Al Fazl, 2 May 1921
While responding to a letter from someone, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] recently stated:
“I believe in the presence of jinn, but I do not believe that people are possessed by them or that they bring them fruits. As people are not possessed by angels, in the same way, they are also not possessed by jinn; just as angels meet human beings, so do jinn, but [they meet people] as far as their natural entity permits them.
“With regard to the teachings of the Holy Prophetsa, I believe they are for both human beings and the jinn, and believing in him is also necessary for the jinn. It is also incumbent on everyone to act on the revelation that descended upon him. However, this belief of mine has also led me to believe that people can neither be possessed by them [jinn], nor can they bring any fruits for them..
“The Holy Quran states that it was the duty of those who believed in the Holy Prophetsa to help and support him. If jinn had the power to help or aid human beings [in such manner], why were Abu Jahl etc. not possessed by them? They [jinn] did not even have to make any sacrifices [to achieve this].
“Some say that jinn bring sweets etc. to people, but I do not believe in such jinn who bring sweets to Zaid [A] and Bakr [B], but for the one [the Holy Prophetsa] whom belief was necessary and obligatory – and a party of jinn even came to profess their faith in him – he would starve for three days in a row and they [jinn] would not even bring him bread. If it were not necessary for them [jinn] to believe in Muhammadsa, the Messenger of Allah, then this would have put us in doubt, that they can harm mankind, but now we are certain that they cannot do so.
“As far as the matter of women being possessed by jinn is concerned, then these are all diseases, illusions or a result of a scientific phenomenon. For example, phosphorus shines at night and it is often seen in graveyards because phosphorus comes out of the bones and it shines, and people attribute it to jinn. Likewise, the swaying of trees etc. [is also taken as jinn]. Scientific research has now clearly shown that these are the reasons behind it all and you can understand the rest of the occurrences based on this [explanation].”
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 2 May 1921 issue of Al Fazl)