Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Interview #7 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 7

Location: Ghubayrah, Riyaadh
Date: 22/6/88
Name: Muhammad ibn Sa‘iyyid ad-Dawsaree
Age: 55
Place of Birth: al-Aflaaj (Qaseem), Saudi Arabia
Education: Qur’ânic studies in masjids.

Q. When did you begin to practice exorcism?
A. I began to practice exorcism thirty-one years ago. I visited some shaykhs who were reciting the Qur’aan over a woman. They concluded that nothing was possessing her. But when I came near her and touched her, she fell down. So I recited over her and to our surprise, the jinnee spoke. It said that its name was Sa‘d and was from such-and-such a village. The jinnee then swore that he would leave her, and he promptly left. After that, I realized that Allaah had blessed me with the ability to fight the jinn. Whenever I came near possessed people, they would begin to tremble, and when I read over them verses, such as Aayah al-Kursee, the beginning verses of Soorah Yaa Seen, the mu‘awwidhataan and Soorah al-Ikhlaas three times, the jinn would leave.

Q. Did you learn your method of exorcism from anyone?
A. My uncle used to exorcise with the Qur’aan, but he would also hit. I do not hit. I only read over the possessed. The jinn say, “You have burned us with the Qur’aan. May Allaah burn your parents.”

Q. Can you identify the main signs which indicate that a person is possessed?
A. Sometimes one can tell from the way that the possessed walks. Other times one cannot detect possession until after reciting over them. Some patients have epilepsy (sara‘), which is not caused by the jinn. At other times they are affected by the evil eye.

Q. From your experience, what are the main reasons why people are possessed?
A. The actions of human beings lead to their possession. They may unknowingly pour hot water upon a jinnee or they may fall upon one while playing football. If a person forgets to mention Allaah’s name in either case, a jinnee may possess him. Some patients are affected by the evil eye. One woman whom I recently treated had spilled tea on the ground and had mentioned Allaah’s name on behalf of her brothers, but she forgot to do so for herself, so a jinnee possessed her. Possession may also be caused by magical spells. Magic opens the door for the jinn to whisper doubts in the mind of the bewitched person.

Q. What is the percentage of men and women who become possessed?
A. The greater majority are women.

Q. Do only disbelieving jinn possess humans?
A. The corrupt jinn, whether disbelieving or Muslims, possess humans.

Q. Do male jinn possess only women?
A. In the past, I only found one jinnee possessing. Now, groups of male and female jinn will possess a person. There are no hard and fast rules. The jinn are different types. Jinneeyyah al-ard cause the possessed to lose their consciousness, making them unaware of what happened to them until they regain consciousness. When a person is possessed by jinn ar-reeh he knows when the jinnee comes and goes, and they converse with one another. The third type is the whispering jinn which mainly affect the minds of' the religious. They whisper such things as, “You are going to die, do not bother to pray, etc.”

Q. How do the jinn benefit by possessing humans?
A. There is no benefit. They are merely corrupt, like corrupt humans committing adultery, etc.

Q. Does possession take a long time or is it swift?
A. There are two types. One type causes distress and seizures over a long period of time, while the other will enter quickly and leave quickly if exorcised.

Q. From which part of the body do the jinn enter?
A. Jinn enter mainly by the air, sometimes through the nose or mouth. Or sometimes they feel like an ant crawling gradually up a leg. Only a jinnee al-ard enters through the blood. It fears the adhaan and Qur’ânic recitation.

Q. Which parts of the human body do the jinn occupy?
A. They occupy the head or the heart. They cause the heart to beat faster or to become irregular. When operations are performed, no physical defects are found. The jinn may concentrate on one part of the body and later spread over the whole body and speak in the voice of the possessed.

Q. During exorcisms, do the possessing jinn try to possess you?
A. No, but they threaten me, and I threaten them. If they were able to kill me, they would.

Q. Do you use other means of exorcising like tying fingers and toes?
A. No, I only use the recitation of the Qur’aan and rose water. Tying fingers and toes was used in earlier times. Now, it has no effect.

Q. Do the jinn leave from a particular part of the human body?
A. They often leave from the hands, fingers or nose, yet there is no specific place from which they leave. They are like steam in a pot. When the water boils, the steam will raise the lid and escape.

Q. If the jinn give an oath when leaving, do they return?
A. Sometimes some of them return and at other times they bring others in their places. Some leave and do not return.

Q. During your exorcism, do you hold or touch any part of the patient’s body?
A. I do not grab or squeeze any particular part of the body, but I may slap the patient on his shoulders or the top of his head.


Comment posted by DG
at 2/8/2007 4:50:00 PM
From where you got these interviews? I enjoyed reading them. But then there are some Muslim scholars I know who deny the fact that Jinn can enter a human body. The arguements they give also sound convincing, I really don't know whom to believe because I have never seen a possessed person or an exorcist pulling out the jinn from the body of a possessed person :-)

But I definitely believe in one thing, nothing happens without the Will & Knowledge of Allah. You have published the interviews, but what is your own opinion on the subject? :-)


Comment posted by Creation
at 1/30/2007 4:43:00 PM
Interesting...

How about a Muslim Exorcist from Dubai ?

Interview #6 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 6

Location: Naseem, Riyaadh
Date: 12/6/1988
Name: Muhammad al-Funaytil al-‘Unayzee
Age: 28
Place of Birth: Riyaadh
Nationality: Saudi
Education: Primary school and religious studies in the masjid.

Q. What was your first exposure to exorcism?
A. Prior to five months ago, I knew nothing about the jinn and was among those who did not believe that the jinn could enter a human being. About five months ago a relative of mine became sick, and I took him to al-‘Amree (the exorcist’s name) in Ulayaa.[1] During the exorcism, al-‘Amree grabbed him by the throat and recited some Qur’ânic verses over him, and a female jinnee spoke, saying that her name was Rif‘ah. He asked her if she was a Muslim or non-Muslim and she replied that she was not a Muslim. When he asked her when she entered the man, she answered that it was more than twenty years ago.

Q. What were the signs exhibited by your relative which made you take him to al-‘Amree?
A. Farhaan used to be in the military with the border defense and had his own car. Then he changed and began to live out in the desert alone. He built a shanty house out of old car tires and empty oil drums and became very careless about his personal hygiene. He constantly remained in a odorous and filthy state, and he avoided company. If someone stared at him, he would get angry and challenge the person. He developed a strong love for refuse and collected around himself enough garbage to make a whole country dirty. He also began to dislike his parents intensely, and he refused to see them.

Q. When the female jinnee possessing your cousin spoke, was it in the man’s voice?
A. Yes, it was in Farhaan’s voice. Al-‘Amree then asked her where she came from and she said from ‘Iraaq. He asked her how she entered the man, and she replied that it was during one of his bouts of anger. On one occasion, Farhaan was extremely angry with someone and entered the toilet without mentioning Allaah’s name. The jinnee then appeared before him in the form of a woman and told him that she loved him. I took him to Al-‘Amree six times for treatment. The jinnee would leave from his right foot, and after we left al-‘Amree’s, it would return to him. Each time we went, I would watch how al-‘Amree treated the different patients – how he recited and blew upon them, how he grabbed their necks and they fainted, and how he hit them. Sometimes the jinn did not speak. These were the most difficult cases.
After I took my cousin back the sixth time, I decided to try to treat him myself I sat in front of him and recited Aayah al-Kursee, the last verses of Soorah al-Hashr and other verses which I had gathered from books about the jinn and exorcism and had written down in a notebook. Al-hamdulillaah, I succeeded, and the jinnee left just as it did for al-‘Amree. I kept making it difficult for the jinnee to stay in him for any length of time by expelling her regularly. Then I when to my cousin’s shanty home, took out his few useful belongings and burned the shack down. I bathed Farhaan and cleaned him up, and his condition began to steadily improve. Then his uncle from Kuwait came and took him away, and he returned to a state worse that he was before.

Q. What are the main reason that jinn possess humans?
A. The sick people who have come to me do not pray, and their thoughts are very corrupt. When I asked a female jinnee why she possessed a man I was treating, she replied, “Because he does not pray.” This is one of the main reasons for possession – the abandonment of religion. The second reason could be because they do not honor their parents, instead they abuse them. So Allaah sends a jinnee to punish them.

Q. How do you know that the jinnee was sent by Allaah?
A. Nothing happens in this world except by the permission of Allaah. When a person goes away from the Qur’aan, his thoughts become perverse. All of those who have come to me were sinful people, except one young girl who was from a religious family, and she became possessed by a Muslim jinnee called Khalaf. It was apologetic when I scolded it for possessing her, and it left through her leg with an oath not to return. Possession may also be due to the jinn taking revenge for some harm done to them by humans inadvertently.

Q. Are the possessing jinn usually disbelievers?
A. Yes, they are often Hindus or Christians. One jinnee possessed a patient of mine. When I was exorcising it, she revealed how she had influenced him to delay his prayers until he abandoned his night prayer all together.

Q. When someone comes to you, how do you know that he is possessed?
A. If he acts unnaturally, always looking at the ground, or he gets up suddenly and walks around. The possessed are generally unable to sit still in one place for any length of time. He frequently goes to the toilet and seems to be generally uneasy. Sometimes he displays a strange, eerie smile. He may laugh in an abnormal way without any reason, as if he is seeing things we cannot. I have noticed this among the twenty or so cases which I have treated.

Q. In your cases, did the jinn speak or did the possessed people communicate their situations?
A. The cases were different. Concerning the young girl whom I mentioned earlier, the jinnee spoke in a deep, male voice. Usually in the beginning of a session the people themselves speak, and later the jinn take over. On one occasion while we were praying in our masjid, we heard the sound of loud breathing. After the prayer was over, we looked around the masjid but saw no one. We went into the gravel courtyard of the masjid where we found my cousin, Farhaan, lying on his stomach and moving as if he were swimming in the gravel. When I grabbed him by his throat and asked the jinnee why she had returned, she responded that she would leave, which she did. My cousin had been passing by the masjid and the recitation of the Qur’aan during prayer had affected the jinnee within him. Another time during a visit of some imaams from the neighboring masjids, a woman was brought to my house. She came in, sat down for a moment and then she suddenly got up and began to run. When I called out to her she stood still, but her body was quivering. I told her to come back and sit down in front of me, and I asked her what was wrong, but she said nothing, When she came close, I took a hold of her throat, recited and blew over her. Then I asked the jinnee what its name was, and it replied, “Mirgid.”

Q. What was the purpose of holding her throat?
A. The human mind loses consciousness and the jinnee appears in order to defend itself.

Q. Do you use any other means in your treatment besides Qur’ânic recitation and pressing the veins of the throat?
A. I do not flog. I have never beaten anyone except in one case in which the person was possessed by a disbelieving jinnee which refused to communicate. It remained camouflaged. So I hit the person three times with my hand, and the jinnee began to talk, revealing things about itself. After reciting over a person and determining what his condition is, I recite over a bottle of olive oil or water the mu‘awwidhaat, Aayah al-Kursee, Soorah al-Ikhlaas, the last verses of Soorah al-Hashr (59:21-24) and verse 54 of Soorah al-A‘raaf. Then I blow over the oil or water and say, “Bismillaahi alladhee laa yadurru ma‘asmihee shay’un.” (“In the name of Allaah, with whose name nothing is harmed.”)[2] Sometimes circumstances occur when it is necessary to threaten the jinn. If there is a disbelieving jinnee who refuses to leave, I tell it that I will tie the person’s fingers and toes and then burn it. This has an effect because when the fingers and toes are tied, the jinn cannot exist. And if the Qur’aan is recited continuously over them, the jinn will be burned up inside of the person, which may even kill the person. So, you cannot continue to read over them if you tie their fingers and toes. In any case, I only use this as a threat.

