Introduction
| |
|
|
Throughout history man has always had a deep attraction for the supernatural and the unseen. The existence of a world parallel to our own has always fascinated people. This world is commonly referred to as the spirit world, and almost every set of people have some concept of one. With some people, these spirits are no more then the souls of dead people- or ghosts. With others, spirits are either the forces of good or the forces of evil - both battling against one another to gain influence over humanity. However, both of these explanations are more in tune with folk tales and fantasy. The true explanation of such a world comes from Islam. Like every other way, Islam also claims to explain this realm of the unseen. It is from this realm that Islam explains to us about the world of the Jinn. The Islamic explanation of the Jinn provides us with so many answers to modem day mysteries. Without the knowledge of this world, the Muslims would become like the non-Muslims and be running around looking for any old answer to come their way. So, who or what are the Jinn?
The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb 'Janna' which means to hide or conceal. Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests. This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence. However, (as will be seen) the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of Allah's creation. The origins of the Jinn can be traced from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Allah says:
"Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire"
[Surah Al-Hijr 15:26-27]
Thus the Jinn were
created before man. As for their physical origin, then the Prophet
has
confirmed the above verse when he said: "The Angels were created from light
and the Jinn from smokeless fire"
"I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me"
[Surah Ad-Dhariyat, 51:56] Jinns can thus be Muslims or non-Muslims. However, due to their fiery nature the majority of them are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Jinns form a part of the army of the most famous Jinn, Iblis- the Shaitan. Consequently, these disbelieving Jinns are also called Shaitans (devils). As for the Jinns who become Muslims, then the first of them did so in the time of the Prophet
when a group of them were amazed
by the recitation of the Qur'an. Allah orders the Prophet to tell the people
of this event:
"Say (O' Muhammad): It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened and said; 'Indeed we have heard a marvelous Qur'an. It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it, and we will never make partners with our lord'"
[Surah Al-Jinn, 72:1-2]
In many aspects of their world, the Jinn are very similar to us. They eat and drink, they marry, have children and they die. The life span however, is far greater then ours. Like us, they will also be subject to a Final Reckoning by Allah the Most High. They will be present with mankind on the Day of Judgment and will either go to Paradise or Hell.
Abilities
That which clearly distinguishes the Jinn from mankind, are their powers and abilities. Allah has given them these powers as a test for them. If they oppress others with them, then they will be held accountable. By knowing of their powers, we can often make sense of much of the mysteries which go on around us. One of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like. Thus, they can appear as humans, animals trees and anything else. Over the last few years the interest in the subject of aliens and UFO's has become heightened. Programs such as the X-files and the Outer limits have increased the popularity of the theory that aliens exist. Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world. These sightings however, have still not proven substantially that aliens exist. Rather - and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures were just Jinns parading in different forms. So the next time you see something that looks like E.T, its most probably just a wicked Jinn trying to scare and confuse you!
The ability to possess and take over the minds and bodies of other creatures is also a power which the Jinn have utilized greatly over the centuries. This however, is something which has been prohibited to them as it is a great oppression to possess another being. Human possession is something which has always brought about great attention. But the true knowledge of this subject is rare amongst the people. Over the last 3 decades the subject of possession has become very commercialized. During the 70's films such as The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby were used to educate people about possession. However, because such institutions (the film industry) were heavily influenced by Christianity, knowledge of the subject was non-existent. Rather then educate people about Jinn possession, films such as The Exorcist just tended to scare the living daylights out of us! Only through Islam can we understand such a phenomena. We know as Muslims, that Jinns possess people for many reasons. Sometimes it is because the Jinn or its family has been hurt accidentally. It could be because the Jinn has fallen in love with the person. However, most of the time possession occurs because the Jinn is simply malicious and wicked. For this reason we have been told by the Prophet not to loiter in those
places where the Jinns reside, e.g. graveyards, ruins, deserts, market
places etc. We have also been commanded to recite the Qur'an frequently in
our houses as the Prophet said: "Indeed, the shaytan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah (the 2nd chapter of
the Qur'an) is recited".
If a person does become possessed, then the
name of Allah has to be used in expelling the Jinn. If we look at the
practice of the Prophet and his companions, we find many duas
(supplications) to exorcise the Jinn. All these duas invoke Allah to help
the possessed person. How contrary this is to many modern-day exorcists.
Many exorcists, Muslim and non-Muslim, often invoke the names of others
besides Allah to exorcise the Jinn.
