Fathwa - Proof of The Jinn Entering a Person's Body

Question:
Is there any proof that supports the claim that jinn can possess human beings?
Answer:
Yes, there is proof in the Book and the Sunnah that jinn enter humans.
In the Qur'aan, Allaah Almighty Says:
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Those who eat Riba (usury and interest) will not stand (on the Day of
Resurrection) except likethe standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan
leading him to insanity[Al-Baqarah 2:275]
Ibn Kathir, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented: "They will rise
from their graves like a person rises who ispossessed by theShaytaan."
Regarding proof from the Sunnah, the Messenger of AllaahSalallaahu
alayhi wasallamsaid,"Indeed, Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam
like the flow of his blood."(Al-Bukhaari no.2039 and Muslim no.2175)
InManqalat Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jamma'ah, Al-Ash'arisaid that they
-meaningAhl As-Sunnah- say that the jinn enter into the body of the
possessed asproven by the precedingverse.
'Abdullaah, Imaam Ahmad's son, said, "I saidto my father that a group
of people claimedthat jinn don't enter intothe bodies of human beings.
He said, 'O my son, they are lying; don'tyou see that it is they who
are speaking upon their tongues."
In a number ofHadithsfrom the Messenger of AllaahSalallaahu alayhi
wasallaam, recorded by Imaam Ahmad and Al-Bayhaqi, it is reportedthat
he met a boy who was possessed. So the ProphetSalallaahu alayhi
wasallaambegan saying,"Come out, O enemy of Allaah. Come out, O enemy
of Allaah."(Ibn Majah no.3548)
In some versions he said,Come out, O enemy of Allaah. Come out, O
enemy of Allaah."(Ahmad 4/171, 172)
Then the boy healed andbecame normal.
Here we have mentioned one proof from the Qur'aan and two from the
Sunnah; what people witness everyday serves as tangible evidence, not
tomention that this is the view ofAhl As-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.
Nevertheless, we do not deny that some people are insane due to some
other defect in their mind.

The ideal Muslim in the community

The Muslim community is based on sincerity, purity of human feelings
and fulfillment of rights and needs to every member.
The Muslim has a mission in life. Within the community he calls the
people to Islam with good preaching and the best character. He teaches
from what he learns and deals with those whom he comes in contact with
based on Islamic values and morals. All this is done seeking the
pleasure of Allaah, the Exalted, while striving to attain the reward
of His Paradise.
Wherever the Muslim is, he should be a beacon of guidance and a
positive source of correction and education, through both his words
and deeds.
The true Muslim has a refined social personalityof the highest degree,
which qualifies him to undertake his duty of calling others to Islam.
Hedemonstrates the true values of his religion and the practical
application of those values by attaining beautiful Islamic attributes.
His distinct social character represents a huge store of Islamic
values, which can be seen by the way in which he interacts with the
people around him.
The Muslim, as Islam meant him to be, is a unique and remarkable
person in his attitude, conduct and relationships with others at all
levels. He treats them well by being friendly with them, humble,
gentle of speech and avoiding offence. He likes others and is liked by
them. He tries to follow the example of theProphetas he was the best
of people in his attitude towards others. Hesaid:"Nothing will weigh
more heavily in the Balance of the believing slave on the Day of
Resurrection than a good attitude towards others."]At-Tirmithi[
Because Islam is based ontruthfulness, the Muslim is always truthful
with all people. Truthfulness leads to goodness and goodness leads
toParadise. Therefore the Muslim strives to be true in all his words
and deeds.
The Muslim never gives false statements, becausethis attitude is
forbidden in the Quran. Allaah, the Most Glorified, Says
)whatmeans(:"…And shun the word that is false."]Quran 22: 30[
The Muslim seeks to offer sincere advice to everyone he comes in
contact with. It's not just the matter of volunteering to do good out
of generosity; it is a duty enjoined by Islam. The Prophetsaid") The
essence of( Religion is )offering sincere( advice."]Muslim[
By the favor of Allaah, theMuslim is a guide for others to righteous
deeds, whether by his actions or words. He never cheats, deceives or
stabs in the back. These shameful acts are beneath him, as they
contradict the values of truthfulness. The Prophetsaid:"…whoever
cheats is not one of us."]Muslim[
When the Muslim promises something, he means to keep his promise.This
attitude stems naturally from truthfulness, and indicates the high
level of civility attained by the one who exhibits it. Allaah Says
)what means(:"And fulfill every engagement, for ]every[ engagement
will be enquired into ]on the Day of Reckoning[."]Quran 17: 34[
One of the worst characteristics that Islam abhors is hypocrisy,
therefore the Muslim can never be a hypocrite; he is frank and open in
his words and opinions. The Prophetsaid:"One of the worst people is a
double-faced man, who comes to one group with one face and to another
group with a totally different face."]Al-Bukhaari[
Islam does not approve of begging. It makes it a sin that a person
should beg when he has enoughto satisfy his immediate needs.Therefore,
the Muslim does not beg. If he is faced with difficultyand poverty, he
seeks refuge in patience, whilstdoubling his effort to find a way out.
