ABSTRACT
Jinn (Ar.) [sing. jinnt\ Intelligent, often invisible, beings made from flame (by contrast with the angels, made from light, and mankind, made from clay). The jinn also have the ability to assume various kinds of perceptible forms. They are mentioned in the Qur'ān and, like man, some will be saved and go to Paradise since there are good as well as bad jinn, and jinn who help men as well as those who hinder and harm as they meddle in the lives of men. The mission of the Prophet Muhammad was both to mankind and to the jinn. Iblīs (q.v.) is described in the Qur'ān as both one of the jinn and an angel. A huge amount of folklore and tradition has grown up about the jinn in the Near and Middle East. (See Angel; al-Janna; Sūrat al-Jinn; al-Ta'if.)
al-Jinn (Ar.) The title of the 72nd sura of the Qur'ān; it means 'The Jinn'. The sūra belongs to the Meccan period and has 28
Jinnah
verses. Its title is drawn from the references to the jinn in the first eight verses, which describe the jinn listening to the Qur'ān and accepting its message. Stress is placed on the principal mission of Muhammad: whoever disobeys either the Prophet or God will burn in the fire of Jahannam (q.v.) forever.
