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II
The Invisible Realm of Existence [1]
| Angels
and Other Invisible Beings | The Characteristics
of Angels | The Characteristics of Jinn |
Angels and Jinn in This World | Jinn
and Human Beings | Satan and His Whispering
| Spells and Sorcery |
Belief in the invisible
realm of existence and the beings inhabiting it is another essential
of Islamic faith. Since our sensory powers are limited, it is not
wise to deny outright the existence of realms beyond our senses.
Also, we know so little about existence that what we do know is
considerably less than what we do not. Our sciences are still in
their “childhood,” and the future will witness dazzling scientific
discoveries and developments.
Sciences are supported by theories and develop through
trial-and-error investigation of those theories. Numerous “established”
facts were once considered false, and many other “established” facts
are now known to be incorrect. We accept unquestionably, and without
any scientific basis, the existence of many things. Since the beginning
of time, most people have believed in the existence of the spirit
and angels, jinn and Satan. So, it would seem to be more scientific
to allow their existence in theory and then investigate it. Denying
their existence is unscientific, insofar as such a judgment or conclusion
must be based on concrete proof. No one can prove and therefore
scientifically claim the non-existence of the invisible realm of
existence.
Many physical qualities, such as heat and cold, and
such abstract qualities as beauty and charm, and feelings of joy,
sorrow, and love, can be experienced directly and measured to some
degree. Materialists attribute these to some biochemical processes
in the brain, and some scientists (like psychologists and psychiatrists)
still try to explain them by natural or physical laws. However,
our non-physical side (namely, our feelings, beliefs, potentialities,
desires, and so on that vary enormously from individual to individual,
although everyone has the same material elements) is too profound
to be explained by physics, chemistry, or biology.
Angels
and Other Invisible Beings
Angels are purely spirit beings that stand for the purely
good aspect in existence, while Satan and his descendants represent
the purely evil aspect. God is One and Infinite, without opposite.
All other beings and existents have an opposite. Since we have two
opposite aspects in our nature, one inclined toward good and the
other toward evil, angels represent this good aspect while Satan
represents the evil one. Angels invite us to our purely spiritual
or “angelic” aspect, while Satan tries to seduce us through tempting
us to do evil. The resulting struggle in each individual, and in
the universe as a whole, has been ongoing since the beginning of
existence. Everyone feels a stimulus toward good and evil at the
same time. The former comes from the angels or our unpolluted spirit;
the latter comes from Satan collaborating with our carnal self,
which represents our animal aspect.
We accept the existence of natural laws and forces unquestionably,
and even go so far as to attribute to them all phenomena in the
universe. We ascribe a tiny seed’s growth into a huge, elaborate
tree to the law of germination and growth in that seed, and the
universe’s incredible balance to the laws of gravitation and repulsion.
But we ignore the absolute will, knowledge, power, and wisdom necessary
for the universe’s very existence, operation, and balance. The One
Who has absolute Will, Knowledge, Power, and Wisdom has such powerful
invisible beings as winds or gales, and others much more powerful
than natural forces or laws. These beings are angels.
In addition to religious scholars, almost all Muslim
philosophers and even all Oriental philosophers agree on the existence
of angels and all kinds of spirit beings, despite differences in
naming them. All Prophets, numbering 124,000 in reliable religious
sources, unanimously report the existence of angels, spirit beings,
jinn, and Satan. All saints and religious scholars agree on this
invisible realm’s existence. We hardly need to say that two specialists
in a matter are preferable to thousands of non-specialists. In addition,
it is an established fact that once a matter is confirmed by two
people, its denial by thousands carries no weight. Furthermore,
all people of religion and followers of almost all religions unanimously
accept the existence of these beings.
