cave in Oman, literally "Meeting place of the Jinn". It is one of the world's biggest cave chambers.]]

Jinn ( , singular ; variant spelling djinn) or are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings which occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. According to the Qur’ān, there are two creations that have free will: humans and jinn. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur’an mentions that jinn are made of smokeless flame or "scorching fire". Like human beings, the jinn can also be good, evil, or neutrally benevolent.

The jinn are mentioned frequently in the Qur’ān, and there is a surah entitled Sūrat al-Jinn in the Qur’ān.

Etymology and definitions

Jinn is a word of the collective number in Arabic, derived from the Arabic root meaning 'to hide' or 'be hidden'. Other words derived from this root are 'mad' (literally, 'one whose intellect is hidden'), 'madness', and 'embryo, fetus' ('hidden inside the womb').

In the true Bedouin Arabic, the nomadic people who reside in the deserts were known as jinns. These nomads usually would only come in contact with urban societies when they had any needs; otherwise, they usually refrained from socializing. (There was no supernatural element to their existence; being nomadic, they had no worldly education or understanding.)

The Arabic root means 'to hide, conceal'. A word for garden or Paradise, , is a cognate of the Hebrew word גן gan 'garden', derived from the same Semitic root. In arid climates, gardens have to be protected against desertification by walls; this is the same concept as in the word "paradise" from pairi-daêza, an Avestan word for garden that literally means 'having walls built around'. Thus the protection of a garden behind walls implies its being hidden from the outside. Arabic lexicons such as Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon define not only as spirits, but also anything concealed through time, status, and even physical darkness. .

The word genie in English is derived from Latin genius, which meant a sort of tutelary or guardian spirit thought to be assigned to each person at their birth. English borrowed the French descendant of this word, génie; its earliest written attestation in English, in 1655, is a plural spelled "genyes." The French translators of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights used génie as a translation of jinnī because it was similar to the Arabic word in sound and in meaning. This use was also adopted in English and has since become dominant.

In Arabic, the word is in the collective number, translated in English as plural (e.g., "several genies"); is in the singulative number, used to refer to one individual, which is translated by the singular in English (e.g., "one genie"). Therefore, the word 'jinn' in English writing is treated as a plural.

Jinn in the pre-Islamic era

Amongst archaeologists dealing with ancient Middle Eastern cultures, any spirit lesser than angels is often referred to as a jinni, especially when describing stone carvings or other forms of art.

Inscriptions found in Northwestern Arabia seem to indicate the worship of jinn, or at least their tributary status. For instance, an inscription from Beth Fasi'el near Palmyra pays tribute to the "Jinnaye", the "good and rewarding gods".

In the following verse, the Qur’an rejects the worship of jinn and stresses that only God should be worshiped:

"Yet they make the jinn equals with Allah, though Allah did create the jinn; and they falsely, having no knowledge, attribute to Him sons and daughters. Praise and glory be to Him! (for He is) above what they attribute to Him!" (Qur’an 6:100)

Types of jinn include the , the , the , the , and the . According to the information in the Arabian Nights, ‘ifrits seem to be the strongest form of jinn, followed by marids, and then the rest of the jinn forms.

Jinn in Islam

In Islamic theology jinn are said to be creatures with free will, made from smokeless fire by Allah as humans were made of clay. According to the Qur'an, jinn have free will, and abused this freedom in front of Allah by refusing to bow to Adam when Allah ordered angels and jinn to do so. For disobeying Allah, he was expelled from Paradise and called "" (Satan). Jinn are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an: Surah 72 (named Sūrat al-Jinn) is named after the jinn, and has a passage about them. Another surah (Sūrat al-Nās) mentions jinn in the last verse. The Qur’an also mentions that Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both "humanity and the jinn," and that prophets and messengers were sent to both communities.

Similar to humans, jinn have free will allowing them to do as they choose (such as follow any religion). They are usually invisible to humans, and humans do not appear clearly to them. Jinn have the power to travel large distances at extreme speeds and are thought to live in remote areas, mountains, seas, trees, and the air, in their own communities. Like humans, jinn will also be judged on the Day of Judgment and will be sent to Paradise or Hell according to their deeds.

Classifications and characteristics

The social organization of the jinn community resembles that of humans; e.g., they have kings, courts of law, weddings, and mourning rituals. A few traditions (hadith), divide jinn into three classes: those who have wings and fly in the air, those who resemble snakes and dogs, and those who travel about ceaselessly. Other reports claim that ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd (d. 652), who was accompanying Muhammad when the jinn came to hear his recitation of the Qur’an, described them as creatures of different forms; some resembling vultures and snakes, others tall men in white garb. They may even appear as dragons, onagers, or a number of other animals. In addition to their animal forms, the jinn occasionally assume human form to mislead and destroy their human victims. Certain hadiths have also claimed that the jinn may subsist on bones, which will grow flesh again as soon as they touch them, and that their animals may live on dung, which will revert to grain or grass for the use of the jinn flocks.