Q. Are there different types of possession?
A. Sometimes the jinnee takes complete control over the human mind, and the human does not remember anything that occurs during that period of his possession. At other times the human retains control and is only overcome by the jinnee for short intervals.

Q. Is possession a swift process or does it take place over long periods of time?
A. There are two circumstances. In some cases the jinnee encounters a human unintentionally. For example, if a person failed to mention Allaah’s name while pouring hot water into a place where there happened to be a jinnee, it may possess the person immediately. In some cases when I ask the jinnee why it possessed a person, it replies that hot water was poured on it or on his/her children. At other times the jinnee may take a form and appear before a person who does not remember Allaah. The person will become very afraid, and it will take control of him.

Q. What form do jinn take?
A. Sometimes they appear as humans, sometimes as a black dog or a camel. In human form it may even greet a person, and when he extends his hand to shake hands, it disappears. This creates great fear in one’s heart, and the jinn usually possess humans who are in a weakened state due to extreme fear.

Q. What percentage of your cases of possession are women?
A. About 80 percent of those whom I have seen are women. Jinn have strong and weak personalities. Female jinn are stronger than male jinn.

Q. Do only male jinn possess women?
A. Male jinn enter women or men, and female jinn do likewise.

Q. Have you encountered cases of more than one jinnee possessing a single human?
A. Most of the cases which I have treated involved only one jinnee, but there were two instances in which I found more than one.

Q. Which part of the human body do jinn enter and leave by, and in what part do they dwell?
A. Usually they enter by the big toe and leave by the big toe or finger. When they are leaving through the foot or hand, it begins to shake and rise, whether the person is sitting down or lying on his back. The jinn seem to concentrate in the chest or the head of the person. Those possessed usually experience a tightness or constriction of their chests along with severe headaches. They may also hear sounds which no one else can.

Q. During exorcisms, do the possessing jinn try to possess you?
A. I have experienced the partial entrance of the jinn into my hands up to my elbows. It felt like electricity or ants crawling up my arms.

Q. Could you describe the steps you take in performing a typical exorcism?
A. As I mentioned previously, I first recite certain verses and chapters over the patient and then blow on him. In difficult cases I sit on the person’s stomach and have two people hold his hands, then I blow on his face. If the jinn respond at this point, I begin to communicate with them. If they do not, I grasp the patient’s neck with my thumbs on the jugular veins and ask the patient to inform me when he feels dizzy or sleepy. If the patient falls asleep, it means that he was only touched by the jinn and is not possessed. Otherwise, the patient begins to lose consciousness, then suddenly lie awakens with an evil look on his face. Also, a foul odor comes front him before the jinn begin to speak. At this point, I let go of the patient’s neck and find out who the jinn are and why they came. Then I scold them and order them to give an oath to leave. If the jinn refuse, I threaten them by saying that I will burn them after tying the fingers and toes of the possessed. Usually they leave by this point. I then recite over olive oil and water. The patient rubs the oil on the aching parts of his body, and he drinks or bathes with water. This treatment is repeated for three to ten days until the patient becomes gentle and roughness goes.

Notes:
[1] A district in northern Riyaadh.
[2] A du‘aa collected by Aboo Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 3, pp.1411‑2. no. 5069) and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 3, p. 958, no. 4244.

Interview #5 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 5

Location: Madeenah, Saudi Arabia
Date: 8/4/88
Name: ‘Alee Mushrif al-‘Amree
Education: Teacher at Islâmic University of Madeenah

Q. When and why did you practice exorcism?
A. This situation whereby people came to me for ailments caused by the jinn began quite recently. When I was appointed as imaam of Masjid Qubaa[1] – and my Qur’ânic recitation was good, praise be to Allaah – I was afflicted by the evil eye in my throat. When I got down off of the podium after delivering the Friday sermon and wanted to recite the Qur’aan for the
prayer, I was totally unable to recite the opening chapter, al-Faatihah, In fact, I could not even say, “Allaahu akbar” (Allaah is the greatest.) in order to begin the prayer. Some of those behind me realized that I had been affected with the evil eye, and one of them stepped forward and led the prayer for me. When the prayer was over, people came and greeted and wished me well and cursed whoever put the evil eye on me. They all knew it was caused by the evil eye, but there was no way to identify the person because of the large number of people who prayed in the mosque. I was forced to resign from leading prayer in the mosque due to inability to recite or lead the prayer. It even reached the level that I was unable to teach at the University of Madeenah, and I asked to be released from my post. Some of my friends and close relatives suggested that I go to see some magicians. But how could I do that when I was a teacher of tawheed at the university, teaching that it was prohibited to go to fortunetellers and magicians? I refused to go to a magician even if it meant my death. Then I recalled that the Prophet () said,
“Incantation is not allowed, except for the evil eye or the sting of a scorpion.”[2]
I reflected that this text explicitly allows the believers to use permissible incantations – and the greatest would be for the evil eye. So I began to research this issue by gathering together books of prophetic traditions, commentaries on the Qur’aan, writings of the scholars about the use of verses and prophetic supplications. I found that these scholars said that when some Jews wanted to affect the Prophet () with the evil eye, the following verse was revealed:
“And surely those who disbelieve will almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the Reminder (i.e., the Qur’aan), and they say, ‘Surely, he is a madman.’ But it is only a reminder to all of the worlds.”[3]
The scholars say that whenever this verse is recited on someone afflicted with the evil eye, it cures him by the permission of Allaah. They mentioned their experience in using this verse and its results. Almighty Allaah stated that He revealed in the Qur’aan a verse which is a cure and a mercy for the believers.[4] I found in authentic traditions that the Prophet () said, “Verily, in the Qur’aan is a cure for your sicknesses.”[5] And I found that other chapters like the mu‘awwidhataan and al-Faatihah were used for various spiritual ailments, So I gathered these verses, chapters and prophetic supplications and recited them upon myself. In addition, I noticed that the commentaries written about them usually spoke of the jinn. So, not only did I personally benefit from this research concerning the evil eye, but I also learned about the world of the jinn. I discovered what may be recited as protection against them or for relief for those possessed, and I discovered the effects of magic and its Qur’ânic cures. Reading upon myself cured most of the effects of the evil eye. Although I am still unable to raise my voice in recitation between maghrib and ‘ishaa’, I have begun to give lectures again and have returned to teaching.
Shortly after this, I came across an article in the newspaper about a man from the Mutayree clan in Hadbaan (about 300 km from Madeenah) whose place was being burned by fire, and he was forced to leave his place because of it. The papers mentioned that after investigation some geologists and other scientists concluded that the area was flammable due to gas leaks, while others claimed that it was caused by bacteria. In the end, they wrote that the scientists were unable to solve the problem. So I contacted the civil defense administration and informed them that the cause was jinn. The man or a member of his family had harmed the jinn, so they were taking revenge by hurting the family. I told the administration that with Qur’ânic recitation it would go away. The civil defense contacted the Emirate and informed them of what I had said. They in turn contacted the Director of the University, who summoned me and told me that I would be sent by car to Hadbaan, so I went.
When I met the man, I greeted him and asked him what had happened. He said that he built a seven room residence and dug a well there. He placed his camel-hair tent next to his house. While he and his family were sitting in the house after zuhr, they noticed a fire had started in the tent. They put it out, assuming that someone passing by had inadvertently thrown a cigarette into the tent and caused the fire. So they began to curse the one who did it. When they sat back down in the living room, they noticed the smell of smoke and thought that the tent had reignited, but they did not find it on fire. They began to search in the other rooms for the source. They discovered that the room next to them was on fire, and they thought that perhaps someone had deliberately thrown another lit cigarette through one of the open windows of the room. Again, they cursed the perpetrator. However, while they were putting out this fire, they found that the room in which they had previously sitting was now on fire. So they realized that it was not as they suspected. They collected some of their belongings and gathered in one of the bedrooms. There was a metal wardrobe in this bedroom along with a metal trunk containing some valuables. They suddenly noticed smoke coming from inside the metal trunk. When they opened it, they found their belongings burned to ashes. So they collected their remaining belongings, left the house, went to the head of the tribe in the region, and informed him of what had occurred. While the tribal leader was debating whether the information was true or false, their car ignited. The leader told them to leave the house and to stay in two tents which he would set up outside the house. At the time of ‘asr prayer, a tent was set up for the women and another for the men. When maghrib came and they left the tents to perform their prayers, the two tents burst into flames.
Subsequently, every time they set up new tents, they also went up in flames. They sent a telegram to the King asking him to save them from the fire. The governorate was contacted, and the civil defense was sent. Another tent was set up for the family, and two officers from the civil defense sat with al-Mutayree inside the tent. When they all got up and went outside, the tent ignited and burned to the ground. The civil defense apologized that they were unable to do anything further in this case. Next the geologists came and said that the land was subject to spontaneous ignition due to gas seepage, so the man and his family were taken to a town 30 kilometers away, but things kept bursting into flames around them. The other scientists, who said that the combustion was due to bacteria, were just as wrong, because the combustion would only occur when they left a place. In fact, whenever someone from the family remained behind in a place, the fires stopped. Then other problems began. If they were in front of food, nothing would happen, but if they left, salt would spill in the food or soap powder would be found all over it. Sometimes they would find cow dung or goat droppings in their food when they left it alone for a moment.
During my first night there I recited in all seven rooms of the house, then everyone left. We ate at the leader of the tribe’s house which was many kilometers away. When we returned that night, nothing was burned. So we spent the night there without an incident. I also spent the next night there, and again we left and returned without any fires igniting. After that I returned to Madeenah. The newspapers, which like to exaggerate every­thing, wrote a number of lengthy articles on the incident and how a hadeeth scholar from the Islâmic University had driven away the jinn. Within three days, people came in droves outside my door, informing me that they were afflicted with jinn, etc. I told them that I was myself afflicted and I only wanted to help the family in Hadbaan. I informed them that I had never read over anyone before, but they insisted that I recite anyway. I felt that if I recited and nothing happened, it would convince them and they would leave. So I recited over the first case, a woman, and to my surprise the jinnee left her immediately. That only increased the problem and the crowds got bigger and bigger. Even now, sometimes nights pass and I am unable to sleep due to the many cases which are brought to me.

Q. How long have you been exorcising people?
A. I have been exorcising people for two years.

Q. What are the main signs of possession?
A. There are many. For instance, a man may come to me complaining that he feels as though chains are tied to his body between his stomach and his neck and at times something seems to suffocate him. When I recite over him for a while, he begins to take deep breaths and his body begins to shake. If I grab him by the neck and speak to the jinnee in him, it begins to speak. When I ask the jinnee its name, it gives a name different from that of the man, or the jinnee may say that she is a woman. Once I recited over a brother and ordered the possessing spirit, “Get out you evil, male jinnee,” and it replied, “I am a woman and not a man.” When I asked her, “Why did you take him?” she replied, “I did not come to him, he came to me. I was in a well along with my children and he climbed down the well and hurt us.” When the man regained consciousness, he confirmed her story, saying that he had a well and when he had climbed down into it, he felt something enter his stomach like an arrow.
One possessed by a jinnee exhibits some strange movements and speaks without realizing it. People will inform the person after regaining consciousness about the things he had said.
If a person experiences nightmares or a state of immobility at the time of going to sleep or between the state of wakefulness and sleep, these are among the beginning signs of possession. They must be treated immediately, otherwise they will lead to major problems later. If Aayah al-Kursee is recited repeatedly, the jinnee will go away and not return.

