Jinn and Wish-Granting: Myth or Reality?

“Women engaging in uninhibited dances amidst clouds of incense, to the rhythm of drums, partaking in the consumption of blood and alcohol, donning men’s attire, brandishing swords in public threats against men, and engaging in boisterous, indecorous dialogues” – this depicts the contemporary Egyptian Zar ceremony, conducted to summon a genie that grants wishes. Ecstatic dances like these, intended to invoke the benevolence of deities, have been a part of human tradition since antiquity.

In European and American cultures, jinns are often seen as whimsical figures from oriental fairy tales like Aladdin. The 2022 film “3000 Years of Wishes” is a testament to their entertainment value. Yet, for people in the Middle East, jinns have been regarded since ancient times as sentient beings with the power to aid or harm humans. Rituals to summon or banish jinns have endured through the ages and remain practiced to this day.

The belief in jinn predates the spread of Islam. These beings were revered similarly to gods, with the distinction that jinn were honored privately, while gods received public worship. In areas beyond Hejaz, such as Palmyra and Baalbek, the terms ‘jinn’ and ‘ilah’ (deity) were frequently used interchangeably. Some jinn bear a resemblance to the aiding spirits found in Siberian shamanism.

Additionally, djinn are likened to werewolves, often adopting animal forms, with a preference for serpentine shapes. In their human guise, they are described as part animal, not entirely human, identifiable by certain traits. This brings to mind the mythological tales of reptilians.

According to Islamic doctrine, jinn were created from a smokeless, scorching fire and are imperceptible to the five basic human senses. They exist in a realm parallel to humans, having appeared before them, and are equally capable of belief or disbelief in Allah.

Jinn are thought to be beings that can assume human or animal shapes and inhabit various inanimate objects, including oddly shaped rocks, trees, ruins, and even everyday items like lamps and pots. They are also believed to dwell in elements such as earth, air, and fire.

Arabic literature identifies four primary classes of jinn: the ifrit, ghuli, marid (also known as malik), and sila.

Ifrit is a fire genie, the strongest and most vicious of all classes. They inhabit desolate desert and abandoned places such as ruins and ruins of temples.

Ghoul is a genie of water, capable of taking the form of an attractive woman, who then kill and eat lonely travelers. They hunt along roads and in cemeteries, where they feed on the dead.

Malik (marid) is the jinn of the wind, they appear in the form of smoke or in the form of white people with white beards, in white clothes, and fire comes out of their mouths and nostrils. Maliks are the smartest and most cunning of all jinn, so they are considered kings of jinn.

Often they become prisoners of certain objects, for example, a ring or a lamp, as in the fairy tale about Aladdin. Old Hottabych or the genie from Aladdin’s lamp are classic maliks.

Strength – The genie of the earth, the weakest of the jinn, can be killed with a blow of a wooden stick, as easily as a pillar of salt is destroyed.

Beyond the four known classes, there exists a multitude of shaitans, akin to minor demons. Take, for instance, Shaitan Zalnabur – who dwells in markets and retail spaces, engaging in the deception of customers. His craft involves cunning and dishonesty in trade, compelling sellers to defraud buyers and extol merchandise while concealing flaws.

In Islam, jinn are not inherently evil; their moral compass is guided by their faith in Allah, as they possess free will akin to humans. Jinn that are righteous are often regarded as Muslim jinn or jinn of Islam, whereas those who reject faith and succumb to the temptations of devils (shayatin) are labeled as kafir jinn or jinn kafir.

The Kitab al-Bulhan, or Book of Wonders, a 14th to 15th-century Arabic manuscript compiled by Hasan Isfahani during Sultan Ahmad’s rule (1382-1410) in Baghdad, features depictions of the seven jinn kings. Each king is associated with a day of the week. The opening illustration presents the Red King of the Jinn, Al-Ahmar, with his entourage.

Let’s explore two fascinating traditions of communicating with jinn that continue to exist today.

Djinn of the Persian Gulf

Gholamhossein Saedi authored a slender volume titled “Possessed by the Winds.” The author, a professional ethnographer and professor from Iran, noted that the book’s actual title is “Possessed by Spirit-Winds,” but the reference to “spirits” was omitted from the book’s cover.

