Understanding Islam

Explaining Islam in Light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ‎)

Can Jinns Possess Human Beings?

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Question

As salamu Alaikum,

Do really can Jinn posses human beings,what is the exact meaning of the verse 2:275 “Those who consume financial interest, they do not rise except as the one who is being beaten by the devil out of direct touch……” what does the word “almassi” meaning “Touch” here implies.I have seen lot of videos in youtube performing Ruqyah on jinn possesed person.what is Ruqyah, do we have any evidence in Quran & Sunnah for both Ruqyah and Jinn possession.

MAY ALLAH REWARD YOU

Regards

Answer

Wa AlaikumuSalam,

The concept of demon possession, while popular among many groups of people in the world, has no basis in Islam. Even though there are many Muslims that believe in such notions their beliefs are not inline with the religion of Islam.

The verse in question is:

[In contrast to these people,] those who [avoid spending in the way of God and] devour Riba, shall only rise [in the hereafter] like the one whom Satan has demented by his touch. – Al Baqarah 2:275
In order to propagate social awareness and contempt for greed, the Qur’an has given this grave warning in the verse. If a person is so driven by money that they lose the very human element that makes him/her relate to another human, that person will be brought back to life in the hereafter as one who is mentally ill. However, this mental illness is not like the one in this life, symptomatic of mental disease; rather, it is a deep and profound insanity that goes to the the very core of the person’s soul. It is not merely mental, but the spiritual deterioration will be apparent on the day of judgement. The person will behave in such a way, that even at the Divine arraignment the lunacy is evident. The “lamss” (i.e. touch) by the devil, is a figure of speech in Arabic to emphasize the degree of corruption the individual has indulged. Clearly, jinn possession is not the point of the verse. Even if one were to explain it that way, at best it could be said that the person would rise as those possessed by demons but not actually being possessed. This is not to give any credibility to possession, but merely to cite behaviors that were commonly known and were associated with demonic possession. The Arab world, as much of the rest of the world, associated some mental illnesses with satanic influences. When someone behaved in a maniacal way, then it was said that they were touched by the devil.As to the issue of exorcism by using the Qur’an or Ruqyah or other “religious” means, then this too has no basis in Islam and borders falling into sin depending on the circumstances. Using the Qur’an to alleviate a troubled soul or prayers for healing an injury or illness is fine, but using it for concocted beliefs is misusing its purpose. Comments regarding YouTube videos or otherwise will not be made due to the fact none were presented. However, if someone is proposing exorcism is a part of Islam then they are committing the sin of heresy.

As stated above, the primary sources of Islam do not explicitly mention demonic possession. The Qur’an has used a common saying to illustrate the grim outcome for those who charge riba (i.e. interest). The crime is so severe that on the Day of Resurrection the individual will personify the wickedness of his/her greed. The madness will be plain for all to see and even the individual will recognize it.

I hope this helps.

God knows best.