The Prophetsaid:"Whoever refrains from asking from people,Allaah will
help him…"]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
A sign of one's excellencein Islam, is his ignoring what does not
concern him. The Muslim should only participate in what concerns him,
such as anything that is his property, right, obligation or under his
control. To be concerned with something entails preserving and taking
care of this thing that one is allowed to be concerned with. The
Prophetsaid:"A sign of a person's being a good Muslim is that he
should leave alone that which does not concern him."]At-Tirmithi[
The Muslim never searches for people's faults or slander their honor.
He doesn't slip into the error of pride, boasting and showing off. He
judges fairly, is never unjust )even to those whom he does not like(
or biased by his ownwhims, and avoids suspicion. He does not rejoice
in the misfortunesof anyone. He carefully avoids uttering any wordof
slander, cursing, malicious gossip and foullanguage.
He does not make fun of people but is gentle, kind, compassionate and
merciful, strives for people's benefit and seeks to protect and help
them.
One of the virtues of sucha great value and importance that Islam, not
only recommends, but also orders Muslims to characterize themselves
with, is generosity. Therefore, the Muslim is generous and gives
freely without waste to those who are in need. When he gives, he does
not remind people of his generosity. He is patient, tries hard to
control his anger and is forgiving. He does not bear grudges or
resentments, and is easy on people, not hard.
One of the worst diseasesof the heart is envy, which leads to foul
conduct and bad behavior. Therefore the Muslim is not envious, because
he knows that the pleasures of this life are as nothing in comparison
to the reward that Allaah has prepared for the believers, and that
whatever happens in life happens according to thedecree of Allaah.
The Muslim, who truly understands the teachings of his religion, is
gentle, friendly, cheerful and warm. He mixes with people and gets
along with them. He is humble and modest; and does not look down at
other people. He is lighthearted and has a sense of humor and does not
disdain others. His jokes are distinguished by their legitimate
Islamic nature. He is keento bring happiness to people. It is an
effective means of conveying the message of truth to them,and exposing
them to its moral values, because people only listen to those whom
they like, trust and accept.
The Muslim keeps secrets;keeping secrets is a sign of maturity, moral
strength, wisdom and balanced personality. He is concerned about the
affairs of people in general. He is happy to welcome his guests and
hastens to honor them.
The Prophetsaid:"Everyreligion has a )distinct( characteristic and the
characteristic of Islam is modesty."]Ibn Maajah[ The Muslim adheres to
the principle of modesty in all things. He does not accept every
custom that is widely accepted by others, for there may be customs
which go against Islam.
The Muslim does not enter a house other than his own without seeking
permission and greeting people. He sits wherever he finds room when he
joins a gathering. He avoids whispering and conversing privately when
he is in a group of three. He gives due respect to elders and those
who deserve to be respected )like scholars etc.(.
Allaah Almighty Says)what means(:"Invite mankind to the way of your
Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways
that are best and most gracious."]Quran 16:125[ The Muslim is aware of
his duty to call others to Islam, and does not spareany effort to do
so. He enjoins what is good andforbids what is evil and mixes with
righteous people. He visits the sick cheerfully. He attends thefuneral
of the Muslim andaccompanies the body until it is buried.

Our Salaf's endeavours in calling to Allaah – I

The importance of calling to Allaah and its virtue:
Calling to Allaah yields many great rewards, and it was the task of
the Messengers of Allaah. Sahl Ibn Sa`dreported: "The Messenger of
Allaahsaid on the day of the Battle of Khaybar to `Ali Ibn Abu
Taalib:"Advance cautiously until you reach their open places;
thereafter, invite them to Islam and inform them of what is obligatory
for them from the rights of Allaah because by Allaah, if Allaah guides
even one person through you that is betterfor you than possessing a
herd ofred camels."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[ This was a reference to the
finest and most valuable typeof camel, which reflects the virtue of
calling people to Allaah and guiding them to the right path.
