Etymology

Jinn is an Arabic collective noun deriving from the Semitic root JNN (Arabic: / ‫َج ّن‬
‫ج ّن‬,
ُ jann), whose primary meaning is 'to hide' or 'to adapt'. Some authors interpret
the word to mean, literally, 'beings that are concealed from the senses'.[6]
Cognates include the Arabic majnūn (‫جنُون‬ ْ ‫م‬,
َ 'possessed' or, generally, 'insane'),
jannah (‫جن َّة‬,
َ 'garden', 'eden' or 'heaven'), and janīn (‫ج ِنين‬, َ 'embryo').[7] Jinn is
properly treated as a plural (however in Classical Arabic, may also appear as jānn,
‫ان‬
ّ ‫)ج‬,
َ with the singular being jinnī (‫)جِ نِّ ّي‬. [b]

The origin of the word jinn remains uncertain.[2](p22) Some scholars relate the
Arabic term jinn to the Latin genius – a guardian spirit of people and places in
Roman religion – as a result of syncretism during the reign of the Roman empire
under Tiberius and Augustus;[8](p38) however, this derivation is also disputed.[2]
(p25) Another suggestion holds that jinn may be derived from Aramaic ginnaya
(Classical Syriac: ‫ )ܓܢܬܐ‬with the meaning of 'tutelary deity'[2](p24) or
'guardian'. Others claim a Persian origin of the word, in the form of the Avestic
Jaini, a wicked (female) spirit. Jaini were among various creatures in the possibly
even pre-Zoroastrian mythology of peoples of Iran.[9][10]

The anglicized form genie is a borrowing of the French génie, also from the Latin
genius. It first appeared[11] in 18th-century translations of the Thousand and One
Nights from the French,[12] where it had been used owing to its rough similarity in
sound and sense and further applies to benevolent intermediary spirits, in contrast
to the malevolent spirits called 'demon' and 'heavenly angels', in literature.[13]
In Assyrian art, creatures ontologically between humans and divinities are also
called genie.[14]
Pre Islamic era
The winged genie in the bucket and cone motif, depicting a demi-divine entity,[15]
probably a forerunner of the pre-Islamic tutelary deities, who became the jinn in
Islam. Relief from the north wall of the Palace of king Sargon II at Dur Sharrukin,
713–716 BCE.

The exact origins of belief in jinn are not entirely clear.[16](pp 1–10) Belief in
jinn in the pre-Islamic Arab religion is testified not only by the Quran, but also
by pre-Islamic literature in the seventh century.[17]: 54  Some scholars of the
Middle East hold that they originated as malevolent spirits residing in deserts and
unclean places, who often took the forms of animals;[16](p 1–10) others hold that
they were originally pagan nature deities who gradually became marginalized as
other deities took greater importance.[16](pp 1–10) Since the term jinn seems not
to be of Arabic, but Aramaic origin, denoting demonized pagan deities, the jinn
probably entered the Arabian belief in the late pre-Islamic period.[17]:  54  Still,
jinn had been worshipped by many Arabs during the Pre-Islamic period,[8](p 34)
though, unlike gods, jinn were not regarded as immortal. Emilie Savage-Smith, who
asserted that jinn are malevolent in contrast to benevolent gods, doesn't hold this
distinction to be absolute, admitting jinn-worship in pre-Islamic Arabia.[18]:  39 
In the regions north to the Hejaz, Palmyra and Baalbek, the terms jinni and ilah
were often used synonymous.[19] Julius Wellhausen likewise states that in pre-
Islamic Arabia it was assumed there are friendly and helpful beings among the jinn.
He asserts that the distinction between a god and a jinni is, the jinn are
worshipped in private while the gods are worshipped in public.[18]:  39 