Ibn Taymiyyah believed the jinn were generally "ignorant, untruthful, oppressive and treacherous".

Ibn Taymiyyah believes that the jinn account for much of the "magic" perceived by humans, cooperating with magicians to lift items in the air unseen, delivering hidden truths to fortune tellers, and mimicking the voices of deceased humans during seances. The notion of a qarīn is not universally accepted amongst all Muslims, but it is generally accepted that whispers in human minds, and he is assigned to each human being. However, even Muhammad was said to possess a qarīn, which after seeking help of God, became a Muslim and behaved only in goodness. The jinn were made to serve Allah, though is amongst them.

Relationship of King Solomon and the genies

According to traditions, the jinn stood behind the learned humans in Solomon's court, who in turn, sat behind the prophets. The jinn remained in the service of Solomon, who had placed them in bondage, and had ordered them to perform a number of tasks.

"...and there were jinn that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord," (Qur’an 13:12)

"And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts,- of jinn and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks." (Quran 27:17)

The Qur’an relates that Solomon died while he was leaning on his staff. As he remained upright, propped on his staff, the jinn thought he was still alive and supervising them, so they continued to work. They realized the truth only when God sent a creature to crawl out of the ground and gnaw at Solomon's staff until his body collapsed. The Qur’an then comments that if they had known the unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment of being enslaved.

"Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the jinn saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task)." Qur’an 34:14)

Existence and usage of jinn in other cultures

In Guanche mythology from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, there existed the belief in beings that are similar to genies, such as the maxios or dioses paredros ('attendant gods', domestic and nature spirits) and tibicenas (evil genies), as well as the demon Guayota (aboriginal god of evil) that, like the Arabic , is sometimes identified with a genie.

Jinn in Bible

In Judeo-Christian tradition, the word or concept of jinn as such does not occur in the original Hebrew text of the Bible, but the Arabic word is often used in several old Persian and Arabic translations.

In several verses in those Arabic and Persian translations, the words: Jinn () Jann ( ) Majnoon ( ) and () are mentioned as translations of familiar spirit or אוב (ob) for Jann and the devil or (daimónion) for .

In Van Dyck's Arabic translation of the Bible, these words are mentioned in Lev 19:31, Lev 20:6, 1Sa 28:3, 1Sa 28:9, 1Sa 28:7, 1Ch 10:13, Mat 4:1, Mat 12:22, Luk 4:5, Luk 8:12, Joh 8:44 and other verses as well. Also, in the apocryphal book Testament of Solomon, Solomon describes particular demons whom he enslaved to help build the temple, the questions he put to them about their deeds and how they could be thwarted, and their answers, which provide a kind of self-help manual against demonic activity.

See also

Jinn in popular culture

Christian demonology

, class of jinn that live in abandoned buildings , class of jinn associated with the sea

Notes

References

Al-Ashqar, Dr. Umar Sulaiman (1998). The World of the Jinn and Devils. Boulder, CO: Al-Basheer Company for Publications and Translations.

Barnhart, Robert K. The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology. 1995.

"Genie”. The Oxford English Dictionary. Second edition, 1989.

Abu al-Futūḥ Rāzī, Tafsīr-e rawḥ al-jenān va rūḥ al-janān IX-XVII (pub. so far), Tehran, 1988.

Moḥammad Ayyūb Ṭabarī, Tuḥfat al-gharā’ib, ed. J. Matīnī, Tehran, 1971.

A. Aarne and S. Thompson, The Types of the Folktale, 2nd rev. ed., Folklore Fellows Communications 184, Helsinky, 1973.

Abu’l-Moayyad Balkhī, Ajā’eb al-donyā, ed. L. P. Smynova, Moscow, 1993.

A. Christensen, Essai sur la Demonologie iranienne, Det. Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Historisk-filologiske Meddelelser, 1941.

R. Dozy, Supplément aux Dictionnaires arabes, 3rd ed., Leyden, 1967.

H. El-Shamy, Folk Traditions of the Arab World: A Guide to Motif Classification, 2 vols., Bloomington, 1995.

Abū Bakr Moṭahhar Jamālī Yazdī, Farrokh-nāma, ed. Ī. Afshār, Tehran, 1967.

