Jinn, just a title/set of things?
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Let's first change focus to another word. If someone told you that there were these invisible beings/leaders/desires/whatever else called "kaffirs" floating around, what would be your reaction? In the quran, "kaffirs" have all sorts of varying descriptions. Likewise, why not for "jinn"? We have in some verses proof that they are extra-terresterial, in other verses that they are clearly on Earth and in other verses that they are in some other form.
Why can they not be considered a group of things like "disbelievers/rejectors" instead of a specific being/creature?
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Salam,
I have not found sufficient evidence to believe that the word jeem-nun describes other-worldly or spiritual beings.
I do know this much
The word jeem-nun with its various prefixes and suffixes has consistently meant "garden as being enclosed and fenced or protected" through out the Semitic languages. I have not found reason to believe that this has changed in the Quran. In fact I can find a lot of evidence to support the fact that it most likely has not changed.
Likewise this reasoning extends to the word majnoon.
In modern Arabic and even in classical Arabic you will see this word sometimes defined as "insane" or "possessed by jinn" etc. But I believe this is an evolved meaning and one that was adopted due to popular folk lore and the belief in "jinn" as magical or spiritual beings. I do not see evidence from the Quran or any other Semitic Scripture that supports this definition.So, in short, when asked by OPF "Why can they not be considered a group of things like "disbelievers/rejectors" instead of a specific being/creature?"
I think they are definitely a class of people.
Salam,
Arnab -
Peace OPF,
My understanding is in accordance with the initial definitions as follows
http//www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm
= Jiim-Nun-Nun (root of jinn) = veiled/concealed/covered/hid/protected (e.g. cloth, armour, grave, shield), invisible, become dark/posessed, darkness of night, bereft of reason, mad/insane/unsound in mind/intellect, confusedness.
Become thick/full-grown/blossom, herbage, garden.
Spiritual beings that conceal themselves from the senses (including angels), become weak and abject, greater part of mankind, devil/demon, people who are peerless having no match or equal, a being who is highly potent, sometimes refers to Kings because they are concealed from the common folkjanna vb. (1)
perf. act. 676
pcple. act. 1527, 5515, 5539, 5556, 5574
pcple. pass. 156, 2627, 3736, 4414, 5139, 5152, 5229, 549, 682, 6851, 8122ajinnah n.m. (pl. of janin) 5332
jann n.m. 2710, 2831
jannah n.f. 225, 235, 282, 2111, 2214, 2221, 2265, 2266, 315, 3133, 3136, 3142, 3185, 3195, 3198, 413, 457, 4122, 4124, 512, 565, 572, 585, 5119, 699, 6141, 719, 722, 727, 740, 742, 743, 744, 746, 749, 750, 921, 972, 972, 989, 9100, 9111, 109, 1026, 1123, 11108, 134, 1323, 1335, 1423, 1545, 1631, 1632, 1791, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1839, 1840, 18107, 1960, 1961, 1963, 2076, 20117, 20121, 2214, 2223, 2256, 2319, 258, 2510, 2515, 2524, 2657, 2685, 2690, 26134, 26147, 2958, 318, 3219, 3415, 3416, 3416, 3533, 3626, 3634, 3655, 3743, 3850, 3973, 3974, 408, 4040, 4130, 427, 4222, 4370, 4372, 4425, 4452, 4614, 4616, 476, 4712, 4715, 485, 4817, 509, 5031, 5115, 5217, 5315, 5454, 5546, 5554, 5562, 5612, 5689, 5712, 5721, 5822, 5920, 5920, 6112, 6112, 649, 6511, 668, 6611, 6817, 6834, 6922, 7035, 7038, 7112, 7440, 7612, 7816, 7941, 8113, 8511, 8810, 8930, 988
jinn n.m. (coll) 6100, 6112, 6128, 6130, 738, 7179, 1788, 1850, 2717, 2739, 3412, 3414, 3441, 4125, 4129, 4618, 4629, 5156, 5533, 721, 725, 726
jinnah (1) n.f. 11119, 3213, 37158, 37158, 1146
jinnah (2) n.f. 7184, 2325, 2370, 348, 3446
junnah n.f. 5816, 632
Lane's Lexicon, Volume 2, page 98, 99, 100
Thus, I veiw it not as a title but a more of a description.
Peace,
Tay -
Yes, I mean generally a group/description/set, whereby many beings or concepts can fit. Consider the meaning and the various descriptions of jinn such as 728, it seems strange to say they are this or that just as nobody in their right mind would say "kaffir" refers to a species of demon.
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But surely,
1526 And We have created man from a clay hardened and shaped.
1527 And the Jinn, We created him before that from the fire of the fierce hot winds.
1528 And your Lord said to the angels "I am creating a human being from a hardened clay."
1529 "So when I perfect him, and blow of My Spirit in him, you shall yield to him."
1530 Thus, all of the angels yielded.
1531 Except for Satan, he refused to be with those who yielded.
1532 He said "O Satan, what is the matter that you are not with those who have yielded?"
1533 He said "I am not to yield to a human You have created from a hardened clay."
1534 He said "Exit from here, you are cast out."Jinns and Angels are being referred to as existing before human beings, and Jinns as being created from "the fire of the fierce hot winds" - i.e. beings not of matter but energy.
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Peace be upon you,
beings not of matter but energy.
Energy and matter are the same thing E=MC(2). Jinn are the hidden(concealed side) of energy/matter. The dense part of energy/matter is MAN.
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peace all,
As a general comment, I agree that terms such as "jinn" should not be treated as special, as is done with other terms such as "muslim", "islam", "salat", "hajj", "zakat", "masjid", "deen", "malaika" etc.
They are all common words and their use is not special from my studies of The Quran. Their meaning and application may be important, but that is different from treating it as a special word.