`Uqbah Ibn `Amrreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Whoever
guides someone to virtue will be rewarded )with the( equivalent reward
of he whopractices that good action."]Muslim[
Abu Hurayrahreported: "The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"If anyone calls
others to follow the correct guidance, his reward will be equivalent
to those who follow him )in righteousness( without their reward being
diminished in the least."]Muslim[
Abu Umaamahreported: "TheMessenger of Allaahsaid:'Allaah, His angels,
the dwellers of the heaven and the earth and even the ant in its hole
and the fish )in the waters( supplicate in favour of those who teach
people)religious( knowledge.'"]At-Tirmithi[
These narrations and many others encourage people to endeavour in the
act of worship of calling to Allaah, so what morecould a person ask
for? The depths that people have sunk to in this regard are a result
of themneglecting their duty of calling others to Allaah, despite the
great status of this act of worship.
When people abandoned this act of worship, evil prevailed,
prohibitions spread and many people deviated.
Examples of the call of the Prophetsto Allaah:
Calling to Allaah proves the sincerity of the person with regards to
the principles he claims to believe in as only he who truly loves his
religion will call others to it. The following aresome examples of the
prophets and messengers calling to Allaah:
The call of Noohto his people:
Nooh, may Allah exalt his mention, was extremely dedicated in calling
his people to Allaah and he persevered in this, as Allaah Says )what
means(:"…And he ]i.e., Nooh[ remained among them a thousand years
minus fifty years…"]Quran 29: 14[ Hecalled them tirelessly and
utilised all possible means to do so, as Allaah Says )what means(:"He
]i.e., Nooh[ said: 'My Lord! Indeed I invited my people ]to truth[
night and day. But my invitation increased them not except in flight
]i.e., aversion[. And indeed, every time I invited them that You may
forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves
with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with ]great[
arrogance."]Quran 71: 5-7[ Did this prevent him from continuinghis
mission in calling them to Allaah? Indeed not, he used all possible
methods to call them, asAllaah Says )what means(:"Then Iinvited them
publicly. Then I announced to them and ]also[ confided to them
secretly."]Quran 71: 8-9[
The call of Yoosuf:
When Yoosufwas imprisoned, he did not forget his duty of calling to
Allaah. Rather, the first thing he did was to practice this duty when
his two cellmates requested him to interpret the dreams they saw. He
promised them that he would do so, but first mentioned what Allaah
describes as )what means(:"…That is from what my Lord hastaught me.
Indeed I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in
Allaah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers. And I have
followed the religion of my fathers, Ibraaheem )Abraham(, Is'haaq
)Isaac(, and Ya'qoob)Jacob(. And it was not for us to associate
anything with Allaah. That is the favour of Allaah upon us and upon
the people, but most of the people are not grateful. O ]my[ two
companions of the prison! Are separate lords better or Allaah, the
One, the Prevailing?"]Quran 12: 37-39[ Note how he immediately called
them, despite the normal feeling of anguish that a person would feel
at being imprisoned.
The call of Prophet Muhammad:
The Prophethas set the greatest example in terms of dedication and
endurance in guiding people. This was very evident in his call to the
tribe of Quraysh, the Arab tribes and the masses in general. Hewould
call to Allaah whilst upon a mountain, in the Sacred Mosque, in the
street, in the market, in people's houses, during Hajj season, in the
desert, during times of peace and times of war, when healthy and when
sick, when visiting people, and when he was being visited. He was
calling people to Allaah all of the time.
Hewould call those who loved him as well as those who hated him.
Hewould approach tribes during the season of Hajj and call them to
worship Allaah saying:"O people! Allaah commands you to worshipHim
alone and ascribe no partners to Him."
Heused to approach them during the season of markets likethat of
'Ukaath and say:"O people! Who will protect me? Who will support me?
Who would help me convey the message of my Lord?"
Hecontinued to do so until Allaah blessed him with the honourable
Ansaar who resided in Madeenah and who gave him the pledge of support
in the first famous pledge of Al-'Aqabah. This marked the great
initiation point for the expansion of his mission.
