfan said: “This Hadith confirms the ability of Jinn to possess humans, because it includes the Prophet’s seeking refuge in Allah from the hamz of Satan -the Ihamz as was mentioned earlier, is al-mawta which overwhelms a person (i.e. Sar’), leaving a stricken person dead from pain.
(8). Abu al-Yusr narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) used to make the following supplication: “O Allah, I seek refuge in thee from my house falling on me, I seek refuge in Thee from falling into an abyss, I seek refuge in Thee from drowning burning and decrepitude. I seek refuge in Thee from the devil harming me at the time of my death, I seek refuge in Thee from dying on Thy Path while retreating, and I seek refuge in Thee from dying of the sting of a poisonous creature.”
Shajar said: “Being harmed by Satan (i.e. being affected by the devil with insanity).
(9) Safiyyah bint Huyay said ; “The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: ‘Satan circulated in the body of Adam’s offspring as his blood circulates in it….’.
Some scholars have used this Hadith to prove Satan’s ability to invade the body of a person, and thus the possibility of Sar; (possession) taking place,
Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami said in his book “Al-Fatawa Al-Hadithiyah”, after mentioning this Hadith: “It is a proof against those who deny Satan’ ability to infiltrate the body of a person, such as Al Mu’tazilah.
(10) ‘Uthman bin al- ‘As ‘ narrated: “When the Prophet (S.,A.W.) appointed me as a governor of at-Ta’if, I used to feel something exposed to me during Salaat which made me forget what I had prayed; so I traveled to see the Messenger of Allah. When he (S.A.W.) saw me, he asked the reason of my visit, I replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, something comes to me during Salat, and makes me forget what I have prayed’. He replied: “That is Satan. Come closer’. So I approached near him, sitting o my heals. He struck my chest and blew in my mouth, saying : ‘Come out, enemy of Allah’. He repeated this three times, then said to me: ‘Go back to your work’. Since that moment, I have never felt anything.
(11) Ubay bin Ka’b said: “I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah, and a desert Arab came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have a brother who feels pain’ he said: ‘What is his pain?’ he replied: ‘He has a mental disorder’. He said: ‘Bring him to me’. He (S.A.W.) placed him between his hands and sought refuge for him in Allah, by reading Surat al-Fatiha, the fourt first verses from Surat al-Baqara, the verse (And your God is one God), the Ayat al-Kursi, the three last verses in Surat al-Baqara, a verse from Surat al ‘Imran’ (Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him)., a verse from Surat al-A’raf (Your Lord is Allah), the first ten verses from Surat al-Saffat, three verses from Surat al-Hashr, Surat al-Ikhlas (Say: ‘He is Allah, bsolute oneness), Surat Al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas. Then the man rose feeling no pain at all.”
Al-Haythami said: “It was narrated by Abdullah ibn Ahmad, and the chain included Abu Janab who is weak, but was considered as reliable by Ibn Hibban, yet the rest of the chain of authorities is authentic.
(12) Kharija ibn al-Silt narrated from his uncle that he went to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and embraced Islam, then on his way back, he passed by some people, and among them was a mentally disturbed man who was held in chains. His family said: ‘We are told that this friend of your has come with something good; so do you have anything to heal our man”. He said: ‘So I treated him (with ruqya) by reciting Surat al-Fatiha, and he was cured. They gave a flock of a hundred sheep; so I went to see the Messenger of Allah, and I informed him. He (S.A.W.) said, ‘”Have you said anything else”, I said “No”., he said: ‘Take (accept) your reward; you have eaten from a ruqya of truth, not falsehood.
Third : Rational proofs.
Shaikh Muhammad al-Hamid said: “If the Jinn are delicate bodies, then neither rationality nor Islamic texts deny the possibility of their (Jinn) circulation in the bodies of the offspring of Adam. For, the thin and delicate can circulate in the thick; such as the air which enters our bodies; fire circulates in coal; electric currents circulate in wire or cables or rather water may penetrate soil sand or clothes, even though it is not as thin or as fine as the air or an electric current.
Righteous scholars have approved of all the texts informing about the possibility of the entrance of Jinn in the bodies of humans. These texts are so numerous that they should not be ignored just because of those who deny them with their senseless talk. Sincere Revelation has informed us about it, and so we should show submissiveness and compliance with the texts, without making any absurd interpretations that distort believers from their Path and from true faith.
There are many real fact incidents of Jinn’s penetration into human bodies which are countless; therefore, whoever denies this fact clashes with the real world which invalidates his opinion.”