Q. How do you distinguish between a possessed person and one who is bewitched?
A. These two states are quite similar and can easily be mistaken for each other. When researching these cases, one finds that magic operates by way of the jinn. The magician is not able to affect the one on whom he casts the spell except with the help of the jinn. I am able to tell the difference during treatment. Treating jinn-possession is much easier than breaking a magic spell. The companions of the Prophet () recited over a possessed person three times and he got well. The Prophet addressed a possessed person on one occasion and he was cured. However, the spell which was cast upon the Prophet () lasted for six months. It was not broken until he was informed where the charm was and it was dismantled. This tells us that complete cure will usually only take place when the charm has been destroyed. Finding the charm is not easy unless one discovers the one who cast the spell and forces him to destroy it. If the charm is not found, it is very difficult to cure. The spell can be broken without the charm, but it requires continuous treatment and patience. I have treated a few cases successfully, so it can be done, but it requires long, continuous treatment. When verses are read over a possessed person, he becomes uneasy and begins to make many unnecessary movements. This tells you that the cause is jinn. If the verses of magic (aayaat as-sihr) are read over a bewitched person, he will also exhibit additional movements. One knows by experience the difference between the two. In the beginning it is not easy to tell. Now when a patient comes and I recite over him some verses I am able to tell his relatives if he is under a spell or possessed. Because of that, some people say that I am a magician. Some tell me that I am dealing with magic because they went to magicians who confirmed what I said. However, it is only coincidence. If the patient’s movements are strange or unusual, it may be due to jinn-possession. If not, it is probably be due to magic. Spells often affect only one particular characteristic of the person. If the person develops a phobia about something, it is probably due to a magical spell. For example, a person suddenly develops an intense dislike for his job. If you take him anywhere else he is fine, but if you take him to his job he refuses to go. His supervisor would then terminate him because he does not wish to work. This is probably due to magic. However, it might be mixed with the evil eye. The difference is that the person under the spell will act crazily when taken to something he dislikes. Those affected by the jinn will develop a dislike of filthy things. For example, he may refuse to enter a bathroom. He may dislike entering a number of places and he develops a fear of them. Also, he will begin to like being alone, avoiding people. The jinn want to be secluded with the one possessed.

Q. Do only non-Muslim jinn possess?
A. No, the possessing spirit could be Muslim, but a corrupt one, like corrupt Muslim humans.

Q. Can righteous jinn possess humans for their benefit?
A. No, the act of possession is an act of oppression. However, if a human develops a habit of doing a righteous act, like prayer at a particular time, and he oversleeps or forgets, a righteous jinnee [or angel, according to some scholars] will sometimes remind him. He may hear a voice calling him to get up, and when he awakens, no one is there.

Q. Are people possessed by only one jinnee at a time?
A. There are no limitations for the jinn in this regard. It is not a case where one enters and the host is full.

Q. How do the jinn possess humans?
A. They enter most often from the feet. One feels as though an ant is crawling on one’s foot and then up one’s leg. This continues until it occupies the whole body. Or it may come feeling like a sharp arrow piercing one’s stomach. Then it seems to enter the throat. A third way is that one experiences a very severe headache which temporarily causes a complete loss of consciousness, then it descends on the remainder of the body. Or one may suffer from an extreme bout of depression.
Ibn Taymeeyah divided the jinn with regard to their affecting humans into three groups: 1) a group which attacks humans and may even kill them. 2) a group which possesses humans without killing or harming them, but it is difficult to get them to leave, and 3) a group which harms them slightly and leaves quickly. The third group is the most common. They are the mischievous type which will possess without any logical cause. They possess just to do harm, and they only control humans whose hearts are empty, vacant of the remembrance of Allaah. Jinn usually occupy filthy, vacant and deserted places. If the Qur’aan is recited over someone possessed by this type of jinnee, it leaves quickly because it had no real purpose besides mischief. The second group consists of jinn who possess humans out of passionate love, and they usually cause epileptic fits. This type requires long treatment because it is the most difficult to remove. The first group is the worst and most dangerous. They harm humans according to the level of harm which humans did to them. If someone threw a stone and killed one of them, they may kill him or one of his children. If part of the body was paralyzed from human harm, the jinn will cause the paralysis of a part of the person who harmed them. This is the type that the Prophet () warned us about, and he gave us prayers to protect ourselves from them. Muslims are instructed to mention the name of Allaah before entering the toilets, when leaving and entering their homes, when eating, when discharging a weapon during hunting, when throwing anything or when pouring hot water. The last two are the most common causes for the possession of women. I will cite three cases of this type.
A woman was brought to me unconscious and, when I recited over her, the spirit left and she regained her consciousness. I asked her what had happened. She replied that she had left her house after maghrib – and this is when possession most often takes place, which is why the Prophet () said in an authentic tradition: “When night falls, keep your children in your homes because the devils spread out in that hour,”[6] – and saw a black cat which ran into her apartment. She chased it from room to room, trying to expel it, until she cornered it in the bedroom. There she took her nightgown from a chair and hit it, and it ran under the bed. She looked under the bed but did not see it. So she assumed that it must have left without her realizing it. When her husband returned later on that night and she put on the nightgown, it possessed her from her nightgown. However, because her harm to it was slight, it readily left after a single recitation over her and did not return.

Another unconscious woman was brought to me, and after I recited over her and grasped her throat, the jinnee began to speak, because it suffered from this. Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah and other scholars used to beat their patients, but I found that beating sometimes hurts the person. The jinnee spoke, saying, “My name is Saalih.” Then I said, “Saalih is a Muslim name,” and he replied, “I am a Muslim,” I scolded him, saying, “Since you are a Muslim, why are you hurting this Muslim woman?” He said, “She hurt me. Why did she hurt me?” I asked how she hurt him and he replied, “She poured hot water on me in the toilet and wounded me. She did not even warn me.” I questioned, “How could she have heard warned you?” He said, “By saying bismillaah (In the name of Allaah). I would have heard that and left,” When the woman regained consciousness, I asked her if she poured hot water in the toilet, and she confirmed that she had. So I told her to mention Allaah’s name before doing so in the future. As for the possessing. jinnee, he left and did not return again.

Q. Are there other circumstances when the jinn may possess humans?
A. The weapons are in one’s hands to protect oneself from falling into their evil. Whenever a Muslim leaves or enters his home, he should mention the name of Allaah. When he goes to sleep, he should recite Aayah al-Kursee. One should try not to leave any opportunities for them to attack. The Prophet () mentioned certain circumstances which should be avoided: 1) Do not sleep by yourself in an empty house or in the desert. The Prophet () prohibited people from sleeping alone because the devil may gain control over them. 2) Do not travel alone. He named the one who travels alone “satan,” two who travel together “two devils” (shaytaanaan), and three “a caravan” (rakb).[7] Most people who are possessed either forgot to mention Allaah’s name before pouring hot water or throwing something, or they slept or traveled alone.
The jinn usually possess people when they are in a state of either extreme fear or excessive frivolity. For example, there is a type of jinn called jinn az-zaar which possesses people during musical parties. It can be treated. When the participants of such gatherings are filled with the spirits, the exorcist grasps them by the throat and recites over them until the jinn leave.

Q. What are the Qur’ânic verses which you read over the possessed?
A. Most of them can be found in Sunan Abee Daawood, al-Adhkaar by an­-Nawawee. Tadhkirah adh-Dhaakireen by ash-Shawkaanee, Sharh al-Hirz al-­Haseen and at-Tibb an-Nabawee. It is good to read Soorah al-Jinn, Soorah al-Kafiroon, Soorah al-Ikhlaas, Soorah al-Falaq and Soorah an-Naas. These last four may be read three times each or seven times each. There are also prophetic prayers which have been used successfully by some scholars, as well as supplications used by early scholars which are mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in his book, Zaad al-Ma‘aad. That is from the point of the exorcist. The possessed is recommended to recite the seven verses on magic, among them are the following verses: Qur’aan, 10:81, 20:69 and 7:117-121. These three soorahs contain seven verses which have been tried and tested by scholars with very good results.

Q. Is it necessary to take an oath from the jinn before they depart?
A. It is necessary in order to discourage them from returning. Sometimes I will grasp the patients neck and say, “I ask you by the One besides whom there is no god, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, to speak on her tongue without hurting her,” and it will begin to talk. It may say, “What do you want?” or “This is none of your business.”

Q. Do the jinn speak in the voice of the possessed?
A. Yes, the jinn speak in the same dialect and with the same voice. But I did have a case where a common, uneducated person recited the Qur’aan better than I could. If I recited over him Aayah al-Kursee, he would say, “I have learned it better than you.” And he would proceed to recite it.

Q. What is the role of the qareen in possession?
A. The jinnee assigned to a person may inform the magician or fortuneteller’s jinnee all about you. So they appear capable of knowing the unseen. There was a case in the time of Caliph al-Mahdee (ruled 775-785 CE) in which a man entered his court and claimed that he was a prophet receiving revelation. He was asked for proof and he said, “Everyone put in his hand a specific number of items. I will leave and come back and inform you of what you have in your hands. This will prove what I say because it could only take place by revelation.” They did as he asked and he informed them of the exact amounts in their hands. They were amazed until a scholar came and told them that the man was lying to them. The scholar said that the man was really a magician. They asked how he knew that and he told them that he would demonstrate. He said, “If he is able to tell what is in my hand, then is a true prophet.” Then he told the man to leave. He then took out a number of dirhams and held some in his hand. When the man returned, the scholar asked him to inform them. The man lowered his head for a moment then raised it up and said, “Thirty.” The scholar opened his band and showed he had over one hundred. When asked how the impostor did it the first time, he told them that they counted what was in their hands and their jinn counted along with them and informed the impostor’s jinnee. However, the scholar grasped a quantity without counting them, so his jinnee was unable to count them; therefore, the magician could not find out what he had. The man was beaten and he admitted the truth.
There is a popular school of thought spreading in these times called mediumship. It is all lies and involves magic. If someone says, “But I heard my father’s voice,” the answer should be “No, you heard your father’s jinnee.” The qareen may not die when the man dies. It may live for some time. So if the person’s father’s jinnee is still around, it is able to talk in his dialect, just as jinn often speak in the exact same voice of the humans they possess. Their voices are indistinguishable from their hosts, whether male or female. The jinnee, through the medium, will inform a person of things only known to him and his father, because he was with him. The ignorant believe that it is the spirit of the dead communicating. However, it is impossible, because the Qur’aan and the Sunnah clearly state that the souls of the dead cannot return to this life.

Notes:
[1] Qubaa is a place three miles from Madeenah where Prophet Muhammad () laid the foundations of the first place for public worship in Islaam. It is esteemed as the fourth mosque in rank, being next to that of Makkah, Madeenah and Jerusalem. (Dictionary of Islam, p. 482.)
[2] Reported by Buraydah ibn Husayb al-Aslamee and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 141-142, no. 625) and Ibn Maajah (Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, vol. 2, p. 266, no. 2832). A similar statement was also reported by ‘Imraan ibn Husayn and collected by Aboo Daawood, at-Tirmidhee and Ahmad (Saheeh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer, vol. 6, p. 191, no. 7373).
[3] Qur’aan, 68:51-52.
[4] See Qur’aan, 17:82.
[5] I could not find any tradition with this wording in the reference books on prophetic traditions. The wording, “The best medicine is the Qur’aan,” is not authentic (Da‘eef Sunan Ibn Maajah, p. 287, no. 774 and p. 284, no. 767) and neither is the wording, “Use two cures – honey and the Qur’aan.” (Da‘eef Sunan Ibn Maajah, p. 280, no. 756). There is a narration with the wording, “Surely, this Qur’aan is the rope of Allaah, light and a beneficial cure,” collected by ad-Daarimee (Sunan ad-Daarimee, vol. 2, p. 431), however, it is also not authentic due to the presence of the unreliable narrator, Ibraaheem ibn Muslim al-Hajaree (Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb, p. 93, no. 252).
[6] Reported by Jaabir and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 321, no. 500) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p.1113, no. 4995-8).
[7] Collected by at-Tirmidhee, Ahmad, Maalik and Aboo Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, p. 721, no. 2601), and authenticated (hasan) by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2, p. 494, no. 2271.