All Divine Scriptures record the existence of spirit
beings and the human spirit, and the story of Satan and his intrigues
to seduce us exist in all of them. Above all, can one doubt the
report of the Qur’an and the testimony and experiences of Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings? The proofs of the Qur’an’s
Divine authorship, Prophethood’s mission, and the Prophethood of
Muhammad and all other Prophets, upon them be peace, also prove
the invisible realm’s existence and thus the existence of the spirit,
angels, jinn, and Satan.
The best and most rational way of establishing the existence
of such beings is expounded by Islam, described by the Qur’an, and
was seen by the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, during
his Ascension through the heavens. The Qur’an explains the meaning
of angelic existence so reasonably that anyone can understand it.
It relates that we are a community responsible for carrying out
the Divine Commandments issuing from the Divine Attribute of Speech,
and that angels are a community whose “working class” carries out
the Divine Laws of nature issuing from the Attribute of Will. They
are God’s honored servants who do whatever He commands. The existence
of angels and other spirit beings can be established by proving
the existence of an individual angel, because denying them amounts
to denying the species. Thus, accepting the individual requires
accepting the species.
A consensus has formed, especially among followers of
religions, that there have always been some who can see and converse
with angels, jinn, Satan, and other spirit beings. Therefore, we
can conclude that religious belief in the existence of such beings
is based on the experiences which the Prophets and other godly persons
have had with them. Such accounts have been narrated by reliable
sources.
The Characteristics
of Angels
Angels are created from
“light,” not the light that we know, but light in its more refined
and subtle form, which we call nur. The Arabic word for angel is
malak. According to its root form, malak means “messenger,” “deputy,”
“envoy,” “superintendent,” and “powerful one.” The root meaning
also implies descent from a high place. Angels are beings who build
relations between the meta-cosmic world and the material one, convey
God’s commands, direct the acts and lives of beings (with God’s
permission), and represent their worship in their own realms.
Having refined or subtle bodies of nur (light),
angels move very rapidly and permeate or penetrate all realms of
existence. They place themselves in our eyelids or in the bodies
of other beings to observe God’s works through our or their eyes.
They also descend into the hearts of Prophets and saintly people
to bring them inspiration. Such inspirations are usually from God,
but sometimes they may be from angels.
Some animals, like honeybees, act according to Divine
inspiration, although science asserts that all animals are directed
by impulses. But science cannot explain what an impulse is and how
it occurs. Scientists are trying to discover how migrating birds
find their way, and how young eels hatched in the rivers of Europe
find their way to the ocean, which is their native water. Even if
we attribute this to information coded in their DNA, this information
is assuredly from God, Who knows everything, controls the universe,
and assigns angels to direct the lives of such creatures.
Everything that exists, either as an individual or as
a species, has a collective identity and performs a unique, universal
function. Each flower displays a superlative design and symmetry
and recites, in the tongue of its being, the Names of the Creator
manifested on it; the entire Earth performs a universal duty of
glorification as though it were a single flower; and the heavens
praise and glorify the Majestic Maker of the universe through their
suns, moons, and stars. Even inert material bodies, although outwardly
inanimate and unconscious, perform a vital function in praising
God. Angels represent these immaterial bodies in the world of the
inner dimensions of things, and express their praise. In return,
these immaterial bodies are the angels’ representatives, dwellings,
and mosques in this world.
There are various classes of angels. One class is engaged
in constant worship; another worships by working. These working
angels have functions that resemble human occupations, like shepherds
or farmers. In other words, Earth’s surface is like a general farm,
and an appointed angel oversees all of its animal species by the
command of the All-Majestic Creator, by His permission and Power,
and for His sake.
Earth’s surface is also an arable field where all plants
are sown. Another angel is appointed to oversee all of them in the
Name of Almighty God and by His Power. Lower ranking angels worship
and glorify Almighty God by supervising particular plant species.
Archangel Michael, upon him be peace, is the head of all these angels.
Angels who function as shepherds or farmers bear no
resemblance to human shepherds or farmers, for their supervision
is purely for God’s sake, in His Name, and by His Power and command.
