The origin of jinn, moral responsibility, and the qarin

Belief in the jinn is rooted in Islamic revelation. Like humankind, they are an accountable creation of Allah, subject to moral choice, divine commandments, and eternal judgment. Yet common lore often confuses their true nature, imagining devils as inherently evil beings created without free will, or reducing the companion spirit (qarin) to an inescapable curse. A faithful study begins with what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have taught, distinguishing revealed certainty from scholarly deduction and popular myth.^[1][2]

This article follows the second episode of al-Sabeel's series, examining the primordial origin of jinn, debates surrounding their ancestral progenitor, whether any creatures were created as devils without agency, and how to understand the phenomenon of the qarin.

Introduction: Foundations and Sincere Inquiry

Inquiries concerning the unseen world (al-ghayb) demand intellectual humility and spiritual discipline. Revelation details what is essential for human salvation and guidance, while leaving many secondary mechanics unmentioned. When exploring questions beyond the explicit text, Muslims historically encountered varying narratives—including transmissions from earlier religious communities (Isra'iliyyat) and personal testimonies. In our own time, accounts from occult practitioners, reformed sorcerers, and cross-cultural claims add further layers of reportage.^[2]

Ahmad Dadoosh cautions that religious inquiry must not devolve into intellectual arrogance or vain debate. The Prophet ﷺ warned that whoever seeks religious knowledge to compete with scholars, argue with the foolish, or turn people's attention toward themselves will be brought into Hell. Sincere study seeks only truth and beneficial understanding that pleases Allah.^[3]

Disagreements regarding peripheral details of the unseen—such as the exact physical biology of jinn or the precise name of their original ancestor—do not touch the core pillars of Islamic creed (aqidah), nor do they dictate practical legal duties. When evaluating conflicting classical opinions or proposing contemporary syntheses, scholars and students must maintain mutual charity and rigorous fidelity to scripture.^[2]

The Origin of Jinn and Their Lineage

The primordial origin of jinn is settled by divine text: they were created from fire. The Qur'an states that the jann was created from a smokeless flame of fire (marij min nar). In Sahih Muslim, 'A'ishah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Angels were created from light, jinn from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam from that which has been described to you."^[4][5]

Creation from fire describes their elemental origin, just as humankind's origin from dust and clay does not mean human flesh is dry earth. Contemporary thinkers have suggested analogies such as plasma or ionized matter to conceptualize a subtle body possessing energy and structure; such models remain speculative hypotheses rather than revealed truths. Jinn possess distinct bodies and spirits; upon death, their souls enter the realm of al-Barzakh. Classical scholars differed on whether their bodies are buried or dissipate; while compilations of historical anecdotes such as Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Hawatif al-Jinan record tales of people hearing jinn funerals, such stories remain unverified anecdotal transmissions.^[6][2]

A major classical discussion concerns their ancestor. The most widespread position among classical commentators—reported from Ibn 'Abbas, al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid, and Qatadah, and preferred by Ibn Taymiyyah—holds that Iblis is the father of all jinn, standing to them as Adam does to humanity, citing Surah al-Kahf: "Will you then take him and his progeny as allies besides Me?"^[7][8]

Dadoosh presents three principal objections to the view that Iblis is the forefather of all jinn: 1. The Qur'an addresses humanity against taking Iblis and his progeny as allies; yet revelation clearly establishes that righteous Muslims exist among the jinn. If all jinn were the biological offspring of Iblis and were inherently devils, this righteous contingent could not exist.^[9] 2. If "progeny" (dhurriyyah) means biological lineage exclusively, it would imply that devils arise only from a single family line, creating an uncomfortable theological implication of biological determinism for evil.^[2] 3. Surah al-Kahf explicitly states that Iblis "was of the jinn, and he rebelled against the command of his Lord." The past tense (kana min al-jinn) indicates that jinn existed as a distinct creation prior to Iblis's act of rebellion. It would be unnatural for an entire accountable race to be commanded to follow the lineage of an arch-rebel who was summoned among them.^[7]

Classical commentaries record alternative traditions. One report transmitted by al-Dahhak from Ibn 'Abbas distinguishes between ordinary mortal jinn and the progeny of Iblis who die only alongside him.^[10] Other early traditions, noted by al-Baghawi and Ibn Kathir, designate an original progenitor named Sumya or al-Jann who preceded Iblis.^[11] Furthermore, folkloric traditions regarding pre-Adamic races known as the Hinn and Binn who allegedly roamed the earth before being supplanted by jinn lack authenticated scriptural chains and must be treated as unverified historical lore.^[12]

