# Which classical scholars denied that jinn can possess people?

*Imams who denied possession: Ibn Hazm, al-Tahawi, al-Zamakhshari, al-Razi and al-Shafi'i on seeing jinn*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/5/
- Date: 2017-09-20 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Jinn Possessions: Myth and Reality in Islam by Sh. Akram Nadwi & Mufti Abu Layth (23:06–30:59)
- 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=1386s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/

**Topics:** Jinn possession; Scholars and imams of the past; Guest conversations

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Ibn Hazm held that claiming possession is a claim without knowledge and haram, since the Prophet spoke only of whispering; al-Tahawi noted that every taught du'a is against whispering, al-Razi said Shaytan cannot cause illness, and al-Shafi'i rejected the testimony of anyone claiming to see jinn, which only prophets can.

## Longer summary

The guest says the question was discussed in detail by Ibn Hazm in al-Fisal fi al-Milal wal-Nihal: Ibn Hazm accepts that Shaytan whispers and that whispering can affect one's face, mood and behaviour, but holds that whoever claims Shaytan can possess people and remove their will makes a claim without knowledge, which is haram, since such a thing could only be known from a sound report of the Prophet, who spoke only of whispering; had possession been real, the Quran, which names Shaytan a clear enemy, would have taught protection from it, whereas it teaches seeking refuge only from his whispering. He cites al-Tahawi the Hanafi in Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar, that the Prophet was commanded only to seek Allah's protection from the whisperings, so that every du'a in the Quran and Sunnah is against whispering and none against possession, and that claims of Shaytan harming property or animals have no proof. Among the commentators he names the author of al-Kashshaf [?] and al-Razi in his tafsir, who said Shaytan has no power at all to cause illness or pain, and he reports al-Shafi'i, through al-Rabi', saying that he would reject the testimony of anyone who claimed to have seen the jinn, since only a prophet can see them, a view Ibn Hazm also records in al-Fisal: the Quran says they see you and you do not see them, so those who claim to see them are liars unless they are prophets, as the Prophet saw a devil in Madinah and Sulayman dealt with the jinn.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Akram Nadwi (guest)
- Ibn Hazm
- al-Fisal fi al-Milal wal-Ahwa' wal-Nihal (Ibn Hazm)
- al-Tahawi
- Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar (al-Tahawi)
- al-Zamakhshari [?] (named as the author of al-Kashshaf)
- al-Kashshaf [?]
- Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
- al-Shafi'i
- Quran 114:4 (from the evil of the whisperer): https://quran.com/114/4
- the mu'awwidhat (the surahs of seeking refuge)
- Sulayman
- Shaytan
- jinn
- Shaytan's only power is to whisper and call; he cannot force or possess
- a claim about the unseen needs proof from the Quran and Sunnah

## Transcript (machine tier, 23:06–30:59)

[22:27] Shaytan because this reason because you know all the coddle you listen to Shaytan you follow the shaitaan and that resulted into this harm you know the Koran said very clearly what a tactful a slacker volume in the samurai wala basara were four other could occur kana inamura if you don't know something then basically you don't you have no right to make a claim the first you have to know the chorus of rata formalize the Cameo if you don't know so all those people who claim that somebody has garbage in possession of something like Delta you ask them what it what is your proof how

[23:05] do you know this thing what the proof and a lot sometimes far we need people you know from saying anything which for which they have no knowledge and this is our tell we don't have knowledge because we card sitting in what you see you know that know where you can see them what you see something different but you collect that this is something dinner you see certain you know a you know activity of some disturbance and they interpret that this could be Jean but they're not prefer that in Allah so Allah has created so many illness so many things in this world you know something with know something we don't know but if you don't know that we don't not not immediately that we have to claim something you know you know it

[23:45] spiritual you know relate to jinn first thing it this thing has been discussed in detail by even a husband wajarri in his book at the middle of Anna had in other places so he said what let's see what is true about the jinn and what is not true we can accept the Shaitaan whispers we cannot accept the Shaitaan can run in the veins of the people we also accept that were certain whispers it can have effect on your face and your own your mood and your behavior all this we accept but to claim that Shaitaan can possess the people can control over them and they have no will no rather no power

[24:22] socket Allah in a man who beat anyone who claims like that they observe something for which they have no knowledge no Hara Hara moon like a halo this unlawful Haram and not allowed anybody who claims they're making it a name for which they have no proof and certainly you know staying something like that with Hara Elijah were attack for Malaysia lock available if you don't know don't claim don't make anything let's be quiet say I don't know same Putin really just make it very clear I don't know Muhammad Allah Jim Cantore Rafa ala batata Allah bear harbour in sahih him this