According to scientific commentary on the work, the residents of Iran’s southern coast, along the Persian Gulf, frequently engage with local spirits, as reported by Saedi.

“Ahl-e hava,” or “possessed by the wind-spirit,” is the term used by the common people to describe someone seized by a wind-spirit along the Persian Gulf shores. These spirits represent the mysterious, potent, magical forces that, as believed by locals, govern all humanity. Humans, in contrast to the spirit-winds, are so trivial and powerless that they must appease the spirits, make offerings, and yield to their will.

Spirit-winds can be malevolent, and efforts are made to repel them. However, benevolent ones exist, and some individuals willingly submit to them. These spirits invariably require a human body as an offering. They prey on those who are impoverished and weary in spirit. In regions where fear and anxiety prevail, particularly where poverty and joblessness are rampant, the influence of these spirits is profoundly amplified.

It is thought that those who are possessed bear spirit-winds, hence they are termed “saddled.” According to local lore, spirit winds originate from faraway places, especially the distant coasts of Black Africa. Locals believe that while Indian and Persian spirits are fearsome, they pale in comparison to the immense, dark wind-spirits from Africa’s shores. In southern Iran, it is said that numerous kinds of wind spirits reside.

For centuries, the indigenous people of Iran’s southern coast have held beliefs in certain winds and endured their effects. To counteract these winds, they perform various magical rituals.

The essence of these local beliefs, as documented by G. Saedi from the accounts of local sorcerers, is as follows:

“Spirit-winds are entities that govern the entire world. If an individual who has been seized by one of these winds manages to break free from its grasp unscathed, they are inducted into the ahl-e hava, or the clan of those who are possessed by the spirit-winds yet have triumphed over them.”

“Spirit winds are intangible, merely glamourous currents of air, or ‘slices’ of sentient atmosphere. A spirit like Zar is simply a unique breath of air, while a spirit like Noban is nothing more than a distinct gust of sentient wind. When such a spirit enters a person’s body, it strips away their health. Only local shamans, known as ‘baba’ or ‘mother,’ can heal those afflicted.”

Therefore, spirit-winds represent maladies that defy conventional medical treatment. The sole remedy lies in ancient rituals practiced for centuries by coastal dwellers and fishermen.

Above all, spirit winds are drawn to the young, as they possess greater physical strength to harbor spirits. However, despite their vigor and youthful energy, young people are more susceptible to spirits than both children and the elderly.

All “thinking winds” are believed to be contagious and can transfer from one person to another. If one individual deeply loves another, they can either impart their wind to them or absorb the other’s wind.

For what is termed the “descent” and calming of a particular spirit, elders known as “baba” and “mama” conduct special gatherings and rituals referred to as “games”. It is only through these “games” that a specific wind-spirit can be expelled from an afflicted individual’s body, liberating them from the influence of the “thinking wind”. During the “game”, the rituals performed are those specifically requested by the wind in return for relinquishing the human host it must vacate.

Before the game begins, the patient undergoes hypnosis by local sorcerers. Unaware of his state, he soon emits a voice from his throat that is distinctly not his own. It is believed to be the wind-spirit “riding” the individual who starts to speak. The sorcerers quickly engage with the spirit, inquiring about its desires and how to appease it.

In front of many witnesses, the spirit responds to questions. Remarkably, it never uses the native language of the host it has “saddled.” Instead, it speaks in Arabic, Hindi, or Swahili, languages that the host, typically, does not know.

Thus, professional sorcerers must inevitably become polyglots; otherwise, they would comprehend nothing of the spirits’ discourses.

Consider this typical instance of banishing the malevolent spirit Zara from an individual.

One evening, a young man named Muhammad suddenly experienced the sensation of an entity entering his body, seeking to decapitate him. In terror, he let out piercing screams. By the next day, this sensation had worsened. Muhammad fled his home, ascended the roof of an ancient fortress’s ruins, and there he began to wail and bellow. It became necessary to bind him securely with ropes, both hands and feet.