Although their mortality ranks them lower than gods, it seems that the veneration
of jinn had played more importance in the everyday life of pre-Islamic Arabs than
the gods themselves. According to common Arabian belief, soothsayers, pre-Islamic
philosophers, and poets were inspired by the jinn.[8](p 34)[16](pp 1–10) Their
culture and society were analogous to that pre-Islamic Arabian culture, having
tribal leaders, protecting their allies and avenging murder for any member of their
tribe or allies.[20](p 424) Although the powers of jinn exceed those of humans, it
is conceivable a man could kill a jinni in single combat. Jinn were thought to
shift into different shapes, but were feared especially in their invisible form,
since then they could attack without being seen.[21] Jinn were also feared because
they had been thought to be responsible for various diseases and mental illnesses.
[8](p 122)[16](pp 1–10) Julius Wellhausen observed that such spirits were thought to
inhabit desolate, dingy, and dark places and that they were feared.[22] One had to
protect oneself from them, but they were not the objects of a true cult.[22] Al-
Jahiz credits the pre-Islamic Arabs with believing that the society of jinn
constitutes several tribes and groups and some natural events were attributed to
them, such as storms. They also thought jinn could protect, marry, kidnap, possess,
and kill people.[23] Despite that they were often feared or they inspired awe, the
jinn were also pictured to have romantic feelings for humans. According to a famous
pre-Islamic story, the jinni Manzur fell in love with a human woman called Habbah,
teaching her the arts of healing.[24]

Some scholars argue that angels and devils were by the Prophet Muhammad to Arabia
and did not exist among the jinn. On the other hand, Amira el-Zein[8] argues that
angels were known to the pagan Arabs, but the term jinn was used for all kinds of
supernatural entities among various religions and cults; thus, Zoroastrian,
Christian, and Jewish angels and devils were conflated with jinn.[8](p 34)
Islamic beliefs
In scripture
The 72nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Al-Jinn (The Jinn), as well as the heading
and introductory bismillah of the next chapter entitled al-Muzzammil (The
Enshrouded One)
See also: Islamic mythology

Jinn are mentioned approximately 29 times in the Quran.[16](p21) In Islamic

tradition, Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both human and jinn communities, and
that prophets and messengers were sent to both communities.[25][26][27]
Traditionally, the 72nd surah, Al-Jinn, named after them, is held to tell about the
revelation to jinn and several stories mention one of Muhammad's followers
accompanied him, witnessing the revelation to the jinn.[8](p64)

The Quran condemns pre-Islamic practise of worshipping jinn for means of protection
(72:6).[28] The Quran reduced the status of jinn from that of tutelary deities to
that of minor spirits, usually paralleling humans.[15] They are, like humans,
rational beings formed of nations (7:38).[28] Surah 51:56 resumes that both jinn
and humans were created to worship God. Surah 6:130 states that God has sent
messengers to both humans and jinn.[28]Individuals among both communities are held
accountable for their deeds, and will be punished or rewarded in the afterlife, in
accordance with their deeds (7:179, 55:56).[28] It is impossible for both jinn and
humans to approach God both physically (55:33) and mentally (17:90).[28]

Unlike humans, jinn are not vicegerents of the earth. Al-Baqara only credits Adam
as a successor (khalifa).[28] However, some exegetes, like Tabari, argue that jinn
inhereted the world before, and that when angels complain about God creating humans
who "will shed blood", they link humans to the jinn who ruled the earth before.[29]

In the story of Solomon, it is implied that the jinn live on the earth alongside
with humans. Solomon is granted dominion over humans, ants, birds and jinn. The
jinn served him as soldiers and builders of the First Temple.[30]

The jinn are also mentioned in collections of canonical hadiths. According to the
reports of the hadiths, the jinn eat like humans, but instead of fresh food, they
prefer rotten flesh and bones.[8](p51)[31] One hadith divides them into three
groups, with one type of jinn flying through the air; another that are snakes and
dogs; and a third that moves from place to place like human.[32] This account
parallels the jinn to humans, similar to the Quran, as another hadith divides
humans into three groups, with one kind which is like four-legged beast, who are
said to remain ignorant of God's message; a second one which is under the
protection of God; and a last one with the body of a human, but the soul of a devil
(shaitan).[33]
Exegesis

