Jinn and Its Effects on Muslim Society (original) (raw)
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The Jinn: Islam, Exorcism, and Psychology
Journal of Social and Political Sciences, 2023
The belief in malevolent spiritual beings is found in religions throughout the world. Islam is no exception, and this religion includes the belief in beings known as jinn. These beings often cause harm to humans, typically by possessing them. Jinn possession can be understood in several different ways in Islam and there are specific forms of exorcism depending on the type and strength of the jinn doing the possessing. Additionally, several customs related to the prevention of harm from jinn are prevalent in the Muslim world. Mass media, such as horror films or novels may play a role in perpetuating belief in jinn. While jinn possession is considered pathological some people experience secondary gain from being in a possessed state. These gains include getting attention, having their behavior excused as deviating from cultural norms, and experiencing a release of inhibitions. From a psychological point of view jinn possession is similar dissociative identity disorder. Delusional misidentification disorders may also have a relationship to jinn possession. Psychoanalysis suggests that jinn possession is a symbol of repressed unconscious instincts, and psychoanalytic treatment can be understood as a form of exorcism. Object relations psychology suggests that imaginary beings such as jinn are the projection of unwanted bad objects. Traditional healing techniques from Islam can be used in combination with psychodynamic techniques to help those suffering from jinn possession.
Human behavior and the clinical psychology is a complex and diverse specialty area within psychology. It addresses a breadth of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, integrating the science of psychology with the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide variety of complicated human problems. The challenge lies in the evaluation of these sicknesses in the light of Religion and the Modern Science. As defined by Littlewood, possession is the belief that an individual has been entered by an alien spirit or other Parahuman force, which then controls the person or alters that person's actions and identity. To the observer, this would be manifested as an altered state of consciousness. The Jinn possessing the human body has been discussed long before the recent time. About the occurrence of this kind of modern types of incidents, the Islamic scholars, and some of the scholars in the field confirmed and ascertained the fact that Jinn can possess the human body with proofs and facts from Islamic divine sources (the Qur’an and Hadith).
Diagnosis of Jinn Possession amongst Non-Muslims with Mental Disorders Using Jinn Possession Scale
European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences
The belief in spirit, demon or jinn possession is present in many cultures, and even ICD-11 has a description for “Trance and possession disorder”. Mental disorders and jinn possession have overlapping symptoms, resulting in different diagnoses. Three non-Muslims with mental disorders were used as case studies, and they were diagnosed as having jinn possession using a newly developed jinn possession scale. The scale was initially developed for diagnosing jinn possession amongst Muslims. The diagnoses were also confirmed using ruqyah, a popular method for diagnosing jinn possession. A multi-psyche model of jinn possession helps explain the “feeling suicidal” symptom in two subjects. The symptom resulted from the inter-psyche conflict between the human psyche and the jinn psyche. With cases of mental disorders on the rise, it is recommended that patients with mental disorders are screened for jinn possession. Complementary therapy for the treatment of jinn possession in association wi...
"Satan Has Afflicted Me!" Jinn-Possession and Mental Illness in the Qur'an
Journal of Religion and Health , 2014
Mental health stigma in Muslim communities may be partly due to a commonly held belief among some Muslims about the supernatural causes of mental illness (i.e. jinn-possession brought on by one's sinful life). A thematic analysis was carried out on four English translations and the Arabic text of the Qur'an to explore whether the connection between jinn-possession and insanity exists within the Muslim holy book. No connection between spirit-possession and madness or mental illness was found. Pagans taunted and labelled people as jinn-possessed only to ostracize and scapegoat. Linking the labelling of people as jinn-possession to a pagan practice may be used to educate Muslims, so they can reassess their community's stigma towards the mentally ill.
Pious men can control good jinn: a Refutation
There is a popular claim amongst many Muslims that pious men can control good jinn. A necessary corollary follows: Hence good jinn can be put to good work or placated. This good work would inevitably be the use of jinn to effect some cause or event (the intervention), in order to avert harm or create an opportunity for benefit for an individual or group, outside the material conventions of the physical world. On the face value, this may seem useful or even harmless, but even a cursory investigation further leads one to another term for supernatural intervention by means of a human : magic. What then constitutes magic? This question raises a plethora of problems for a pious Muslim. Magic for the most part is the ability to tap into supernatural powers to change the course of events. The Cambridge English Dictionary refer to it as: Magic, noun-(SPECIAL POWER) , " the use of special powers to make things happen that would usually be impossible," Those who know this knowledge is known for their belief in witchcraft and summoning jinn. One aspect of the abilities claimed by those who practice magic for "good purposes", is the ability to heal the sick. In that case the effect of the natural sciences, such as Tibb Unani or Western Medicine, which are usually employed to provide curative treatments to ailments is cited as an accepted practice of which healing by means of supernatural forces are only an alternative. Prominent among the books on magic in the Muslim world is the Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra of Ahmad Ali al-Buni (d. 622/122), the Ain al-Amaliyat of Azizurahman Panipati, and the Naqsh Sulaymani of Khuwaja Ashraf Ali Lucknowi. A substantial part of these works is devoted to hidden properties of various Qur'anic chapters and verses and of Allah's names, and describe how they can be put to use with the help of invocations, amulets and spells. Then is introduced instructions about how to banish, how to gain power over someone, how to destroy and kill enemies and how to tear people apart (tafriq), the latter often in connection with love sorcery, amulets and numerology.
The Jinn, Women Vulnerabilities and the Act of Healings in The Hausa Communities Of 21 st Century
Prior studies indicate the Hausas belief on the existence of jinn as well as their spiritual effects on humanity. Yet, researches on the relationship between various women " s vulnerabilities and jinn are lacking. That is, especially, as women are mostly the victims of jinn. Hence, a significant percentage of women " s vulnerabilities have to do with jinn. These include physical, medical, psychological and, sometimes, even social tribulations. However, the most prominent acts of healings among the Hausas are the girka cult and the ruqya (exorcism). Of the two, the former is the most primitive and has a history dated to the history of the Hausas. Whereas, the later is regarded as the modern and advanced act of healing, especially when it comes to issues of jinn. However, this paper reviews the phenomenon of jinn and their effects on women in the Hausa communities. It also revisits the arts of healings as well as the sudden change from the primitive healing process of girka to the modern exorcism. Finally, the paper presents some suggestions as panacea to the jinn-related women vulnerabilities. One of such is personal measures of protection; another is conducting a scientific check-up(s) as to know if an illness is medical or jinn-related, so that appropriate measure will be taken.