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Qur'anic Minarets - The Qur'an, Human Being and Jinn

The Qur'an, Human Being and Jinn

Tags: Jinn, Subtle body, Human Beings, Fire

  1. It is a bright fact that the wise Qur'an is the most complete heavenly guide (hidayat-namah), which the Sustainer of the worlds revealed to the holy Prophet for the guidance of humankind. Therefore, inevitably all its subjects are based on such guidances and teachings, which are necessary for human beings. Yet, if I were to say that jinn is also included with humankind in this necessity of guidance, perhaps you may be surprised and counter that jinn is mentioned only forty times in the glorious Qur'an, in which case how is it possible to include jinn in all those numerous places where humankind is mentioned in every respect? God willing, in the following I will try to substantiate this fact and present the answer to this question:
  2. God Almighty says (51:56): "I have not created the jinn and humankind except to worship Me [and recognise Me]." According to this verse if the supreme purpose of the creation of jinn and humankind is worship (`ibadat) and recognition (ma`rifat), it necessitates that this supreme purpose may encompass and comprise all subsidiary and supplementary purposes. That is, there is nothing in the Qur'anic guidances and teachings whose ultimate purpose is not worship and recognition as mentioned above, just as in a fruit-bearing tree, the purpose of each and every thing is to produce the fruit and kernel. Similarly, the fruit of the tree of Islam is worship and its kernel is knowledge and recognition, to fulfil whose requirements verbally and practically is the obligation of both humankind and jinn.
  3. The surah of Rahman due to its esoteric elegance and beauty is given the name 'Bride of the Qur'an'. In such a surah, which is full of extremely wisdom-filled and spiritual pearls, why should there not be the keys of the treasures of secrets for the people of wisdom? Thus, one most amazing secret that humankind and jinn in reality are one creature is discovered here, because the subtle or astral body of a human being is called jinn or pari (i.e., invisible creature). In the above mentioned surah, the creation of the dense body of the human being is mentioned first (55:14), then that of the subtle body (55:15), because the former is the external or physical shirt and the latter the internal or spiritual shirt. You know that there are living shirts for the human soul with God (16:81), therefore, if by Divine providence you wear many such shirts, they will all become one in your person, because their characteristic is to be one as they are living shirts.
  4. If the surah of Rahman is studied with insight and reflected upon with intellect and wisdom, undoubtedly the fact will be clear that humankind and jinn participate in all Divine bounties and favours of this world and the next and therefore after mentioning the munificence of some great bounties they are reminded by the question: "Which of your Lord's bounties will you two deny?" Thus, the Lord of the world, reminding both human beings and jinn of His special bounties and great favours, simultaneously alludes in a wisdom filled way that they are one so that the people of intellect may understand the hidden secrets of their oneness.
  5. An example and a question: From "The Beneficent taught the Qur'an, He created the human being, He taught him to speak (bayan)" to verse 12, there is no mention of jinn, neither in the exoteric translation nor in the commentary, nor are the bounties granted to them mentioned. Then, suddenly in verse 13, jinn and human being are asked about the Divine bounties, what is the secret hidden in this? The answer is: The Beneficent God taught (every Perfect Man) the Qur'an, i.e., the heavenly Book and its knowledge and wisdom. He created man (i.e., the Perfect Man by His special power in the subtle body). He taught him to speak (bayan), that is, the knowledge of ta'wil. Note here that when man is born spiritually, all the jinns of the personal world are also born. By "He created man (khalaqa'l-insan)" is meant the creation of the personal world, which comprises jinn as well as everything else.
  6. It is true that "`allama'l-Qur'an's" first relationship is with the Universal Intellect, because God taught the Qur'an first of all to him, and in "khalaqa'l-insan" is mentioned the creation of the Universal Soul, however, this Divine act is renewed in the Perfect Human Being, therefore it is also applied to him. Thus, the Beneficent enriched the Perfect Human Being with the Qur'anic treasures at the level of Soul and Intellect, and because of this at the level of perfection, he was called 'khalq-i akhar' (another creation). That is, he received the astral body, which is called jinn or pari. This revolutionary concept clearly evidences that wherever in the wise Qur'an the perfection of human creation is mentioned, there necessarily the creation of jinn (subtle body) is also secretly mentioned. The one who is successful in the course of spiritual progress, the true King confers on them the paradisal robe of honour (khil`at-i bihishti), which is living and speaking, i.e., jinn, pari, ibda`i shirt, or another personality. Nonetheless, it is a different matter that for the sake of analysis and explanation, the wise Qur'an has also mentioned the creation of human being and jinn separately, however when and where the human being is a microcosm, he is human being, jinn and everything.
