Fatwas of Ibn Baz – alifta.net
A reply sent to Shaykh `Aly Tantawy on 12/11/1408 A.H.
Praise be to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his Companions, and those who follow his guidance!
Some short and long articles were published in local newspapers and others in the month of Sha`ban of this year (1407 A.H.) regarding the declaration of some members of the Jinn who possessed Muslim women in Riyadh. They declared that they had become Muslims before me after they had declared this before brother `Abdullah ibn Mushrif Al-`Umary who lives in Riyadh. Al-`Umary recited some Adhkar (invocations) on the Jinn-possessed lady and talked to the Jinn, reminding him of Allah (Exalted be He) and His Omnipotence as well as frightening him with the grievous sin of injustice. After the Jinn said that he is a Buddhist disbeliever, the shaykh called him to Islam and to come out of the woman whom he was possessing. Accordingly, the Jinn complied and declared his conversion to Islam before shaykh Al-`Umary. Then, shaykh Al-`Umary and the guardians of the woman wanted to come to me with the woman to hear the Jinn member’s conversion to Islam. When they were all present, I asked the Jinn about the reason for embracing Islam. He spoke on the tongue of the woman but in a manly voice. All this happened in the presence of the woman who was sitting in the chair next to me beside her brother, sister and shaykh Al-`Umary as well as some shayks who witnessed and heard the speech of the Jinn while openly declaring his conversion to Islam. He said he was a Buddhist from India. On my part, I advised him to observe Taqwa (fearing Allah as He should be feared) and to leave the body of this woman as he is making her suffer. The Jinn submitted to my order and said that he embraced Islam willingly. Therefore, I advised him to call his people to Islam after Allah (Exalted be He) had guided him to the right path. He came out of the woman’s body and his last word was “As-salamu `alaykum” (peace be upon you), then the woman spoke with her normal voice and felt comfortable and relaxed from the pain he was causing to her. After the lapse of a month or more, she visited me again with her brothers, maternal uncle, and sister and told me that she was very well, her condition was stable and the Jinn had never returned to her. When I asked her about how she felt when she was possessed by this Jinn, she said that she always had deviant ideas contradicting the Shari`ah, in addition to an inclination to the Buddhist religion, and a desire to read its books. However, after this Jinn was exercised from her, she no longer had such ideas, as she returned to her normal state away from such abominable ideas.
I was told that shaykh `Aly Al-Tantawy denied the occurrence of such matters, claiming that this is a kind of charlatanism and mere lies. He said that the speech that was mentioned on the tongue of the woman might have been recorded, not real. I asked for the tape in which the Jinn had declared that, and was confirmed that such opinions are really his. However, I could not imagine how he could think that what the woman said was recorded even though I, myself, asked the Jinn some questions and he replied. Then how could a person having the least degree of wisdom imagine that a recorded tape can be asked and give answers. This is one of the ugliest abominations and a way of permitting falsehood. He even said that the Jinn’s conversion to Islam by a human opposes Allah’s Saying in the story of Sulayman (Solomon) as He says: and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me Undoubtedly, his understanding was wrongful and untrue (may Allah guide him) as there is nothing whatsoever regarding the Jinn’s conversion to Islam by a human going against Sulayman’s call.
Similarly, a multitude of the members of the Jinn converted to Islam as a result of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Da`wah (calling to Islam) to them.
This is mentioned in the Surah of Al-Ahkaf and Surah of Al-Jinn. It is reported in the Two Sahih Books on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
Satan came to me yesterday suddenly, so as to spoil my prayer but Allah enabled me to overpower him, and so I caught him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you might see him, but I remembered the invocation of my brother Sulayman (Solomon) (peace be upon him): My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me so I let him go cursed. This is the wording of Al-Bukhari, whereas the wording of Muslim is: A strong demon of the Jinn came to me yesterday suddenly, so as to spoil my prayer, but Allah enabled me to overpower him, and I caught him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you might see him, but I remembered the invocation of my brother Sulayman (Solomon) (peace be upon him): My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me so I let him go cursed
It is also related by Al-Nasa’iy in conformity with the authenticity condition of Al-Bukhari on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
While the Prophet (peace be upon him) was performing prayer, Satan came to him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) took him and strangled him, and said: “I did so till I felt the coldness of his tongue on my hand and had not been for the invocation of my brother Sulayman, he would have been bound until people would see him.” Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud on the authority of Abu Sa`id with the wording: I kept strangling him with my hand until I felt his saliva between my two fingers: the thumb and the index.