When the Jinn does leave, these people believe that their way was
successful. However, this is a ploy of the Jinn, as it knows that if it
obeys the exorcist, then it has succeeded in making him worship others
besides Allah i.e. commit shirk. The Jinn often returns when the exorcist
leaves, as it knows that nothing except the words of Allah can stop it from
oppressing others.
It is not only humans which are possessed, but
also animals, trees and other objects. By doing this, the evil Jinn hope to
make people worship others besides Allah. The possession of idols is one way
to do this. Not so long ago the world-wide phenomenon of Hindu idols
drinking milk, shocked the world. From Bombay to London, Delhi to
California, countless idols were lapping up milk. Ganesh
the elephant god, Hanuman the monkey god and even Shiva lingam, the male
private organ(!), all seemed to guzzle down the milk as if there was no
tomorrow! Unfortunately people were taken in by this (including Muslims) and
many flocked to feed (?) the Hindu gods. Anyone who knows about Jinn
possession, will undoubtedly know that this is a classic attempt to make
people commit shirk. And it worked, as many people started to worship these
lifeless pieces of wood and marble. Anyone with half a brain would say to
themselves, 'why on earth does a god need to be fed?!! Surely if Ganesh,
Hanuman or Shiva were divine then they wouldn't need feeding?' However, such
common sense seemed to be lacking as the Jinns played havoc with these
gullible people.
The Occult
Through their powers of flying and invisibility, the Jinn are the chief component in occult activities. Voodoo, Black magic, Poltergeists, Witchcraft and Mediums can all be explained through the world of the Jinn. Likewise, so can the illusions and feats of magicians. Because the Jinn can traverse huge distances over a matter of seconds, their value to magicians is great. In return for helping them in their magic, the Jinns often ask for the magicians to sell their souls to them and even to Iblis. Thus the magicians take the Jinn and Iblis as lords besides Allah. In our day, some of the feats performed by magicians and entertainers are without doubt from the assistance of the Jinn. Making the Statue of Liberty disappear, flying across the Grand Canyon and retrieving a ship from the Bermuda Triangle, have all been done by the Jewish magician David Copperfield. There is NO way that a man could do such things without the assistance of the Jinn. It would not be surprising therefore, if David Copperfield had sold his soul to Iblis himself. Because of their involvement with the Jinn, and its result in shirk, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "The prescribed punishment for the magician is that he be executed by the sword". Some may argue that this is barbaric, but if, the likes of David Copperfield truly had powers, then they could just put their heads back on again!!One of the most frequent activities associated with the Jinn, is fortune telling. Before the advent of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) fortune-tellers and soothsayers were wide spread. These people would use their associates from the Jinn to find out about the future. The Jinns would go to the lowest heaven and listen to the Angels conversing amongst themselves about events of the Future which they heard from Allah. The Jinns would then inform the fortune-tellers. This is why before the time of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) many fortune-tellers were very accurate in their predictions. However, upon the Prophet's arrival the heavens were guarded intensely by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried to listen was attacked by meteors (shooting stars):
"And We have guarded it (the heavens) from every accursed devil, except one who is able to snatch a hearing and he is pursued by a brightly burning flame"
[Surah Al-Hijr, 15:18] The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said: "They (the Jinn) would pass the information back down until it reaches the lips of a magician or forrtune-teller Sometimes a meteor would overtake them before they could pass it on. If they passed it on before being struck, they would add to it a hundred lies". Thus, it is clear from this as to how fortune-tellers get predictions of the future right. It is also evident as to why they get so many wrong. Men like Nostradamus are an example, as some of his predictions of the future were correct whilst many were completely wrong. Unfortunately, the amount of fortune telling which occurs amongst the Muslims is also increasing. By visiting Muslim lands such as Morocco, one is able to see as to how much inter Jinn-fortune-teller activity there really is. If you look up at the sky on a clear night in Morocco, you will see the heavens ablaze with shooting stars! A clear display of the devils being chased away from the heavens. Fortune-tellers also operate through the Qareen. The Qareen is the Jinn companion which is assigned to every human being. It is this Jinn which whispers to our base desires and constantly tries to divert us from righteousness. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Everyone of you has been assigned a companion from the Jinn. The companions asked: Even you O' Messenger of Allah? And the Prophet replied: Even me, except that Allah has helped me against him and he has submitted. Now he only tells me to do good". Because the Qareen is with a person all his life, it knows all that has happened to the person from the cradle to the grave. By making contact with the Qareen, the fortune-teller is thus able to make out that it is he who knows about the person. He looks in his crystal ball or the palm of a person and proceeds to amaze him with knowledge which no one else knows The severity of going to a fortune-teller is such that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "The prayer of one who approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, will not be accepted for forty days or nights" and: "Whosoever approaches a fortune-teller and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammed"
The effects of the Jinn are not just limited to fortune-tellers. Other activities such as oujia boards and seances, which are used to contact the dead, are manipulated by the Jinn. 'Are you there Charlie? Speak to us Charlie!!' are the sort of words spoken by anxious relatives (names are obviously different!) seeking to make contact with their loved ones. And it is when the Jinn starts to talk and communicate as 'Charlie', that the people are truly fooled.
