In Defense of the Djinn

Yemeni mp

Ahmed Saif Hashed

I used to hear about my uncle Saleh, whose ambition was beyond reason. He sought to penetrate the realm of the djinn, not to become one of them, but to subjugate them and crown himself their king, ensuring their obedience and loyalty. He desired that his commands would never be disobeyed, that they would echo back to him: “At your service, we are at your command.” He wanted his orders to be followed immediately, executed without hesitation or doubt, and without discussion or questioning. He wished every gesture from him to carry weight and significance. In short, he aspired to be a “Superman,” but in the style of the myths prevalent in popular imagination.

This uncle did not wish to be a minister in their kingdom, if such a kingdom existed; he wanted to be the king himself. He yearned to possess all the djinn, turning them into obedient servants. He envisioned living as a monarch in a fantastical world, a realm that only the exceptionally brave and the remarkably steadfast could dare to contemplate. Perhaps the future appeared to him as a wondrous adventure worth the risk. After all, it was reasonable to gamble on something of such importance: either he would reign as a king among the djinn, or be deemed mad among humans.

From “The Summoning of the Mountain,” he sought to venture into the realm of the jinn with the book “The Sun of Knowledge,” aiming to conquer their kingdom with its pages. He desired the adventure that begins with the summoning of jinn, who first appear as insects, snakes, and animals, but ultimately culminates in a massive serpent that may swallow part or most of you. The jinn borrow many forms and images before you possess them and enter their mythical world.

You must continue reading the book, regardless of the trials you face or the terror that may grip you. You must press on to the end to achieve what you desire. This experience might seem preferable to waiting for the Night of Destiny, which is scarcely a possibility to encounter, less than a day in a thousand months.

You must remain firmly in your place, absorbed in your retreat, without straying from it. Do not glance around you, and ignore everything but the reading of the book until the very end, so that the jinn may crown you as their king. You must immerse yourself in the reading, allowing it to envelop you completely. You must venture forth with courage to the conclusion, disregarding any fears or horrors surrounding you. The presence of the jinn will manifest as insects, snakes, and animals, evolving from the simple to the complex, from the easy to the terrifying and dreadful. My uncle wished to confront the impossible challenge of attaining dominion in the world of the jinn and the unknown.

He was nearly driven mad as he read the book in a lonely, oppressive solitude, striving to achieve a dream that seemed almost unattainable, demanding an extraordinary courage and remarkable composure. My mother recounted the terrifying details, ending with the experience of hearing the hooves of horses on the roof above, which seemed ready to collapse upon him—or so it appeared to him, or perhaps that was what he heard. In a panic, he threw the book aside and fled from his solitude, running away in terror and dread, overwhelmed beyond his capacity to bear.

He wished to simplify his ambition toward the realm, yet the kingdom of the jinn—assuming it existed—was elusive and frightening. In such an experience, the consequences of failure would reach him, and even if they extended beyond him, they might only affect his family and loved ones if he were to descend into madness. Meanwhile, the realm of humans, especially in places like Yemen, is often more terrifying and savage, requiring a willingness to embrace death for the sake of life, to take lives, to spill rivers of blood, and to witness great devastation that is almost unbearable. It is fraught with treachery, cunning, deceit, and conspiracies.

In lands like Yemen, one does not ascend to power—generally speaking—except through blood and plots, and perhaps even through the gates of international intelligence. If one wishes to maintain their rule, they must continue to dance on the heads of snakes, as our Himyarite history has shown.

The alternative must be sought—an alignment with good people, embracing their causes, and dedicating oneself to their well-being. There is no harm in forging a path toward postponed immortality after departure, even if the dust settles upon you. Be a general for the people, not against them; this is what truly matters.

*    *    *

There is no comparison between the evil wrought by human beings and the mischief attributed to the jinn, or even that which they may genuinely bring forth. Have you ever heard of the jinn creating a nuclear bomb and using it against their own kind, or even against us humans? God forbid such a notion should ever cross their minds.

Have you ever heard that the jinn fought for forty years over a she-camel? Our Arab history recounts the war between the tribes of Bakr and Taghlib, which lasted an entire forty years, despite their shared blood, lineage, and ties. This conflict is known as the War of Basus. Yet we have not heard of a jinn named Basus, nor of a war that spanned four decades for a mere she-camel.

Consider the race between Dahis and Al-Ghabra, which sparked a war over a wager between two branches of the Ghatafan tribe, Abas and Dhubyan, leading to a conflict that continued for forty years. There are other wars that have dragged on for seemingly trivial reasons, such as the War of Al-Fujar and the War of Bi’ath, yet we have not heard of the jinn engaging in wars sparked by causes as trivial, resulting in the violation of all honor and sanctity.

Have you heard that the jinn waged fierce wars against each other for many years, or spread destruction, death, and chaos among themselves as we humans do? Even the unjust among them, whom God has promised severe punishment, are described in the Quran as “And as for the unjust, they will be fuel for Hell.” We have not heard of such things among them; even Iblis, despite all the evils attributed to him, has not engaged in such actions.

If a single verse or surah of the Quran is said to be sufficient to repel the jinn and their evils, even ensuring their destruction, then the entire Quran and all that has been revealed by the prophets have not prevented humans from committing atrocities, massacres, and foolishness against one another, their nations, and humanity as a whole, driven by greed, power, and tyranny..

Moreover, we find many groups, political and religious factions, annihilating each other and pursuing their adversaries to the ends of the earth, justifying their horrors and atrocities against their own people and others through dubious interpretations.

The jinn do not ignite wars, nor do they profit from them, nor do they besiege each other, or implement policies of impoverishment and starvation against their own kind. The jinn do not shed blood, impose unjust taxes, or exploit disasters and wars to justify their atrocities as we do.

The jinn have no black market, no blood-soaked ambitions, nor the heavy burden of sorrow. They do not engage in egregious exploitation, nor do they benefit from the misfortunes of others. The jinn do not trade in blood or the tragedies of peoples, nor in oil derivatives, nor do they practice systematic impoverishment or extreme greed that crushes bones, nor do they build their dominion on the skulls of humans.

The jinn do not cut salaries, nor do they thrive on the suffering of men, nor do they force people to work without compensation. They do not violate the rights of others, seize long-standing services, cut off means of dignified living, or exploit dire need and hunger to rally people into senseless wars for greed, power, or interests.

The jinn do not plunder homelands, nor do they thrive on the blood and sweat of peoples. Even Iblis might blush in shame, perhaps hiding in his embarrassment, upon witnessing what humans do to one another—terrorizing, starving, annihilating.

The jinn are more respectful toward God and among themselves, as evidenced by those who say, “Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Quran that guides to righteousness, and we have believed in it; we will never associate anything with our Lord.” The jinn do not practice divisive and rancid racism against one another, nor are they associated with tremendous corruption, nor do they trample on the rights of others, nor do they subvert justice to oppress peoples, destroy civilizations, or spread ruin as we humans do.
 
The jinn are restrained in Ramadhan, and they can be repelled in other months through the Quran, incantations, salt, talismans, and a thousand other means, while humans exercise their tyranny and evils every day throughout the year. Furthermore, the jinn do not gamble with the fate of nations as some of us do, those enamored with power.

The jinn are more ancient and original than humans, and while some blame them for not populating the earth, their strongest argument is that they have never destroyed or polluted it, nor have they ruined it as we humans have. Ruin and destruction are inherent to us and are too horrific for matters to remain as they are.

*    *    *