The Ancient Arab Spirits Who Have Been Creeping People Out For Centuries

What is a Jinn?

Imam Ali Conquers Jinn, from the book Ahsan-ol-Kobar, exhibited at Iran’s Golestan Palace. 1568.

While jinn are mentioned in the Qur’an and are thus part of Islam, these spirits are not worshipped in the faith. Thought to transcend the boundaries of the physical world, they are said to be made of “smokeless fire.”

Pre-Islamic Arabs believed that jinn could control the elements, and turn plots of land fertile. While this might sound unnerving, jinn have also inspired some of the most revered classical Arab poets across history.

“Poets in pre-Islamic Arabia often said they had a special jinni that was their companion,” said Suneela Mubayi, a researcher of Arabic literature. “Sometimes they would attribute their verses to the jinn.”