Is It Permissible To Seek the Aid of Jinn?

Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas

Question: I have come across many individuals claiming that they have a baba with them alongside their spirit who time to time take over their body to answer questions of others and prepare tawiz for various reasons and ailments. Is this true according to Islam?

Answer: assalamu `alaykum

It is in the realm of the possible for a person to exert control over unseen beings, such as the jinn, and communicate with them.

We know, for example, that the Prophet Sulayman (God bless him) was given the ability to control Jinn, as per the Qur’anic verse, “and his hosts of the jinn, men, and the birds were gathered for him.” (27:17)

However, the question of such an ability being exercised by normal people for the purposes you mention is a different issue. Aside from the fact that many who purport to exercise such an ability for the purposes of prescribing ta`wiz and the like are charlatans, there is the question of whether such an action is legally permitted to begin with.

Some scholars have stated that it would be permitted to seek the aid of the Jinn for that which is permitted, and impermissible for that which is impermissible. This position was famously held by Ibn Taymiyya. [Majmu` al-Fatawa (11:307)]

Other scholars stated that it is unconditionally impermissible to seek the aid of Jinn, a position indicated in the words of scholars, such as Qadi `Iyad and Ibn Hajar al-Haytami. [Tartid al-Madarik (3:318); Fatawa Hadithiyya (88)] This was also adopted by a number of contempoary scholars, such as Shaykh Wahba Zuhayli.

Given the difference of opinion, the nature of this action, and the types of people we see claiming to exercise this ability, it would best to avoid this practice and those who engage in it.

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.