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APPEARANCE
OF ANGELS AND JINN IN THIS WORLD
Angels
and jinn can assume a form and
appear in this world in the shape of
any being. Here, we observe movement
from the visible to the invisible:
water evaporates disappears into the
atmosphere, solid matter becomes a
liquid or a gas (steam), and matter
becomes energy (nuclear fission).
Likewise, we observe movement from
the invisible to the visible: gases
become fluids, evaporated water
becomes rain (as well as snow or
hail), and energy becomes matter.
Similarly, intangible thoughts and
meanings in our minds can appear in
the tangible form of letters and
words in essays and books.
In
an analogous way, such invisible
beings as angels, jinn, and other
spirit entities are clothed in some
material substance, such as air or
ether, and then become visible.
According to Imam Shibli, if God
wills, He allows them to assume a
form when they utter any of His
Names, for this functions like a key
or a visa enabling them to assume a
form and become visible in this
world. If they try to do so without
God’s permission, by relying on
their own abilities, they are torn
into pieces and perish.
We
read in Qur’an 19:17 that the
spirit God sent to Mary (the mother
of Jesus), and whom Muslim scholars
say is the Archangel Gabriel,
appeared before her as a man. When
Gabriel came to Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings,
with Revelation or God’s Messages,
he rarely appeared in his original
form. Rather, he usually came as a
warrior, a traveler, or a Companion
named Dihya. For example, he came as
a warrior on horseback following the
end of the Battle of the Trench and
told the Prophet, upon him be peace:
“O Messenger of God, you have
taken off your armor but we, the
angels, have not yet done so. God
orders you to march upon the Banu
Qurayza.” Once he came as a
traveler dressed in white and, in
order to instruct the Companions in
religion, asked the Prophet such
questions as: What is belief? What
is Islam? What is ihsan
(excellence or perfection of
virtue)? When is the Day of
Judgment?
Like
angels and jinn, Satan (who belongs
to the jinn) also can appear in
different forms. It is narrated that
before the Battle of Badr, he
appeared to the leaders of the
Quraysh as an old man from Najd and
gave them some advice. Likewise, a
Companion guarding the spoils of war
caught a disguised Satan trying to
steal some of the booty (most
probably to lead other Companions to
suspect that Companion). He
entreated the Companion to release
him, which he did-twice. On the
third time, the Companion tried to
take him to God’s Messenger. But
Satan appealed: “Release me, and I
will tell you how you can secure
yourself against me.” The
Companion asked what that was, and
Satan replied that it was the Verse
of the Throne (2:255). When informed
of the event, God’s Messenger,
upon him be peace and blessings,
commented: “That wicked one is a
liar, but on that occasion he told
the truth.”
The
Qur’an relates that a group of
jinn listened to God’s Messenger
reciting the Qur’an and, when they
returned to their people, said:
“O people! Surely we listened to a
Book that has been revealed after
Moses, affirms what precedes it, and
guides to right and the Straight
Path” (46:30). The sura
continues with what they thought
about what they had heard. There are
also Traditions that tell us that
the Messenger, upon him be peace and
blessings, recited parts of the Qur’an
and preached his Message to the
jinn.
Jinn
can also appear as snakes,
scorpions, cattle, donkeys, birds,
and other animals. When our Prophet,
upon him be peace and blessings,
took the oath of allegiance from
them in the valley of Batn al-Nakhla,
he wanted them to appear to his
community either in their own form
or in other agreeable forms, not in
the forms of such harmful animals as
dogs and scorpions. He warned his
community: When you see any vermin
in your house, tell it three times:
“For God’s sake, leave this
place,” for it may be a friendly
jinn. If it does not leave, it is
not a jinn. If it is harmful, you
may kill it.
The
jinn who gave allegiance to God’s
Messenger promised him: “If your
community recites the basmala
(In the Name of God, the
All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate)
before anything they do and cover
their dishes, we will not touch
their food or their drink.”
Another Tradition says: [When you
have relieved yourselves] do
not clean yourselves with bones and
dried pieces of dung, for they are
among the foods of your jinn
brothers.
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