The Ancient Djinn

It is itself the morning; its clear radiance dispels The night when it shoots out sparks like rubies As the patrolling angels do, when, at night, they stone With the stars the rebellious demon Afrits.
– Abu Nuwas, poet
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The Prophet said, ‘There are three types of jinn: one type which flies in the air all the time, another type which exists as snakes and dogs, and an earthbound type which resides in one place and wanders about.’
– Al-Tabarani, hadith scholar
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The Qur'an devotes an entire Surah to the Djinn, a form of life that is inextricably linked to the cultural and religious tapestry of Arab and Islamic lands. The Arabic word for ‘crazy’ – Majnun – comes from the same root as the word ‘Jinn’, suggesting that a deranged person is possessed in some way. King Solomon was once believed to be the King of the Djinn, a great sorcerer and wise being whose magic ring and power controlled these creatures of the in-between. Jinn are believed to lurk in wells and lavatories, in addition to their haunting empty buildings, such as our home. The Djinn were shaped from smokeless fire and live in those regions where humans cannot go but in their mad dreams and through those avenues of hallucinatory power of plants and mysteries. I've been fascinated by these beings since childhood when I met something I did not know. Only now do I begin to know of its history in our species long memory. From that I bring you images...