One of the biggest manipulations of the Jinn is through visions. Through these visions the Jinns are more likely to lead people away from the worship of Allah then any other way. When a person sees a vision in front of his eyes it is something which is very hard to explain away. Only by having knowledge of the world of the Jinn and conviction in Allah, can a person fight such a trial. The countless numbers of visions of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary over the centuries has been a popular choice for the devils. It almost seems as if leading Christians astray is the most easiest trick for the Jinns! Not only are Christians fooled by these visions, but often the Jinns possess and begin to talk from their voices. To the Christians this is known as the tongues of the Angels and thus a proof for their faith. However, the amount of unintelligible nonsense and rubbish which is heard is a clear proof that this is in fact the tongues of the devils! For other people, visions of their parents or relatives are commonplace. By taking on the form of peoples parents, the Jinns can convince people that the souls of dead people still mix with the people of the earth. This is why so many people believe in ghosts.
The onslaught of satanic visions has also hit the Muslims. Many Muslims claim to have seen visions of the Prophet Muhammed (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and even Allah! By doing this, Shaitan is able to lead astray the weak Muslims. Through such visions, Muslims are often told that the commands of Islam are not applicable to them. The Jinns tell them that Prayer, Fasting, Hajj etc. are not obligatory for them. It is a great deception and unfortunately one which has been very effective. The extent of satanic visions still continues to this day. The recent death of Diana Princess of Wales sparked off great love and adoration for this woman. In fact the grief of the British people was such, that it was as if Diana was something divine. No sooner had the mourning of Diana reached its peak, that visions of her were already being seen at Hampton Court Palace! If these visions did occur, the desire of Iblis and his army of Jinn to capitalise on this event, was evident. Such visions are clear attempts by Iblis to lead mankind away from the path of Allah.
The world of the Jinn is one which is both sinister and intriguing. By knowing of this world we can explain many of the mysteries and issues which bother us. By doing this we can avoid the extremes which the people have gone to; nothing being more extreme then worshipping others besides Allah. By learning the Tawheed of Allah, we defend ourselves from these hidden allies of Iblis:
"Indeed he (Iblis) and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them"
[Surah Al-A'raf, 7:27]
Maybe there is a Jinn sitting in the corner of your room right now, or even one behind you. If so, then how will you deal with this creation of Allah? Learn Islam properly and you will be able to deal with all of Allah's creation - and not just the Jinn. By becoming true Muslims and followers of Islam, the fear of Iblis, Jinns and anything else will leave us - nothing will touch the Believer unless Allah wills.
The Angels
by Sachiko Murata
Angels are unseen beings of a luminous and spiritual substance that act as intermediaries between God and the visible world. Belief in their existence enters into the definition of faith itself: "The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers: Each one believes in God, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers" (Quran II:285; cf. II:177, IV:136).
In philosophical and Sufi texts, angelology is often an essential component of both cosmology and spiritual psychology, since the angels enter into the definition of both the macrocosm and the microcosm.
Angels in Qur'an & Hadith
The angels belong to the "world of the unseen" ('alam al-ghayb). When the unbelievers asked why an angel had not been sent down with the Prophet Muhammad, God replied, "Had We made him an angel, yet assuredly We would have made him a man" (VI, 9).
Even if the angels were to be seen by the outward eye, they would appear in forms suitable for the visible world (al-shahadah). Moreover, if God had sent down an angel, then "the matter would be judged, and no respite would be given [to mankind]" (VI, 8)
For, "upon the day when they see the angels -- no good tidings that day for the sinners ... On the day when the heavens and the clouds are split asunder and the angels are sent down in a grand descent, the dominion that day will belong truly to the All-Merciful; it will be a harsh day for the unbelievers" (XXV, 25-26)
The Qur'an often refers to the angels' eschatological function not only at the resurrection, but also at death and in heaven and hell: "The angel of death, who has been charged with you, will gather you; then to your Lord you will be returned" (XXXII, 11).