They observe the manifestations of God’s Lordship in the species
they are assigned to supervise, study the manifestations of Divine
Power and Mercy in it, communicate Divine commands to it through
some sort of inspiration, and somehow arrange its voluntary actions.
Their supervision of plants, in particular, consists
of representing in the angelic tongue the plants’ glorification
in the tongue of their being. In other words, they proclaim in the
angelic tongue the praises and exaltations that all plants offer
to the Majestic Creator through their lives. These angels also regulate
and employ the plants’ faculties correctly and direct them toward
certain ends. Angels perform such services through their partial
willpower and a kind of worship and adoration. They do not originate
or create their acts, for everything bears a stamp particular to
the Creator of all things, meaning that only God creates. In short,
whatever angels do is worship, and it is therefore not like the
ordinary acts of human beings.
The Majestic Maker of this huge palace of creation employs
four kinds or classes of laborers: angels and other spirit beings;
inanimate things and vegetable creations, which are quite important
servants of God working without wages; animals, which serve unconsciously
in return for a small wage of food and pleasure; and humanity, which
works in awareness of the Majestic Creator’s purposes. Men and women
learn from everything, and supervise lower-ranking servants in return
for wages in the form of rewards here and in the Hereafter.
The first class consists of angels. These beings are
never promoted for what they do, for each has a fixed, determined
rank and receives a particular pleasure from the work itself, as
well as a radiance from worship. That is, their reward is found
in their service. Just as we are nourished by and derive pleasure
from air and water, as well as light and food, angels are nourished
by and receive pleasure from the lights of remembrance and glorification,
worship and knowledge, and love of God. Since they are created of
light in its more refined and subtle form, light sustains them.
Even fragrant scents, which are close to light, are a sort of enjoyable
nourishment for them. Indeed, pure spirits take pleasure in sweet
scents.
From their jobs performed at the command of the One
Whom they worship, their actions for His sake, their service rendered
in His Name, their supervision through His view, their honor gained
through connection with Him, their “refreshment” found in studying
His Kingdom’s material and immaterial dimensions, and their satisfaction
in observing His Grace and Majesty’s manifestations, angels receive
such elevated bliss that we cannot even begin to comprehend it.
In addition, only they can perceive this bliss.
Angels do not sin or disobey, for they do not have an
evil-commanding soul that must be resisted. They have fixed stations,
and so are neither promoted nor abased. They are also free of such
negative qualities as envy, rancor, and enmity, and from all lusts
and animal appetites found in human beings and jinn. They have no
gender, do not eat or drink, and do not feel hunger, thirst, or
tiredness. Praise, worship, recitation of God’s Names, and glorification
of Him are their nourishment, as are light and sweet fragrances.
Besides those deputed to represent and supervise various
species on Earth and present their worship to God, there are four
Archangels and other angels having special nearness to God. There
are other groups of angels known as Mala’-i A‘la (the Highest Council),
Nadiy-i A‘la (the Highest Assembly), and Rafiq-i A‘la (the Highest
Company), as well as angels appointed to Paradise and Hell. Angels
who record a person’s deeds are called Kiramun Katibun (the Noble
Recorders), and, as stated in a hadith, 360 angels are responsible
for each believer’s life. They guard their charges, especially during
infancy and old age, pray for them, and ask God to forgive them.
Other angels help believers during times of war, attend assemblies
that praise and glorify God, as well as study meetings held for
God’s sake and to benefit people.
God Almighty is powerful over everything. Even though
He can guard everyone by Himself, He may appoint angels to guard
His servants. To earn such a guardianship and the company of angels,
one has to willingly do what is good and establish a close relation
with God Almighty. One must have strong belief in God and all other
pillars of faith, never abandon regular worship and prayer, lead
a disciplined life, and refrain from forbidden things or sinful
acts.
Belief in angels has many benefits. For example, it
provides us with some sort of peace and removes our loneliness.