Interview #4 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 4

Location: Riyaadh, Saudi Arabia
Date: 2/4/88
Name: ‘Abdullaah Mushrif al-‘Amree
Date of Birth: 1964 CE
Place of Birth: Riyaadh
Education: BA from Imaam Ibn Sa‘ood Islâmic University in the field of Hadeeth.

Q. Exactly when did you begin to treat possessed people?
A. I began reciting the Qur’aan over the sick approximately two years ago.

Q. What made you begin to do this?
A. I am not of those who haphazardly began to treat people. I first noticed that this sickness is common. I was working as a member of the Morals Commission (Hay’at al-Amir bil-Ma‘roof wan-Nahyi ‘an al-Munkar), following the statement of Prophet Muhammad (),
“Whoever sees evil should change it with his hand. If he is unable, he should change it with his tongue. And if he is unable to do [even that], he should hate it in his heart, and that is the lowest [level] of faith.”[1]
As a member of the Morals Commission, we arrested a number of people involved in magic and trickery who were treating people from a variety of backgrounds. These individuals admitted exploiting the ignorant masses in the most repulsive and gross ways. They were using a variety of amulets and charms which all involved shirk. I was assigned as the imaam of a masjid. A lot of people came to me with different ailments so I recited over them regularly. This was not connected with any special treatment. Any imaam of a masjid can read for people, however, there are some conditions for recitation. One should have strong faith and full trust in Allaah. The Prophet () said, “If you trust in Allaah as He deserves to trusted, the angels will shake your hands.”[2] I found that people were greatly benefiting from these readings. Among the problems they faced was the effect of the evil eye. The Prophet (),
“The evil eye is real. It may put a man in the grave and a camel in a pot.”[3]
Asmaa’, the daughter of Aboo Bakr, said to the Prophet (), “O Messenger of Allaah, the Ja‘far clan is affected by the evil eye. Should we do incantations for them?” He said, “Yes, for if there was anything which could overcome destiny, it would be the evil eye.”[4] And Ibn Baaz mentioned that whoever denies the entrance of jinn into humans has told a lie against divine law (sharee‘ah). There are very clear proofs of this taking place. After being appointed the governor of Taa’if, ‘Uthmaan ibn Abee al-‘Aas came to the Prophet () and informed him that he was getting confused in his prayers. He explained that something was interfering with his ability to recite the Qur’aan. The Prophet () said, “Come here. That is a devil.” When he came close, the Prophet () blew in his mouth and said, “Get out, enemy of Allaah, I am the Messenger of Allaah.” So what was he telling to leave, sickness? And he also said, “Get out, enemy of Allaah,” and we are prohibited from cursing sicknesses. After that, ‘Uthmaan ibn Abee al-‘Aas said that for the rest of his life he was never confused in his prayer. That was a devil called Khanzab.[5] Also, when the Prophet () was on a journey with a companion named Aboo Ya‘laa Shaddaad ibn Aws,[6] a woman came to them with her son, read over him, blew in his mouth and said, “Get out, enemy of Allaah.” The woman offered the Prophet (S) two goats and some fat. He told Aboo Ya‘laa to take the fat and one of the goats and return the other. Allaah has also said in the Qur’aan: “Those who eat interest get up like one stumbling from Satan’s touch.”

Q. How long have you been imaam of the masjid?
A. I have been the imaam of the masjid for three years. After the first year of experience with people coming for readings and consequently getting better, I began to research the subject of possession thoroughly. I gathered the classical reference works containing information on this. I studied causes of these sicknesses, methods of treating them and specific verses which should be recited during the treatment. Praise be to Allaah, I was able to master this subject and began to treat a few people at a time. Eventually, my high success rate became known and people came in droves. If people had not found any improvement after my treatment, no one else would have come.

Q. Could you describe your methodology in curing the possessed?
A. The first thing to understand is that seizures (sara‘) are of two kinds. The first type are seizures of the brain which can only be treated in the hospital. The Qur’aan cannot cure it. A example of this is a case of the woman who came to the Prophet () and informed him that she was overcome by seizures during which she would tear off her clothes. He told her, “If you wish, I pray to Allaah on your behalf, or, if you wish you may be patient and Paradise will be yours.” She asked him to pray on her behalf in order for her to stop exposing herself, which he did. The second type are seizures caused by the jinn-possession of humans. Sometimes it is due to the jinn’s love obsession with humans, desire to punish or merely scare them, and at other times due to magic or the evil eye. The recitation of the Qur’aan over them once, twice, three times or more cures them.

Q. Do you use any particular verses?
A. There are no special verses besides Aayah al-Kursee, al-Faatihah and the mu‘awwidhataan, which were all mentioned in very strong prophetic traditions. Otherwise, all of the Qur’aan is blessed. After recitation, I communicate with the jinnee, which will say, for example, “I am in love with her.”

Q. Do you use any other supportive techniques along with your recitation?
A. Yes. Some jinn will only leave if they are beaten. Continuous recitation is sufficient to make some of them communicate, yet others will only communicate if I grasp the neck here (i.e., on the jugular veins). Then they reveal the reason for their possession of the human, which is either out of love or caused by magic or the evil eye. The Prophet () said that the evil eye is real and attended by the devil.[7] I then order the possessing spirit to leave after telling it what it has done is oppression, which is forbidden in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. I may quote the hadeeth qudsee in which Allaah said:
“O my servants, I have made oppression forbidden to Myself and prohibited it among you, so do not oppress each other.”[8]
And also the Prophet’s statement:
“Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgment.”[9]
If a man is possessed by a female jinnee out of love for him, I tell her that her possession is oppressing him.

Q. Do female, Muslim jinn sometimes possess people?
A. Yes. Female jinn will possess Muslims and cause seizures. I tell the jinnee that her possession is not an expression of love but one of harm, and I ask her to depart and not return. I have her swear by Allaah not to possess male of female Muslims in the future. If she is a disbelieving jinnee, I invite her to Islaam. In fact, a number of them have accepted Islaam from me – all praise is due to Allaah – around thirteen or fourteen Buddhists, Christians, etc.

Q. Do female jinn always enter men and male jinn enter women?
A. Yes. That is the most common occurrence. Although it is very rare, a male jinnee may also possess a man, perhaps only in 10 percent of the cases.

Q. If the female jinnee speaks, does it speak with the man’s voice?
A. Sometimes it speaks with the man’s voice and sometimes with a female’s voice. About 60 percent of the time, the jinnee communicates with the possessed person’s voice.

Q. I notice that you have with you bottles of water and olive oil. What is their purpose?
A. I will explain this to you. The Prophet () said:
“Eat olive and anoint yourselves with it; for verily, it is a blessed tree.”[10]
The olive tree is a blessed tree by which Allaah swears in the Qur’aan.[11] I recite some verses from the Qur’aan over the oil and the person rubs some of the oil on the part of their body which gives him pain. In any case, everything is by experimentation, even medical knowledge. As to the water, I also recite over it and they drink it. If the person experiences gradual improvement – by the grace of Allaah – fine, because the jinn cannot withstand contact with the Qur’aan. If the person drinks the water and rubs the oil and finds himself becoming uneasy and irritated, it means that he is possessed by a jinnee. So, it is used to determine the nature of the illness, like a medical examination. This method has proven itself effective in the vast majority of cases There are other methods being used, but the best is by using only the Qur’aan.

Q. Do others assist you by holding down patients?
A. Yes. If the man is possessed by a female jinnee – and the female jinnee is stronger than ten men – it will require at least ten men to hold him down. It happened in my home recently that I recited over one man who suddenly became powerful. He leaped up and it took about ten men to hold him. I am usually assisted by the patient’s relatives or friends. If I find that there is something in him, I ask them to hold him steady so that he will not punch or kick me. Sometimes the jinnee will speak immediately, so I recite a few verses and it leaves right away. The jinn have different strengths, for some are very strong and yet others are very weak.

Q. What is the purpose of depressing the jugular vein?
A. Sometimes it is only when the human mind is unconscious that the jinn appear, I hold them lightly and not in a way which could lead to strangulation. This has happened at the hands of some inexperienced exorcists. The comparison is like the difference between the treatment by a qualified doctor and someone just beginning their studies.

Q. Do you tie strings around the fingers and toes during treatment?
A. Sometimes there are cases when a man comes with his wife, informing me that she is possessed by a jinnee. When she is in my presence the jinnee leaves immediately, but by the time he takes her back to his car, the jinnee returns. This type of jinnee is maarij, and the only way to hold him is by tying the strings. Therefore, I tell the husband that if the jinnee returns, he should tie string around her fingers and toes and bring her back to me. In this manner it is caught and cannot escape.

Q. How are the fingers and toes tied?
A. A string is tied around each finger and each toe separately. The string should not be very tight. On one occasion a possessed woman was brought to me with her fingers and toes tied. I began reciting over her until the jinnee screamed and said, “I swear by Allaah that I will leave.” I said, “No. I will burn you with the Qur’aan, the words of Almighty Allaah. I will not let you go. You have become imprisoned by Allaah and then by me.” It promised over and over again to leave and never to return again. At that point, I untied her fingers and it left through her fingers.

Q. Do they always leave by the fingers or could it also be through the toes?
A. It could be either. Occasionally the jinn will seek permission to leave through the eyes or the head. I tell them no, leave from here, and they depart from where they are commanded.

Q. Are there any signs which let you know which part of the body they are leaving from?
A. Yes. The arm or the leg will begin to shake, sometimes moderately, and sometimes, violently, until the movement gradually subsides, indicating that the jinnee has left.

Q. When you use beating in your treatment, on what part of the body do you apply it?
A. The patient should only be beaten when he was become unconscious and the jinnee has appeared. And even in such cases, it should not be severe. It is preferable to hit the back or the shoulders, the point of the body where the jinnee seems to be residing or different parts as it moves. At times the patient may be conscious, and he can identify the movement of the jinnee about his body.

Q. What percentage of your patients are men and women?
A. I would first like to point out that people’s abandonment of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah is what has caused them to be afflicted by possession. For example, when I encounter a person who says that he feels depressed or bored with life and I subsequently recite the Qur’aan over him, I find a female jinnee present. When I ask why she possessed him, she replies, “He does not pray.” Allaah spoke the truth when He said:
“And whoever turns away from remembrance of the Most Merciful (i.e., Allaah), We appoint from him a devil as a companion.”[12]
And the Almighty said:
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a wretched life, and We will gather him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.”[13]
So after the jinnee leaves, I advise the patient to fear Allaah, establish his prayers at their proper times, and read the Qur’aan regularly. By the will of Allaah, it will never return. I tell him that if he does not do these things or only does them for a while then stops, it may return. Regarding the percentage of patients, it is about the same. However, I have about 5 percent more women patients than men due to the general weakness of women in comparison to men.

Q. What benefit does a jinnee get from possessing a human?
A. In the case of a female jinnee possessing a man out of love, it has intercourse with him while he is sleeping. Most often this occurs during dreams. Otherwise, the jinnee just disturbs him based upon the fact that it was sent by a magical spell or in revenge for some harm done to it by the person.

Q. Is there a particular part of the body that the jinnee occupies?
A. In the case of women it usually occupies their womb, and in the case of men it usually settles in their chests.