There was no doubt among anyone that the young man was under the possession of a wind-spirit.

Baba-Ahmad, a skilled sorcerer, set out to heal Muhammad. Comparable to contemporary hypnotists, he effectively hypnotized the “saddled” individual. Shortly thereafter, an unusual voice emerged from Muhammad’s throat, articulating words in Swahili—a language unknown to the uneducated young fisherman. The voice identified itself as the Wind Spirit, naming itself Zar.

The sorcerer asked,
“Why did you attack this young man?” What do you want?
Zar replied,
“I want what is due to me.
“And what are you owed?” The “woman” asked.
“I want a bamboo stick, a bracelet, a gold ring,” Zar began to list.
“What more do you want?”
“A silk shirt.”
“What else do you want?”
“I want to feast for three days and three nights,” came the reply.
“Do you want anything else?” The sorcerer continued to ask.
“Fifteen days of play.
“Well, what else do you want?”
“I want treats and blood.” And I don’t want anything else.

The sorcerer said,
“If you do not torment this young man any longer, we are ready to give you whatever you ask.
On the same day, the “game with treats” ordered by Zar began. The Spirit was presented with the objects that he demanded. For fifteen days, people beat drums.
On the fifteenth day, the sorcerer-“woman” asked:
“Have you had enough of the game?” Zar answered,
“I’m satisfied.

Following the completion of the exorcism, Baba-Ahmad proclaimed that the wind-spirit would cease to trouble Muhammad. However, merely a year later, Muhammad required the intervention of another potent sorcerer, Baba-Saleh, for a preventative measure. The exorcism was successful; the young man fully recuperated and resumed a normal life, working like his peers.

A year later, Muhammad hadn’t considered fulfilling the local sorcerer’s request to attend a “prophylactic hypnosis session” with another esteemed sorcerer in a different area. He soon experienced a pervasive heaviness throughout his body, followed by paralysis on his left side, rendering him immobile.

Baba Saleh, the sorcerer to whom Muhammad was quickly brought, performed a rapid hypnosis, compelling the spirit to manifest. Upon its “descent,” the sorcerer inquired:

“Why are you torturing this young man again?” Zar answered:
“He forgot us, he did not please us. We want to destroy it!
The sorcerer objected:
“He is still almost a child, a fool… It will be a pity if he dies young…
Baba-Saleh held a “game” for three days.

The sorcerer found that two malevolent spirits possessed the young man’s body, both speaking Arabic—a language unknown to the uneducated Muhammad, just as Swahili was. However, the spirits were well acquainted with Arabic, which they used to communicate.

The second exorcism, conducted by Babbi-Saleh instead of Baba-Ahmad, was as successful as the first. The young man’s paralysis vanished as if lifted by an unseen force.

From that moment, Muhammad’s condition greatly improved.

Interestingly, in Semitic languages, the word for wind and spirit is the same: ‘Ruach.’ This is reflected in the mythical bird Rukh, depicted in Syrian monuments.

Jinn of Egypt and Sudan

The name ‘jinn’ from a previous story intriguingly shares its name with the ‘Zar’ ceremony in Egypt and Sudan, which involves invoking jinns. In ancient Aramaic, ‘Zar’ translates to ‘alien’.

Although Zar, a trance-inducing ritual found in North Africa and the Middle East, is prohibited by orthodox Islam, it remains deeply embedded in these cultures.

Zar is aptly described as a ‘healing cult’, utilizing dance to the beat of drums. Predominantly, women lead and follow the Zar cult. During the rituals, male spirits are said to manifest, and women are primarily the ones possessed. However, men also participate, either as drummers, by conducting animal sacrifices, or as husbands or relatives who carry out these sacrifices.

Spirit possession in Zar is sometimes hereditary but not exclusively. It has an element of ‘contagiousness’ and can occur spontaneously. Diriye Abdullahi, of Somali origin, describes Zar as a spiritual dance or religious ecstasy, derived from ancient African traditions.

According to Abdullahi, this form of worship is a ritual dance overseen mainly by elder women, reminiscent of ancient African religious rites where older women served as priestesses. He notes that the Zar spirits show little interest in young, particularly unmarried women, preferring instead to possess a man of their choosing.

