What are Jinn?

[charlesl]

Hi. I've been diligently reading Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Quran (almost finished it - fascinating stuff). However I'm confused about what Jinn actually are. Are they beings of some parallel universe who flit in and out of our existence? Or are they some unseen beings who normally dwell amongst us? Or have I lost the plot entirely and they are something different from my conjecture. Thanks for any responses!

[Bilal]

Dear charlesl,

Jinn are creatures, which exist in this universe. It was created from fire (human origin is mud). These creatures are living in its own world, which separated from human life. In exceptional cases human and jinn can meet or feel each other. However, we do not know exactly how those creature are living, but we know they are good and evil like human, also Satan is represent the evil Jinn who trying to influence on human.

[jamila]

Jinn are deamons, elementals spirits. As Bilal said, they were made from fire, as the angels are made from light and mankind made from clay, or mud. They live in a parallel world to this, and can see us. But we cannot see them. Their world is between the Heaven and the Earth, but heaven has been barred from them. Whereas they used to be able to climb up within earshot of the lower Heaven, they are now prevented from leaving the environs of the earth.
They co-habited Heaven with the angels before the making of mankind, and continued to do so after mankind was made. Then Iblis, a great worshipper - so great he had risen above the angels in this respect, was asked to prostrate to the newcomer - Adam (mankind) - and refused out of pride. Allah cast both Adam and the Iblis into the garden, where Iblis tempted him with the tree of knowledge. After this, both the Jinn and mankind were cast out from the Garden, and now inhabit different dimensions of the Earth. Iblis's mission in life is to deviate mankind from the path of true worship, and ours is to adhere to it.
Both Jinn and men have parallel religions. There are believers and disbelievers among the Jinn, too. Some are Iblis's helpers, as are some men. All such helpers are called Shaitan's (devils), but Iblis is the chief of all Shaitans, and often referred to as "Shaitan", instead of "Iblis".
Jinn are capable of possession - possessing both sentient beings and insentient objects. It is when they do so that they are most easily communicated with.

[charlesl]

Thanks Bilal and Jamila. I think the attributes of Jinn are getting clearer to me. It's even making some sense, particularly when we consider the chronology of creation. Appreciate the quick answers!! Back to the Book for me!

[Sultan]

An easier way to explain what Jinn is:

They are more popularly known as ghosts, spooks, poltergiests, night-hags, black dogs-or even alien greys.