Fear, the Paranormal and Allah's Peace

Bismillahi Rahmaanir Raheem

Firstly, Jummah Mubarak.

Allah is Peace. This is one of his attributes. He is peace and he gives peace. Often people are afraid of what they think they see, or hear. I have posted before about Jinn, to which a whole chapter of the Quran is attributed (Al Jin). If Allah is peace, and the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him), then what have we to fear? Allah is our provider, our nourisher, the beneficent, the merciful, the avenger, the just, he is Justice. He has and is every attribute that we will ever need, and yet, we sometimes have more fear of the paranormal than we have trust in Him. I'm not saying that we should not seek treatment for the paranormal; that would go against what I believe and what I have blogged and what the Quran and our Nabi (saw) has said. I am saying that fear of the paranormal, of "Jinn" can so consume people that it becomes their reason behind everything that goes wrong, as though Jinn or "the devil" have power to contravene any dictate of the Almighty Creator. Nothing, but nothing, happens without the say-so of Allah (swt). HE is the Omnipotent. To call him Omnipotent and then believe that anything else has more power than him is just a contradiction in and of itself.

However, Allah is also our Recourse, our Rescuer, our Defender. He is this and He says that He is this because he knows that there are things that will try to contradict his command. After all, He has given us choice. But if we understand that HE is our recourse, then those things which try to hurt us outside of Allah's command have no power because He rescues us at each turn.

I'd like to address the issue of fear of Jinn, because I have posted about them, and about Sihr and feel it is important to know that fear has no place and instead one should run to the assistance of Allah through what His Quran through His prophet (saw) has taught us to do.

Question: Why are people afraid of Jinn?

This is carefully analysed in the book Jinn and Human Sickness (copy available by email - drop us a comment) and four reasons are identified:

1) People are afraid because they lack knowledge of Tawheed  (the concept that there is only ONE God and nothing has more power than him.) This is the central reason of being of Islam, of monotheism. Anyone believing that anything has more power than Allah may be committing Shirk, attributing more power to something other than Allah. Remember, HE IS Omnipotent. All powerful, All knowing, EVER present. To fear anyone or anything alongside Allah or above HIS decrees can be said to be committing minor (or major, depending on the situation) Shirk.

2) Made up stories - people love stories about ghosties and ghoulies and especially as Halloween approaches the stories about "scary" and "paranormal" events increase. From cartoons to movies, everything is out to convice you that the boogie man is gonna get you! But the "Boogieman" is nothing unless Allah authorises him, and if the "Boogieman" tries to do or say anything, you just remind yourself that ALLAH is the boss of everyone, even the "Boogieman". We need to stop lending our ears out to stories that provoke fear, and then complain that the devil did it. No, he didn't. We did. We lend out the ears, and when they're full of trash, they start to affect our eyesight and we start seeing the boogieman (or Jinn) behind every bush.

A black cat is NOT necessarily a Jinn.

 

3) Witches, real or imaginary, in stories or the ones people visit to predict the future or to "get help" love to spread the stories of Jinn. They prey on your imagination. (One must distinguish between the witch and the Aalim who one goes to for the purposes of Rukhya or prayer healing. There are certain preconditions that an Aalim must meet in order to be credible and this is a subject for another post)

How do we treat the irrational fear of Jinni?

1. Remember Tawheed. Remember the Oneness of Allah. Remember Allah! Revisit and repeat the following within yourself:

La Ilaha Il Allah - there is no God but Allah

 

"Say (O Muhammad): I have no power over any hard or profit to myself except what Allah may do" (Surah Yunus. 10:49)

 

"Say, (O Muhammad to mankind): How do you worship besides Allah something which has no power to either harm or benefit you?" (Surah Al Maa'idah 5:76)

 

"Say: Who then has any power at all (to intervene) on your behalf with Allah, if He intends you hurt or intends you benefit?" (Surah Al-Fath 48:11)

 

"And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto HIM cry aloud for help." (Surah Al-Nahl 16:53)

 

"And invoke not besides Allah any such that will neither profit nor harm you." (Quran. Younus 10:106)







 

It is clear from Quran and Hadith that mankind is superior to Jinni kid.

 

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (manking) in sin and transgression (Suran Al-Jinn 72:6)

In summary: know this:

Abu Umaamah said: The Prophet (saw) said: 'One hundred and sixty angels have been appointed over the believer to protect him from that which has not been decreed for him, including his eyes which are protected by seven angels as a vessel of honey is protected from flies. If a person were left to his own devices for even an instant, the devils would cause him a great deal of harm."

Ameen!