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.