A third possibility, suggested by the presenter, is that jinn encompass diverse ancestral lineages. The Prophet ﷺ described three distinct classes of jinn: "one class that has wings and flies in the air, one class of serpents and dogs, and one class that alights and journeys." This broad morphological and behavioral diversity aligns with the understanding that jinn represent a vast and varied creation rather than a narrow biological monoculture.^[13]

Were Some Created as Devils? Moral Agency and Free Will

The central theological truth governing jinn is moral accountability (taklif). The Qur'an explicitly defines the very purpose of their existence: "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." This fundamental declaration establishes that jinn possess moral agency, free will, and accountability.^[1]

The jinn themselves acknowledge this moral spectrum in Surah al-Jinn: "And among us are the righteous, and among us are others; we were of divided ways... and among us are Muslims, and among us are the unjust." Ibn al-Qayyim observed that jinn, like humanity, occupy three primary tiers: the righteous (salihun), the intermediate or compromised (dun dhalik), and the outright disbelievers (al-qasitun).^[9][14]

Despite this clear foundation, a rare but problematic notion appears in some modern writings—such as Sheikh Ali al-Tantawi's introductory work Ta'rif 'Amm bi Din al-Islam—suggesting that while angels were created obedient without choice, devils might have been created inherently as devils without moral agency. Dadoosh respectfully critiques this view as anomalous and fundamentally incompatible with Qur'anic doctrine. It mirrors Western and Judeo-Christian misconceptions where fallen angels or demons are viewed as sovereign rulers of Hell who execute divine punishment without experiencing torment themselves.^[15][2]

Popular Western cinema frequently reinforces this distortion. Films such as Little Nicky depict Satan and his sons as subterranean dynastic rulers warring over earthly influence, while comic adaptations like Hellboy depict born demons struggling against an innate evil destiny. These tropes have no basis in Islamic theology.^[16][17]

A weak narration claiming that one-third of jinn were created as devils upon whom punishment was predestined without choice was scrutinized and dismissed by hadith scholars, including al-Albani, as da'if jiddan (very weak) because it directly contradicts the universal rule of worship in Surah al-Dhariyat.^[18][1]

Islamic revelation is unequivocal: devils (shayatin) are not rulers of Hell; they are inmates in punishment. Allah declared to Iblis: "I will surely fill Hell with you and with those among them that follow you all together." On the Day of Judgment, Satan will address his followers in Hell, acknowledging his deceit and utter lack of authority: "Indeed, Allah promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; blame yourselves." Both the tempter and the tempted share in the punishment.^[19][20]

Linguistically, shaytan is an active descriptive epithet derived from shatana (to be remote from truth or insolently rebellious). The Qur'an applies it to rebels among both creations: "devils from mankind and jinn." Iblis is the personal proper name of the foremost rebel; Abbas Mahmud al-'Aqqad demonstrated that the name Iblis possesses ancient linguistic roots across Semitic traditions, rather than being an artificial Arabic derivation. Iblis became a shaytan by choosing insolent rebellion against his Creator.^[21][22]

What is a Qarin? Companionship, Testing, and Divine Permission

The existence of the qarin (an intimate companion from among the devils) is affirmed in both the Qur'an and authentic hadith. Surah Qaf portrays the Day of Judgment when the companion disowns the sinner: "His companion will say: Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he was in extreme error." Surah al-Zukhruf warns: "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful—We appoint for him a devil, so he becomes for him an intimate companion."^[23][24]

In Sahih Muslim, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "There is none among you but has been assigned his companion from among the jinn." The Companions asked, "And you, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "And me, but Allah helped me against him so he submitted [or: I am safe from him], and he commands me only to do good." A similar report from 'A'ishah confirms that every human being is tested with a demonic companion.^[25][26]

This appointment must not be misunderstood as theological coercion. The qarin is a jinn who voluntarily chose disbelief and rebellion, dedicating its efforts to whispering and misleading humanity. Allah's "appointment" (tawkil) is an act of divine permission and testing, not an endorsement of the devil's sin, nor an imposition of compulsion on the human soul. Just as Allah states regarding earthly adversaries: "If Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you," and: "that He might test some of you by means of others," so too the qarin operates as an instrument of spiritual trial and moral refinement.^[27][28]

The relationship between a person and the qarin is neither absolute nor unalterable: - The devil's whispers (waswas) have no coercive power over the believer; when a person remembers Allah and seeks refuge in Him, the devil retreats (khannas). - The companion is not permanently bound in every physical moment or state of sincere worship. - The hadith of the Prophet's companion demonstrates that a qarin possesses free will and is capable of embracing faith (aslama). - An individual companion may die before the human host or be abandoned and replaced by another.

The presence of the qarin is thus a divinely ordained trial within the architecture of worldly life. Believers respond not with fatalism or morbid dread, but with vigilant remembrance of Allah, sincere repentance, and unwavering reliance upon His divine protection.

References