Spirit possession and exorcism in Islam

Most Muslim scholars believe in the possibility that jinn can physically possess people.Dein, Simon, and Abdool Samad Illaiee. "Jinn and mental health: looking at jinn possession in modern psychiatric practice." The Psychiatrist 37.9 (2013): 291. Only a minority denies demonic possession and argues that jinn can merely whisper to a person. The everyday-life concern may vary. Some consider possession to be purely theoretical with no practical application, others consider interference of jinn only under rare circumstances, for example, when summoned by a sorcerer, yet others take it seriously and attribute everyday events to demonic activities.GINGRICH, ANDRE. “SPIRITS OF THE BORDER: SOME REMARKS ON THE CONNOTATION OF JINN IN NORTH-WESTERN YEMEN.” Quaderni Di Studi Arabi 13 (1995): 199–212. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25802775. p. 299-200

Mental disorders, such as epilepsy, forgetfulness, schizophrenia,{{cite journal |last1=Lim |first1=Anastasia |last2=Hoek |first2=Hans W. |last3=Blom |first3=Jan Dirk |title=The attribution of psychotic symptoms to jinn in Islamic patients |journal=Transcultural Psychiatry |date=1 February 2015 |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=18–32 |doi=10.1177/1363461514543146|pmid=25080427 |s2cid=6807422 }} lack of energy, and morbid fears, are often attributed to demonic-possessions and witchcraft. Yet, not all mental-illnesses are attributed to demons, rather demons are believed to cause such symptoms.{{sfnp|Rassool|2015}}{{rp|p=54}} Belief in Jinn-possession is not only prevalent in Middle-Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia,Obeid, Tahir, et al. "Possession by ‘Jinn’as a cause of epilepsy (Saraa): a study from Saudi Arabia." Seizure 21.4 (2012): 245-249. but also among Muslims in Great Britain.Khalifa, Najat, and Tim Hardie. "Possession and jinn." Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 98.8 (2005): 352. Belief in demonic possession also prevails among educated people.Uvais, N. A.. Jinn and Psychiatry: Beliefs among (Muslim) doctors. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry 33(1):47-49, Jan–Mar 2017. {{doi|10.4103/0971-9962.200095|doi-access=free}}Naz, N. F., & Aslam, N. (2024). Belief in Jinn Possession Scale: Development and validation. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 46(1), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/00846724231225675

Due the ambiguous nature of jinn, some people may volunteer for possession. Possession by spirits are believed to grand beneficent powers, as in the case of diviners. In that case, the possessed by perform a trance dance (hadra) in order to renew their covenant with their personal jinni. In context of Swahili culture, jinn possession may be used for healing purposes.Kim, Caleb C. "Jinn Possession and Uganga (Healing) among the Swahili." p. 71-72 Such possessions are to be distinguished from cultural concepts of possession by demons.{{sfnp|Al-Krenawi|Graham|1997|p=211}}{{sfnp|Rassool|2015}}{{sfnp|Bulkeley|Adams|Davis|2009}}

According to the Islamic view on possession, a corrupted soul (nafs) increases suspectibility (dha'iyfah)GINGRICH, ANDRE. “SPIRITS OF THE BORDER: SOME REMARKS ON THE CONNOTATION OF JINN IN NORTH-WESTERN YEMEN.” Quaderni Di Studi Arabi 13 (1995): 199–212. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25802775. p. 203 to possession by evils spirits. Among them are ghosts (arwa'), jinn, devils.Barbera, Gerardo. "People of the Wind." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 31.3 (2021): 421-432.Khan, S. (18 Nov. 2024). Spirit of the Mind. Leiden, Niederlande: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004719033 p. 35{{cite journal |last1=Dein |first1=Simon |last2=Abdool Samad Illaiee |title=Jinn and mental health: looking at jinn possession in modern psychiatric practice |journal=The Psychiatrist |date=2013 |volume=37 |issue=9 |pages=290–293 |doi=10.1192/pb.bp.113.042721|s2cid=29032393 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last=Luther |first=Kenneth Allin |date=1975-06-01 |title=Louis Dupree. Afghanistan. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1973. Pp. xxiv, 760. $22.50 |url=https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/80.3.708 |journal=The American Historical Review |volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=106-107 |doi=10.1086/ahr/80.3.708 |issn=1937-5239}} The jinn differ from devils, by that the former can be believers (Muslim). However, since both are said to be created from some sort of fire, they are affined in some local Islamic beliefs. Ghosts are the souls of the improperly-buried dead and those who have been cursed by God.Khan, S. (18 Nov. 2024). Spirit of the Mind. Leiden, Niederlande: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004719033 p. 35 They are conceptually different from jinn-possession.{{Cite book |title=The living and the dead in Islam: studies in Arabic epitaphs |date=2004 |publisher=Harrassowitz |isbn=978-3-447-05083-8 |location=Wiesbaden |pages=116}}