The inspiration breathed by angels exhilarates us, enlightens us
intellectually, and opens new horizons of knowledge and thought.
Awareness of the continuous company of angels also helps us abstain
from sin and improper behavior.
The Characteristics
of Jinn
The word jinn literally means something hidden or veiled
from sight. As mentioned earlier, jinn are a species of invisible
beings. A short Qur’anic chapter is named for them, and in it we
learn that a band of jinn listened to Prophet Muhammad, upon him
be peace and blessings, and some became believers (72:1-2, 11).
From this, we understand that jinn are conscious beings
charged with Divine obligations. They were created before Adam and
Eve and were responsible for cultivating and improving the world.
Although God later superseded them with us, He did not exempt them
from religious obligations.
The Qur’an states that jinn are created from smokeless
fire (55:15). In another verse, it clarifies that this fire is scorching
and penetrates as deep as the inner part of the body (15:27).
Like angels, jinn move extremely fast and are not bound
by the time and space constraints within which we normally move.
However, since the spirit is more active and faster than jinn, a
person who lives at the level of the spirit’s life and who can transcend
what we know as limits of matter and the confines of time and space,
can be quicker and more active than them. For example, the Qur’an
relates that when Prophet Solomon asked those around him who could
bring the throne of the Queen of Saba’ (Yemen), one jinn answered
that he could bring it before the meeting ended and Prophet Solomon
stood up. However, a man with a special knowledge from God replied:
“I can bring it to you quicker than the blink of an eye,” and he
did so (27:38-40).
Nothing is difficult for God Almighty. It is as easy
for Him to create the universe as it is for Him to create a tiny
particle. He has provided human beings, jinn, and angels with the
power and strength appropriate for their functions or duties. As
He uses angels to supervise the movements of celestial bodies, He
allows humanity to rule Earth, dominate matter, build civilizations,
and produce technology.
Power and strength are not limited to the physical world,
nor are they proportional to bodily size. We see that immaterial
things are far more powerful than huge physical entities. For example,
our memory is far more spacious and comprehensive than a large room.
Our hands can touch a very near object, but our eyes can travel
long distances in an instant, and our imagination can transcend
time and space all at once. Winds can uproot trees and demolish
large buildings. A young, thin plant shoot can split rocks and reach
the sunlight. The power of energy, whose existence is known through
its effect, is apparent to everybody. All of this shows that something’s
power is not proportional to its physical size; rather, the immaterial
world dominates the physical world, and immaterial entities are
far more powerful than material ones.
Angels and Jinn
in This World
Angels and jinn can assume a form and appear in this
world in the shape of any being. Here, we observe movement from
the visible to the invisible: water evaporates and disappears into
the atmosphere, solid matter becomes a liquid or a gas (steam),
and matter becomes energy (nuclear fission). Likewise, we observe
movement from the invisible to the visible: gases become fluids,
evaporated water becomes rain (as well as snow or hail), and energy
becomes matter. Similarly, intangible thoughts and meanings in our
minds can appear in the tangible form of letters and words in essays
and books.
In an analogous way, such invisible beings as angels,
jinn, and other spirit entities are clothed in some material substance,
such as air or ether, and then become visible. According to Imam
Shibli, if God wills, He allows them to assume a form when they
utter any of His Names, for this functions like a key or a visa
enabling them to assume a form and become visible in this world.
If they try to do so without God’s permission, by relying upon their
own abilities, they are torn into pieces and perish.
When Gabriel came to Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings, with Revelation or God’s Messages, he rarely appeared
in his original form. Rather, he usually came as a warrior, a traveler,
or a Companion named Dihya. Once he came as a traveler dressed in
white and, in order to instruct the Companions in religion, asked
the Prophet such questions as: What is belief? What is Islam? What
is ihsan (perfect goodness or excellence or perfection of virtue)?
When is the Day of Judgment?
