How To Find Out If You Have A Jinn

Both the Quran and hadith make reference to witchcraft and the evil heart besides as to supernatural beings known in Arabic as jinn (the origin of the English give-and-take genie).²² To approximate how widespread belief in these supernatural forces is today, the survey asked Muslims split questions nigh witchcraft, jinn and the evil middle (divers in the survey equally the belief that certain people tin can cast curses or spells that cause bad things to happen). In nearly of the countries surveyed, roughly one-half or more than Muslims affirm that jinn exist and that the evil eye is real. Belief in sorcery is somewhat less common: half or more than Muslims in nine of the countries included in the report say they believe in witchcraft. At the same time, however, virtually Muslims agree that Islam forbids appealing to jinn or using sorcery. Every bit will exist discussed in Chapter 6, in all but one country surveyed, no more than than one-in-v say that Islam condones people appealing to jinn. Similarly low percentages say the aforementioned almost the use of sorcery (see Appeals to Jinn in Chapter 6).

Islamic tradition too holds that Muslims should rely on God alone to keep them safe from sorcery and malicious spirits rather than resorting to talismans, which are charms or amulets bearing symbols or precious stones believed to have magical powers, or other means of protection. Perhaps reflecting the influence of this Islamic teaching, a big majority of Muslims in most countries say they do not possess talismans or other protective objects. The use of talismans is well-nigh widespread in Pakistan (41%) and Albania (39%), while in other countries fewer than three-in-ten Muslims say they wear talismans or precious stones for protection. Although using objects specifically to ward off the evil eye is somewhat more mutual, simply in Azerbaijan (74%) and Kazakhstan (54%) exercise more than half the Muslims surveyed say they rely on objects for this purpose.

Reliance on traditional religious healers is most prevalent among Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with roughly ii-thirds or more in Senegal (73%), Chad (68%) and Afghanistan (66%) saying they accept turned to traditional healers to help cure someone who is ill.

Jinn

According to the Quran, God created jinn too as angels and humans. Conventionalities in jinn is relatively widespread – in 13 of 23 countries where the question was asked, more than than half of Muslims believe in these supernatural beings.

In the Due south Asian countries surveyed, at least seven-in-ten Muslims affirm that jinn exist, including 84% in Bangladesh. In Southeast Asia, a similar proportion of Malaysian Muslims (77%) believe in jinn, while fewer in Indonesia (53%) and Thailand (47%) share this belief.

Across the Centre Eastern and North African nations surveyed, conventionalities in jinn ranges from 86% in Morocco to 55% in Iraq.

Overall, Muslims in Primal Asia and across Southern and Eastern Europe (Russian federation and the Balkans) are least likely to say that jinn are real. In Central Asia, Turkey is the merely country where a majority (63%) of Muslims believe in jinn. Elsewhere in Primal Asia, nigh a fifth or fewer Muslims take the being of jinn. In Southern and Eastern Europe, fewer than 4-in-ten in any country surveyed believe in these supernatural beings.

In general, Muslims who pray several times a day are more probable to believe in jinn. For example, in Russia, 62% of those who pray more than once a solar day say that jinn be, compared with 24% of those who pray less often. A similar gap also appears in Lebanese republic (+25 percentage points), Malaysia (+24) and Afghanistan (+21).

The survey also asked if respondents had always seen jinn. In 21 of the 23 countries where the question was asked, fewer than one-in-ten report having seen jinn, while the proportion is 12% in Bangladesh and ten% in Lebanese republic.

It is important to notation that while belief in jinn is widespread, relatively few Muslims in the countries surveyed believe it is an acceptable office of Islamic tradition to make offerings to jinn. As discussed in Affiliate 6, Bangladesh is the merely country surveyed in which more than a fifth of Muslims (28%) say appeals to jinn are adequate. In xviii of the countries, no more than one-in-ten say this is an acceptable practice.

Witchcraft

The Quran and hadith both make reference to witchcraft and sorcery in the time of the Prophet Muhammad.²³ Today, the survey finds, substantial numbers of Muslims continue to believe in the existence of witchcraft, although levels of belief vary widely beyond the countries included in the study, and – equally discussed later in this written report – very few Muslims believe the utilise of sorcery is an adequate exercise under Islam. (See Use of Sorcery in Chapter half-dozen.)

In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of Muslims who say witchcraft or sorcery is real ranges from more than 9-in-ten in Tanzania (92%) to near i-in-vi in Federal democratic republic of ethiopia (xv%). A similar range of views is plant in the Middle Eastward and Due north Africa, where more than three-quarters of Muslims in Tunisia (89%) and Morocco (78%) believe in witchcraft, compared with as few as 16% in Egypt and fourteen% in the Palestinian territories.

Among the Southeast Asian countries surveyed, Indonesian Muslims are the most convinced that witchcraft is real (69%). In South asia, Pakistani Muslims (50%) are more likely than their counterparts in Afghanistan (35%) or Bangladesh (9%) to believe in the beingness of sorcery.