Also, related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih as Mu`allaq (a Hadith missing link in the chain of narration, reported directly from the Prophet) (vol.4, p.487) as in Fath Al-Bary on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) deputed me to keep Zakat-ul-Fitr (obligatory charity paid before the Festival of Breaking the Fast) of Ramadan. Someone came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff of Zakat-ul-Fitr (stealthily). I took hold of him and said, “By Allah, I will take you to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him).” He said, “Leave me, for I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need.” I released him, and in the morning Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) asked me, O Abu Hurayrah, “What did your prisoner do yesterday?” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger, the person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I felt pity for him and let him go.” Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, he told you lie and he will come again.” I believed that he would come again as Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, “I will definitely take you to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). He said, “Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.” I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) asked me, “What did your prisoner do, Abu Hurayrah?” I replied, “O Allah’s Messenger, he complained of great need and of so many dependents, so I felt pity for him and set him free.” Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, he told you a lie and he will return.” I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, “I will surely take you to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come.” He said, “‘Forgive me and I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you.” I asked, “What are they?” He replied, “Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-ul-Kursy (the Qur’anic Verse of Allah’s Chair, Surah Al-Baqarah). Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). By doing so, Allah will appoint a guard for you and no devil will come near you until the morning.” So I let him go. When it was morning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me, “What did your prisoner do?” I replied: “He claimed he will teach me some words with which Allah will benefit me.” So the Messenger asked, “What are they?” Abu Hurayarah replied, “He said: whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-ul-Kursy (the Qur’anic Verse of Allah’s Chair, Surah Al-Baqarah). Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). By doing so, Allah will appoint a guard for you and no devil will come near you until the morning.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “He told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been talking to for three nights, Abu Hurayrah? He replied in the negative and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “It was Satan.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the Sahih (authentic) Hadith related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Satan circulates in the human body as blood does.”
It is related by Al-Imam Ahmad (may Allah be merciful with him) in his Musnad vol. 4, p. 216 with a Sahih Sanad (chain of narrators) that
Uthman ibn Abu Al-`As (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Messenger of Allah, the devil confounds my prayer.” He (peace be upon him) said: “That is a devil called Khanzab. When you feel his illusory acts, spit three times at your left and seek refuge with Allah from the devil three times.” `Uthman said: “When I did that, Allah dispelled from me what I felt.”
It is also reported in Sahih Hadiths that every human has a companion from the Jinn and another from the Angels, even the Prophet (peace be upon him) but Allah (Exalted be He) helped him against his companion until this companion converted to Islam. The Book of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), the Sunnah of His Prophet, and Ijma` (consensus) of the Ummah (nation) all mentioned the possibility of a Jinn possessing a human and causing him to be epileptic, then how could unqualified person, who is not a scholar, deny that without knowledge and guidance? This denial is the way of innovators who contradict the creed of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body). It is Allah Alone Whose help can be sought. There is neither might nor power except with Allah! I will mention for you, the reader, some accounts of scholars in this regard in-sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills).
The Commentaries of Mufassirs (exegetes of the Qur’an) (may Allah be merciful with them) regarding Allah’s saying:
Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity.
Abu Ja`far ibn Jarir (may Allah be merciful with him) commented on this Ayah: Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. saying, “Allah means that Satan allures the one who consumes Riba (usury) to insanity during his lifetime, as Satan causes him depression and seizure because of Al-Mass (insanity).” Al-Baghawy (may Allah be merciful with him) commented on this Ayah (verse): will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. meaning, the possessed refers to the person who is in state of insanity.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful with him) said regarding the Ayah: Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. “The people referred to in the Ayah will be resurrected from their graves on the Day of Resurrection in a similar condition to someone who is possessed by Satan i.e. in a condemned way.”
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, “The usurer is resurrected on the Day of Resurrection as a choking insane person.” Related by Ibn Abu Hatim. The same effect was also narrated on the authority of `Awf ibn Malik Sa`id ibn Jubayr, Al-Suddy, Al-Rabi` ibn Anas, Qatadah and Muqatil ibn Hayyan.
This is ibn Kathir’s account, may Allah be merciful with him.
Al-Qurtuby (may Allah be merciful with him) comments on Allah’s saying: Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity.
saying this verse is a proof against those who deny the possession of Jinn in human beings and think that it is a natural disposition and that Satan can never enter or be a part of a human. Many Mufassirs gave accounts to this effect. For more information, please check Tafsir books.