Q. Are there degrees of possession?
A. Yes, there is a complete and final possession. When a jinnee first enters the human body, it only has a partial hold. It takes time for it to completely possess the individual.

Q. From what parts of the body do they enter?
A. They enter mainly from the feet.

Q. Have you encountered cases of more than one jinnee possessing a single person?
A. On many occasion during exorcisms it becomes evident that the person has within him more than one jinnee. After expelling one, the person exhibits signs of possession. When I recite over them, another entity emerges and speaks in a different voice, using a different name.

Q. Does the qareen (the companion jinnee) assigned to every man from birth possess, or is it another jinnee?
A. No. It is another jinnee. It is the qareen which the Prophet () said flows in the bloodstream, but it is another jinnee which actually possesses.

Q. Does the qareen harm its human companion?
A. Sometimes its strong whispers swerve the human away from performing prayer, remembering Allaah and helping the needy.

Q. During an exorcism have you ever experienced the jinn trying to possess you?
A. No. Never.

Q. Are all of the patients brought to you cases of true possession?
A. No, but I recite over everyone. Illness due to biological causes may be cured by recitation, depending upon the level of the person’s faith. The companions of the Prophet () used to recite al-Faatihah over those stung by scorpions, and they were cured. What about a few microbes which enter a person? He should seek help from Allaah believing that Allaah has revealed within the Qur’aan a cure. He should rely upon it with sure faith and sincerity as Ibn al-Qayyim said, “If every sick person recited the Qur’aan over himself with certainty of faith and sincerity, no sick person would remain. Almighty Allaah informs us:
“If We revealed this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would see it humbly crumbling out of fear of Allaah.”[14]
And He said:
“And We reveal within the Qur’aan healing and mercy for the believers.”[15]
And elsewhere:
“O mankind, there has come to you from your Lord a good advice and healing for what is in your chests...”[16]
Some of them have ailments which cannot be diagnosed in hospitals. For example, when one afflicted by the evil eye is checked in the hospital, they will not find anything wrong with him. Others have sicknesses which can be treated medically. Not everyone over whom I have read has recovered. I recommended that those with physical ailments be treated in a hospital.

Q. Have truly insane people been brought to you for treatment?
A. Yes, such people have been brought to me. I usually tell them that if the hospital has diagnosed their ailment and identified its cause, there is no need to bring them to me. However, if the hospital is unable to identify the cause, I will try to treat them. Sometimes the jinn will cause a human to act in an insane manner. So it is better to recite over such a patient to see if he is really possessed. There was a young man who was admitted to Taa’if Psychiatric Hospital whom I treated, and he was cured. His condition was caused by jinn-possession. The jinn used to speak through his voice and cause him to make strange movements.

Q. What are the signs and symptoms of possession?
A. I first ask the patients some questions. I ask if they experience states of depression, headaches, continual movements in the bodies or disturbing dreams. If that is the case, they spend the night at my house, and I ask them to inform me when the condition comes. I then recite over them. If I find them shaking or breathing strangely when I recite, I continue reciting until they scream and the jinnee starts communicating. I ask it why it came, and it reveals the reason, for example, magic, the evil eye, etc. I take from it a solemn oath to leave and not to return. The patients then find out all of their ailments are gone.

Q. Have you noticed any other symptoms like a strange way of smiling or a foul odor?
A. Yes, particularly those afflicted by a magic spell give off a very bad odor. Other signs are continuous movements and pains which seem to travel around the body. When I recite, they scream, faint or tremble. Some patients do not do these things and are cured with just recitation of the Qur’aan.

Q. What about that little boy who was just brought to you?
A. That little boy has a problem with his leg. On Thursdays and Fridays he is able to walk quite normally, but during the rest of the week he is unable to walk. He has pains here and here (i.e., his thighs and lower legs).

Q. Could the cause be due to his dislike for school?
A. No, he is not going to school at all. I think – and Allaah knows best – that he may be afflicted by the evil eye.

Q. Could you describe a few recent cases of possession which you have successfully treated?
A. There are many.

Case No. 1
There was a woman about 28 years old who used to be overcome by seizures from time to time over a period of two years. Sometimes she would lose consciousness. Whenever she had fits, they took her to the hospital, where she received injections, putting her in a drugged state. About a year ago, she had a very intense seizure and her family brought her to me at 10 o’clock at night. They told me that the hospital only informed them that she had psychological problems. When I recited over her it became obvious that she was possessed, and the cause was from magic. The jinnee in her was a Buddhist. She did not respond immediately after recitation, but after pressing her jugular veins, the jinnee presented himself and informed us about the magician who put the spell on her and the charm’s location.
Q. Do you believe everything that the jinn say?
A. Not everything they say is to be believed unless it is confirmed. In this case we found the charm where the jinnee said it was located and we burned it. Since then she has not had any more seizures.

Case No. 2
About six months ago, a man brought his wife and told me that she refused to speak to him. She became agitated and depressed whenever he came near her. After reciting over her, the jinnee appeared and informed us that her state was due to bewitchment and that the charm was buried in her father’s grave. We went to the grave, dug it up and removed the charm, which was made with her hair and fingernail clippings, and then we burned it. After that she was cured – by the will of Allaah.

Notes:
[1] Collected by Imaam Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 33, no. 79).
[2] The well-known, authentic hadeeth of similar wording is,
“If only you trusted Allaah as He should be trusted, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds, who leave their nests in the morning hungry, and return in the evening full.” Collected by Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah and Ahmad, and authenticated by Al-Arnaa’oot in Jaami‘ al-Usool, vol. 10, p. 140, no. 7620.
[3] The first sentence is a hadeeth narrated by Aboo Hurayrah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 427, no. 636), Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1192, no. 5426) and others. The second sentence was narrated by Jaabir, collected by Ibn ‘Adee in al-Kaamil and Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah, and authenticated in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer, vol. 2, p. 761, no. 4144.
[4] Collected by at-Tirmidhee and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhee, vol. 2, p. 206. no. 1692. Also collected by Ahmad, Ibn Maajah and ad-Daarimee. A similar narration by Ibn ‘Abbaas was collected by Muslim.
[5] The hadeeth was collected by Ibn Maajah and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, vol. 2, p. 273, no. 2858. The two narrations of ‘Uthmaan ibn Abee al­‘Aas on this matter collected by Imaam Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 252, no. 946 and vol. 3, p. 1198, no. 5462) do not include the Prophet () blowing in his mouth or saying, “Get out, enemy of Allaah. I am the Messenger of Allaah,” but they do mention Khanzab as the name of that devil.
[6] The name of the companion who accompanied him on the journey was Ya‘laa ibn Murrah ibn Wahb ibn Jaabir ath-Thaqafee and not [Aboo] Ya‘laa ibn Shidaad ibn Aws al-Ansaaree, who was from the third level of hadeeth narrators and not a companion of the Prophet (). See Ibn Hajar’s Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb, vol. 2, p. 378.
[7] Reported by Aboo Hurayrah and collected by al-Kaajee in his Sunan, but it is rated inauthentic (da‘eef) by al-Albaanee in Da‘eef al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer, vol. 4, p. 76. no. 3906.
[8] Reported by Aboo Dharr and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1365, no. 6246).
[9] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 376, ho. 627) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1366, no. 6249).
[10] This is in reference to the following verse: “Allaah is the light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche with a lamp, the lamp encased in glass, the glass like a brilliant star lit from a blessed olive tree…” Qur’aan 24:35. The hadeeth was reported by ‘Umar and Aboo Usayd, collected by at-Tirmidhee, and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer, vol. 4, p. 167, no. 4374,
[11] See Qur’aan, Chapter 95.
[12] Qur’aan, 43:36.
[13] Qur’aan, 20:124.
[14] Qur’aan, 59:21.
[15] Qur’aan, 17:82.
[16] Qur’aan, 10:57.

Interview #3 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 3

Location: Cairo, EgyptDate: 10/8/88
Name: Sa‘eed Muhammad
Date of Birth: 1946
Place of Birth: Tanta
Education: Diploma from the ‘Ibaad ad-Du‘aa’ Institute.

Q. When did you begin practicing exorcism?
A. I began practicing more than ten years ago.

Q. What caused you to begin?
A. It began when the wife of my brother became afflicted with continual vaginal bleeding that the doctors were unable to treat. As you know, there is a prophetic tradition in which a woman came to the Prophet () and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am a woman whose blood flows continually.” He said to her, “It is due to a blow struck by the devil.” That is, the devil has some influence in this area. Perhaps it was due to a fit (mass) or perhaps she was bewitched, both of which are manifestations of the jinn in the body. There is a hadeeth saying that the devil flows in the bloodstream of Aadam’s descendants. Because of this, I recited over her al-Faatihah; the first five verses of Soorah al-Baqarah; “wa ilaahukum ilaahun waahid…,”[1] verse 255 of al-Baqarah; “shahidallaahu annahoo laa ilaaha illaa hoo…” from Soorah Aal ‘Imraan;[2] “rabbukumullaah…” from Soorah al-A‘raaf;[3] “afahsibtum…” from Soorah al-Mu‘minoon;[4] the closing verses of Soorah al-Hashr, and three verses from Soorah al-Jinn. The jinnee in her manifested itself and spoke to me. I realized that it was a male jinnee. It said that it came to her when she cried in the dark because her husband had traveled. My brother’s complaint was that whenever he approached his wife, she would begin to bleed even though it was not the time of her menses. In the end, after my recitation, I found that the jinnee was not a Muslim. I invited him to Islaam, and he accepted and then left her.

Q. Was his voice different from your brother’s wife’s voice?
A. Yes, it was the voice of a male.

Q. How old was the woman?
A. She was 25 years old. It is the Qur’ânic verses which can control the jinn, Muslim or non-Muslim. Some are rebellious and others are Muslim. Sometimes it may argue with the exorcist himself. We see that the churches are filled with magic, for when we ask the jinn questions, they say that they came from the church of George’s family. And the jinn are tough and try to destroy whoever is in their presence.

Q. What percentage of cases are true, demonic possession?
A. Some are imaginary. Women often imagine that someone has bewitched them or that the change of their husband’s treatment is due to a magic spell put upon their husbands.

The first sign of possession in a woman is that her menses becomes irregular. She also feels a kind of suffocation which is quite different from psychological depression or medical asphyxia. It comes to her at night in the form of a nightmare, even if she is regular in her formal prayers and uses the prescribed daily supplications. At the end of her treatment she listens to a tape of the verses which I mentioned earlier. When she listens to the tape alone, she discovers her life changing. She becomes imbalanced at first. In the beginning, I greet the jinnee with salutations of peace. If it is a Muslim, it replies, and if not, it does not reply. I then begin to address it with any other greetings, and it replies, informing me that it is not a Muslim. After speaking to it, it leaves the woman, freeing her from all of the afflicting pains, from headaches to infertility and other symptoms which doctors are unable to cure.
On one occasion during an argument between a woman and her husband, the wife lost her speech. Her tongue refused to function, and she became very depressed. She saw a doctor who was unable to determine the medical cause, so he sent her to me. I recited over her the verses I mentioned earlier and called the adhaan. At the end of the adhaan, the woman began to speak again. She made the declaration of faith (shahaadah), and the jinnee left her.

