Jinni is a kind of invisible being in Arabian and Islamic tradition. According to the Qur’ān, the sacred book of Islam, jinn (the plural form of jinni) were created from smokeless flames. Islam is the religion preached by the Prophet Muhammad in the 600’s.
Some jinn hear and marvel at the words of the Qur’ān and worship God (Allah in Arabic), while others reject him. Evil jinn work to lead people away from the truth. Like human beings, jinn will have to account to God on the day of judgment for their actions.
In pre-Islamic Arabian tradition, jinn had overwhelming powers to possess and overcome human beings. The powers of jinn, as described in the Qur’ān, however, are greatly reduced from what they were in the earlier tradition. Today, a belief in jinn is an important part of popular Islamic culture, where jinn may appear to human beings in different forms, especially as animals. Some people make animal sacrifices to satisfy jinn so that the jinn will not possess them.
See also Genie.
