# Does the Quran say that Shaytan or the jinn can possess or control a person?

*Jinn according to the Quran: 'do not follow his footsteps' presupposes a will Shaytan cannot take away*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/2/
- Date: 2017-09-20 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (7:53–13:06)
- Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8yu8Kr83Y&t=473s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/

**Topics:** Jinn possession; Jinn, angels and the devil; Guest conversations

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The Quran never says people lose their will; it commands believers not to follow Shaytan's footsteps, which presupposes the will and power to refuse. On the Day of Judgement Shaytan himself says he had no authority except to call people, so he teaches and whispers but never forces.

## Longer summary

The guest says the Quran never claims that Shaytan can possess or control anyone; its only command is 'O believers, do not follow the footsteps of Shaytan'. Following, he argues, requires a will: one cannot follow without irada, and a possessed person would have no will, yet the Quran never says anywhere that people lose their will. Every command of Allah, to obey him, to establish the prayer, presupposes that people have the will and power to do it; if Shaytan could possess us, these commands would make no sense, and the command not to follow him means we have the power not to listen when he tells us to abandon the prayer or seek the haram. He reads on that Shaytan 'commands shameful and evil things', which is the only authentic account of his work, and turns to the scene on the Day of Judgement in which people blame Shaytan and he defends himself: Allah made a true promise and I made a false one, I had no authority over you except that I called you and you responded, so do not blame me, blame yourselves. The guest compares this to human beings such as Pharaoh who likewise call people to evil, and asks his listeners whether Shaytan has ever actually stopped them from going to prayer or forced them to the haram: he only teaches and whispers, and never pushes anybody.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Akram Nadwi (guest)
- Shaytan
- jinn
- Quran 24:21 (do not follow the footsteps of Shaytan; he commands shameful and evil things): https://quran.com/24/21
- Quran 14:22 (Shaytan on the Day of Judgement: I had no authority over you except that I called you): https://quran.com/14/22
- irada (will)
- Shaytan's only power is to whisper and call; he cannot force or possess
- Pharaoh (Fir'awn)

## Transcript (machine tier, 7:53–13:06)

[7:41] people say you know this person has got something doctors don't know it must be Jim how can we must begin it could be any less which people don't know I don't know the people selected for Apple people will say that in the time here at mullet Allah used take out a gene from the people you know you could who could have taken out something from the people but what is the proof that what he took out to the gym that no proof for that so this is what you need what we need to understand properly that you know in anything when people make a claim the first question really is what is the proof and the second thing as medically you know about that we need to learn the consequence of anything what will happen

[8:18] now you see if what actually gene can do quran can never hide us from us the only tender poor are worse about did this work or are so yeah alladhina amanu let the wat wat the Shaitaan all believers do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan Quran never glamp that you know they've got to possess you a depart to Colden you the color code to start with from some never Quran said don't follow their footsteps what following means you cannot be follower unless you've got will a rather people never can follow someone without a Radha when you follow someone you must have a rather you must have built if you are

[8:58] possessed by someone we don't have will the will is gone poor are never mentioned anywhere that people lose their will it never happens in the quran quran always makes very people have will weep across the formal shell of a human woman sheriff-elect for people have got a will whether believe or not to believe you know whether over la Salter don't obey people have gotten will thereby : come our other Commerce are you know unnecessary when allah startled obey allah's messenger if you cannot obey it unnecessarily come on when LS water Kumar's people to establish the prayer and but we cannot do because Shaytan can possess us then it unnecessarily come on if we cannot do every come out of Allah basically simply means that we have got to will to do it

[9:37] we've got to wheel and Webber power to do it and it's given us Shaytan never can force a lick or are said let they do not follow follow simply means you have got wilt if unless I don't follow it means you have got power not to follow him there simply means you have got to win and you have got power not too far if we are asking you to do something and Allah said don't do it means you have power not to do it Shaytan said to you don't go for the prayer it simply means that you have power not listen to him because Allah said don't follow his footsteps it never can happen that Shaytan kumar's you something and he takes away the power from you never can happen case goes again the Quran Quran said that at

[10:15] the via ferrata Shaitaan do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan if Satan can force us then this command basically does not make any sense for to anybody to that take in meaning it whenever shaitan says something you have got choice you have got a will and you got power to disobey Shaitaan it never can happen that shuttle can force you so the poor ours this is the only authentic treating the curb of Shaitaan and that's in the Quran the Quran and last letter devil who taught the Shaitaan do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan will - Tata Shaitaan for innumerable fuscia well Monica that one less what a warning

[10:55] us that we Shaytan always will command the people to do the evils mooncalf asha things which are you know shameful they were called shuttle will come out so this verse make very clear that Shaytan never can force us Shaytan never can take away from us our will he cannot take away from us over the power he never can do and this is also very clear in our end of the story best when the people are greater in the day of judgment Allah so hot eccentric allah shaitaan the material armory in the law welcome what back in the day of judgment when everybody's there and things are there people who blame the Shaitaan they will

[11:34] say to Allah she italic the man who mislead us all this didn't happen Shaitaan that time will defend himself and Shaitaan will make very clear he said in the wha-ha-ha de combate Allah Allah made true promise a lot stronger too and then he said I took him for a life to come I promise you but my from it was not true it's not to Travis American ally array could mean Sultana I did not have any power panic north power Illya and auto come fast a job to bleep the only power but I told you I called you and you listen to me that is a

[12:13] keyword human being what people do you know when shed when people like pharaon what they did they just you know we invite people they call people all the unbelievers like about jihad and it's part of what they do they invite people they call people do something this in this matter Shaytan and human being what she the same thing Shaytan has more power he can whisper you know you can run in the hands of the people that he can do but what he does actually not more than that then he said fall at a new moon do not blame me if Satan can put us then we can blame him we can set velocity he put assertive I wanted to go for the player and he came and hold help me but it never happened tell me t ever happens to

[12:52] you that you go for the prayer a shuttle stops you it ever happens really that you know there's a Haram on halal and we want to get halal and shuttle stops you force you to God for Hara never happen he only teaches you only T can do it teaches you he whispers to you that what everybody Shaytan never never never never pushes anybody never horse anybody this never happened to fasting it we had learned what exactly truth is about Shaitaan and and gin in the Quran this circles these two verses they are very clear you know in in the Quran and the Sunnah the parcel Allah said oh we don't have any sound Hadees anywhere where it

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 7z8yu8Kr83Y/s/2. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/2/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.