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah be merciful with him) said in his book Idah-ul-Dilalh Fi `Umum Al-Risalah Lil Thaqalayn (Explaining the Significance of Generality of the Message to Both Humans and Jinn) in Majmu` Al-Fatawa (The Compendium of Fatwas) vol.19, pp.9-65, “For this reason some Mu`tazilah (a deviant Islamic sect claiming that those who commit major sins are in a state between belief and disbelief) figureheads, including Al-Gubba’i and Abu Bakr Al-Razy and others denied the entrance of the Jinn into the body of the epileptic. However, they did not deny the existence of the Jinn, even though the entrance of the Jinn into human has not been reported, according to them, in the Prophet’s Traditions (peace be upon him). Definitely, they went wrong in this regard. That is why Al-Ash`ary mentioned in his book, Maqalat Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, that they proclaimed that the Jinn enter the body of the epileptic person, as Allah (Exalted be He) says: Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. `Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “I told my father that some people claim that Jinn can never enter the body of a person. So he said, ‘O son! They tell lies. Satan can even speak on the tongue of those whom he possesses.”
Shaykh-ul-Islam (may Allah be merciful with him) also said in (vol.24, pp 276-277) the following:
“The existence of Jinn is affirmed in the Book of Allah, Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and according to the consensus of the Salaf (Righteous Predecessors) of this Ummah and its leading scholars. The entrance of a Jinn into a human body is also confirmed by the consensus of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body). Allah (the Exalted states) says: Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Satan circulates in the human body as blood does.
`Abdullah ibn Al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said,
“I told my father that some people claim that Jinn can never enter the body of a person. So he said, ‘O son! They tell lies. Satan can even speak on the tongue of those whom he possesses.” Shaykh-ul-Islam said, “What he [Imam Ahmad] said is self-evident. The Jinn may possess someone and cause them to speak a language they do not even know. A possessed person may be violently beaten, in a way that even a camel may not endure, yet he neither feels the beating nor is aware of the words he says.” Furthermore, the possessed person may pull the drag he is sitting upon, moves things from a place to another, and other practices that confirmed to those who witnessed such behavior that the one who spoke or moved was not a human being.
Then he said, “None of the leading Muslim scholars ever denied the ability of Jinn to enter the body of a human being. Whoever denies this fact and assumes that Shari`ah denies it has fabricated lies against Shari`ah, as there is no Shari`ah-based evidence that denies this fact.” (End of quote).
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah be merciful with him) mentioned the following in his book, Zad Al-Ma‘ad fi Hadiy Khayr Al-‘Ibad, vol. 4, pp. 66-69:
“There are two types of Jinn’s possession of human beings:
Possession caused by earthly malicious spirits;
and the other caused by filthy mixtures.
As for the second type, it is the domain of physicians to find what causes it and how to treat it.
Concerning the possession of spirits, the knowledgeable persons among them acknowledge its existence and do not deny it. They also admit that its treatment should be by confronting the celestial, benevolent and honorable spirits with that wicked and malicious ones to ward off the evil they cause and forestall their acts. This is even stated by Hippocrates in some of his books, as he mentioned some cures for possession. However, he said that his cure is only beneficial in case of possession caused by mixture of filthy blends, but not for that caused by evil spirits.
Ignorant, worthless and disreputable physicians deny the possession of spirits and do not admit that the affect the body of the possessed relying on no evidence to support their claims. They are only ignorant as there is no medical proof to prove the impermissibility of this matter even though the Jinn’s possession of human beings is an established fact and reality attests to it. However, the physicians’ denial of possession and ascribing this to the occurrence of some filthy blends is partially, not completely true.
Ignorant and atheist doctors started to attribute the possession of human beings as caused only by filthy blends, but anyone with the least knowledge of such spirits and how they affect the body of the possessed will be astonished at the ignorance of such people and the weakness of their perception of such matters.
It should be noted that providing a treatment for possession is done on both sides; the person who is possessed and the healer.
As for the duty of the possessed person,
he should have strong Iman and sincerely turn to the One who created such spirits and be attentive with his tongue and heart when seeking refuge with Allah (Exalted be He), as if he is in a battlefield in which two matters are indispensable for him to gain victory over his enemy; the right weapon and the strong hand that holds it. If any of them falls short, the other is useless, let alone the lack of both things and the obscenity of a believing heart deprived of Tawhid, Tawakkul (putting one’s trust in Allah), Taqwa (fearing Allah as He should be feared) and sincerely seeking Allah’s help.
The second aspect related to the healer
who should not lack the same two matters, as some healers only find it sufficient to say to the Jinn, “come out of the body”, or “Bismillah [In the Name of Allah], or say, “There is neither might nor power except with Allah!. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say, Get out, you are the enemy of Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah.”