  7. It has already been mentioned that in verse (55:3) at the beginning of surah of Rahman, the ultimate and universal creation of a human being is mentioned, in which the creation of jinn is also included. Further on, in verses (55:14-15), the partial and subsidiary creation of human being and jinn is mentioned as: "He created human being from clay which tinkles like earthen ware." 'Clay' means a mu'min and 'human being (insan)' the Perfect Man. The clay which tinkles like earthenware is a mu'min whose spiritual progress has reached the [stage of] the sur of Israfil (May peace be through him). That is to say, that this story belongs to the Perfect Human Beings (kamils) and `arifs (those who have attained ma`rifat), because in every personal world, there are two things. One is the manifestation of the Perfect Human Being and the renewal of similitudes and the other is the ascension of the `arif. These two things are inseparable from one another.
  8. Not only is the spiritual existence of a human being created in the station of `Izra'il (May peace be through him) and Israfil (May peace be through him), but the jinns are also created there, as mentioned in the Qur'an (55:15): "And He created the jinn of smokeless fire." When the personal resurrection of a mu'min-i salik takes place, by the action of Israfil (May peace be through him) and `Izra'il (May peace be through him), the soul rises up from the head like the flame of a lamp and this chain [of action] continues for approximately a week. Many angels are created from this emanated soul (which is compared to the flame of a fire). In order to keep them in a veil, it is appropriate to call them 'jinns', just as Jesus Christ (May peace be through him) kept the angels concealed by giving them the name 'birds' (3:49). The lower part of the flame is visible, but the upper part is not, similarly jinns when they choose can appear and when not, they become invisible, which is among their wonders. If you wish to know more about jinns' wonders and marvels, study this subject in the Qur'an carefully and for more explanation study this kind of articles.
  9. From the above, you have come to know the secret that jinns, who are angels, are never created from a fire, such as the physical fire, the fire of jealousy and enmity, fire of hell (i.e., ignorance), etc. They are created from the fire of the lamp of soul, the fire of ardent love and the fire of light, because when the name of angels became jinn for the sake of a veil, necessarily the light became fire, just as the fire of Tur is famous and which is mentioned in the Qur'an (20:10; 27:8; 28:29). The fire mentioned here is light and it is the fire (i.e., the flame of the lamp) with which is likened and compared the light of God (24:35) and the light of the Prophet (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) (33:46). Thus, the light of angels (jinns) is similarly likened to and compared with the flame of the lamp. Had it not been so, the creation of jinn would not have been counted among the special bounties of the surah of Rahman. It should be remembered that the spiritual creation of the human being and jinn is in the same station, which is very blessed, namely, the station of effacement and mergence, which is prosperous with the marvels and wonders and secrets of recognition (ma`rifat) of Hazrat-i Israfil (May peace be through him) and Hazrat-i `Izra'il (May peace be through him). Study carefully the surah of Rahman, in which thirty-one times attention is emphatically drawn to the recognition of special spiritual bounties and gratitude [for them]. In this connection, the first station of the invitation to reflect is the creation of the human being and jinn (55:16). You can be sure that the deep relationship of "Man `arafa …" (whoever recognises …) is related to this place.
  10. Hazrat-i Sulayman (May peace be through him) was the entrusted (mustawda`) Imam in his time. His Kingdom mentioned in the Qur'an is the example of the spiritual kingdom which is granted to every Imam by God. His twelve hujjats used to travel to the twelve islands of the world in astral body like jinns and accomplish the work of da`wat. Every hujjat can do this work through a person whom he chooses from the local people and he is the foremost among his thirty da`is. The open da`wat may be very little in the twelve islands of the planet earth, but the hidden da`wat and spiritual jihad is the most significant part of the minor resurrection, as mentioned in verse (27:17): "And there were gathered together to Sulayman his armies of jinns and humankind and of birds and they were arrayed." Armies are related to battle and to be arrayed means to prepare them for the battle. You must definitely be aware that "hushira" is one of the names of resurrection. Therefore "hushira" means they were gathered together for the minor resurrection. Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the worlds!

12 Ramazan 1410 AH/8th April, 1990 AD

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