He notes that in Egypt, ritual dances were primarily performed by individuals from the southern villages, who were better shielded from invasions by Greeks, Romans, and Middle Eastern forces, leading to the country’s eventual conquest by Muslim Arabs. He further mentions that the majority of those who practice these rituals now reside in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan, regions that continue to uphold traditions that have vanished in Egypt.

“Each woman moves in sync with the drumbeats. The sick woman’s movements quicken and intensify; her eyes half-shut, she appears to have lost all awareness of her surroundings, surrendering fully to the dance. Her dance emanates from deep within, from her core to her extremities, growing in force and velocity as she orbits the altar where her assistants stand… Until, in a sudden gesture, she flings her arms upwards, nearly collapsing backwards, but Kodia is there to ensure she lands safely…”

In Egypt, the group leader is known as “kodia,” while in northern Sudan, they are referred to as “sheikh” or “umiya,” depending on the region. The female leader is deeply committed, being in a special union with her spirit, or jinn, which enables her to assist others. Inheritance is significant in this context: leadership typically transfers from mother to daughter or among other female family members. Although men cannot inherit leadership, they may express their desire to become leaders “by vocation.”

In Egypt, the Zar ritual typically occurs in a large room featuring an altar. Regardless of the country, it is crucial for the ritual to be conducted in a specially sanctified room, set apart from the rest of the dwelling. At times, this may be a separate room within a home, or an entire house may be leased for the event. In Egypt, the altar consists of a round tray positioned on a tall table at the room’s center, draped with a white cloth and laden with dried fruits and nuts. One side of the room is taken up by the Kodia and musicians, while the ceremony’s participants occupy the remaining space. Guests are expected to contribute monetary gifts proportionate to their financial means and social standing. Thus, organizing the ceremony can yield significant revenue. Moreover, it is understood that women may seek assistance from the leader in times of hardship, establishing a sort of charitable community with members supporting one another.

The woman at the center of the healing ceremony is clad in white, often donning a man’s shirt known as a jalabiyya. Her arms and body are adorned with henna designs, and her eyes are accentuated with black liner. She, along with the guests, may be anointed with incense. Durieh Abdullahi notes that incense, particularly frankincense, is the most frequent offering to the Zar spirits. A censer bearing scents is circulated among the attendees before the ceremony commences, allowing those gathered to purify themselves by inhaling the smoke.

Kodia needs to be a skilled singer, familiar with the chants and rhythms associated with each spirit. While singing to a specific spirit and observing the responses, she can identify which spirit has manifested and the appropriate way to interact with it. The musical instruments employed include the tar, a tambourine-like instrument, and the tabla. Assistants, numbering between three to seven, offer rhythmic backing. Throughout the ceremony, different spirits are summoned through distinct drum rhythms. Kodia also provides special attire for individuals who are to be possessed, crafted to allure the spirits.

In ceremonies where sacrifices are made, the offerings may include chickens, doves, sheep, and sometimes camels, depending on the individual’s means. Food offerings to the spirits are an integral part of these rituals. In Ethiopia, for instance, perfumes are believed to have a particular affinity for coffee. In non-Muslim regions, spirits may be offered alcoholic beverages, while female spirits might prefer sweetened soft drinks such as cola. In parts of Sudan, where animal sacrifice is deemed essential, the patient’s healing is not considered complete until all the food from the sacrifice, typically consisting of meat, bread, rice, and spiced soup, has been consumed in the concluding ceremony.

Contrary to exorcism, the Zar ritual involves attracting and appeasing the spirit residing in a patient’s body. The patient must remain vigilant towards the spirit, fulfill its demands, avoid uncleanliness, and eschew negative emotions. Adherence to these guidelines allows the spirit to grant the patient’s desires, akin to the genie in Aladdin’s tale, bringing prosperity in finances and love, resembling contemporary success coaching. However, after seven years, a counter-ritual is necessary to remove the spirit to prevent it from consuming the host’s soul.

Thus, the story of Aladdin is not mere fiction; it reflects one of the ancient rituals of the East.