The Statements of Scholars
(1) We have already mentioned the statements of the scholars of Tafsir (interpretation) of the Qur’an such as : al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, al-Ausi.
(2) The statement of al-Ash’ari in “Articles of Ahl as-Sunna” that Jinn enter the human body, as Allah has said (Those who practice usury will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch).
(3)Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “I said to my father: ‘Some people claim that Jinn do not enter the body of humans. ‘ So he replied:-‘O my son, they lie; it is a Jinn who speaks through a human (when he possesses him/her).”
(4) Shaikh al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The existence of Jinn is confirmed by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the full agreement of the Ancestors of our Ummah. Likewise, the entrance of Jinn inside the bodies of humans is confirmed by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna; it is a visible and noticeable fact for whoever should reflect upon it. A Jinn enters the body of the stricken (possessed) person, speaks words unknown to the person he possesses, who is quite unaware of it; unaware even of the blows he receives which would likely kill a camel.
Allah said: (as someone driven mad by Satan’s touch), and the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: (Satan circulates in the bodies of the offspring of Adam like the blood” and other text emphasize this”
(5) Ibn a-Qayyim said:- “There are two different types of epilepsy (Sar’): one from evil terrestrial spirits, and the other from vicious (other) types.
(6) Ibn Hazm said: “It has been confirmed that Satan touches (posses) a person – by the Will of Allah - as said in the Qur’an; he influences him with his dark habits, and the ‘smoke’ rising to his brain, as every stricken person informs others of his/her experience, with ho contradiction among them. So Allah causes him to be left in a mental disorder, as we witness, and this is exactly how it is described in the Qur’an.
(7) ‘Amru ibn ‘Ubaid said: “The one who denies the entrance of Jinn in the body of humans is a dahri.
Medical Diagnosis of Epilpsy
(1) Dr. Bell said: “The spirits which possess humans reach some vital areas in a human body, such as the brain.”
(2) Dr. Ahmad al-Sabahi ‘Awad Allah said: “Epilepsy is, generally, a sudden disturbance and disorder that takes place in the amber side of the brain. Its function and its fits come in two forms:
a)fits of muscle contraction (spasms) which originate in the movement centre of the brain, due to physiological changes, whereby the stricken (person) loses consciousness. He/she should be treated by normal doctors(psychiatrists).
b)mental fits or contractions, originating in the centre of the senses, in the form of different degrees of sensitivity. Its principle symptom would be a mental change whereby, the sick person would not lose his/her sensitivity completely. This type of fit by possession (by Jinn) is the one which could be healed only through supplication and pleading to Allah, as doctors would not be able to cure it.
The legitimacy of the treatment of Sar’ (Exorcism).
(1) We have mentioned the Prophet’s treatment of Sar’.
(2) ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud had treated a possessed man with a recitation from the Qur’an, and the Prophet had approved it.
Abu Ya’la narrated from Hanash sl-Sanaghani from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, that he had recited the Qur’an in the ear of a stricken person, so that the latter came around. The Prophet (S.A.) asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: ‘What have you recited in his ear? He replied: ‘I read (Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?.....) until he finished the Surah. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘If a man read it properly on a mountain, it would descend”.
(3) Al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had treated Sar’ (possession by Jinn).
The Qadi Abu al-Hussayn ibn the Qadi Abu Ya’la ibn al-Fira’, the Hanbali scholar, said in his book “Generations of the Companions of Imam Ahmad” I heard Ahmad ibn ‘Ubaydillah saying: ‘I heard Abu al-Hussayn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al’Akbari who came to us from ‘Akbara, in Dhi al-Qa’da 352 A.H. say: ‘My father narrated to me quoting my grandfather who said: ‘I was in the mosque of Abu Abdillah Ahmad ibn Hanbal when a messenger from al-Mutawakkil (the Calphate) came to inform Imam Ahmad that there was a maid who suffered from Sar’ , and asked him to make a supplication to Allah for her to regain her good health. Imam Ahmad brought out the wooden sandals he used for Wudu (Abultion), handed them to the messenger and said to him: ‘You go to the house of the Emir of the Faithful, sit by the head of the maid and tell him (i.e. the Jinn who possesses her): ‘Imam Ahmad said to you: ‘What is more cherished to you? That you get out from this maid or receive seventy slaps with these sandals’.