The jinn can be good or evil and inflict act autonomously or inflict harm when enslaved through magic.Joseph P. Laycock Spirit Possession around the World: Possession, Communion, and Demon Expulsion across Cultures ABC-CLIO 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-610-69590-9}} page 166Egdunas Racius ISLAMIC EXEGESIS ON THE JINN: THEIR ORIGIN, KINDS AND SUBSTANCE AND THEIR RELATION TO OTHER BEINGS pp. 132–135 Since jinn share their bodily nature with humans, jinn may also possess people because they fell in love with them, often resulting in alleged intercourse between these two.{{sfnp|Bulkeley|Adams|Davis|2009}} Jinn may also possess someone to take revenge if angered. In such cases, the jinn are also thought to harm a person by hitting them.GINGRICH, ANDRE. “SPIRITS OF THE BORDER: SOME REMARKS ON THE CONNOTATION OF JINN IN NORTH-WESTERN YEMEN.” Quaderni Di Studi Arabi 13 (1995): 199–212. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25802775. p. 202Větrovec, Lukáš. "Curse, Possession and Other Worlds: Magic and Witchcraft among the Bosniaks." p. 79 Even if a pious jinni befalls a human, there is need for an exorcism as relationships between humans and jinn are socially frowned (makruh) upon.

Devils ({{small|pl.:}} {{Script|ar|شَيَاطِين}} {{Translit|ar|shayāṭīn}}) assault their victims by whisperings ({{Script|ar|وَسْوَسَة}} {{Translit|ar|waswasa}}), which is spiritually, rather than possessing them physically.Maʻrūf, Muḥammad. Jinn Eviction as a Discourse of Power: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Modern Moroccan Magical Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 8. Brill, 2007. pp. 96/167 The devils' sole purpose is to lure both humans and jinn into sinful activities, both minor ones and major ones.{{sfnp|Meldon|1908|pp=123–146}}{{sfnp|Sells|1996|p=143}} Paradoxically, suspectibility to the devils also increase with piety, since the devils are more engaged to corrupt a pure soul than a tainted one.Szombathy, Zoltan, "Exorcism", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Consulted online on 15 November 2019 First published online: 2014 First print edition: 9789004269637, 2014, 2014-4

{{Transliteration|ar|Ruqyā}} ({{Langx|ar|رقية}} {{IPA|ar|ruqja|IPA}}, {{Literal translation|invocation}}) refers to the practise of exorcising spirits, jinn, and demons in Islamic tradition and is part of the wider body of the "prophetic medicine".Gerda Sengers Women and Demons: Cultic Healing in Islamic Egypt BRILL, 2003 {{ISBN|9789004127715}} p. 50

Exorcisms are performed by religious authorities, such as a mullah or a qualified a Raqi or a saint (darvish) who has been blessed by God (barakah).Al-Krenawi, Alean, and John R. Graham. "Spirit possession and exorcism in the treatment of a Bedouin psychiatric patient." Clinical Social Work Journal 25 (1997): 211-222. To qualify as a Raqi, one needs, among other criteria, to believe in God, practise the Five Pillars of Islam, follow the Sunnah as examplified by Muhammad and the saints, believe that the Quran has the power to influence spirits, and knows about the spiritual world.{{cite journal |author1=Alean Al-Krenawi |author2=John Graham |title=Social work and Koranic mental health healers |journal=International Social Work|volume= 42 |issue=1|pages= 57|date= 1999|doi=10.1177/002087289904200106 |s2cid=71504194 |url= https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Alean+Al-Krenawi+and+John+Graham+Social+work+and+Koranic+mental+health+healers+International+Social+Work+1999&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DAkuutJBIk6sJ|url-access=subscription }}

For preparations, distractions, such as pictures, music, and golden jewelry, are removed to enable angels to enter. During the exorcism the exorcist seeks refuge in God and recites Quranic verses. The process further constitutes questioning the patient about their emotional state and dreams. Next, the excorsist negotiates with the possessing creature.Maʻrūf, Muḥammad. Jinn Eviction as a Discourse of Power: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Modern Moroccan Magical Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 8. Brill, 2007. pp. 165-167{{cite journal |title=Possession and Jinn |author=Najat Khalifa |author2=Tim Hardie |date= August 2005 |journal=J R Soc Med | volume= 98|issue=8 |doi=10.1177/014107680509800805 |pages=351–353|pmid=16055898 |pmc=1181833 }} Such negotiation may include to command the spirit to curse Satan. It is believed that a satanic spirit would refuse to curse their father and can be identified as a devil, much tougher to manage.Maʻrūf, Muḥammad. Jinn Eviction as a Discourse of Power: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Modern Moroccan Magical Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 8. Brill, 2007. p. 167 If the jinni is willing to negotiate, some healers make attempts to convince them to convert to Islam.

Some traditions request aid from good jinn (muwakkal) to negotiate with the possessing spirit.Khan, Sanaullah. Spirit of the Mind: Divine Disclosure, Nafs and the Transcendental Self in Islamic Thought. BRILL, 2024.

• Spirit possession#Islam
• Islam and magic
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• Devil
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Category:Medicine in the medieval Islamic world

Category:Occultism (Islam)

Category:Jinn