Jinn also can appear as snakes, scorpions, cattle, donkeys,
birds, and other animals. When the Prophet, upon him be peace and
blessings, took the oath of allegiance from them in the valley of
Batn al-Nakhla, he wanted them to appear to his community either
in their own form or in other agreeable forms, not in the forms
of such harmful animals as dogs and scorpions. He warned his community:
“When you see any vermin in your house, tell it three times: ‘For
God’s sake, leave this place,’ for it may be a friendly jinn. If
it does not leave, it is not a jinn.”
The jinn who gave allegiance to God’s Messenger promised
him: “If your community recites the Basmala (In the Name of God,
the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate) before anything they do
and cover their dishes, we will not touch their food or their drink.”
Another Tradition says: “[After you relieve yourselves] do not clean
yourselves with bones and dried pieces of dung, for they are among
the foods of your jinn brothers.”
Jinn and Human
Beings
Some people have an innate ability to go into a trance
and contact beings from the invisible realms of existence. However,
it should not be forgotten that whether these are angels or jinn,
invisible beings have their own conditions of life and are bound
to certain limits and principles. For this reason, one who gets
in touch with jinn should be careful, for one may easily fall under
their influence and become their plaything.
Sins and uncleanliness invite the influence of evil
spirits and unbelieving jinn. People of a susceptible nature, those
who tend to be melancholy, and those who lead a dissipated and undisciplined
life are their primary targets. Evil spirits usually reside in places
for dumping garbage or other dirty places, public baths, and bathrooms.
Jinn can penetrate a body even deeper than X-rays. They
can reach into a being’s veins and the central points of the brain.
They seem to be like lasers, which are used in everything from computers
to nuclear weaponry, from medicine to communication and police investigations,
and to removing obstructions in our veins and arteries. So, when
we consider that Satan and all jinn are created from a smokeless
fire that penetrates deep into the body, like radiation or radioactive
energy, we can understand the meaning of the Prophetic Tradition:
“Satan moves where the blood moves.” (Bukhari,
“Ahkam,” 21; Ibn Maja, “Siyam,” 65.)
Although science does
not yet accept the existence of invisible beings and restricts itself
to the material world, we think it is worth considering the possibility
that evil spirits play some part in such mental illnesses as schizophrenia.
We constantly hear of cases that those who suffer from mental illness,
epilepsy, or even cancer recover by reciting certain prayers. Such
cases are serious and significant, and should not be denied or dismissed
by attributing them to “suggestion” or “auto-suggestion.” When science
breaks the thick shell in which it has confined itself and accepts
the existence of the metaphysical realm and the influence of metaphysical
forces, its practitioners will be able to remove many obstructions,
make far greater advances, and make fewer mistakes.
The Qur’an states that God bestowed upon the House of
Abraham the Scripture, Wisdom, and a mighty kingdom (4:54). This
mighty kingdom manifested itself most brilliantly through the Prophets
David and Solomon, upon them be peace. Prophet Solomon ruled not
only a part of humanity, but also jinn and devils, birds and winds:
God subdued unto him devils, some of whom dove for pearls and
did other work (21:82). Solomon had armies of jinn and birds,
and he employed jinn in many jobs: They made for him what he
willed: synagogues, fortresses, basins like wells and boilers built
into the ground (34:13); and: Wind was also subdued to him;
its morning course was a month’s journey and the evening course
also a month’s journey (34:12).
Satan and His
Whispering
The jinn we know as Satan was created from (some sort
of) fire. Before his obedience and sincerity were tested through
Adam, he had been in the company of angels, acting and worshipping
as they did. Unlike angels, however, who cannot rebel against God
(66:6), Satan (called Iblis prior to his test) was free to choose
his own path of conduct. When God tested him and the angels by commanding
them to prostrate before Adam, the seeds of his self-conceit and
disobedience blossomed and swallowed him. He replied in his vanity:
“I am better than him. You created me from fire, while You created
him from clay” (38:76).