Belief in jinn is not included among the six articles of Islamic faith, as belief
in angels is, however many Muslim scholars believe it essential to the Islamic
faith.[34][35] Many scholars regard their existence and ability to enter human
bodies as part of the aqida (theological doctrines) in the tradition of Ashari.[36]
In Quranic interpretation, the term jinn can be used in two different ways:

as invisible beings, considered to be, along with humans, thaqalān (accountable

for their deeds), created out of "fire and air" (Arabic: ‫م ِار ٍج ِمن ن َّار‬,
َ mārijin min
nār).[37]
as the opposite of al-Ins (something in shape) referring to any object that
cannot be detected by human sensory organs, including angels, devils, and the
interior of human beings.[37][38]

Tabari records from ibn Abbas yet another usage for the term jinn, as reference to
a tribe of angels created from the fires of samūm (Arabic: ‫س ُموم‬,
َ 'poisonous fire').
They got their name from jannah ("heaven" or "paradise"), instead. They would have
waged war against the jinn before the creation of Adam.[39] According to Tabari,
the angels were created on Wednesday, the jinn on Thursday, and humans on Friday,
though not in succession, but rather, more than 1000 years later, respectively.[2]
(p 43) With the revelation of Islam, the jinn were given a new chance to access
salvation.[32][40][41] However, because of their prior creation, the jinn would
attribute themselves to a superiority over humans and envy them for their place and
rank on earth.[2](p 43)

The different jinn known in Islamic folklore are disregarded among most mufassirs –
authors of tafsir – Tabari being an exception (though he is not specific about
them, probably due to lack of theological significance). Since Tabari is one of the
earliest commentators, the several jinn have been known since the earliest stages
of Islam.[42](p 132) The ulama (scholars of Islamic law) discuss permissiblity of
jinn marriage. Since the Quran talks about marriage with human women only, many
regard it prohibited. Some argue, someone who marriages a jinn will lose fear in
God.[43]
Classic theology

The notion that jinn could possess individuals is generally accepted by the
majority of Muslim scholars, and considered part of the doctrines (aqidah) of the
"people of the Sunnah" (ahl as-sunnah wal-jammah'a) in the tradition of Ash'ari.
[36](p 68) A minority of Muslim scholars, associated with the Muʿtazila, denied
that jinn could possess a human physically, asserting they could only influence
humans by whispering to them, like the devils do.[36](p 73)[44] Some, like ibn
Sina,[45](p 89) even denied their existence altogether. Sceptics refused to believe
in a literal reading on jinn in Islamic sacred texts, preferring to view them as
"unruly men" or metaphorical.[32]

Other critics, such as Jahiz and Mas'udi, explained jinn and demons as a merely
psychological phenomena. Jahiz states in his Kitāb al-Hayawān that loneliness
induces humans to mind-games and wishful thinking, causing waswās (Arabic: ‫و ْس َواس‬,
َ
'demonic whisperings in the mind'), causing a fearful man to see things which are
not real. These alleged appearances are told to other generations in bedtime
stories and poems, and when they grow up, they remember these stories when they are
alone or afraid, encouraging their imaginations and causing another alleged
sighting of jinn.[2](p37)
According to the Asharites, the existence of jinn and demons cannot be proven or
falsified, because arguments concerning the existence of such entities are beyond
human comprehension. Adepts of Ashʿari theology explain that jinn are invisible to
humans because humans lack the appropriate sensory organs to envision them.[8](p22)
Hanbali scholar ibn Taymiyya and Zahiri scholar ibn Hazm regarded denial of jinn as
"unbelief" (kufr), since they are mentioned in Islamic sacred texts. They further
point towards demons and spirits in other religions, such as Christianity,
Zorastrianism and Judaism, as evidence for their existence.[2](p33) Ibn Taymiyya
believed the jinn to be generally "ignorant, untruthful, oppressive, and
treacherous". He held that the jinn account for much of the "magic" that is
perceived by humans, cooperating with magicians to lift items in the air,
delivering hidden truths to fortune tellers, and mimicking the voices of deceased
humans during seances.[46]