Q. From your experience, what are the reasons why jinn possess people?
A. Jinn enter human bodies when man commits errors. However, if he lives according to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet () and uses the prescribed supplications and prayer shields (tahassunaat) which the Prophet () taught us, he will not be afflicted by the jinn. The jinn may afflict one who is far from supplications, the Sunnah and Qur’ânic recitations. Such an affliction can be quite destructive. Sometimes when marital partners argue for no reason, the husband will report that he saw his wife looking quite unnatural, and she say likewise about him. This is a form of magical spell called “the reversal” (qalb). It existed during the era of Moses and is still around today. The wife may become possessed or bewitched. When a jinnee enters a human body, it wishes the body to remain in its possession. It may practice evil with the woman in her eating and drinking habits, in her sleep, etc. It may enter the toilet with her when she goes to relieve herself. If you ask her if she spends a long time in the toilet relieving herself, she will reply, “Yes, I do although I do not need to spend all of that time in there.” This is because the jinn want her in that state in order to see her exposed private parts.

Q. What are the other reasons?
A. The jinn may fall in love with a woman. When we perform intercourse, we are supposed to say, “O Allaah, remove the devil from us and from whatever offspring Your provide us.” It may be deduced from this prayer that the devil may take part when a man has intercourse with his wife. As Allaah, Most Great and Glorious, said to Satan in Soorah al-Israa’:
“Share in their wealth and children.”[5]
Satan does not have power of the true servants of Allaah who pray regularly and read the Qur’aan. When you enter a house, you may find most of its occupants are afflicted with some sort of from of demonic possession (mass). And when you ask the head of the household in he prays, he will say no. The house is in ruins and thus the devils enter.

Q. What is the percentage of possessed women in relationship to men?
A. The greater majority are women, about 95 percent, because they like to adorn themselves, display their beauty, and are disobedient. I have only encountered one possessed woman who was pious. She attended one of my lectures and after I recited the verses, we heard her scream. She was known to pray regularly and had memorized much of the Qur’aan, so I asked her what was wrong with her, and she replied in a man’s voice, “I am ‘Alee.” I asked him, “Are you a Muslim?” and he replied, “Yes.” I asked, “How did you enter her?” He said, “She poured hot water outside and hurt me.” I told him, “Get out!” and he left her. She was 28 years old.

Q. How did you know that she was possessed?
A. She said that when she poured hot water she felt as though there was fire in her leg. Some people sense the jinn’s entrance while others do not.

Q. From your experience, do male jinn enter women and female jinn enter men?
A. If a woman harms a female jinnee, it will enter her. Sometimes we have found both male and female jinn inside of a single person. Sometimes, when you say to it, “Sent out So-and-so,” it turns out to be only one jinnee pretending to be different people.

Q. Do they have names?
A. Yes, they do have names. However, on one occasion, I asked a jinnee about its name and it replied that it was the number thirty-six. When I asked about its tribe, it said it was from Banee al-Asfaar. And when I inquired about the location of its home, it replied that it was Printing Press Road.

Q. Is it common for a male jinn to affect a woman?
A. Yes. It is the usual case for women to be possessed by male jinn and men by female jinn. I saw one case in which a man was possessed by a female jinnee who was a non-Muslim. He used to have terrible fits whenever he recited the Qur’aan. I told her that he was going to get married soon and she screamed. After great effort, she was made to leave.

Q. Are possessing jinn usually Muslims or non-Muslims?
A. In reality, jinn may be both. But Muslim jinn only enter if they are hurt, while non-Muslim jinn will enter whether hurt or not. Most often they are non-Muslims.

Q. Do the jinn settle in a particular portion of the human body?
A. Usually they spread throughout the whole body. The Prophet () said, “Certainly the devil flows in the veins of Aadam’s descendants.” And in another narration, “Satan circulates in Aadam’s descendants like blood.” In some cases, I ask the jinnee to congregate in one specific place.

Q. Have you experienced any attempt to possess you?
A. The jinn have tribes and families. They are just like us. They will try to take revenge on the one who removes them. One time, they tried to affect my son, Ahmad.

Notes:
[1] Qur’aan, 2:163.
[2] Qur’aan, 3:18.
[3] Qur’aan, 7:54.
[4] Qur’aan, 23:115.
[5] Qur’aan, 17:64.

Interview #2 with Muslim Exorcist

Interview No. 2

Location: CairoDate: 9/8/88
Name: ‘Abdul-Khaaliq al-‘Attaar
Date of Birth: 1920
Place of Birth: Cairo
Education: Law degree from Cairo University, 1950. Memorized complete Qur’aan and studied sharee‘ah at the College of Law.

Q. When and why did you begin to practice exorcism?
A. About forty years ago one of my sons was afflicted by the jinn – although I did not know it at the time – and his sickness became a major problem for me. I went to many psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, brain specialists and a variety of medical doctors for treatment. But after every visit to the medical specialists his sickness became worse. Around that time, I happened to be reading Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah’s book, Zaad al-Ma‘aad. In a chapter on the treatment of the possessed, I noticed that the symptoms of the possessed were the same as those shown by my son. The prescribed treatment mentioned in the chapter was the recitation of some Qur’ânic verses and prophetic supplications. So I recited over my son and he began to get better. His condition improved the more I recited until he became completely well – by the permission of Allaah. From that moment I felt a great desire to increase my knowledge of this science. Day and night I began to research the topic of the world of jinn, the devils and the angels. I read many books and many terrible ones. However – by the grace of Allaah – whenever I came across new information, I would not adopt it until after I had checked its authenticity based upon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. What was confirmed, I accepted and what was not, I rejected. The correct information I recorded in my own notebooks until I had gathered many such notebooks and a large quantity of material. I then read extensively the writings of Imaam Ibn Taymeeyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) and his student Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim. Then I began to organize the information in chapters which lead – by the mercy of Allaah – to my writing of 30 books in the form of manuscripts about Qur’ânic medicine (at-Tibb al-Qur’aanee) and prophetic medicine (at-Tibb an-Nabawee). These books are ready for publication; however, due to my limited resources, I have been unable to publish any of them to date.

Q. What percentage of the cases you meet are actual cases of demonic possession?
A. When I visit someone or someone is brought to me who believes that he is affected by magic, evil eye, or the jinn, my first session is an examination (fahs) and giving advice. The method of examination is quite simple. Anyone afflicted by magic, evil eye or jinn attack must show some symptoms of the affliction, which I call, “symptoms of satanic bonding.” The symptoms have peculiarities like the symptoms of any other sickness, such as influenza and rheumatism. During the examination I, therefore, ask about the symptoms which may appear in both the walking state as well as during sleep. Symptoms during sleep include nightmares, sleeplessness, broken sleep, uneasiness, the grinding of teeth, and dreams of Satan in the form of carnivorous animals. Then I ask about symptoms while awake, such as feelings of anxiety, forgetfulness, hopelessness, lethargy and immobility. Included among the signs are being easily angered, crying, and staring aimlessly or avoiding eyes of others. If the patient displays such symptoms during his walking and sleeping states, I recite upon him some Qur’ânic verses. If he is possessed, the jinnee may begin at this point to talk either with the voice of the person or another voice. Sometimes it will use foul language, curse those present or strike and kick. It may reveal why it possessed the person and when it did so. It may also reveal if there are others present. Psychiatrists diagnose this as schizophrenia or dual personality. If a jinnee speaks through a human telling its name, religion and condition, they call it dual personality. If a jinnee does not speak but the person’s personality goes through a major change, they call it schizophrenia.

Q. Are there other signs, like bad smells or an unnatural smile, that are common to possessed?
A. In reality, when a jinnee bonds with a human, there are innumerable signs. Among them are laughter and crying for no reason. These symptoms were well-known to the medical profession and are explained as a result of overactivity or underactivity of certain glands. We know in spiritual medicine that this is due to demons playing with the glands, causing them to over-secrete or to decrease their secretions, therefore causing sudden changes in personality and swift mood shifts. The possessed person may also exhibit supernatural strength.

Q. What is the percentage of real cases of possession among your patients?
A. My shaykh and mentor, Imaam Ibn Taymeeyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him), who died more than 700 years ago, said in al-Fataawaaa the following, excellent statement, “If the veil were removed from the people of this time (Ibn Taymeeyah’s time, over 700 years ago), we would find most of the people of this time are possessed by demons.” If that was the case 700 years ago, what can we say about this age in which filth is widespread and the means of demonic possession are abundant. This is a time of sport and play, disobedience and corruption. The percentage of those possessed is very startling – may Allaah protect us all. Those spared demonic influence are very few, while those under attack are many. Allaah, the Almighty said in Soorah an-Nisaa’:
“…rebellious devil, cursed by Allaah, said, ‘I will surely take a definite portion of Your servants and mislead them. I will create in them false desires and order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the creation of Allaah….’”[1]
They are many. And Almighty Allaah’s statement:
“And Satan proved his idea to be true on them, and they all followed him except a group of those who believed.”[2]
So in reality, the percentage of those under satanic influence in the world today is extremely high. And there is a need everywhere for thousands and thousands of exorcists in order to help mankind achieve bliss in this life. There are a number of real sickness which the medical profession, past and present, in the East and in the West, has been unable to cure, and the cure lies only in the Noble Qur’aan. The medical profession readily admits it has not advanced over the years in its ability to cure problems such as epilepsy, bewitchment, and schizophrenia. In reality, those touched by Satan are so many and their percentage is rapidly increasing. Yet, those involved in treating them according to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah are so few that one cannot but fear for the future of mankind if a solution is not found. By Allaah’s blessing, I am working on passing on knowledge of this science to many young people. But resources to do this effectively are very limited.

Q. From your own experience, what are the main reasons why people are possessed?
A. I have written a chapter in my book, Iqtiraan ash-Shaytaan bi al-Insaan,[3] specifically for this question. There are exactly six reasons: 1) extreme fear, 2) extreme anger, 3) extreme jealousy, 4) devotion to lust, 5) human aggression against devils, and 6) love of demons for humans. Human aggression could be in the form of pouring hot water on the places where devils reside or urinating in holes or cracks in the ground. The Prophet () prohibited us from urinating in holes and cracks in the earth because they are places where the jinn reside. The love of demons for humans is very, very common. When male jinn possess human females and we communicate with them, they often readily admit that they are in love with them. And when female jinn possess men, they often express the same.

Q. What is the percentage of females among your patients?
A. They are about 70 percent of the cases. The percentage of possession among women is greater then it is among men. And this percentage is consistent with the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. On one occasion, the Prophet () visited a group of women and said, “Give in charity, because I was shown that you made up most of the inhabitants of the Fire.” When he was asked why, he replied, “You deny the good your husbands do whenever he makes a single mistake.”[4]

Q. You mentioned about male jinn possessing human females and female jinn possessing men. Is this always the case?
A. No. Sometimes female jinn possess human females and male jinn possess men. But I am unable to give you percentage as I did not keep a record of this.

Q. When jinn speak through humans, do they use the same voice of the possessed? If not, what is the percentage?
A. The Prophet () used to seek refuge in Allaah from what appears at night and is hidden during the day, and what is hidden at night and appears during the day.[5] And he also used to seek refuge in Allaah from every [evil] which announces itself and every [evil] which hides.[6] That which appears at night is that which speaks and that which is hidden is that which does not. Thus, speaking or not speaking of a jinnee through the voice of possessed is found in the Sunnah of the Prophet (). Even in the cases when the Prophet () treated those possessed, the jinnee did not speak with him or respond to him. The Prophet () struck the possessed person and said, “Get out, O enemy of Allaah, for I am the Messenger of Allaah!” And the jinnee did not reply to the Prophet (). But, in the case of the jinnee who was searching food and was caught by Aboo Hurayrah, it spoke with him. Also, the jinnee who possessed ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood communicated with him. Likewise, the jinnee who was beaten by ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab spoke with him. Another example is the female jinnee who spoke to Imaam Ibn Taymeeyah in the presence of his student, Ibn al-Qayyim, saying, “I love him.” And Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah replied, “But he does not love you.” It then said, “I want to make hajj with him.” And Ibn Taymeeyah replied, “But he does not want to make hajj with you.” It said, “Then I will leave him for your sake.” Ibn Taymeeyah said, “No. Leave him in obedience to Allaah’s command.” This incident can be found in Ibn al-Qayyim’s book Zaad al-Ma‘aad in the chapter on prophetic guidance for treating the possessed. Likewise during the reign of the ‘Abbaasee caliph, Mutawakkil, the caliph informed Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal that one of his slave girls was possessed. Imaam Ahmad sent one of his students with a pair of wooden slippers and told him to tell the jinnee. “It is not permissible for you to inhabit this woman’s body, and Ahmad commands you to leave this woman’s body.” Al-Mutawwakil and others present heard the woman speak in a gruff, male voice, saying, “Ahmad’s command is welcome. For Ahmad is one who has obeyed Allaah, and Allaah has made everything obedient to him. If Ahmad ordered us to leave ‘Iraaq, we would leave.” Today, in many cases the jinn do speak, but in many other cases they do not.