Satan was created for
important purposes. Since God has free will, He also gave us free
will so that we could know good from evil and choose between them.
In addition, God gave us great potentials. It is our development
of these potentials and the struggle to choose between good and
evil that cause us to experience a constant battle in our inner
world. Just as God sends hawks upon sparrows so that the latter
will develop their potential to escape, He created Satan and allowed
him to tempt us so that our resistance to temptation will raise
us spiritually and strengthen our willpower. Just as hunger stimulates
human beings and animals to further exertion and discovery of new
ways to be satisfied, and fear inspires new defenses, so Satan’s
temptations cause us to develop our potentials and guard against
sin.
There is an infinitely long line of spiritual evolution
between the ranks of the greatest Prophets and saints down to those
of people like Pharaoh and Nimrod. Therefore, it cannot be claimed
that the creation of Satan is evil. Although Satan is evil and serves
various important purposes, God’s creation involves the whole universe
and should be understood in relation to the results, not only with
respect to the acts themselves. Whatever God does or creates is
good and beautiful in itself or in its effects. For example, rain
and fire are very useful. But they also can cause great harm when
abused. Therefore, one cannot claim that the creation of water and
fire is not totally good. It is the same with the creation of Satan.
His main purpose is to cause us to develop our potential, strengthen
our willpower by resisting his temptations, and then rise to higher
spiritual ranks.
Evil thoughts, fancies, and ideas that occur to us involuntarily
are usually the result of Satan’s whispering. Like a battery’s two
poles, there are two central points or poles in the human heart
(by “heart” we mean the seat or center of spiritual intellect).
One receives angelic inspiration, and the other is vulnerable to
Satan’s whispering.
When believers deepen their belief and devotion, and
if they are scrupulous and delicate in feeling, Satan attacks them
from different directions. He does not busy himself with those who
follow him voluntarily and indulge in all that is transitory, but
usually seeks out those sincere, devout believers trying to rise
to higher spiritual ranks. He whispers new, original ideas to sinful
unbelievers in the name of unbelief, and teaches them how to struggle
against true religion and those who follow it.
Satan does everything he can to seduce us. He approaches
us from the left and tries, working on our animal aspect and our
feelings and faculties, to lead us into all sorts of sin and evil.
When he approaches us from the front, he causes us to despair of
our future, whispers that the Day of Judgment will never come, and
that whatever religion says about the Hereafter is mere fiction.
He also suggests that religion is outdated and obsolete, and thus
of no use for those who are living now or who will live in the future.
When he comes upon us from behind, he tries to make us deny Prophethood
and other essentials of belief, like God’s Existence and Unity,
Divine Scriptures and angels. Through his whispers and suggestions,
Satan tries to sever completely our contact with religion and lead
us into sin.
Satan approaches devout, practicing believers from their
right to tempt them to ego and pride in their virtues and good deeds.
He whispers that they are wonderful believers, and gradually causes
them to fall through self-conceit and the desire to be praised for
their good deeds. This is a perilous temptation for believers, and
so they must be incessantly alert to Satan’s coming upon them from
their right.
In fact, Qur’an 4:76 tells us that the guile of Satan
is ever feeble. It resembles a cobweb that appears while you are
walking between two walls. It does not cause you to stop, and you
should not give it any importance. He suggests or whispers and presents
sinful acts in a “falsely ornamented wrapper,” so believers must
never accept his “gifts.”
To free ourselves from Satan’s evil suggestions, we
should remove ourselves from the attractive fields of Satan and
sin. Heedlessness and neglect of worship are invitations to Satan’s
“arrows.” The Qur’an declares: Whose sight is dim to the remembrance
of the All-Merciful, We assign unto him a devil who becomes his
comrade (43:36). Remembrance of the All-Merciful, noble or sacred
phenomena, and a devout religious life protect us from Satan’s attacks.