Al-Maturidi relates the jinn to their depiction as former minor deities, writing
that humans seek refuge among the jinn, but the jinn are actually weaker than
humans. Not the jinn but human's own mind and attitude towards them are the sources
of fear. By submitting to the jinn, humans allow the jinn to have power over them,
humiliate themselves, increase their dependence on them, and commit shirk.[47] Abu
l-Lait as-Samarqandi, a disciple of the Maturidi school of theology, is attributed
to the opinion that, unlike angels and devils, humans and jinn are created with
fitra, neither born as believers nor as unbelievers; their attitude depends on
whether or not they accept God's guidance.[3]
Modern theology

Many modernists tried to reconcile the traditional perspective on jinn with modern
sciences. Muhammad Abduh understood references to jinn in the Quran to denote
anything invisible, be it an indefined force or a simple inclination towards good
or evil.[48] He further asserted that jinn might be an ancient description of
germs, since both are associated with diseases and cannot be perceived by the human
eye alone,[49] an idea adapted by the Ahmadi sect.[50] F. Gülen, leader of Hizmet
movement, also related jinn to illnesses, when he put forward the idea that jinn
may be the cause of schizophrenia and cancer, and that the Quranic references to
jinn as "smokeless fire" could, for that matter, mean "energy".[51]

On the other hand, Salafism rejects a metaphorical reinterpretation of jinn or to

identify them with microorganisms, advocating a literal belief in jinn.
Furthermore, they reject protection and healing rituals common across Islamic
culture used to ward of jinn or to prevent possession. It takes up the position
that this is a form of idolatry (shirk),[52] associating the jinn with devils. Many
modern preachers substituted (evil) jinn by devils.[53] For that reason, Saudi
Arabia, following the Wahhabism tradition of Salafism, imposes a death penalty for
dealing with jinn to prevent sorcery and witchcraft.[54][55] The importance of
belief in jinn to Islamic belief in contemporary Muslim society was underscored by
the judgment of apostasy by an Egyptian Sharia court in 1995 against liberal
theologian Nasr Abu Zayd.[56] Zayd was declared an unbeliever of Islam for – among
other things – arguing that the reason for the presence of jinn in the Quran was
that they (jinn) were part of Arab culture at the time of the Quran's revelation,
rather than that they were part of God's creation.[35] Death threats led to Zayd
leaving Egypt several weeks later.[c]

In Turkey, Süleyman Ateş's Quran commentary describes the jinn as hostile beings to
whom the pagans made sacrifices in order to please them. They would have
erroneously assumed that the jinn (and angels) were independent deities and thus
fell into širk. By that, humans would associate partners with God and humiliate
themselves towards the jinn spiritually.[d]
Belief in jinn
The cave chamber Majlis al Jinn, believed to be a gathering place of the jinn in
Omani lore
The Singer Ibrahim and the jinn. Ibrahim has been imprisoned by his master Muhammad
al-Amin and visited by a jinn in guise of an old man. The jinn offers him food and
drink and is so impressed by Ibrahim's voice that he convinces Muhammad to free
him.[58]
Folklore

The jinn are of pre-Islamic Arabian origin. Since the Quran affirms their
existence, when Islam spread outside of Arabia jinn belief was adopted by later
Islamic culture.[30] The Quran reduced the status of the jinn from that of tutelary
deities to something parallel to humans, subject to the judgement of the supreme
deity of Islam. By that, the jinn were considered a third class of invisible
beings, not consequently equated with devils,[8](p52) and Islam was able to
integrate local beliefs about spirits and deities from Iran, Africa, Turkey and
India, into a monotheistic framework.[59]

The jinn are believed to live in societies resembling those of humans, practicing
religion (including Islam, Christianity and Judaism), having emotions, needing to
eat and drink, and can procreate and raise families. Muslim jinn are usually
thought to be benign, Christian and Jewish jinn indifferent unless angered, and
pagan jinn evil.[60] Other common characteristics include fear of iron and wolves,
[61] generally appearing in desolate or abandoned places, and being stronger and
faster than humans.[32] Since the jinn share the earth with humans, Muslims are
often cautious not to accidentally hurt an innocent jinn.