Q. Is possession a swift process or does it take a long time, like months or years?
A. Medical doctors say that epilepsy is a sudden, unknown change in the electrical discharges of the brain. They say that there are more than 40 million electric discharges of the brain, and it is like a small electrical generating station. It produces electricity and distributes it throughout the other parts of the body. According to doctors, an epileptic fit occurs when there is a sudden surge in the electrical discharge of the brain. This overloads the circuit and leads to dysfunction in the body parts and becomes manifest in shaking, stiffness in the body parts, drooling and foaming at the mouth and staring lasting for a few brief moments. When we see such conditions, we call the adhaan in the epileptic’s right ear and call the iqaamah in the left ear and – by Allaah’s will – he becomes cured and returns to his normal state. Although the medical profession, ancient and modern, does not know the cause of the sudden increase in the electrical discharges of the brain, the Prophet () indicated a cause. In a hadeeth reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), a black woman came to the Prophet () and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am overcome with fits and take off my clothes.” [and in another narration, “Verily, the evil jinnee takes off my clothes.”][7] In this hadeeth the Prophet () confirmed that it is the devil who causes people to fall down in fits. It has been demonstrated that the cause is demonic from the many cases in which we have called the adhaan in the ears of those in epileptic fits, and consequently the fits ceased. For the Prophet () has stated, “When Satan hears the adhaan, he turns and flees.” This is in the case of complete possession (sara‘ kullee). There are other types of possession in which humans are affected, like migraine headaches (sudaa‘ nisfee), insomnia (araq), depression, introversion (intiwaa) or pains occurring in different parts of the body at various times. The possessing demon who inhabits the human brain is able to vary cerebral electric discharges – by the will of Allaah – and affect the body parts with a variety of ailments. For example, it may affect the man’s tongue so that he cannot speak, his ears so that he cannot hear, his eyes so that he cannot see, or his hands so they tremble and become paralyzed. These are all various types of possession.

Q. Have you experienced the jinn speaking in languages other than that of the possessed person?
A. I have found many cases in which the jinn speak in other languages or other dialects common to other regions of the country.

Q. Do the jinn enter the human body from particular points, like the mouth, eyes or hand?
A. There are three types of jinn. One type consists of animals, such as dogs, snakes, donkeys and mules. These give birth to offspring like themselves. A dog-jinnee give birth to a dog-jinnee and a snake-jinnee gives birth to a snake-jinnee. Another type flies in the air, like the one mentioned in Soorah an-Naml: “And ‘ifreet among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you can rise from your position, for surely I am strong and trustworthy for that purpose.’ ”[8] I consider this type of jinnee like the TV picture which is transferred through the air. The jinn which enters the bodies of humans are from this type. Allaah referred to them at the beginning of Soorah al-A‘raaf: “Surely, he and his tribe see you from a position where you cannot see them…”[9] This verse means that the jinn see us, but we cannot see them. Air is with us everywhere. We sense it and are certain about its existence, but we cannot see it. The jinn are just like air, which is the meaning of Almighty Allaah’s statement in Soorah ar-Rahmaan: “And He created the jinn from a flame (maarij) of fire.”[10] Maarij is the hot air which is above the fire. Thus, the jinnee which enters the human body is not of the type which has a material form, like that of a human, donkey or dog. This type has a fine, invisible, ethereal (hawaa’ee) body. And it enters the body just like air does through the open orifices, like the mouth, the nose and the anus. Even the pores of the skin allow air to enter and thus become ports of entrance for the jinn. If we drink water in the summer, the water spreads throughout the body and passes out through the pores in the skin. Air also enters and along with it the jinn of this kind. However, the jinn usually live in the toilet areas use for defecation, urination and bathing. This is based upon the Prophet’s statement,
“Surely, these hushoosh are inhabited.”[11]
The hushoosh are the places used by humans to relieve and clean themselves. Thus, Muslims are enjoined to recite the following supplication before entering such places, “O Allaah, I seek refuge in you from the evil male and female jinn.” The jinn find it easiest to enter from the anus so this is the most common entrance. However, they also gain access from other orifices, including the eye.

Q. And how do they leave?
A. From the same places that they enter.

Q. In which part of the human body do the jinn dwell?
A. When the jinn enter the human body, they settle in the control center of the body – the brain. The concentrate in the brain and conceal the human mind, making the person lose consciousness in a way similar to hypnotism. Then they manifest themselves and take control of the body through the brain. However, this does not mean that they only concentrate in the brain. They may concentrate in other body parts and organs, thereby leaving the brain.

Q. During exorcisms have you ever experienced any attempts by the jinn to possess you?
A. I praise Allaah and give thanks to Him in the way appropriate to His glory. My shaykh, Ibn Taymeeyah (may Allaah have mercy upon him) said in his book, al-Fataawaa, “Applying this knowledge of spiritual medicine and/or Qur’ânic medicine is compulsory upon whoever learns it. Because it is equivalent to relieving the troubled, helping the oppressed, liberating the distressed and supporting the weak. It is among the greatest branches of fighting in the path of Allaah (jihaad fee sabeelillaah).” He also said, “Those who work in this field are feared by the jinn because they know that they (i.e., the exorcists) do it as a means of pleasing Allaah. Thus, Allaah places in the soul of the jinnee a fear of the exorcist.” I have never experienced a jinnee attack while I was awake. However, if I go to sleep without making the protective supplications, the jinn hurt me during my sleep and make me restless. Whenever this happens, I awaken quickly and recite the supplications of divine refuge (ta’awwudhaat) and protection, and Allaah protects me.

Q. Since you began exorcising people over 40 years ago, have any of your family members been possessed?
A. I have not experienced it within my family. However, whenever devils fail in their attack on the human soul, they will try an external attack by setting his family against him, such as his wife, child, mother, father or leader. But such attacks are comparatively mild. If the exorcist has strong faith in Allaah and is truthful and pious, external attacks will also fail. I would like to advise those who wish to work in this field to be careful. On one occasion when I was exorcising a jinnee by the name of Jibreel, who had been severely hurting a woman (and this was around the time I began exorcising), I said to it, “Jibreel, leave the woman and come into my body. Give her a break. Perhaps Allaah will give me more strength and health to bear your presence.” Jibreel was silent for a moment, then he said, “From where will I enter you? From which part can I? I took this as glad tidings from Allaah that He was protecting me by sending angels who would ward off the evil of the jinn. For Allaah has made a type of angel which is specifically for the protection of humans, according to the text of the Qur’aan:
“Surely, every soul has a protector over it.”[12]
“Each [person] has a succession of angels in front of him and behind him, protecting him by Allaah’s command.”[13]
“He is the Irresistible, high above His servants, and He sends protectors over you…”[14]
Whenever Allaah sees His servants being sincere and in constant worship, working in the service of mankind and Islaam, He protects the servant from the evil jinn by sending angels to protect him. I thank Allaah for protecting me and all who work in this field.

Q. You mentioned earlier that your first session with a patient is an examination. If it leads to the conclusion that the patient is possessed, what is your next step?
A. I begin the treatment sessions (jalasaat al-‘ilaaj). These sittings vary in length and number depending upon the case involved. The first of these sessions I call “purification of the heart” (“tat-heer al-qalb”). The idea being that the faith of the person whom I am to treat must be clear and pure. There should not be in his faith any paganism, evil, disbelief, hypocrisy or falsity. I therefore clean the heart first so that when the verses of treatment are read, they meet a pure heart. Otherwise, the verses will meet a defiled, sick heart not capable of treatment. This is comparable to planting a seed in infertile ground. It will not grow, but not due to any defect in the seed. The ground was not prepared for cultivation.
The Third sitting I have named “purification of the psyche” (“tazkiyah an-nafs”), for Allaah has created man with a heart, mind, spirit/soul (rooh), psyche and a body. The treatments are aimed at the first four elements. The soul (nafs) is a combination of cravings (shahwah), instincts (ghareezah), emotions (‘aatifah) and inclinations (naz‘ah). So, we purify the sick patient’s psyche. If he smokes, drinks, gambles, lusts after women or is corrupt in any way, we purify it so that the psyche can help the heart. I also try to purify the psyche of other sicknesses, like anger, hatred, malice, jealousy, conceit, pride, arrogance, intemperance, greed and stinginess. This session is no less important than the second, for it is by the way of the evil psyche that the possessing jinnee establishes itself. Consequently, this level of treatment may require two, three or four sittings until the psyche of the patient is purified and contented. After this treatment, the psyche does not whisper to itself and it will block the whisperings of the devils.
The fourth sitting concentrates on the mind, and I refer to it as “cleaning the mind” (“tanqiyah al-‘aql”). In this session I address how a person spends much of his time. If he reads useless materials, like love stories, pornographic materials, detective stories and newspaper articles, it only increase his remoteness from Allaah. I advise those who read such materials to give them up and replace them with reading the Qur’aan and its exegesis, authentic books of hadeeth, and books of law. I also encourage them to read useful books in other fields, like mathematics, philosophy, physics, engineering, etc.
The final treatment can be one session or as many as six to twelve sessions. I call it “removing the spirit” (“takhlees ar-rooh”). It consists of removing the evil spirit from its hold on the human spirit. This is in accordance with a hadeeth recorded in the Musnad of Ahmad in which a companion of the Prophet () passed by a mad person and recited over him a legal ruqyah for six days, morning and evening.[15] Also in the hadeeth of Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree, Ibn Mas‘ood and others, it is recorded that the legal ruqyah should be repeated twice per day for six days. If it produces results, fine. If it does not, it means that something is incomplete from the previous steps. Therefore, I go back over all of the sessions and check the state of the patient.
These sessions are followed by the prescription of precautionary measures (tahaffuzaat). When a patient gets well, doctors usually advise him to avoid certain foods in order to prevent the reoccurrence of the sickness. I do the same. I advise the patient to give up watching TV – especially the useless programs, to be consistent in performing his daily acts of worship, to get up at night for voluntary prayer, to read certain Qur’ânic verses daily, to repeat the declaration of faith a hundred times daily, to seek forgiveness from Allaah, to pray for the Prophet ().