Again, the Qur’an advises:
If
a suggestion from Satan occurs to you, seek refuge in God. He is
All-Healing, All-Knowing. Those who fear God and ward off (evil),
when a passing notion from Satan troubles them, they remember, and
behold! they see. (7:200-1)
Satan sometimes tries to tempt us through obscene scenes.
He causes us to obsess over illicit pleasures. On such occasions,
we should try to persuade ourselves that any illicit pleasure will
result in fits of remorse and may endanger our afterlife or even
our mortal life. We should not forget that the life of this world
is but a passing plaything, a comforting illusion, and that the
true life is that of the Hereafter.
Spells and Sorcery
Those who deny spells and sorcery do so either because
they do not believe in anything related to metaphysics or what they
suppose to be connected with religion, or because they are unaware
of realities beyond the physical realm.
Most of us have heard of or even seen many such cases.
As the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, declared that the
evil eye is an undeniable fact, sorcery is also an undeniable reality.
The Qur’an speaks about (and severely condemns) the sorcery practiced
to cause a rift between spouses. According to the Qur’an and Islam,
sorcery and casting spells are as sinful as unbelief.
While breaking a spell is a good, meritorious deed,
it must not be adopted and practiced as a profession. Although our
Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, met with jinn, preached
Islam to them, and took their allegiance, he never explained how
to contact them or how to cast or break a spell. However, he taught
how jinn approach us and seek to control us, how we can protect
ourselves against their evil, and how to ward off and be saved from
the evil eye.
The safest way to protect ourselves against evil spirits
is to have a strong loyalty to God and His Messenger, upon him be
peace and blessings. This requires following the principles of Islam
strictly. In addition, we should never give up praying, for prayer
is a weapon against hostility, protects us from harm, and helps
us to attain our goals. Prayer does not mean to ignore and neglect
material means in attaining goals. Rather, applying them is included
in prayer. As we pray for ourselves, we also must request those
who we believe to be near to God to pray for us. The Companions
frequently asked the Prophet to pray for them.
Some people go to exorcists. Although a few people might
know how to drive out evil spirits, such activity is usually quite
dangerous, for most exorcists deceive people. Also, an exorcist
must be very careful about his or her religious obligations, refrain
from sin, and be an upright person who knows how to exorcise somebody.
Believers should not go to those psychiatrists or doctors
who restrict themselves to the narrow confines of matter. Materialist
psychiatrists who do not believe in the spirit and spirit beings
may advise patients suffering from spiritual dissatisfaction or
possessed by evil spirits to indulge themselves in pleasure and
amusement. This is like advising a thirsty person to quench his
or her thirst with salty sea water.
God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, mentioned
that special prayers should be recited to protect oneself against
the evils of Satan and other unbelieving jinn. The Verse of the
Throne (2:255) is one of them. We also read that: If a stimulus
from Satan occurs to you, seek refuge in God immediately (41:36).
That is, say: “I seek refuge in God from Satan, the accursed.”
As reported by ‘A’isha, the Mother of Believers and
one of the Prophet’s wives, God’s Messenger recited the surahs al-Falaq
and al-Nas three times every morning and evening, and then
breathed into his joined palms and rubbed them against the parts
of his body he could reach. (Bukhari, “Da'awat,” 11.) He also recited three times every morning and evening: “In the Name
of God, whom nothing on Earth and in the heavens can give harm despite
His Name. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Tirmidhi,
“Da'awat,” 13.) This recitation
and the following one are among the prayers advised for protection
against paralysis: “I seek refuge in all of God’s words from all
devils and vermin and from all evil eyes.”
Imam al-Ghazzali advises us to protect ourselves against
spells, charms, and evil spirits by reciting: “In the Name of God,
the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate” once, “God is the Greatest”
10 times, The magician will not be successful wherever he appears
(20:69), and from the evil of blowers upon knots (113:4). Another
imam advises us to recite these two verses 19 times after each sip
of liquid (e.g., water, tea, or soup).
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