Jinns

There are numerous references to jinn in the Qur'an and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Mohammed). According to Islamic writings, jinn live alongside other creatures but form a world other than that of mankind. Though they see us they cannot be seen. Characteristics they share with human beings are intellect and freedom to choose between right and wrong and between good and bad,3 but their origin is different from that of man: 'And indeed, we created man from dried clay of altered mud and the Jinn we created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire'.8 Jinn tempt and seduce mankind to stray from Allah (God); Satan (shaytan, devil) is thought to be from their realm.

Jinn are said to inhabit caves, deserted places, graveyards and darkness.3 According to Sakr2 they marry, produce children, eat, drink and die but unlike human beings have the power to take on different shapes and are capable of moving heavy objects almost instantly from one place to another. The Qur'an8 mentions how the Prophet Solomon contrived to subjugate the jinn and get them to perform tasks that required strength, intelligence and skill.

Some have said to me in some cases I found to belief of there exitance

Case 1

A 25-year-old woman from Iraq with no previous psychiatric history gradually withdrew from other people, became uncommunicative and stopped eating and drinking. Investigations revealed no organic disease and severe depressive illness was diagnosed. She underwent electro-convulsive therapy without much improvement. Her family, believing her to be possessed by jinn but not wanting to say so to the doctors for fear of being labelled as superstitious, took her to a local faith healer, who offered to treat her in the traditional Islamic way. After a few sessions of combined dhikr and ruqyah her condition improved and she resumed eating and drinking. On recovery she had no explanation for what had happened, though she remembered the sequence of events. She stated that she had been aware of her surrounding, but had been unable to initiate anything. She denied feeling low in mood at the time. 5 years later she remains well and without medication.

Case 2

A woman of 35 experienced episodes of high fever and confusion during which her speech became incomprehensible. A local general practitioner diagnosed typhoid fever and prescribed antibiotics. The patient and her family, however, thought that she was possessed by jinn so she did not adhere to the treatment. She was taken to a local faith healer, who reinforced their views and treated her in the traditional Islamic way. However, her condition deteriorated over the next few weeks and she started to have generalized epileptic seizures. One of the authors (NK) was then asked to see her. On physical examination she was jaundiced with hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. On admission to hospital she was found to have cerebral malaria, for which she was treated successfully.

The above cases illustrate the difficult interactions between cultural beliefs and conventional medicine. Clearly, in any case of alleged jinn possession, underlying organic disorders should be excluded by physical examination and by such investigations as are necessary. Any underlying mental disorder should be treated by usual psychiatric methods, but the clinician should respect the cultural issues and avoid directly contradicting statements from the patient or relatives about the reality of possession. When medicine invites conflict with culture and religion, the therapeutic alliance suffers. Most people are content to utilize biomedical treatments without giving up traditional explanations of illness;11 therefore there may be a strong case for involving an Imam or religious leader in the management of these cases.

In Islamic writings true jinn possession can cause a person to have seizures and to speak in an incomprehensible language. The possessed is unable to think or speak from his own will. However, such cases are greatly outnumbered by those of physical or psychological origin, and he castigates faith healers for taking money for treatment of the latter. Attempts have been made by the church to establish criteria for distinguishing real possession from 'pseudopossession'. In cases of real possession the task of the therapist, who must have strong faith in Allah, is to expel the jinn.

This is usually done in one of three ways—remembrance of God and recitation of the blowing into the person's mouth, cursing and commanding the jinn to leave; and seeking refuge with Allah by calling upon Allah, remembering him, and addressing his creatures. Some faith healers strike the possessed person, claiming that it is the jinn that suffer the pain. This practice, however, is deplored by Muslim scholars as being far from the principles of Islam and the instructions of the Prophet.