Mention of Djinns in the previous books.
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Hi! New member here.
Why isn't there any mention of djinns in any of the previous books? The Tarwat, the Zabur, the Injil?
I know they are supposed to have been corrupted over time, but if djinns are human equals (in terms of free will, moral codes, marriage, birth, death), one would expect a mention of them, even in the first word sent down by God. If anything, even a slight reference to their existance.
Visualizing this from a point of view held by most Muslims, that of the gradual corruption of God's previous word(s), I can understand people altering the previous books for their own gain, but I don't see how completely eliminating any reference to another creature present in a completely different dimension would benifit anyone.
There is mention of ghosts in the Bible but these allude to spirits of deceased humans.
Is there an explanation given regarding this in the Quran, seeing as how Djinns have been a part of pre-Islamic Arabian mythology.
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Salaam Aleikum Ishrind,
And welcome to the Forum. Jinn means 'hidden' and was used in Classic Arabic for many things. In later times only one meaning became dominant and has fixed the meaning of the word. In previous scriptures there is no mention or reference to the common view on what Jinn means. Also there are no consistency in mythology around the world on invisible beings. In Ancient Arabia, spirit-beings were common and part of Arabia's superstition.
But the word Jinn was used for many things, it was not used as a title, but as a descriptive definition of many things. Anything 'hidden' was called jinn. Animals as snakes, insects, dead humans, legends, foreigners, nomads, people of the past, ancestors, gods, kings, rulers, monks, hermits, emotions, special humans as for example it was used for a woman that was loved by a poet.
All these fell under the term 'hidden/jinn' as they were not seen by the people of the cities or towns. The Quran uses it in the same way, where jinn is used not as a title, but to point out several things at once.
I have written a small book about it which you can read here
Book Jinn as used in the Quran
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If you read the old Testament you will find Jinn in these books, it's all a case of what translation are you reading, no doubt the word translated as spirit is nearly identical to the Arabic word Jinn, the same beliefs that revolve around Jinn in the Qur'an also exist in Judaism and the Judaism of Jesus' time i.e they were sent to the Sea etc.
If you read the New Testament, although it isn't a revealed book, Jesus visits the man who was possessed by Jinn and sends them into pigs that run into the sea.
Regards,
Al-Quraishi