"If you could only see when the evildoers are in the agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands: 'Give up your souls!' " (VI, 93). "Believers, guard yourselves and your families against a Fire whose fuel is men and stones, and over which are harsh, terrible angels" (LXVI, 6).
"Gardens of Eden which they shall enter ... and the angels shall enter unto them from every gate" (XIII, 23).
Several of these angels are mentioned by name. Ridwan ("Good-pleasure", IX, 21; LVII, 20) is taken to be the proper name of the angel given charge of paradise, whereas Malik ("Master",XLIII, 77) rules over hell. Nakir and Munkar, the two angels who question the dead in their graves, are mentioned in many hadiths; traditions also speak of Ruman, who subjects the dead to various trials.
The sacred history of the Prophet's mission provides many examples of explicit angelic activity in key events. As an infant, the Prophet was visited by "two men clothed in white, carrying a gold basin full of snow."
In the Prophet's own words, these angelic beings "split open my breast and brought forth my heart. This also they split open, taking from it a black clot which they cast away. Then they washed my breast with the snow."
God revealed the Quran to the Prophet by means of the angel Gabriel, who also acted as his guide on the Night of Ascension (Laylat al-mi'raj). Many witnesses reported the participation of angels in battles fought by the nascent community.
Concerning the battle of Badr, the Quran itself says: "When thy Lord revealed to the angels, 'I am with you, so confirm the believers. I shall cast terror into the unbelievers' hearts, so strike off their heads and smite their every finger'" (VIII, 12).
In this world, before death the angels record the deeds of men: "There are over you watchers, noble writers, who know whatever you do" (LXXXII, 10-12). "Over every soul there is a watcher" (LXXXVI, 4). The Prophet added, "They mind your works: when a work is good, they praise God, and when one is evil, they ask Him to forgive you."
The Prophet also reported that angels take turns watching over men and assemble together at the afternoon and dawn prayers. "Those who spent the night among you then ascend, and their Lord asks them -- though He is best informed about you -- how they left His servants. They reply, 'We left them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.' "
In the same way, when people gather together to remember (dhikr) God, "the angels surround them, mercy covers them, peace descends on them, and God remembers them among those who are with Him." Among the important pious acts Muslims perform -- in imitation of God and the angels -- is the invocation of blessings (salat) upon the Prophet: "God and His angels bless the Prophet. Oh believers, you also bless him, and pray him peace" (XXXIII, 56).
Here the angels also perform a second function; in the words of the Prophet, "God has angels who travel about in the earth and convey to me greetings from my people." As for the evildoers, they call down upon themselves the angels' curses.
According to a hadith, "If anyone sells a defective article without calling attention to the defect, he will be the object of God's anger and the angels will curse him continually."
The angels are worthy of special veneration; when the name of a major angel is mentioned in Islamic texts, it is usually followed by the same formula ('alayhi's-salam, "upon him be peace') that follows the name of a prophet.
The Qur'an provides many keys to the nature and ontological status of the angels. A verse constantly quoted represents the words of the angels themselves: "None of us there is but has a known station" (XXXVII, 164). God also says, "They are honored servants who precede Him not in speech and act as He commands" (XXI, 27).
Basing themselves on these and other verses, the Quran commentators were able to discern a hierarchy of different kinds of angels, each performing a specified task. The Sufi 'Izz al-Din Kashani (d. 735/1334-35), author of the well-known Persian paraphrase of Abu Hafs Suuhrawardi's 'Awarif al-ma'arif, summarizes these discussions as follows:
All believers have faith in the existence of the angels, who dwell in the monasteries of holiness and the communities of divine intimacy ... Some of them are more excellent, others lower in degree. Their stations are various and their ranks multiple, as is explained by the verse, "By the rangers in their ranks" (XXXVII, 1).
Some have been brought nigh to the Presence of Majesty and cling to the Threshold of Perfection; these are alluded to in the words, "Then those who are foremost in going ahead" (LXXIX, 4). Others govern the affairs of creation: "Then those who govern the Command" (LXXIX, 5).
Another group guards the doorway to the Court of Magnificence: "By the drivers driving" (XXXVII, 2). Others sing the praises of the Presence of Kingship and the Divine Books: "By the reciters of a Remembrance" (XXXVII, 3).