Abū Jaʿfar Moḥammad Kolaynī, Ketāb al-kāfī, ed. A. Ghaffārī, 8 vols., Tehran, 1988.

Edward William Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon, Beirut, 1968.

L. Loeffler, Islam in Practice: Religious Beliefs in a Persian Village, New York, 1988.

U. Marzolph, Typologie des persischen Volksmärchens, Beirut, 1984. Massé, Croyances.

M. Mīhandūst, Padīdahā-ye wahmī-e dīrsāl dar janūb-e Khorāsān, Honar o mordom, 1976, pp. 44–51.

T. Nöldeke "Arabs (Ancient)," in J. Hastings, ed., Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics I, Edinburgh, 1913, pp. 659–73.

S. Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, rev. ed., 6 vols., Bloomington, 1955.

S. Thompson and W. Roberts, Types of Indic Oral Tales, Folklore Fellows Communications 180, Helsinki, 1960.

Solṭān-Moḥammad ibn Tāj al-Dīn Ḥasan Esterābādī, Toḥfat al-majāles, Tehran,

Moḥammad b. Maḥmūd Ṭūsī, Ajāyeb al-makhlūqāt va gharā’eb al-mawjūdāt, ed. M. Sotūda, Tehran, 1966.

Further reading

Crapanzano, V. (1973) The Hamadsha: a study in Moroccan ethnopsychiatry. Berkeley, CA, University of California Press.

Drijvers, H. J. W. (1976) The Religion of Palmyra. Leiden, Brill.

El-Zein, Amira (2009) Islam, Arabs, and the intelligent world of the Jinn. Contemporary Issues in the Middle East. Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-3200-9

El-Zein, Amira (2006) "Jinn". In: J. F. Meri ed. Medieval Islamic civilization – an encyclopedia. New York and Abingdon, Routledge, pp. 420–421.

Goodman, L.E. (1978) The case of the animals versus man before the king of the Jinn: A tenth–century ecological fable of the pure brethren of Basra. Library of Classical Arabic Literature, vol. 3. Boston, Twayne.

Lebling, Robert (2010) Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar. London, I.B.Tauris.

Maarouf, M. (2007) Jinn eviction as a discourse of power: a multidisciplinary approach to Moroccan magical beliefs and practices. Leiden, Brill.

Zbinden, E. (1953) Die Djinn des Islam und der altorientalische Geisterglaube. Bern, Haupt.

External links

Etymology of genie

Visions of the Jinn – a Muslim scholar’s experience with Jinn

Sūrat al-Jinn from the Qur’ān

Category:Arabian legendary creatures Category:Arab mythology Category:Arabic words and phrases Category:Demons in Islam Category:Deities, spirits, and mythic beings Category:Pakistani folklore

Qui-Gon Jinn is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, and a main protagonist of the 1999 film , portrayed by Liam Neeson. He also appears in the Star Wars Expanded Universe of comic books, video games, and novels. In Star Wars fiction, Qui-Gon is best known as the mentor of the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as the one who discovers Anakin Skywalker (who later becomes Darth Vader).

Qui-Gon's voice, provided by Neeson, is heard in one scene from that was uncredited. Director George Lucas approached Neeson about reprising the role for , but he was injured in a motorcycle accident prior to shooting; thus, his character is only mentioned.

Depiction

Qui-Gon is introduced in The Phantom Menace as a wise and powerful Jedi Master and the teacher of the 25-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unlike other, more conservative Jedi, he values living in the moment as the best way to embrace the Force. While other Jedi respect him, they are frequently puzzled by his unorthodox beliefs, and ultimately deny him a seat on the Jedi Council. Obi-Wan remarks that Qui-Gon has been in conflict with the Council several times in the past.

Attack of the Clones reveals that he was trained in the ways of the Jedi by Count Dooku. In Revenge of the Sith, Master Yoda reveals to Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon's spirit has learned the secret of becoming one with the Force, which he teaches to both Yoda and Obi-Wan. In and , both Obi-Wan and Yoda are shown to have fully mastered this ability after their deaths.

The Phantom Menace

In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to the planet Naboo to resolve a political crisis. The corrupt Trade Federation, in protest to recent taxation laws, had blockaded the planet with a fleet of battleships. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent as ambassadors of Chancellor Finis Valorum to reach a peaceful settlement.

Shortly after their arrival, the Federation's Neimoidian viceroy Nute Gunray has their starship destroyed and attempts to gas them on orders from the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who is using the Federation as pawns in a larger scheme to take over the Galactic Republic. The two Jedi survive the gas and easily defeat the battle droids assigned to reinforce the chamber entrance. Qui-Gon tries to cut through the bridge's blast doors with his lightsaber, but the arrival of Federation droidekas force him and his apprentice to escape and they stow away on troop transports invading Naboo.