Meanwhile, in Southern and Eastern Europe, Albanian Muslims are the well-nigh probable to believe in witchcraft (43%), compared with a 3rd or fewer elsewhere in the region.

Belief in the existence of witchcraft is least common in Central Asia. With the exception of Turkey, where about half of Muslims (49%) believe that sorcery exists, no more than than three-in-ten in any of the Cardinal Asian nations surveyed believe witchcraft is existent.

Across almost of the countries surveyed, Muslims who pray more than once a day are near every bit likely to accept the existence of witchcraft equally those who pray less often. However, there are exceptions to this pattern. In Kosovo and Lebanon, Muslims who pray several times a day are significantly more likely to believe in sorcery (32 percentage points in the onetime, 16 points in the latter), while in Kyrgyzstan and Egypt the opposite is true: those who pray multiple times a mean solar day are slightly less likely to believe in witchcraft (by ten and viii points, respectively).

Evil Eye

According to hadith, the Prophet Muhammad confirmed that the evil heart, borne by jealousy or envy, is real and capable of causing harm or misfortune.²⁴ In twenty of the 39 countries surveyed, half or more than Muslims say they believe in the evil eye.

Acceptance is mostly highest in the Middle Eastward and Due north Africa. With the exception of Lebanon (50%), solid majorities across the region affirm that the evil middle exists, including at least eight-in-10 Muslims in Tunisia (90%) and Morocco (80%).

Many Muslims in Central Asia also believe in the evil center. Clear majorities in Turkey (69%) and Republic of kazakhstan (66%) say the evil eye is real. Almost half in each of the other countries in the region share this view.

In Southern and Eastern Europe, Russian (59%) and Albanian (54%) Muslims are most likely to believe in the evil eye. Fewer say the same in Kosovo (40%) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (37%).

Opinion about the evil eye varies significantly across Southern asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In the onetime, Pakistani and Afghan Muslims are much more likely than their counterparts in Bangladesh to believe in the evil center (61% and 53%, respectively, vs. 22%). Of countries surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania has the highest share of Muslims who say the evil center is existent (83%). In the majority of countries in the region, fewer than half have that the evil eye exists.

In virtually nations surveyed, more than believe the evil eye is real than say the same almost witchcraft. Muslims in Southeast Asia, however, differ from this blueprint. While 69% in Indonesia and 49% in Malaysia say witchcraft exists, just 29% and 36%, respectively, say the aforementioned about the evil middle.

Talismans

Some hadith condemn the wearing of talismans – charms or amulets bearing symbols or precious stones believed to have magical powers.²⁵ In all countries surveyed a majority of Muslims report that they do not utilize magical objects to ward off evil or misfortune. Indeed, in 21 of 23 countries where the question was asked, fewer than iii-in-ten Muslims say they wear talismans or precious stones for protection.

The practise of wearing talismans or amulets is most common amid Pakistani and Albanian Muslims (41% and 39%, respectively). By comparison, in the remaining South Asian and Southern and Eastern European countries, roughly a quarter or fewer study wearing talismans.

Beyond Cardinal Asia and the Middle East-North Africa region, only pocket-size numbers rely on the protective powers of talismans or precious stones. In Key Asia, the wearing of talismans is most common in Kazakhstan (27%), Tajikistan (26%) and Turkey (23%). In the Center East and Northward Africa, the practise is most common in Hashemite kingdom of jordan (28%), Tunisia (25%) and Egypt (25%).

Overall, reliance on talismans is least common in Southeast Asia, where only a small number of Muslims in Indonesia (4%), Thailand (3%) and Malaysia (3%) written report wearing objects to ward off evil or misfortune.

For the virtually office, there is footling departure in the utilize of talismans between Muslims who pray several times a day and those who pray less oft. 1 exception is in Lebanon, where those who pray more once a day are xv percentage points more than likely to clothing protective objects.

Smaller gaps by frequency of prayer are also found in Turkey (+13 percentage points among those who pray more one time a day) and Republic of azerbaijan (+7). The opposite relationship is found in Tunisia (-12) and Morocco (-8), where those who pray less oftentimes are more likely to article of clothing talismans.

Objects to Ward Off the Evil Eye

Although the survey finds that almost Muslims do not wear talismans, a substantial number of Muslims appear to make an exception for charms kept at domicile to ward off the evil eye. In 14 of 23 countries where the question was asked, significantly more than Muslims say they possess objects in their home to protect against the evil eye than say the same nigh wearing talismans.

The largest divergence in the two practices is found in Azerbaijan, where Muslims are more than 7 times equally likely to take an object to protect confronting the evil middle every bit to wearable talismans (74% vs. 10%). In the other Central Asian nations surveyed, the gaps are smaller, ranging from 27 percentage points in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to ix points in Kyrgyzstan.

The use of charms to ward off the evil eye is too relatively common in some Center Eastern and Due north African countries. Many more than Muslims keep objects to protect against the evil eye than wear talismans in Iraq (+24 pct points), Tunisia (+22), Lebanon (+17) and the Palestinian territories (+14).