Jinn are often believed to be able to take control over a human's body. Although
this is a strong belief among many Muslims, some authors argue that since the Quran
doesn't explicitly attribute possession to the jinn, it derives from pre-Islamic
beliefs.[62] Morocco, especially, has many possession traditions, including
exorcism rituals,[63] However, jinn can not enter a person whenever the jinni
wants; rather, the victim must be predisposed for possession in a state of
dha'iyfah (Arabic: ‫ض ِعيفَة‬,
َ "weakness"). Feelings of insecurity, mental instability,
unhappy love and depression (being "tired from the soul") are forms of dha'iyfah.
[64]

Javanese Muslims hold similar beliefs about the jinn as inhabiting lonely and
haunted places, and the ability to possess or scare people who trample their homes
or accidentally kill a related jinni. In some cases, jinn might even take revenge
by inflicting physical damage. Muslims avoid hurting jinn by uttering "destur"
(permission), before sprinkling hot water, so the jinn might leave the place.[32]
[65][16](p149) Some jinn guard graves and cause illness to people, who intent to
disturb the graves.[66] Benevolent jinn are called jinn Islam, and they are pious
and faithful, the other are called jinn kafir. While good jinn might even help a
Muslim to do hard work and produce magical acts,[67] evil jinn follow the influence
of devils (shayatin).

In Artas (Bethlehem), benevolent jinn might support humans and teach them moral
lessons. The evil jinn frequently ascend to the surface, causing sickness to
children, snatching food, and taking revenge when humans mistreat them.[68] In
later Albanian lore too, jinn (Xhindi) live either on earth or under the surface
rather than in the air, and may possess people who have insulted them, for example
if their children are trodden upon or hot water is thrown on them.[69]

Among Turks, jinn (Turkish: Cin) often appear along with other demonic entities,
such as the divs as within Azerbaijani mythology.[70] The divs are from Persian
mythology. Some early Persian translations of the Quran translated jinn either as
peris or divs,[32] causing confusion between those entities.[71] In other
instances, the jinn are known as cor and chort, distinguished from iye. While the
iye is bound to a specific place,[72] Turkish sources too, describe jinn as mobile
creatures causing illnesses and mental disorders, but with a physical body, which
only remains invisible until they die.[73]
In folk literature
The black king of the djinns, Al-Malik al-Aswad, from the late 14th-century Book of
Wonders

The jinn can be found in various stories of the One Thousand and One Nights,
including in:

"The Fisherman and the Jinni";[74]

"Ma‘ruf the Cobbler": more than three different types of jinn are described;
[75][76]
"Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp": two jinn help young Aladdin;[77] and
"Tale of Núr al-Dín Alí and his Son Badr ad-Dīn Ḥasan": Ḥasan Badr al-Dīn weeps
over the grave of his father until sleep overcomes him, and he is awoken by a large
group of sympathetic jinn.[78]

In some stories, the jinn are credited with the ability of instantaneous travel
(from China to Morocco in a single instant); in others, they need to fly from one
place to another, though quite fast (from Baghdad to Cairo in a few hours).
Modern and post-modern era
Prevalence of belief

Though discouraged by some teachings of modern Islam, cultural beliefs about jinn
remain popular among Muslim societies and their understanding of cosmology and
anthropology.[79] Affirmation on the existence of jinn as sapient creatures living
along with humans is still widespread in the Middle Eastern world, and mental
illnesses are still often attributed to jinn possession.[80]