The Prophetendured all typesof torture and insult for the sake of
propagating the message of Islam and calling the people to Allaah.
Once, riding a donkey hewent to invite 'Abdullaah Ibn Ubayy, who was
the chief hypocrite, to Islam, but the lattersaid to him: "Keep your
donkey away from me, its stench offendsme." Yet hebore this
hypocrite's despicable manners and continued calling him to Allaah.
Anasreported: "Once, a Jewish boy who served the Prophetfell
)terminally( ill, so hewent to visit him. Hesat down by his head and
said to him:"Embrace Islam."The boy looked at his father who was
sitting beside him. The father said: 'Obey Abul-Qaasim )i.e., the
Messenger of Allaah(.' The)dying( boy therefore embraced Islam and the
Prophetstepped out of their home, saying:"Praise be to Allaah who has
saved him from the Hellfire."]Al-Bukhaari[
Hewent to call the people of Taa'if, but they refused to accept his
call and thus hereturned grieved and saddened. But why? His anguish
was due to them not embracing Islam and refusing themessage of Allaah.
Distance did not stop him from conveying the message of Allaah to
anyone, but due to not being able to leave his followers who were in
dire need of his personal instruction, hesent messengers on his behalf
to convey the message of Allaah to all those that he was unable to
personally visit. Hesent messengers to all the kings and rulers that
hepossibly could.
The Prophetsent a message with Dihyahto the Governor of Busraa, who
forwarded it to Heraclius to read. The contents ofthe letter were as
follows:"In thename of Allaah The Beneficent, The Merciful. )This
letter is( from Muhammad the slave of Allaah and His Messenger to
Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon he who follows the
right path. I invite you to Islam, and if you should become a Muslim
you will be safe, and Allaah will double your reward, but if you
reject this invitation to Islam then you will be committing a double
sin by misguiding your Areesiyyeen )i.e., peasants(.)Hethen
quoted)which means(:"…O people of the scripture! Come to a word that
is equitable between us and you – that we will not worship except
Allaah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as
lords instead of Allaah. But if theyturn away, then say: 'Bear witness
that we are Muslims]submitting to Him[.'"]Quran 3: 64[

Paying through installments

Definition:It is a postponed payment executed in a fixed number of
instalments at determined times, with a price higher than the cash
price.
Is such a sale allowed? Scholars have two opinions:
1-The first opinion:Many scholars of the Hanafi, Maaliki, Hanbali, and
Shafi'ee schools of jurisprudence rule that it is allowed. They
present the following proofs:
A- This form of sale is an exampleof the sales that are allowed in the
Quran where Allaah Says)what means(:"…Allaah has permitted trade and
has forbidden interest…"]Quran: 2:275[ And also:"…Except when itis an
immediate transaction which you conduct among yourselves…"]Quran
2:282[
B- Some prophetic narrations show the permissibility of the increase
above the cash price. Forexample, the Prophetordered'Amr bin Al-'Aasto
equip an army, so 'Amr would buy a camel for the price of two due to
the payment being in instalments.]Al-Haakim & Bayhaqi[
C- In Islam, trades and transactions are generally allowed, provided
they are conducted with a mutual consentof the contractors, unless the
particular type of transaction is specifically forbidden by the
Sharee'ah )Islamic Law(. Since there is no convincing proof that this
type of sale is prohibited, it remains allowed. Whoever
claimsotherwise has to provide proof.
2-The second opinion:This is thatof Imaams Zayn Al-'Aabideen 'Ali bin
Al-Husayn and Al-Jassaasfrom the Hanafi School of Jurisprudence, as
well as others who stated that increasing the price in exchange for
postponing a payment is similar to increasingthe debt in exchange for
postponing its fulfilment. Their proofs are:
A-The verse where Allaah Says)what means(:"…Allaah has permitted trade
and has forbidden interest…"]Quran 2:275[ means that sales that
include an increase of price in exchange for deferring payments are
forbidden, because they are examples of Riba )interest(.
B-The Prophethas forbidden the addition of extraneous conditions to a
sale, or to have two sales in one.
C-There is an analogy of this type of sale with the case where someof
the debt is forgiven when the debtor pays before the due date. This
would mean that time has compensation, and this is plainly Riba.
D-The increase of price because of the deferred payment is an increase
in exchange for nothing in return, therefore it is a case of Riba,
which, by definition, means to hike up the price in exchange for
nothing.