[24:59] think that Shaytan can possess Gina can possess somebody this womanly can be known through his sound report if you confront parcel Ali Salim voila Jabara a loser Lou Salim bhai Reema the karna and the prophets are doesn't never told anything a girl he only has told about whispering of Shaitan he never told the Shaitan can put it this never has come you know this thing if it is true really it is so hard food extreme in the Quran if Quran can mention of asparagus Shaitaan and karana mates very cliche tell your enemy if his enemy and he can posit that is the first intimation rather the machine the whispering karana message with carranza you know seek

[25:38] protection to Allah so Allah from the whispering of Shaitaan it shall possess the fasting should be secret protection from Allah you know against and the possessor of the Shaitaan but that's prime never teach it well Quran teaches about our enemy clear in your Porsche hadoo mobile a clear enemy this decision never can come so he said there are no Hubbard from the parcel as in this metal will build ahead of you and then he said that was aha - Aparna it is also true the Shaitan can cause you know certain in disturbance in the behavior you know when the people do something that happen this is an the

[26:17] Quran in Y admission all dossier anyway vahana super on vomit - Jebel Musa Hamas da-da-da-da-da hora fatten mint Audi Dilla's mean well cut the bill other than this means when people claim the possession this is the thumb people use and generator by these repeat those who do rupiah so these people have invented the stories nothing like that all the rakia people they are the one who have done the nothing that you know they just there lies the keep making lies and they create the way they do you know P it basically not only money it is money and some time in such things both things are

[26:56] there even on wider scale energy emitted by basically money and the money they generate through these things and you know people can't believe how much money they get in this thing you know for any session Amata have a rockin of louder so this in the library you wanna have is the Hanafi he writes in his share of my lighter he said one a cinema emiru bill steer a determination on FEMA Allahu Sultan Ali Mejia illumise versa people I have been only commanded to ask Allah to protect them from the was associated you can see all the time the person doesn't ask

[27:34] people to make out I would it pharmacist nothing is not no position if Shaytan computers that I would should be from dead but all the hadees after i would even the poor armor asif asteroid will languish at and regime and when operational readiness Maliki nasarah in us all that I would that has come in the Quran Sunnah it already bought whispering or are never makes a peep to ask that Kumar's people to ask Allah to protect them to save them from the position of the shatter but that's never happened to Maha we said when leting Allah has under watch a ton of got the power a Shaytan is God's power was awesome in America Shahada

[28:11] min ash-shaytan free majora Yahoo Sultan Allah he is the one leading the Chattanooga purveyor or the saucer let any be sure what and then he goes on but he said then after that if people clear that Shaytan can cut hard to their property or can cut harder to animals or something under body this has no proof and there had no worse and Hadees has come to ask alice order to save the you know protector you know them from forum Shaitan regarding these two this never has come similarly if you look among the mafia rahim allah tala is you know kasia

[28:51] and also in his mortality and mostly I basically don't believe this thing anyway so you know he also makes you can see there you have a very we have got him out to Hobby the Hanafi we have got a you know this not easily and then you see Marazzi in esta serie Marathi arrived he said a Shaitaan o la Poudre Donohue alaa batata a logical nassif in a Marathi well allah shaitaan has no power absolutely at all - cause in - you know cause people to fall in the illness Oh pain he had no no power so and similarly paramesha from Thais I know somebody mention we must suffer a heart Allah

[29:30] Himself I said if somebody believes in this thing I will reject his witness with somebody believe that he has human gene I need we possess the gene or something like that I will reject it and this has coming in by happy you know Ravi a semi-auto chef ie a pool man Solomon who are al Jinnah avital Nash had Shahada Tahu in LA I could not be here if anybody who claims that he has seen the jinn we will invalidate his witness except if his prophet only prefer can see nobody else can see there's organic coming from even have the friary in his early middle volume number 5 and K number 12 he says

[30:07] why why the aspirin wahala an around family da I knew your home Oh Cathy anybody he said that's what I said gene you can't see gene now if anybody connected the concision they're liars can laugh said you can't see them they see you but you can't see them if anybody collectively they can they can see them they're Liars in Lonnie Acuna Mel and BIA he must accept a profit profits can do Vitalik a more desert Elohim commonness rasoolallah seldom and notify Latin who shaitaan/the yep de la salle at abou this happened to the

[30:45] parcel allison de Vaca - for the car to divert officially man Nicholas Bahamas the pannier al-madinah similarly about the Somalis now you know he got the question of Zinn and one of the ifreet big region you know he said to him this but in their style didn't happen imagine there are killer power more powerful than other they can do many many things but nobody can cook that control and la città only mere testing firstly militia and someone BR some prophets they can see them they have seen them made them and they became Muslim under a lock muscle Islam like the parcel as that is

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 7z8yu8Kr83Y/s/5. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/7z8yu8kr83y/s/5/

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