Q. What is the reality of the jinn having an influence on our lives? There are people who claim to have contacts with the jinn and the ability to redress any harm perpetrated by them? Do these people resort to black magic? Is it possible for a person to cast a spell on another to the extent that he would marry a woman whom he would not have married otherwise? Please explain.
(Name and address withheld)
A. As Muslims we believe in the existence of the jinn, because God has told us that He has created them. From what is mentioned about them in the Qur’an we know that they have been given freedom of choice, like ourselves. They are also required to believe in the message of Prophet Muhammad, in the same way as human beings are. They are held to account for their deeds as well, and will receive the same reward or punishment as we do. Like human beings, most of them do not believe in God and His Messenger. Moreover, we learn from the Qur’an that they have powers which have been denied to us, such as their ability, prior to Islam, to go up to heaven to eavesdrop on the angels. But this ability has been denied them since the approach of the Islamic message. This means that they have not been able to learn anything from the angels for over 1,400 years. We are also told in the Qur’an that they see us, but we cannot see them.
How much do they influence our lives? The answer is that they have nothing to do with us, in the same way as we have nothing to do with them. We live in two different worlds. Some people unfortunately exploit the little information we have about the jinn in order to deceive others, leading them to believe that the jinn can do us much harm and we need to be protected from them. Those who promote this idea describe themselves as being able to communicate with the jinn and force them to do their bidding. But when you look at what they do, you realize that it is all a question of deceiving some gullible people in order to take their money.
I have been told by a reader that he went to a place where a man claimed to have contact with the jinn and that he would be bringing one of them to answer questions and solve problems. Sure enough, he went into some rituals before telling his attendants that a female jinni was ready to come and speak to them. He asked them to keep their eyes closed, because if they were to look at the female jinni they would go blind. The reason was that the jinn, being created out of fire, generate binding light. They did as they were told and they heard a female voice telling them things, answering questions and suggesting solutions to their problems. Afterward, this female went round and collected money from them for her food and sustenance.
Anyone could see that the whole episode is a charade aimed at making those gullible people part with their money. I wonder how none of them could think that if the jinni would blind him to look at, how could he hand her the money without feeling her heat, or without the money being burned in her hand; how could she buy the food without the shopkeeper going blind by her presence. None of them could ask himself what sort of food the jinn eat, and whether it is available in human shops and supermarkets, when their very nature is so different from ours. If I were in that situation, I would certainly keep my eyes open and challenge that impostor who claims to control the jinn. He would have no answer to my challenge.
These people attribute great power to the jinn, but how do they know about their power? It may be that they are weaker than ourselves, but the cheats who make these claims need to give them this aura of great powers in order to deceive their clients out of their money.
Black magic is mentioned in the Qur’an, but from the Qur’anic references we have, we can conclude without hesitation that it is all a matter of illusion, without any real substance. Read, if you will, the story of Moses and the sorcerers in Surahs 7 and 20. It is forbidden for a Muslim to learn black magic or practice it. It is also forbidden to go to a fortune-teller and seek his help. Therefore, the right way is to expel any such thoughts about magic and the jinn from our minds, to seek only God’s help and rely on Him only.
Education in non-Muslim schools
Q.1. In our hometown in India most schools and colleges are run by non-Muslims. Education is generally good but certain parts of the syllabus are contrary to Islam. Is it permissible for Muslim schoolchildren to enroll in such schools, considering that Muslim schools are practically much lower in their educational standards.
Q.2. Is it permissible to receive donations for a mosque from non-Muslims?
Q.3. Why do we refer to God in the masculine, although He has no gender?
M. Anvardeen, Riyadh
A. A Muslim community should always be fully aware of its needs and try to meet them in the best possible way. Of course a Muslim community needs good schools so that its children may receive proper instruction in the various areas of education, as well as in Islamic teachings. No successful Muslim community could afford to neglect such a need, because of the serious adverse effects such negligence is bound to have on its future generations. Therefore, if the Muslim schools in your community are of low standard, then the community must consider the ways and means necessary to redress this situation.
When good Muslim schools are available, then it is not permissible to send one’s children to other schools that teach something contrary to the Islamic faith, unless this is necessitated by some unavoidable factors. But when there are no Muslim schools to provide proper education of reasonable standards, then it is permissible to send one’s children to non-Muslim schools, but it is necessary to do two things: The first is that additional arrangements should be made in order to teach those children some Islamic education to make up for the deficiency in their learning, and to rectify the questions that are taught in a way contrary to the Islamic faith. The second important matter is that the Muslim community should work hard to end this unhealthy situation and establish Muslim schools of good standard to enable parents to provide their children with the necessary education in an Islamic environment.
A. 2. If non-Muslims donate freely for the building of a mosque and we do not know of any questionable motive behind such donation, it is permissible to accept their donation.
A. 3. Human language knows only two forms of nouns: masculine and feminine. It does not provide for anything other than these when it speaks of animate objects. Therefore, when we talk about any living being, we have to use either the masculine or the feminine form. Generally speaking, human language attaches, even implicitly, a higher status to the masculine. Hence, all human languages tend to refer to God in the masculine gender. Not only so, but you will find that in languages like Arabic, where masculine and feminine have different forms, God’s name and attribute generally take the masculine form.