The majority of the scholars have refuted the above proofs, presented
by those who prohibit this sale, as follows:
A-To say that this type of sale is like Riba because of the increase
of price is refuted. The Prophet,has determined the cases of Riba, and
some scholars have limited themselves to these caseswhile others have
added other cases they thought were considered Riba because they
fulfil the same causes. These cases are, however, the object of
disagreement between the scholars. But the matter that is disagreed
about in this particularcase is beyond what was mentioned by the
Prophetand related cases, for it is about asale in which the kind of
merchandise and the evaluation of the price have differed.
B-To say that Riba means an increase in price is also refuted because
almost every sale includes an increase in the price. The
abovementioned verse]Quran: 2:275[ mentions the unlawfulness of Riba
in general, but the types of Riba were enumerated by the Prophetand
they were six types.Saleby instalments is not included in these six
types of Riba, nor is it included in the types added to them by some
scholars.
C-Taking as proof the Hadeeth)prophetic narration( that forbids two
sales in one, or extraneous conditions in a sale, is refuted because
the forbidden sales in that Hadeethare in fact sales where either the
price or the merchandise is not specified, which is not the case of
the instalment sale.
In conclusion, the most acceptable opinion is the one adopted by the
majority of the scholars, which allows this type of sale, because of
their strong proofs and because they convincingly addressed the proofs
presented by the other side. Also, the common interest of all the
Muslims requires that it be accepted due to the benefit for both the
buyer and the seller.
Two Fatwas )Legal Rulings( Concerning Instalments:
Question 1:What is the Islamic Ruling concerning the increase in the
price when there is a deferred payment executed in instalments?
Answer:Payment by instalments in sales contracts is allowed if it
includes legitimate conditions and permissible if the monetary amount
of the instalments is defined and the times of payment are fixed; as
Allaah Says)what means(:"O you who believe! When you contract a debt
for a specified term, write it down…"]Quran 2:282[ And also, due to
the Hadeeth: "Whoever loaned something, let him lend itin a known
measure, or a known weight, and for a fixed term." In addition, we
have the authentic story of Bareerahwho emancipated herself from her
masters in exchange for nine Ooqiyyaat )the plural of Ooqiyyah,one of
which is equivalent to three hundred and sixty Dirhams(, paying one
Ooqyyah a year, and this was a payment in instalments, and the
Prophetdid not condemn it; rather, he approved of it. ]Shaykh Ibn
Baaz[
This narration indicates that it is permissible to pay in instalments.
Even though the texts state that it is permissible to delay payment,
there is no text that explicitly states that it is permissible to
increase the price in return for the delay.
Hence, the scholars differed concerning the ruling on this issue. Some
scholars said that it is prohibited, on the grounds that it is the
same as Riba. They stated that this was due to the increase in price
in return for the deferment, which is Riba. On the other hand, the
majority of scholars, including the four Imaams, were of the view that
it is permissible. The comments of the scholars of the four Schools of
Fiqh )Islamic Jurisprudence( concerning this include the following:
·TheHanafiSchool: "The price may be raised in return for delaying
payment," ]Badaa'i' Al-Sanaa'i', 5/187[
·TheMaalikiSchool: "For more time some amount may be addedto the
price." ]Bidaayat Al-Mujtahid, 2/108[
·The Shaafi'ee School: "Five in cash is equivalent to six in deferred
payment." ]Al-Wajeez byAl-Ghazzaali, 1/85[
·TheHanbaliSchool: "Delay adds something to the price."]Fataawa Ibn
Taymiyyah, 29/499[
Question 2:A man living in the United Sates asks if instalments used
in car sales that include a fee for deferring payment is allowed. This
fee increases when the buyer fails to pay on the agreed due dates.
Answer:If someone sells cars or other merchandise for a known fixed
price that is payable by instalments that are fixed both intime and
amount, in such a way that the price does not change when the fixed
time of payment changes )i.e., payment is delayed(, then this sale is
allowed, for Allaah Says )what means(:"Oyou who believe! When you
contract a debt for a specified term, write it down…"]Quran 2:282[ But
if the price of the merchandise increases if an instalment is paid
after the due date, as it is understood in this question, then this is
forbidden by consensus of the scholars, because this is a case of
Riba, which is mentioned )and explicitly forbidden( in the Quran.]The
General Committee for Religious Research, Fatawa, Da'wah, and
Guidance[