Q. Do you use in your treatment physical techniques like tying fingers or tying hair, burning incense, rubbing olive oil, salt or beating?
A. There are no authentic narrations to support the use of salt except in cases of scorpion stings. There is no basis for using either it, oil or other such things to treat jinn-possession. Likewise, the use of amulets (hijaab,[16] ta‘weedh and tameemah) which are worn around different parts of the body are completely forbidden. Regarding beating, it is authentically reported that the Prophet () utilized it, and Shaykh Ibn Taymeeyah also used a stick beat a patient possessed by a jinnee. However, I advise my young brothers who are working in this field not to use beating at all, because the use of beating has guidelines and conditions. We do not beat the possessed human, but the jinnee which has possessed the human. And this requires a high level of skill and discernment to be able to accurately know who the exorcist is hitting. For if he is hits the possessed person, it is prohibited in divine law, and it would only increase the suffering of the patient. The details of this, I cannot go right into now, because it would require a very long sitting to explain exactly how to determine the appropriate time to hit. At any rate, I do advise the beginners in this field not to use beating. And even the beating used by many is far too violent and is applied to very dangerous areas of the body. It should only be on the behind, the shoulders or the extremities of the hands of feet. As to hitting the face, eyes or head with sandals and sticks, it is forbidden. However, if the exorcist has had much experience and insight, and he is absolutely certain that it is the jinnee which is present, he may do as the Prophet () did.

Q. What is your opinion about recitation over oil and rubbing with it?
A. These methods are not forbidden according to Islâmic law. They are permissible and have some basis in the religion. Before going to sleep, the Prophet () used to recite the quls in his palms, blow in them, and then wipe his hands over whatever his hands could reach of his body, beginning with his face. On the basis of this, the companion Ibn ‘Abbaas, and also Ibn Taymeeyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other Muslim scholars permitted the recitation of Qur’aan on pure olive oil. There are verses in Soorah an-Noor (24) and Soorah at-Teen (95) which indicate that olive oil is blessed. Qur’ânic verses may also be read over other substances like musk oil, saffron, rose water or drinking water. Subsequently, the patient drinks or bathes with these. However, one who bathes with such fluids must do so in a place where the fuids will not flow into sewage pipes or other filthy places. The liquids used should be collected in a special container and thrown on the roadside.

Q. During treatment do you have to seek assistance to hold the patient down?
A. Sometimes when a person is possessed, the jinnee causes him to make unusual movements like punching, getting up and sitting down, and breaking things. I may need help in holding down his legs and arms, and then I begin to recite over him.

Q. Could you recount some of your more recent and unusual cases?
A. I have treated many patients and my students have recorded on tape the conversations, actions and words which are used in these gatherings. Each case is on a 60 minute tape.

Q. Do disbelieving jinn possess Muslims?
A. The world of the jinn is similar to the world of man. There are no rules in this matter. All possible permutations occur.

Q. Can more than one jinnee possess a person at the same time?
A. From my experience, this is possible. In fact, in some of my taped exorcisms, you can hear the removal of six or more jinn from some possessed people.

Q. Have you treated non-Muslims who were possessed?
A. Some have come. However, I inform them that I only treat with the Qur’aan, or I do not treat them. Most Christian Egyptians who have come to me have welcomed treatment with the Qur’aan and have experienced successful cures – all praise belongs to Allaah. And a number of them have converted to Islaam by the grace of Allaah.

Q. How do jinn benefit from the possession of humans?
A. Allaah has created the jinn to live in isolated areas, deserts, refuse dumps, graveyards and animal pens. Jinn-animals eat feces and jinn eat bones. The jinn are definitely on a level below humans, as a result of Allaah’s favors which He gives to whomsoever He wishes. Allaah said in Soorah al-Israa’:
“We have honored the children of Aadam, carried them on the land and on the sea, provided them with good things and greatly preferred them over much of what We have created.”[17]
Consequently, jinn accompany humans in order to enjoy some of that favor with which Allaah has honored men. They try to partake of the good food, drink, clothes, sex and sleep. This good life tempts the jinn into attacking humans.

Q. Do jinn take pleasure by having sex with humans?
A. There is a verse in Soorah al-An‘aam in which our blessed, Almighty Lord said:
“Our Lord, some of us took pleasure one from the other, and we have reached the term which You appointed for us.”[18]
Actually, all the Qur’ânic exegetes understand the pleasure taken here to refer to jinn’s misguidance of men and man’s worship of the jinn. They consider the taking of pleasure to only mean obedience and following. However, the Qur’aan should be interpreted first by its own verses. This verse should be understood along with the Almighty’s statement in Soorah Muhammad:
“Those who disbelieve take pleasure and eat as animals do, and the Fire will be their home.”[19]
Do animals follow jinn or do jinn misguide animals? No. The taking of pleasure here refers to the fulfillment of sexual desire. Thus, the “pleasure” mentioned in Soorah al-An‘aam can also include sexual pleasure enjoyed by males and females. This is what happens when a man or woman has a wet dream. And I have dealt with many cases where male jinn were taking pleasure from women and female jinn were taking pleasure from men.

Q. Do jinn possess believing Muslims who are conscientious in their religious practices?
A. This only happens to those of weak faith. The jinn have no power over the true believers. The Almighty said:
“You will have no authority over My servants, except those among the misguided who follow you.”[20]
“He (i.e., Satan) said, ‘By your power, I will surely mislead them all, except Your sincere, chosen servants.’”[21]
The true believers and sincere worshippers of Allaah are protected by Him, so the devils cannot possess them. On the other hand, the devils play with worshippers of Satan who disobey Allaah in the same way that children pray football.

Q. If that be the case, how do you explain the hadeeth of the woman who was overcome by fits, yet the companions bore witness that she would be among the people of Paradise?
A. Sara‘ is of two types: fits caused by jinn and those caused by biological reasons which Ibn al-Qayyim called sara‘ min al-akhlaat. Thus, seizures may be from jinn-possession or they may be from a chemical imbalance in the brain or the nervous system. Jinn-possession is treated most effectively by the Qur’aan, because it is a spirit treating another spirit. Demonic possession is like the loss of sight or hearing. It may be a test from Allaah. The Prophet () told the woman, “If you are patient, your reward is Paradise.”

Q. How do you explain a Christian priest’s successful exorcism of patients?
A. The non-Muslim in this field works with the jinn. The jinn may ease the pain for a week or months in order that the patient put his trust in the disbelieving healer. If he were a Muslim patient, his faith would be lost. For only the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah and only it can heal the spirit. The Prophet () said,
“Whoever visits a fortuneteller, his prayer will not be accepted for 40 days.”[22]
And he also said,
“Whoever believes a fortuneteller has disbelieved in the religion that Muhammad brought.”[23]

Q. How do you distinguish between someone who is suffering from bewitchment and one suffering from the evil eye?
A. They are very similar, and they are both a product of the jinnee attacking itself within a person. The distinction comes in the treatment. The longest lasting and more difficult to cure is from magic spells and the easiest to treat are seizures (sara‘). As to the Prophet’s bewitchment, some scholars have declared it false even though the narrations are highly accurate, without any discrepancy in their chain of narrators or in their text. These scholars have allowed their limited minds to determine right and wrong in the religion. This is an error on their part. There are different types of magic: habal (dimwittedness), khabal (confusion) and ‘abat (stupidity). These all effect the mind of the bewitched person. There is another kind called sihr al-jawaarih wal-a‘daa’ (magic of the limbs and the organs) which does not affect the mind but affects one of the organs, like the hand or the genitals. The type which affected the Prophet () was the second type in which his mind was not affected at all. For him to be affected is not strange because he was a human being and affected by many sicknesses. He was wounded, his incisor tooth was broken, he was cursed, made fun of, called a fortuneteller, a magician and a madman. He was an example for us of one who suffered as we do, but was patient and accepted his fate. The hadeeth about the Prophet’s bewitchment in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim reported by ‘Aa’ishah states that he used to think that he had come to his wife when he did not. And in the other books of traditions it is mentioned that he would think he had done something which he had not. That was merely forgetfulness, which all the prophets were subject to. The Almighty said in Soorah Yoosuf.
“But Satan made him forget to remember his Lord, and he remained in prison for a few [more] years.”[24]
And in Soorah al-An‘aam:
“And if Satan causes you to forget, do not remain in the company of transgressors after you have remembered.”[25]
And in Soorah al-Kahf:
“None made me forget it except Satan, and amazingly it took its way back to the sea.”[26]
The Prophet () prayed a four unit prayer and concluded it with salaams after the second unit. The companion, Dhul-Yadayn said to him, “Has the prayer been shortened or did you forget, O Messenger of Allaah?” The Prophet () said, “The prayer has not been shortened and I did not forget.” The companion told him that he only prayed two units. The Prophet () than asked the other companions if what he said was correct, and they confirmed it. So the Prophet () got up and prayed with them two more units of prayer.[27] Consequently, forgetfulness can happen to prophets and this is not considered mental disorder (habal) in any sense of the term.

Q. What do you recite over those suffering from possession, magic and the evil eye?
A. There are incantations called ruqyah al-mas-hoor, others called ruqyah al-mahsood, a third, ruqyah al-masroo‘ and ruqyah al-mareed. I have gathered the many narrations from the Prophet () and placed them under these headings in a large, unpublished volume, which I have entitled, Wasaa’il Himaayah al-Insaan min Masaa’ib ash-Shaytaan. Time does not permit me to go through them at this point.

Notes:
[1] Qur’aan, 4:118-119.
[2] Qur’aan, 34:20.
[3] An unpublished manuscript, as mentioned earlier.
[4] See Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 7, pp. 95-6, no.125, and Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, pp. 431-2, no. 1982.
[5] A‘oodhu billaahi tabaaraka wa ta‘aalaa min sharri maa yazharu bil-layli wa yazharu bin-nahaari wa yakmuni bil-layl.
[6] A‘oodhu billaahi min sharri kulli mu‘lin wa musirr.
[7] A wording close to this was collected by al-Bazzaar in his Musnad: “Verily, the evil [jinnee] overcomes me….Verily, I fear that the evil [jinnee] will take off my clothes.” However, Ibn Hajr said, “We don’t know any isnaad for this wording except this one…and Farqad (one of its narrators) has a bad memory.” (Mukhtasir Zawaa’id Musnad al-Bazzaar, vol. 1, pp. 336-7, no. 535.)
[8] Qur’aan, 27:39,
[9] Qur’aan, 7:27,
[10] Qur’aan, 55:15,
[11] Collected by Aboo Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.1, p.2, no.6) and Ibn Maajah (Sunan Ibn-e-Majah, vol. 1, p. 171, p. 296) and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol.1, p.4, no.4.
[12] Qur’aan, 86:4.
[13] Qur’aan, 13:11.
[14] Qur’aan, 6:61.
[15] The recitation was for three days, twice a day. See Mawsoo‘ah al-Hadeeth ash-Shareef, Musnad al-Imaam Ahmad, nos. 20833-4.
[16] The name given to an amulet consisting of a sheet of paper on which Qur’ânic verses are written and folded into a rectangle or square. It is then covered with thick cloth, leather or tin and a thread is added so that it may be worn around the ankle, waist or neck. This is usually given after recovery as a sealing treatment. See Fugara Techniques of Mental Healing, p. 44.
[17] Qur’aan, 17:70.
[18] Qur’aan, 6:128.
[19] Qur’aan, 47:12.
[20] Qur’aan, 15:42.
[21] Qur’aan, 38:82-83.
[22] Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1211, no. 5540.
[23] Collected by Ahmad, Aboo Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 3, p. 1095, no. 3895), at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah, and others. Authenticated by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2, p. 789, no. 3304. The wording is that of Ahmad’s version.
[24] Qur’aan, 12:42. This verse has two valid interpretations: either, “Satan made the servant forget to mention Prophet Yoosuf’s ability to interpret dreams to his lord (i.e., his master” or “Satan made Yoosuf forget to ask help from his Lord (i.e., Allaah) instead of others.” See The Noble Qur’aan, p. 347.
[25] Qur’aan, 6:68.
[26] Qur’aan, 18:63.
[27] See Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 278-9, no. 469, and Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 285-6, nos. 1182-4.