On Naboo, Qui-Gon saves the life of a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, earning his eternal debt in the process. Jar Jar agrees to take the two Jedi to the Gungan underwater city of Otoh Gunga, where its ruler Boss Nass gives them transport to the Naboo capital city of Theed and allows Jar Jar to go with the offworlders as a guide. Once in Theed, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rescue Naboo's ruler, Queen Padmé Amidala, and escape on the royal starship. As they dash through the Federation's blockade, however, the ship is hit by laser fire and the hyperdrive is badly damaged. The party is forced to land on the desert planet Tatooine to make repairs.

On Tatooine, Qui-Gon searches for parts in the settlement of Mos Espa, where he encounters a nine-year-old slave named Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Master comes to believe that the boy, who is exceptionally strong in the Force, may be the "Chosen One" of Jedi legend destined to bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon helps liberate Anakin from slavery when he wagers with the boy's Toydarian owner, Watto, on his victory in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace. However, the Sith Lord Darth Maul intercepts them as they approach the Queen's repaired starship. Qui-Gon orders Anakin to get onboard while he engages Maul in a lightsaber duel. Using the Force, Qui-Gon manages to leap onto the ship's extended landing ramp as it takes off, leaving the Sith Lord behind.

On Coruscant, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan return to the Jedi Temple and appear before the Council to give an update on the status of their mission. There, Qui-Gon expresses his belief that Anakin is the "Chosen One," and the Council reluctantly agree to test the boy for Jedi potential. They find that the boy is indeed very strong with the Force, having the greatest midi-chlorian count ever recorded, but say he is too old to begin the training. Yoda senses that the boy's future is "clouded" by the fear he exhibits. Qui-Gon protests the Council's decision, stating that he would take Anakin as his Padawan in light of the fact that Obi-Wan is ready to face the trials. The argument is put on hold as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are then ordered by the Council to return with Queen Amidala to Naboo and liberate the planet from the Trade Federation's control. On the way, Obi-Wan protests Qui-Gon's decision to push for the boy's training. Qui-Gon tells Anakin that while he is not allowed to train him, he wants Anakin to stay close to him and pay attention.

During the Battle of Naboo, the two Jedi once again encounter and fight Darth Maul in another lightsaber duel inside the Theed Palace's power generator complex. After Obi-Wan is briefly isolated from the duel via a row of impenetrable laser walls, Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon, but Obi-Wan, in turn, kills the Sith Lord with Qui-Gon's own lightsaber. With his dying words, Qui-Gon requests Obi-Wan to train Anakin, to which his apprentice agrees upon being promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight for his victory over a Sith Lord. Following this, the Jedi Master's body is cremated in a traditional Jedi funeral.

Expanded Universe

Jedi Apprentice

Qui-Gon's life prior to Episode I is mainly detailed in the Jedi Apprentice book series. In The Rising Force, set 12 years before The Phantom Menace, Yoda encourages Qui-Gon to take a new Padawan learner, following the failure of his previous apprentice, Xanatos, who turned to the dark side of the Force years before. Qui-Gon observes a small lightsaber tournament among a group of the Temple's older students, which includes the 12-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi. He takes notice of Obi-Wan's skills, but also of the boy's uncontrolled anger, and refuses to train him. Shortly following the tournament, the Jedi Master leaves for a mission to the planet Bandomeer. On the transport ship, Qui-Gon is reunited with Obi-Wan, who is also being sent to Bandomeer to begin life as an agricultural labourer. During the voyage, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan help defend a group of Arcona from the criminal organization Offworld Corporation. After putting an end to the tense situation, the two arrive on Bandomeer, where Qui-Gon receives a letter signed by his former apprentice, Xanatos. In The Dark Rival, it is revealed that the whole ordeal has been organized by Xanatos, now the leader of Offworld. Qui-Gon sends Obi-Wan off to his Agri-Corps duties, while he plans to meet with Xanatos to find an agreement between Offworld and Bandomeer. However, Xanatos plans to sabotage their meeting and kill Qui-Gon. The Jedi Master duels with his former apprentice, and he and Obi-Wan end Offworld's business on Bandomeer. Xanatos escapes, however. During the encounter with Xanatos, Qui-Gon discovers Obi-Wan's true potential and accepts the boy as his new Padawan. As a gift for Obi-Wan's 13th birthday, Qui-Gon gives his apprentice a special rock he found from the River of Light on his homeworld. In The Captive Temple, Xanatos attacks the Jedi Temple and nearly assassinates Yoda, but Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan thwart his plans, and in The Day of Reckoning, when they chase Xanatos back to his homeworld Telos, the fallen Jedi refuses to surrender and commits suicide. Qui-Gon is thus able to bring closure to a painful chapter of his life.