The messenger went and told the Jinn exactly as Imam Ahmad had instructed him; thereupon the rebel Jinn spoke through the maid, saying: “I her and obey.’ If Ahmad ordered us not to reside in Iraq, we would leave. He had obeyed Allah; for he who obeys Allah, everything should obey him.’ So he left the maid who became calm, healthy and later had children. When Imam Ahmad died, the rebel Jiinn came back to her; so al-Mutawakkil dispatched his messenger to Abu Bakr al-Maruzi and informed him of the situation. Al-Maruzi took the sandals and went to the maid, but the Jinn spoke to him through her, saying: ‘I will not leave this maid. I will not obey or accept anything form you. Ahmad ibn Hanbal obeyed Allah, and so we are commanded to obey him”.
(4) Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah had treted Sar’ many times, as reported by his pupil Ibn al-Qayyim who said: “I was present when our Shaikh once sent a messenger to the possessed person and addressed the spirit inside him, saying: ‘The Shaikh told you to get out and leave, for this body is not yours’. And then a few moments later, the stricken person came around. Sometimes, the Shaikh would address the spirit himself, and if the spirit happened to be rebellious, he would chase it out with blows, yet the stricken person would come around, without feeling any pain. We have witnessed these incidents many times, and the Shaikh often used to read in the ear of the possessed person (Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?)
He once told me that he read the verse in the ear of a possessed person, and the spirit screamed: “Yes”. He said: ‘Then I took a stick and hit him on his neck, until my hand was weary. During the hitting, the witnesses through he was dying because of the blows. The spirit said:: ‘I like him’. I told her: ‘But he does not like you. ‘She replied: ‘I want to go to Hajj with him.” I told her: ‘He does not want to go to Hajj with you. ‘She said: I will leave as a mark of honour to you.’ I said: ‘No, but as obedience to Allah and His Messenger (S.A.W.)’ She said: ‘I am leaving him.’. The possessed person started to look right and left, then said :’What has brought me to the Shaikh? They asked him: ‘What about all the blows you have received? He said: ’Why would the Shaikh hit me when I have done nothing wrong? Indeed, he did not feel any blows at all”.
A question regarding Exorcism.
This question and its answer were mentioned by the scholar Badr al-Deen Muhammad ibn Abdillah al-Shibli in his book “Akam al-marjan”.
Abu al-Abbas, Ibn Taymiyya was asked about a man who had been practicing exorcism for a long period of time, because some of his people were inflicted with a gruesome and powerful sorcery, which was rarely encountered. The sorcery affected the stricken person, repeatedly, more than a hundred times, nearly destroying him in many occasions. So the man faced the Jinn with powerful resistance, by showing strong devotion to Allah, constantly supplicating Him, and observing the principles of Tawheed, which are the recommendations of Shahadah; and eventually he managed to overcome them. The stricken person used to see them Jinn) in his sleep, and also used to hear their talking while he was awake.
He herd them once as they were saying: “Some of our people have died last night, and others have fallen ill, because of the prayer of the person who made the supplication,” and they would name him. There was in Cairo a great man, who used to gather with them and check their situation, as he had an amazing influence upon them. He was asked about the reality of the stricken person’s dream and the news about the supplication. So he replied that six of the Jinn had died and many of them had fallen ill. It was repeated about a hundred times, the fact which convinced the man came to the conclusion that Allah had defeated them for him.
The Jinn submitted and asked for peace, but the question was: Is it permissible or not (in Islam) for an exorcist (a man who makes the supplication and proceeds with ruqya) to defend a unjustly possessed man, knowing that it could harm a group of Jinn in the process? Is it permissible or not for him to leave the possessed man to his plight, even though he could see him suffering and near destruction? Is this attack – on the Jinn – permissible or not in Islam, and does it have any supporting proof from the traditions of the Prophet (S.A.W.) or common practices of the Muslims? Does the Shari’ah acknowledge such facts, as determined by the person who made the quest and other believers, or is it impossible, as concluded by philosophers and some innovators?
Is it legal, in Islam, to seek help from the works of astrologists or others who use amulets, cards, smoke, etc., because they are responsible for the sins of their practices while the possessed person and his family just seek a cure, even through it is a form of polytheism – for it comes under the concept of challenging a corrupt and wrong act with a similar one?
A summary to the answer.
It is permissible, rather recommendable, and it might even be obligatory to come to the defense of the oppressed according to one’s ability. If the sick person is cured by the supplication to Allah and the recitation of the Qur’an; ordering the Jinn to leave, even by insulting or cursing them with any permissible expression, which should achieve the objective, despite the fact that some of the Jinn might be harmed or even killed, then they should blame only themselves, for they are the oppressors, the wrongdoers, especially if the exorcist who treats the patient does not transgress and oppress them like some people do, which entices the Jinn to fight back, and take revenge either on him or his family.
