We have all heard the story of Satan — a rebellious, beautiful angel who fell from the sky because he made humans sin. But what if the story isn’t quite like that? What if pride wasn’t the only quality that turns light into darkness? In the shadows of this tale, there exist mystical beings known as jinn.
In Eastern traditions we find a completely different perspective. In this culture, so far from ours, there is an entirely other world with its own creatures and beliefs. Among them are the Jinn, beings who live in the same dimension as us, but are so different and so fast that we cannot see them. Yet they are there, and they can see us.
Jinn are often misunderstood, embodying both light and darkness, and their existence challenges our perceptions of reality.
The Creation
God created angels from light, Jinn from smokeless fire, and on a Friday, He created man from clay.
It is said that Jinn ruled the earth for thousands of years before humans were born. They had their own families, their own countries and kingdoms, rulers and prophets, and most importantly, they had free will.
This last part is a bit tricky, because it allowed them to corrupt the earth and turn against each other. They became arrogant, ignored divine guidance, and spread chaos.
Iblis and the Birth of Adam
The most famous among them was Iblis, later known as Shaytan, equivalent to the word “Satan” in Christianity.
He was considered the most devoted being with free will that God had created. His obedience elevated him to sit among the angels, the purest of God’s creations, made from light.
To understand this, it’s important to remember that angels do not have free will. They represent specific roles and know nothing outside of what God teaches them. So Iblis sitting among them reveals his immense devotion, chosen freely.
One day, God created another free-willed being — this time from clay. Iblis felt offended by it. To show the angels and Iblis that He is the All-Knowing, God told Adam to say the names of all living beings.
Here we see that God gave humans a higher level of intelligence than Jinn and angels. Maybe that was His intention: perhaps He knew this quality was missing from the previous creatures and that it caused them to misuse their free will. Or maybe He wanted a being that chose to adore Him consciously, bowing not out of ignorance but out of faith. Otherwise, why create another species to rule the earth if the Jinn had already shown what free will could become?
Despite everything, Iblis refused to bow to Adam. Pride and jealousy condemned him until the end of time, and he promised to take as many human souls as possible with him into damnation.
Islamic Scriptures and Folklore
In the Qur’an, it is said that the Jinn were created before humans, and the story of Iblis is also described. Whether they ruled the earth before us is uncertain, this part comes from folklore. It is not fully accepted in Islam, but it is not denied either; it is simply not required to believe.
The idea that they had prophets comes from the interpretation of the verses:
“O assembly of jinn and humans! Did there not come to you messengers from among you, reciting to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?”
— Surah Al-An’am 6:130
“O assembly of jinn and humans! Did there not come to you messengers from among you, reciting to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?”
— Surah Al-An’am 6:130
“We did not send any messenger except that he spoke in the language of his people.”
— Ibrahim 14:4
“We did not send any messenger except that he spoke in the language of his people.”
— Ibrahim 14:4
Jinn still exist today — some good, some evil. Some are Muslim, others Christian or Jewish. They have families, tribes, and societies of their own. We do not know their true form, but when they appear to humans, they usually take the shape of humans or animals.
Evil Jinn
Jinn are said to have a more impulsive nature than humans, which sometimes allows humans to influence or control them.
Remember earlier when we said that Iblis wants to take as many humans with him as possible? This is where the temptation begins: fortune-telling, black magic, whispers (waswasa), and other forms of spiritual corruption are all influenced by them — always with something taken in return.
So the next time you watch Aladdin, remember: not all Jinn grant wishes.