Other novels

In Legacy of the Jedi, set during both Qui-Gon's Padawan and Master years, Qui-Gon and his master Count Dooku are sent to accompany Senator Blix Annon on a diplomatic assignment. However, space pirates infiltrate their ship, and their leader turns out to be a rogue Jedi named Lorian Nod, who was a close friend of Dooku's. The two battle and Dooku lets his anger get the best of him, but Qui-Gon prevents his master from violating the Jedi Code by committing cold-blooded murder. Years after their first encounter, Qui-Gon, along with Obi-Wan, again encounters Nod, and once again the fallen Jedi is incarcerated for his crimes.

In Secrets of the Jedi, set seven years before The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are paired with Jedi Master Adi Gallia and her Padawan Siri Tachi. The mission, which results in Qui-Gon and Adi being separated from Obi-Wan and Siri, leads to the discovery of romantic feelings between the two Jedi Padawans. Qui-Gon detects these emotions and warns Obi-Wan of his own example with Tahl, a female Jedi, whose murder nearly pushed him over the edge to the dark side.

In Cloak of Deception, set a year before The Phantom Menace, both Jedi fight against a terrorist organization called the Nebula Front, who are secretly following the orders of Darth Sidious. At the Trade Federation conference on Eriadu, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan successfully defend Chancellor Finis Valorum, but do not prevent the deaths of the rest of the Trade Federation Directorate, allowing the Neimoidians to take control of the Federation.

Clone Wars (2003)

In the canonical animated microseries , Qui-Gon's face is briefly seen during Anakin's duel with the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress on Yavin IV. Later, Qui-Gon, voiced by Fred Tatasciore, makes a full cameo appearance in a dream sequence, in which he tells a circa Episode I Anakin to enter a mysterious cave, where the boy will see a vision of his future.

The Clone Wars (2008)

In the animated series , Qui-Gon is mentioned a few times, first by Obi-Wan, describing a mission they had gone on while he was still Qui-Gon's apprentice, and again by Padmé, referring to Qui-Gon's death during a speech about the damage war does to life and society. Later during a three-part episode, Qui-Gon appears as a Force ghost twice; first to Obi-Wan and later to Anakin when they, along with Anakin's Padawan Ahsoka Tano, are trapped on the mysterious planet Mortis. Liam Neeson reprised his role for these appearances in the series.

In comic books

Aside from the graphic novelization of The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon appears infrequently in Star Wars-related comic books. His most extensive appearance thus far is in the "Stark Hyperspace War" plotline in . In this story arc, which takes place during the same year Qui-Gon takes Obi-Wan as his apprentice, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fight in the titular conflict along with other Jedi such as Plo Koon and Quinlan Vos, and Qui-Gon ends up saving Nute Gunray, the future Trade Federation viceroy.

In video games

Qui-Gon has also appeared in several Star Wars video games. These games include , , , and the Lego Star Wars games. He also appears as a character skin (via purchased download content) in . He has been voiced by James Warwick in most games.

Behind the scenes

As revealed in The Art of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, director George Lucas conceived the character of Qui-Gon Jinn during pre-production of the film. This is shown by concept art where Obi-Wan Kenobi is shown alone in the Trade Federation flagship and while meeting Jar Jar Binks. Even when Qui-Gon was conceived, Lucas toyed with making him the younger Jedi, as shown in concept art depicting Obi-Wan as an old man. Lucas originally envisioned an American actor for the role of Qui-Gon, but ultimately cast Liam Neeson, who is Irish, because he considered Neeson to have great skills and presence, describing him as a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands." Initially, Lucas had planned for Qui-Gon to have long white hair, but that idea was scrapped and in the film Qui-Gon is depicted as having long brown hair. For various fight scenes of the film, including the lightsaber duels, British actor Andrew Lawden served as Neeson's body double.

References

, 1st edition paperback, 1999. Terry Brooks, George Lucas, ISBN 0-345-43411-0

- Novelization, 1st edition hardcover, 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1

Star Wars Episode I Who's Who: A Pocket Guide to Characters of the Phantom Menace, hardcover, 1999. Ryder Windham, ISBN 0-7624-0519-8

The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1999. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-4701-0

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, 1st edition, 2000. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, ISBN 0-7869-1793-8

External links

Category:Fictional sword fighters Category:Star Wars characters Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1999 Category:One time characters