Others carry news and relay reminders: "By those who deliver a reminder" (LXXXVII, 5). Many are their levels and ranks; each busies himself with a specific command and possess a known station: "None of us there is but has a known station" (XXXVII, 164).
In his 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat (Marvels of Creation) the famous cosmographer al-Qazwini (d. 682/1283) utilizes the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the later tradition to provide a detailed description of fourteen kinds of angels.
Angelic Hierarchy
1. The Bearers of the Throne
Mentioned in the Quran (XL, 7), these are called "Those brought nigh" (IV, 172). According to Ibn 'Abbas, God will add four more to their number on the Day of Resurrection; hence, the Quran says, "On that day the Terror shall come to pass and heaven shall be split ... ; the angles shall stand upon its borders, and on that day eight shall carry above them the Throne of thy Lord" (LXIX, 15-17).
2. The Spirit
He occupies one rank, and the remaining angles together occupy another rank, a fact alluded to in the verse, "On the day the Spirit and the angels stand in ranks..." (LXXXVIII, 38). He is charged with governing the spheres, the planets, and everything beneath the moon -- in other words, all the affairs of heaven and earth. Certain traditions place all the angels under his control, making him correspond to the Creative Principle itself.
3. Israfil
He delivers commands, places spirits within bodies, and will blow the trumpet on the Last Day. With one of his four wings he fills the west, with the second he fills the east, with the third he descends from heaven to earth, and with the fourth he keeps himself veiled. His two feet are below the seventh earth, and his head reaches the pillars of the Throne. When God wants something to happen in creation, He causes the Pen to write upon the Tablet, which is situated between Israfil's eyes, and then Israfil relays the command to Michael.
4. Jibrael
According to A'ishah and others, the Prophet saw him in his true form only twice, as is indicated by the Quran: "this is naught but a revelation revealed, taught him by one terrible in power, very strong [i.e., Jibrael]; he stood poised, being on the higher horizon ... He saw him another time by the Lote Tree of the Far Boundary" (LIII, 4-14). The first vision took place at the cave of Hira', during the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an, the second during the mi'raj.
According to another account, having seen Jibrael in his true form, the Prophet fainted. Regaining consciousness, he said, "Glory be to God! I did not know that any of the creatures were like this!" Jibrael replied, "What if you had seen Israfil? He has twelve wings, one of which is in the east and the other in the west. The Throne rests upon his shoulders, yet he shrinks because of God's tremendousness until he becomes like a suckling child."
5. Michael
Mentioned by name once in the Qur'an (II, 98), he is charged with providing nourishment for bodies and knowledge for souls. He stands above the "Swarming Sea" (LII, 6) in the seventh heaven, and if he were to open his mouth, the heavens would fit within it like a mustard seed in the ocean.
According to a hadith, "Every prophet has two viziers from the inhabitants of heaven and two from the inhabitants of earth; my two from heaven are Jibrael and Michael." When Israfil blows the trumpet, Jibrael will stand at his right hand and Michael at his left.
6. Izra'il
He is mentioned by the Qur'an as the "angel of death"; his name is supplied by the commentators.
7. Cherubim (al-karrubiyyun)
They have withdrawn into the precinct of Holiness and turned their attention away from all but God; drowned in the contemplation of His Beauty, they "glorify Him by night and day, never failing" (XXI, 20).
Ibn 'Abbas mentions the form of these angels and the name of the angel in charge of each heaven as follows (beginning with the sphere of the moon): cattle, Isma'il; eagles, Mikha'il; vultures, Sa'idya'il; horses, Salsa'il; houris, Kalka'il; heavenly youths (ghilman), Samkha'il; mankind, Rufa'il.
9. The guardian angels
They are also called the "honored writers" (LXXXII, 11); two of them are charged with each human being.
10. Attendant angels (XIII, 11)
They descend upon mankind with blessings and ascend with news of their works.
11. Nakir and Munkar
They question the dead in their graves.
12. Journeyers (sayyahun)
They visit assemblies where men remember the Name of God.
13. Harut & Marut (II, 102)
When the sons of Adam were given the earth, the angels marveled at their iniquities and protested to God: "Our Lord, Thou hast favored these dust-creatures of the earth, but they disobey Thee." God replied, "If that sensuality that is within them were within you, your state would be the same." The angels said, "We would not rebel against Thee and disobey Thy command."
At God's request they chose two of their number to be sent to the earth possessing sensuality and the other attributes of man. Harut and Marut were the most worshipful and humble of the angels; sending them down to the earth, God commanded them to avoid idolatry, fornication, wine, and the unjust spilling of blood. Eventually they committed all these sins and God gave news of their state to the angels in heaven.
