Effects of Jinn on Humans, and Seeking Protection From Them

Can Jinn harm man? 

How do we protect ourselves from them?

No doubt, jinn can do things to harm man, sometimes things that lead to his death. Both the Sunnah and observed phenomena support this. During a battle, the Messenger of Allaah Salallaahu alayhi wasallam gave permission to one of his Companions to return to his family; that Companion was young and recently married. When he returned to his home, he saw his wife standing at their door, and he reproached her for that. She told him to go inside, and when he entered, he saw a snake on their blanket. He had a spear with him, and he pierced it into the body of the snake until it died. However, the man died at the same time, so that no one knew who died first: He or the snake. When the news of the incident reached the Messenger of Allaah Salallaahu alayhi wasallam, he forbade the killing of small sankes found in the house, with the exception of the short tailed snake, and those with two black stripes on the back. 

The Ruling of Fearing The Jinn

Ash-Shaykh Muqbil, (may Allaah have mercy upon him), was asked regarding the ruling on having fear from the Jinn and if it is considered to be shirk?

A: Having fear from the Jinn does not reach level of being shirk unless the person believes that they have control of the creation besides Allaah or that they are partners with Allaah, The Most High, then this reaches the level of shirk or else it is considered to be a natural form of fear which a person does not get a sin for however it is a form of cowardice, while the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said: “The worse trait in a man is having severe level of cowardice and not being generous.” Therefore it is appropriate that he strengthens his eeman and that he depends upon Allaah, The Most High.

Ref: Gaaratul Ashritah Alaa Ahlil Jahl was Safsatah page: 263, print: al-Athariyyah.

Is having fear of the Jinn considered from natural fear or not?

 

Question: Is having fear of the Jinn considered from natural fear or not?

Sheikh Rabee’ ibn Haadi al-Madkhali, may Allaah preserve him, says: “Fearing the jinn; if it is the fear of the heart where he believes that the jinns can benefit or harm him then this is shirk.”

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَرِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقًا

“And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin & disbelief.”

(Al-Jinn 72:6)

The majority of time fearing from the jinn is the fear of the heart where he believes that they can benefit or harm when in fact no one possesses this ability except Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, not jinn nor man. And know that if the entire world was to gather together to benefit you, they wouldn’t be able to do so at all unless Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى wrote it for you. And if they gathered to harm you, they wouldn’t be able to except if Allaah wrote it upon you as the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said. The true believer doesn’t fear anything except Allaah.

Beware of the living & gathering places of Jinn

Where do the Jinn live?

 

The jinn live upon the same earth as humans do.

Most of them can be found among the ruins and dilapidated areas, as well as the places where there are many impure things, such as, bathrooms, hashish dens, garbage dumps, the places of the camels, cemeteries.