According to a survey undertaken by the Pew Research Center in 2012, at least 86%
of Muslims in Morocco, 84% in Bangladesh, 63% in Turkey, 55% in Iraq, 53% in
Indonesia, 47% in Thailand and 15% elsewhere in Central Asia, affirm a belief in
the existence of jinn. The low rate in Central Asia might be influenced by Soviet
religious oppression.[81] 36% of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina believe in jinn,
which is higher than the Euopean average (30%), although only 21% believe in
sorcery and 13% would wear talisman for protection against jinn. 12% support
offerings and appeal given to the jinn.[82]

Sleep paralysis is understood as a "jinn attack" by many sleep paralysis sufferers

in Egypt, as discovered by a Cambridge neuroscience study Jalal, Simons-Rudolph,
Jalal, & Hinton (2013).[83] The study found that as many as 48 percent of those who
experience sleep paralysis in Egypt believe it to be an assault by the jinn.[83]
Almost all of these sleep paralysis sufferers (95%) would recite verses from the
Quran during sleep paralysis to prevent future "jinn attacks". In addition, some
(9%) would increase their daily Islamic prayer (salah) to get rid of these assaults
by jinn.[83] Sleep paralysis is generally associated with great fear in Egypt,
especially if believed to be supernatural in origin.[84]

However, despite belief in jinn being prevalent in Iran's folklore, especially

among more observant believers of Islam, some phenomena such as sleep paralysis
were traditionally attributed to other supernatural beings; in the case of sleep
paralysis, it was bakhtak (night hag). But at least in some areas of Iran, an
epileptic seizure was thought to be a jinn attack or jinn possession, and people
would try to exorcise the jinn by citing the name of God and using iron blades to
draw protective circles around the victim.[85]

Telling jinn stories and recounting alleged encounters with them were a common
pastime in parts of the Muslim world, similar to telling ghost stories in western
cultures, until a couple of decades ago when these stories fell out of fashion,
thanks to the increasing penetration of digital entertainments and modern recording
equipment which undermined their credibility.
Post-modern literature and movies
Main article: Genies in popular culture

Jinn feature in the magical realism genre, introduced into Turkish literature by
Tekin (1983),[86] who uses magical elements known from pre-Islamic and Islamic
Anatolian lore. Since the 1980s, this genre has become prominent in Turkish
literature. A story by Tekin combines elements of folkloric and religious belief
with a rationalized society. The protagonist is a girl who befriends inanimate
objects and several spirits, such as jinn and peri (fairy). While the existence of
jinn is generally accepted by the people within the novel, when her family moves
from rural Anatolia into the city, the jinn do not appear anymore.

Jinn are still accepted as real by Muslims in the novel's urban setting, but play
no part in modern life. The existence of jinn is accepted throughout the novel, but
when the setting changes to the city, they cease to have any importance,
symbolizing the replacement of tradition by modernization for Anatolian immigrants.
[87]

Contrary to the neutral to positive depiction of jinn in Tekin's novels, jinn

became a common trope in Middle Eastern horror movies. In Turkish horror, jinn have
been popular since 2004.[88] Out of 89 films, 59 have direct references to jinn as
the antagonist, 12 use other sorts of demons, while other types of horror, such as
the impending apocalypse, hauntings, or ghosts, constitute only 14 films.[89]
Unlike other Horror elements, such as ghosts and zombies, the existence of jinn is
affirmed by the Quran, and thus accepted by a majority of Muslims.[90] The
presentation of jinn usually combines Quranic with oral and cultural beliefs about
jinn.[89] The jinn are presented as inactive inhabitants of the earth, only
interfering with human affairs when summoned by a sorcerer or witch.[90] Although
the jinn, often summoned by pagan rituals or sorcery, appear to pose a challange to
Islam, the films assure that Islamic law protects Muslims from their presence. It
is the one who summoned them in the first place who gets punished or suffers from
the presence of jinn.[90]

