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The Realm of Jinn the Elemental Spirits
Forget what you think you know about the A’lam Al-jinn or the (Realm of the Hidden ones ) or think you know about “genies” from movies and old TV shows. In the Arabic tradition Jinns or Djinns are very real spiritual entities and not some mythical granter of wishes.
The word Jinn in Arabic refers to something that is (concealed and hidden from the human eyes ) in Al-Qaamoos Al’muheet ( which is the biggest arabic dictionary of all times ) said this about the word ” JINN ” { Jannahu al-layla } which means ( the night coverd him ) ( or concealed him) so this word simply means some being who is Hidden from the normal human eye.
Jinns were mentioned in the Quran, long before they become the “Genies” of European folktales. The derivation of the word actually pre-dates the Arabic, and comes from the Hebrew “JNN” which “means to be hidden”, and accounts for Jinns being unseen often playful if not malicious spirits.
Prior to the rise of Islam, archeologists have found the use of the word Djinn in ancient Middle Eastern cultures to refer to any spirit less than God, which would include angels or demons. But we know Angles and Other Spirits are not Jinns or Genies .
So what are the “JINNS” ? one may ask
The Jinn or Jinni or Genies or Djinn are part of what the Ancient people of this Earth used to call (Elemental Spirit)
So what are the ” Elemental Spirits “ ?
Elementals spirits are what some call the Nature Spirits or Devas or the Faeries . this type of Spirits have only one element to their nature usually Air, Fire, Water and Earth , so Djinns are part of the Fire Spirits . but in Arabic the rest of the other groups are also known as the JINNS, since no human eye can see them and this what most arabic scholars call ( Jaan al Bahar , Jaan al Hawa , Jaan al Ar’d and jaan al nai’r ) in English you can translate them ( Water Spirit , Air Spirit , Earth Spirit and Fire Spirit )
Do they have any names besides their Natural Elements ?
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Yes Spirits of the Four Elements are divided into four categories, earth, air, fir and water. Let us look at each of them in turn.
1. EARTH: ( Jaan Al A’rd ) Earth spirits, that is the beings, which relate to rocks, stones, minerals, precious gems, hills and mountains are traditionally called in English ( Gnomes ). All aspects of the solid physical structure of the planet come under their domain.
Although they can be found within rocks, they also have a freedom to move around but generally stay close to the ground . They are a) Gnomes b) Kobolds c) giants d) mountain spirits also in arabic they are call the { Ghul or Qu’laz } they are short about 1 to 2 feet tall and thy look old with full beard those are the Gnomes or the Ghulz , the other type are more bigger and bit taller , most of them live under ground , under the trees or on hill tops .
2. WATER: (Jaan Al-Bah’ar ) Water spirits are connected to all liquids, but their presences can be felt in a much more powerful way by streams, rivers, lakes and, of course, the sea. They are traditionally known as Undines, or Al’Aunabiy’in although stories of mermaids or A’rusatual Bah’r and mermen are accounts of these beings.
They are:
a) Nymphs b) undines c) nixies and d) na’iads , they have males and females. but their females are shines as if wet, is female, nude and without wings, the exquisite limbs gleam through the white auric flow, the arms are particularly long and beautiful, and she waves them gracefully in her flight. She is about four feet in height and her general coloring is silvery white, with gold stars round the head . ( Al-si’ah )
3. AIR: ( Jaan Al Ha’wa ) The spirits of the air are connected to all gaseous substances but like water beings are best sensed in winds and breezes. Because air moves so quickly they can be difficult to pin down. They are known as Sylphs in tradition although the perception of a ‘fairy’ with tiny wings that can fly is a close approximation to how they appear to children. this type of spirits is what most scholars call ” Al’arwah al Khaf’i ” ( the simple spirits ) they are very strong , they are a) Sylphs b) storm spirits c) fairies
These live in the element air, and are like light in the atmosphere. Sensitive to the movement of the atmosphere, they have a sleepy consciousness.Their task is to transfer light to the plants.The stream of air caused by a flying bird creates a sound they can hear. They like birds flying through the air. Sylphs are connected to movement in space, like modeling and directing the wind. Elves (or fairies) are more connected to the expansion of life in their area this what some Scholars call the Al’irfid
4. FIRE: ( Jaan Al Na’r these are what most people call the JINN ) Fire spirits can be found in volcanoes in nature but also in any fire, from candle to inferno. They are known as Salamanders or Vulcanii and are the most difficult of all of the elementals to connect with, being said to only associate with philosophers and adepts of the magical arts
There is a pantheon of sorts of Jinns most of these beings can shape shift to human forms and other forms too , but they can’t stand no longer then 20 – 30 minutes .
In Islam Jinns are described as creatures of free will created by Allah from Fire, much as humans are creatures of free will created from the Earth. By some interpretations of the Quran it was a Jinn who exerted this Free Will by not bowing to Adam when instructed to do so by God, and thus was banished from The Garden, and named Shaitan, or Satan.
In the Islamic tradition there are three types of beings the Angels, who are made of pure Light of God and are completely supplicant to God, they can do no evil, and cannot disobey The Word of God. Followed by Jinns and Humans who are creatures of free will. They can do good or evil and both shall be judged on Judgment Day.
The only difference between Jinns and humans is that humans are made of Earth and therefore are more material. Jinns are made from smokeless fire , so they cannot be seen by humans. But since they are basically non-corporeal like fire, they can exist almost anywhere, in the sea, in the air, the mountains, or very small spaces – like lamps.
In Sufisam we respect all the creatures of Allah , we don’t hate them nor we like to harm them we ask Allah to protect us from their evil doings why? because we can’t see them , but they can see us like the quran said ” Him (ibliz) and his tribe can see you where you can’t see them “
source somali sufisam