In the other countries surveyed, the difference betwixt the number of Muslims who use objects to ward off the evil centre and those who wear talismans tends to be small to negligible, although the gap is 18 percentage points in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan and 10 points in Russia.

In some countries, the use of objects to ward off the evil center varies significantly by sect. In Azerbaijan, for example, 77% of Shia Muslims say they have items in their home to protect against the evil eye, compared with 57% of the country's Sunni Muslims. Similarly, in Iraq, Shias are much more inclined than Sunnis to rely on charms confronting the evil eye, past a 56% to 28% margin. In Lebanese republic, all the same, there is no significant difference between Shias and Sunnis with respect to this practice.

In general, Muslims who pray several times a day are no more probable than less religiously committed Muslims to have objects to ward off the evil eye. Merely in that location are a few exceptions to this design, including Muslims in Azerbaijan (+23-percentage-point difference between Muslims who pray more than than once a twenty-four hour period and those who pray less oftentimes), Turkey (+19) and Lebanon (+thirteen). In contrast, the reverse is truthful in Morocco (-17), Uzbekistan (-xiv) and Egypt (-fourteen), with those who pray less often being more likely to take objects to ward off the evil eye.

Displaying Quranic Verses

In nineteen of the 22 countries where the question was asked, it is more mutual for Muslims to display verses from the Quran in their dwelling than it is to accept talismans or objects to ward off the evil eye. In Southeast Asia, South asia, and the Middle East and Due north Africa, seven-in-ten or more in all countries report having verses on brandish in their dwellings. This exercise is somewhat less common in Central Asia and across Southern and Eastern Europe.

Overall, those who pray more than in one case a day are more likely to display Quranic writings in their dwelling house. This deviation tends to be greatest in countries in Southern and Eastern Europe and in Central Asia, including Russia (+26 pct points), Kyrgyzstan (+23), Turkey (+22), Azerbaijan (+19), Bosnia-Herzegovina (+xviii) and Tajikistan (+18).

Traditional Religious Healers

Substantial numbers of Muslims report that they turn to traditional religious healers when they or their family members are ill. This practice is mutual amidst Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern asia. In the former region, more than than one-half in Senegal (73%), Chad (68%), Cameroon (57%), Republic of liberia (55%), Republic of mali (55%) and Tanzania (53%) say they sometimes employ traditional healers. In Southern asia, most Afghan and Pakistani Muslims (66% and 55%, respectively) say the same.

Although a majority of Tajik Muslims (66%) also study turning to traditional religious healers, fewer in the other Central Asian nations say they sometimes seek such help for themselves or a family unit member.

Across the countries surveyed in Southeast Asia and the Middle East-North Africa region, fewer than half of Muslims say they ever enlist the help of traditional religious healers. In Southeast Asia, the practice is most common in Thailand (48%), while in the Centre East and North Africa reliance on traditional healers is near prevalent amongst Muslims in Iraq (46%), Egypt (44%), Jordan (42%) and Tunisia (41%).

Muslims in Southern and Eastern Europe are less likely to consult traditional religious healers. Nigh four-in-ten Albanian Muslims (38%) say they sometimes use such healers, while elsewhere in the region a quarter or fewer say they e'er turn to a traditional healer.

In some countries, Muslims who pray several times a day are more likely than those who pray less often to utilise traditional religious healers. For case, in Hashemite kingdom of jordan 47% of those who pray more than than once a day have turned to traditional healers, compared with 31% of those who pray less oftentimes; in Turkey, the departure is 35% vs. 18%. Smaller but significant gaps are found in Kosovo (+16 per centum points among those who pray more than once a day), Azerbaijan (+fifteen), Kyrgyzstan (+xiii), Egypt (+12) and Lebanon (+12).

Exorcism

The survey besides asked respondents whether they take ever seen the devil or evil spirits being driven out of someone, as in an exorcism. Across Southern and Eastern Europe and in Key Asia fewer than 1-in-x Muslims say they have experienced or witnessed such an effect. First-hand accounts are almost as rare in the Heart East and North Africa, although eighteen% of Moroccan Muslims say they take observed an exorcism. In South asia and Southeast Asia, between 7% and 21% claim to take been present at an exorcism. Muslims residing in sub-Saharan Africa express greater familiarity with this do: in ten sub-Saharan countries, more than than a quarter of all Muslims, including 48% in Ethiopia, say they accept seen the devil or evil spirits beingness expelled from a person.

Footnotes:

22 The use of sorcery or witchcraft is condemned in the Quran (ii:102), but some hadith indicate that sure types of spells or incantations (ruqyah) are permitted (Sahih Muslim 26:5448). With regard to the evil eye, certain hadith assert that it is real (Sahih Muslim 26:5427; Sahih Muslim 26:5450), while some interpretations merits the Quran (68:51) besides mentions the evil eye. Jinn are mentioned in the Quran (for example, 55:xv; 55:56). (return to text)

23 See Quran 2:102; Sahih al-Bukhari 54:490. (return to text)

24 Sahih al-Bukhari 71:635; Sahih al-Bukhari 71:636. (return to text)

25 Sunan Abu Dawud 1:36. (return to text)