Similarly, jinn appear in Iranian horror movies despite a belittling of the popular
understanding of jinn by an increasing number of Islamic fundamentalistic
reformists.[91] In the post-Iranian revolution psychological horror movie Under the
Shadow the protagonist is afraid the jinn, who are completely veiled and concealed
and intrude into her life frequently. In the end, however, she is forced by the
Iranian guards to take on a Chador, and thus becomes like the jinn she feared. The
jinn symbolize the Islamic regime and their intrusion into private life, criticises
the Islamic regime and patriarchal structures.[92]
Physicality and intercourse with humans
A Sinai desert cobra. Snakes are the animals most frequently associated with jinn.
Black snakes are commonly believed to be evil jinn, whereas white snakes are held
to be benign (Muslim) jinn.[93]

Jinn are not supernatural in the sense of being purely spiritual and transcendent
to nature; while they are believed to be invisible (or often invisible) they also
eat, drink, sleep, breed with the opposite sex, and produce offspring that resemble
their parents. Intercourse is not limited to other jinn alone, but is also possible
between human and jinn.[94] Their offspring are often considered to be gifted and
talented people with special abilities, and some historical persons were considered
to have jinnic ancestry.[20]

Despite being invisible, jinn are usually thought to have bodies (ad̲j̲sām). Zakariya
al-Qazwini includes the jinn (angels, jinn, and devils all created from different
parts of fire) among animals, along with humans, burdened beasts (like horses),
cattles, wild beasts, birds, and finally insects and reptiles.[95](p135)
The Qanoon-e-Islam, written 1832 by Sharif Ja'far, writing about jinn-belief in
India, states that their bodies are constituted of 90% spirit and 10% flesh.[96]
They resemble humans in many regards, their subtle matter being the only main
difference. But it is this very nature that enables them to change their shape,
move quickly, fly, and, entering human bodies, cause epilepsy and illness, hence
the temptation for humans to make them allies by means of magical practices.[97]

Jinn are further known as gifted shapeshifters, often assuming the form of an
animal. In Islamic culture, many narratives concern a serpent who is actually a
jinni.[2](p116) Other chthonic animals regarded as forms of jinn include scorpions
and lizards. Both scorpions and serpents have been venerated in the ancient Near
East. Some sources even speak of killed jinn leaving behind a carcass similar to
either a serpent or a scorpion.[8]: 
91–93  When they shift into a human form,
however they are said to stay partly animal and are not fully human. Individual
jinn are thus often depicted as monstrous and anthropomorphized creatures with body
parts from different animals or human with animal traits.[2](p164)[8](p164)

According to Pierre Lory, some jinn tend to have sexual intercourse with humans.
[98] There are some hadiths, considered fabricated (maudhu) by some Sunni hadith
scholars (muhaddith), in support of this view:[98]

“The Hour will come when the children of jinn will become many among you.”
— Suyuti, Laqt al-marjân, 38.[98]

“Among you are those who are expatriated (mugharrabûn);” and this, he
explained, meant “crossed with jinn.”
— Suyuti, Laqt al-marjân, 28.[98]

Lory states that, in Islamic belief, love is one of the most frequent causes of
relationships between humans and jinn.[98] Sylvaine Camelin, in her study of
exorcism in the Yemeni province of Hadramawt, states:[98]

Love seems to be the most frequent occasion of contact between men and jinn. A
jinni meets a woman and falls in love with her, or vice versa... This possession is
manifest notably when the jinni has sexual intercourse with the person he/she
possesses. In that case, the individual behaves with gestures and words as if they
were having sexual intercourse, although he/she is apparently alone in the room.
Besides, this person seems to suddenly lose all interest for his/her
environment."[98]

Some scholars say that, while marriage is permissible between a jinn and a human,
it is undesirable (makruh) whilst others go further and strongly forbid it (haram)