What is the ruling on dealing with the jinn?

The questioner : What is the ruling on dealing with the jinn?

The Shaykh : I say that dealing with the jinn is a modern misguidance. We did not hear of this before, in times past, when humans dealt with the jinn. That was a very natural matter. Is it possible for humans to deal with the jinn given the difference in their natures? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, confirming what came in the Qur'an: And in addition to what is in the Qur'an, he (peace be upon him) said: So, humans were created from clay, and the jinn were created from fire. Therefore, I believe that whoever claims it is possible to deal with the jinn, despite this disparity in the origin of creation, is like one who might say—and we have not heard of anyone saying this yet—what about humans dealing with the angels? Can we say that humans are able to deal with the angels? The answer is no. Why? The same answer: the angels were created from light, and Adam was created from what was described to you, namely from dust. So, the one created from dust cannot deal with the one created from light. Likewise, I say that a human cannot deal with a jinn in the sense of the interaction known among us humans. Yes, it is possible that there is a type of interaction between a human and a jinn, just as it is possible that there is a type of interaction between humans and angels, but this is rare, very, very rare. And it cannot happen, given its rarity, unless the angel wills it and the jinn wills it. As for a human willing to deal with a certain angel in a certain way, that is impossible. And as for a human willing to deal with a jinn against the jinn's will, that is impossible; because that was a miracle for Sulayman (peace be upon him). Therefore, it came in the authentic hadith in al-Bukhari or Muslim, or in both together, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was one day leading the people in prayer when they saw him as if he were attacking something and seizing it. When he finished the prayer, they said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, we saw you do such and such." He said: Or he (peace be upon him) said this meaning: عليّ وفي يده شعلة من نار يريد أن يقطع علي صلاتي فأخذت بعنقه حتى وجدت برد لعابه في يدي، ولولا دعوة أخي سليمان عليه السلام رب هب لي ملكًا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعدي لربطته بسارية من سواري المسجد حتى يصبح أطفال المسلمين يلعبون به me, and in his hand was a flame of fire, intending to cut off my prayer. So I seized him by the neck until I felt the coldness of his saliva in my hand. And were it not for the supplication of my brother Sulayman (peace be upon him), “My Lord, grant me a kingdom that befits no one after me,” I would have tied him to one of the pillars of the mosque until the children of the Muslims would play with him in the morning. But he (peace and blessings be upon him) remembered the supplication of his brother Sulayman (peace be upon him): Were it not for this supplication, the Messenger would have bound him, but he did not do so because he released him, even though he intended to cut off his prayer. So, what is prevalent in this age of humans communicating with the jinn, or a human specializing in this profession claiming to communicate with the jinn, to understand them, and to ask them about the ailment of this afflicted person or this patient and its cure—this is possible to a certain extent, but it is possible in reality, not permissible in the Shari'ah. Because not everything that is possible in reality is permissible in the Shari'ah. A Muslim can earn his livelihood through haram, just as Muslims today are afflicted with dealing in riba (usury or interest). There are many, many transactions, but this is not permissible in the Shari'ah. So, not everything that is possible in reality is permissible in the Shari'ah. Therefore, we advise those who are afflicted with performing ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation) on humans possessed by jinn not to deviate or go beyond reciting the Qur'an over this or that possessed person in the way of freeing this human victim from that jinn victim. "Victim" is a passive participle and an active participle. So, only within these limits is it permissible. And what is beyond that contains a warning for us in the Noble Qur'an that it is not permissible, as testified by the jinn who believed in Allah and His Messenger and said, as our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) related in His Qur'an: And seeking refuge was of various types. Now, there is no need to address them. The important point is that seeking help from the jinn is one of the causes of misguiding humans; because the jinn does not serve the human for the sake of Allah, but rather to gain control over him to satisfy his desire in one way or another. We were in a past time afflicted with a misguidance that was not known before, which was the misguidance of hypnosis. First, I apologize, but it was hypnosis. They used to mislead people with something they called hypnosis, focusing the gaze of a specific person on a person who was predisposed to sleep, and then speaking, claiming to know matters of the unseen. And it lasted for as many years as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed, approximately, until a new misguidance took its place, which is summoning spirits. We still hear about it to this day, but not as we used to hear before, because it has now been replaced by direct contact with the jinn. But this is by a specific group, namely those who entered the door of contacting the jinn in the name of religion. And this is more dangerous than before. Hypnosis was not in the name of religion, but in the name of science. Summoning spirits was not in the name of religion, but in the name of science as well. But now, some Muslims have fallen into the misguidance of seeking help from the jinn in the name of religion. It is established that the Messenger (peace be upon him) recited some verses over some people who were possessed by jinn, and Allah healed them. This is true. But these people started from this point and then expanded the circle to speaking: "Are you a Muslim?" "No, I am not a Muslim." "What is your religion?" "Christian," "Jewish," "Buddhist." And then they speak to him: "Submit to Islam and you will be safe." They say: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The humans believe the words of the jinn, and they do not see them, nor do they feel them at all. We live for long years dealing with our own kind, humans with humans, with great difficulty. After all these years, it becomes clear to you that this man was deceiving you. How can you deal with a man from the jinn whose reality you do not know, and he says, "I have submitted to Islam," or says, "I am a Salafi, I am a believer, I am at your service. What do you want from me? I am ready." We hear this often. Glory be to Allah. From here, misguidance enters the Muslims, as it is said, "Most of the fire comes from the one who underestimates the sparks." We started a profession of extracting jinn from humans and expanded in it until relationships were formed. Finally, this question came: Is it possible to deal with the jinn? The answer is: it is not possible except by what I mentioned earlier in detail. And the advice, as I said earlier, is that it is not permissible for a Muslim to go beyond ruqyah in treating the human who was possessed by a jinn. He should recite over him whatever he wishes from the Book of Allah and from the authentic supplications of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and that is sufficient. As for what is beyond that, some use incense, some use oil. These are very strange things. This is all deception of the people and an attempt to monopolize this profession over all people; because if the matter remained with reciting verses, everyone who is good at reading some verses would do it, and the jinn would come out. So, we need to surround it with some deception and secrecy, they claimed, so that it is specialized for a group over another group. I remind you of the saying of Allah the Exalted: We ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to preserve us from being turned to seeking help from the jinn. Yes.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, if you would be kind to us, there is a question, but before the question, I have a doubt regarding the combining of prayers. I was afraid that if I mention the doubt, the question would be lost on me.