I witnessed our shaykh sending a person to speak with the possessing spirit in the body, saying, “The shaykh commands you to get out, this is not permissible for you”, and then the possessed person comes to his senses and may even speak with the Jinn. In other cases, the Jinn might be of rebellious and obstinate in which case they need to be exorcised through beating the body of the person who wakes up feeling no pain at all. We often witnessed that.
He added, “Generally speaking, this kind of possession and treatment is not denied except from some weak-minded people whose knowledge is unreliable. In most cases, those who are possessed by such evil spirits are responsible for their condition by their poor share of practicing sound Iman (Faith), and the depravity of their tongues and hearts from authentic Adhkar and Prophetic supplications. This condition provides the evil spirit, which finds a person stripped of Iman to protect him or her, and affect and dominate his body.”
This is the end of his account – may Allah be merciful with him.
Through the Shari`ah-based evidence that we have mentioned and the consensus of the scholars of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) concerning the possibility of Jinn haunting a human body, it becomes clear for readers that those who deny this fact are totally wrong, and that Shaykh `Aly Al-Tantawy made a great mistake in denying matters that he does not know very well.
However, he promised that he would return to Al-Haqq (the Truth) whenever he is guided to. We ask Allah that he does so after reading what we mentioned. May Allah grant him and us guidance!
Similarly, it should be known that what Al-Nadwa newspaper published in its issue dated 14/10/1407 A.H., p.8 concerning what Dr. Muhammad `Irfan said about the vanishing of the word “insanity” from the medical dictionary and his describing the Jinn possessing of the human body and speaking on his tongue as completely wrong from the scientific point of view, all this is invalid on his part due to his lack of sound religious knowledge and ignorance of what the esteemed scholars of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah have said in this regard. The ignorance of many doctors with regard to this fact is not to be taken as evidence; rather it denotes their unawareness of what many other trustful scholars say that is consistent with the Shari`ah and consensus of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, as reported by Shaykh-ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah from all people of knowledge, and as also reported by Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash`ary from Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah. This was also reported to have been said by Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash`ary as cited by the versatile scholar Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn `Abdullah Al-Shibly Al-Hanafy who died 799 A.H. in Chapter Fifty-One of his book, “Akam Al-Murjan fi Ghara’ib Al-Akhbar wa Ahkam Al-Jan”.
It has been previously mentioned in the speech of Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah be merciful with him) that prominent physicians admit the existence of this matter and do not deny it; rather, it was denied by the ignorant and atheist among them.
As such, the reader should know and comprehend fully what we said as being akin to the truth and not to fall victim to the illusory words of doctors and those following their way, or those who ignorantly speak of matters in which they do not have sound or reliable knowledge, but are just imitating ignorant physicians and some innovators from Mu`tazilah and the like. Allah is the One Whose Help is sought.
Warning :
The Sahih Hadiths, which we cited, are narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well as the reliable accounts of the people of religious knowledge that speaking to, preaching, and calling the Jinn to Islam and their acceptance do not categorically go against what Allah says in the story of Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) inSurah Sad: “My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me: Verily, You are the Bestower.” Likewise, there is no contradiction in this regard relating to commanding the Jinn to enjoin the good and to forbid the evil or even beating them if they refuse to get out of the person possessed. All who do not oppose the mentioned Ayah; rather, this is obligatory when it comes to resisting the oppression of the wrong-doers, supporting the oppressed, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, as done with humans.
It is previously mentioned in the Sahih Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I seized one of the Jinn until his saliva ran onto my hand.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Had it not been for the supplication of my brother Sulayman, he (the Jinn) would have been kept tied up so that people might watch him.” In another narration by Muslim on the authority of Abu Al-Darda’ that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Allah’s enemy, Satan, came with a flame of fire to put it in my face, so I said three times: “I seek refuge in Allah from you.” Then I said three times: “I curse you with Allah’s full curse.” But he did not retreat (on any one of these) three occasions. Thereafter, I attempted to seize him. I swear by Allah that had it not been for the supplication of my brother Sulayman (peace be upon him), he would have been bound and made an object of sport for the children of Madinah. There are many Hadiths narrated in this regard.
These are the accounts of the people of knowledge. I hope this would suffice for those who seek the truth. I ask Allah with His Most Beautiful Names and Most High Attributes to grant us and all Muslims sound understanding of His Din (religion), to hold fast to it, and to guide us to say the truth and to do good deeds. I also seek refuge in Allah (Exalted be He) from speaking about Him without knowledge or denying that which our limited knowledge can not comprehend. He is the One Who is Capable of doing so. May Allah grant us success! May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, Companions, and those who followed him in righteousness!
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