From that day on, the angels have continued to "ask forgiveness for everyone on earth" (XLIII, 5), for they realize that man's sensuality is a tremendous burden, and those able to overcome it are truly the best of creatures.
14. Angels charged with every living thing
They keep things in good order and ward off corruption. The number of them charged with each thing is known only to God.
Islamic spirituality can only be envisaged in connection with the angels, who are intertwined with all dimensions of human life as seen by Islam. The key events of sacred history, such as the Revelation itself, the Prophet's Nocturnal Ascent, and the battle of Badr, are explicit instances of angelic intervention.
The angels record the deeds of each individual from birth to death. They are the constant companions of the faithful, participating with them especially in their prayers, and play a soteriological and illuminative function for those who follow the path of spiritual realization.
By God's leave they govern all macrocosmic and microcosmic forces, and they accompany man to the next abode on his departure from the earthly plane. To speak of Islamic spirituality from its most popular to its most esoteric level is to call attention to the role of the angelic hierarchy.
| Some Angels we know about from Quran or Hadith | |
|
Name |
Task |
|
Jibreel: |
To deliver the Divine Revelations from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) to His chosen Messengers from among the prophets (alayhum salam). |
|
Mikaeel: |
To manage man's mundane necessities, bring forth rain and oversee the cultivation of crops. |
|
Israfeel: |
To blow the Trumpet: once, for the destruction of the universe; and again, for the Resurrection of all accountable beings to face Judgment Day. |
|
Izraeel: |
Angel of Death, the most fearsome of them all, who does not delay nor expedite the hour of claiming the soul. |
|
Maalik: |
Guardian of Jahannum (Hell-fire), an unwelcome sight, for the unfortunate and wretched dwellers of the eternal fire. |
|
Ridwan: |
Guardian of Paradise, who welcomes the Prophets (alayhum salam) and the righteous who have been blessed by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). |
|
Munkar : |
To question the dead on issues relating to his/her God, prophet, religion, belief, deeds, etc. Questioning in the grave. |
|
Nankir: |
To question the dead on issues relating to his/her God, prophet, religion, belief, deeds, etc. |
|
Raqeeb: |
Sits on man's right shoulder to record his/her good deeds. |
|
Ateed: |
Sits on man's left shoulder to record his/her evil
deeds. Together Raqeeb and Ateed are called the Kirama Katibeen. |
1 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans. Vol.
4, p.1540, No.7134
2 It must be remembered that Iblis is a Jinn and not
an Angel. The concept of the Devil being a fallen Angel is from Christianity
and not Islam.
3 In fact when The Exorcist was first shown on
cinema, it was so scary that many people fainted and one even died!
4
Authentic - Reported by Tirmidhi
5 Whilst Christians invoke the name of
Jesus, many Muslims invoke the name of pious Muslim saints! The rituals
which are conducted by many Muslims are more akin to voodoo then the
exorcism practised by the Prophet and his companions!!
6 Ganesh, the
elephant headed deity, seemed to be the biggest drinker! In fact it didn't
just stop at milk. At the time of these occurrences, a woman in India
decided to see if Ganesh would drink anything else - so she offered him
whiskey!! And Lo and behold Ganesh drank the Whiskey!!! Suffice to say, the
woman was kicked out of India.
7 The ship which was recovered was more
then 50 years old. It subsequently caught alight and was conveniently
destroyed.
8 Authentic - Reported by Tirmidhi
9 Reported by Bukhari -
Eng. Trans. Vol.7, p.439, No.657
10 Michel de Nostradamus was a famous
French soothsayer of the 16th century.
11 Reported by Muslim - Eng.
Trans. Vol.4, p.1472, No.6757
12 The classic example of how fortune
tellers can be wrong is the case of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed.
Both went to see a fortune teller who told Diana that she would live a long
and happy life. A few weeks later, on August 31st 1997, Diana and Dodi Fayed
were dead. After this the fortune tellers flew for cover, as their evil art
showed its decadence.
13 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans. Vol.4, p.1211,
No.5540
14 Authentic - Reported by Ahmed
15 Ouija boards are so
misleading, that people have even managed to get in touch with the spirit of
Jack the Ripper!!
16 Informative books on the world of the Jinn is Ibn
Taymeeyah's Essay on the Jinn translated by Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips,
and The jinn in the Qur'an and Sunnah by Mustafa Ashour.