The exorcist who heals the patient by abiding to the Commands of Allah and His Prophet (S.,A.W.) is not an oppressor towards the Jinn; rather, he is obeying Allah and His Messenger by defending the oppressed (the possessed person), and following the way of the Right Path. Such person cannot be harmed by the Jinn, either because they know that he is just, or they feel weak before him.
If the Jinn were demons and the exorcist showed weakness before them, they would not hesitate to harm him; therefore, he should protect himself by reciting the two suras: ‘al-Falaq” and ‘an-Nass”. In his Salat and his supplication, which would increase his faith. He should avoid sins, which are their means of attacking him. He is, in this case, a Mujahid (warrior) in the Path of Allah; therefore, he should not let his enemies overcome him because of his sins. If the matter is beyond his capacity; Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can bear.
Ayat al-Kursi is among the most powerful tools for defeating demons; it was implemented by many exorcists who referred to its great effects in chasing away the Jinn from the human bodies, and also its effect on those supported by demons such as oppressors, and on people who follow their own desires like singers and other wrongdoers.
The oppressor should be repelled, whether he is a Muslim or a Kafir (disbeliever); the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Whoever is killed fighting to protect his property, then he is a martyr.” The Hadith was also narrated with an extension “…….to protect his property, honour or religion…..” If the oppressed is permitted to defend his property even if the normal oppressor dies, then he is surely entitled to repel any aggression on him to protect his mind, body and his sanctity. Satan corrupts the mind of the person he possesses, and harms his body. He might even indecently assault him; yet if such act were to be committed by a human to another human, then it is certainly permissible to kill the aggressor if necessary.
It is like repelling the human aggressor among the disbelievers and the impudent. To chase away the Jinn from the body might require striking it heavily and continuously. The hitting lands on the Jinn, not the person it possessed who does not feel any pain at all. The blows do not affect the body of the possessed one at all, even if it is hit three hundred times in his feet by a stick. If those strikes were on the body of the possessed, they would have killed him.
Therefore, it is the Jinn who felt them, and they respond by screaming, and even talking to the audience about several topics.
We have practiced such acts many times in front big audiences.
As for seeking support against them with cryptic expressions, it is not permissible if it includes any form of shirk (polytheism), because it is haram. Most people who introduce amulets generally us some expression of shirk together with some verses of the Qur’an.
Muslims might dispute among themselves about the idea of “the healing with the prohibited in Islam”. Yet they never dispute the fact that it is not permitted to use any aspect of shirk or kufr for any healing in any circumstances. This is totally different from the case when a Muslim my utter words of kufr, under subjugation, while his heart remains full of Iman (belief in Allah).
Reason of Jinn’s possession of humans.
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya said: “The Jinn’s possession of humans can be out of a desire or passion - as it exists among humans – and they might have sexual intercourse with them and have children; and this case is common, as mentioned by the scholars. The majority of scholars dislike marriage to Jinn, which might take place out of hatred towards the humans and as a punishment for them – if they (the humans )initially hurt them, by urinating on them, or pouring hot water or killing some of them - even if such acts were carried out unintentionally.
Because there is so much ignorance and injustice among the Jinn, they would punish the possessed more than he or she deserves; this punishment could take the form of mockery or pure evil, as violent humans do among themselves.
The first case is considered a vice act, which has been forbidden by Allah, as He has forbidden it among humans, even if both the man and woman consent to it. It is a vice and an unjust act; therefore, the Jinn should be addressed to understand that it is a vice act and/or an injustice so that the proof is highlighted against them, and they should know that the judgment of Allah and His Messenger, who was sent to both Jinn and humans, should be applied on them.
In the second case, if the human committed an act against the Jinn unintentionally, then this should be explained to them; that he never intended to harm them. And if the act took place in his house, then he is free to act in a way that is permitted.
As for you Jinn, you do not have the permission to take shelter in human bodies without their authorization.
So, if the Jinn act unjustly towards a human, they should be informed about the judgment of Allah and His Messenger for such an at; enjoining them to do good and forbidding them to commit evil; for Allah said (We never punish until we have sent a Messenger) and He said: (Company of Jinn and men. Did not Messengers come to you from among yourselves relating My Signs to you and warning you of the encounter of this Day of yours.)
The summary of Jinn’s reasons to possess mankind is as follows:-
1. The passion for the male Jinn for a woman or that of the female Jinn for a man.
2. A person’s unjust act committed against the Jinn: pouring hot water on them or falling on them from a higher place, etc.
3. A Jinn’s possession of a human unjustly, without any reason, which can occur under four conditions: a) severe anger; b) intense fear; c) indulgence in desires and passions; d) complete negligence.







