SUFI STORIES #26. ENCOUNTERS WITH JINNS (Part 3)

In the Malay/Muslim community, usually during the treatment sessions, the offending demon(s)/jinn(s) will “possess” the victim(s) and the healer (bomoh) talks to the jinn to find out why and who sent it to harm the victim, and then persuade or demand the jinn to leave with the threat of punishment to the stubborn ones. Often the jinn would refuse and some struggle ensues. The jinn always loses to a genuine healer, but how fast and how permanently the jinn concedes depends on the spiritual power and experience of the healer. We hear many stories of such victims being treated by one bomoh after another before finally being cured. The demons are also of different staying power. If they are sent by a bomoh (witchdoctor or shaman), their power also depends on the power of that bomoh. The Orang Asal/Asli bomohs and the Siamese bomohs (Bomoh Siam) are reputed to be among the most powerful in casting evil spells or doing black magic.

While being possessed, the victim becomes totally unaware, and is therefore not privy to the dialogues and fights. In those days before the ubiquitous smartphones, video recorders were hard to come by and these sessions were rarely recorded. Otherwise the victims could at least view themselves “in action” while being possessed.

RUQYAH

Ruqyah refers to the healing method based on the Qur’an and Hadiths through the recitation of the Qur’anic verses, seeking of refuge in ALLAH, remembrance (dzikr) and supplications that is used as a means of treating sickness (physical, mental, spiritual) and disturbances or possessions by jinns and demons. This method of ruqyah is based on the recommendations and practices carried out by the Prophet (PBUH) and expanded by his Companions, the Saints, and spiritual healers after them.

The use of ruqyah as a method of treatment is popular among the Muslim spiritual healers (“bomoh”, although the term applies to the bad ones too) here.

THE AMATEUR JINNBUSTER

My foray into the world of ghostbusting (more accurately, jinnbusting) started when a patient of mine related that she was undergoing treatment for disturbances by jinn(s), but after several sessions, she was not getting better.

When this patient told me that she was frustrated with the slow progress of her treatments, I offered to help. I did not take over her treatment, but I assisted the healer in his job.

I have had the experience of departed Prophets and Saints visiting me, and some even occupied my body and spoke through me (while I remained conscious throughout, unlike those victims of demonic possessions who were not conscious while being possessed).

I asked God for permission for the following: (1) That I can command the offending jinn to occupy my body, (2) that I remain fully conscious and fully in charge of my mind and body while the jinn is in me, (3) that I can allow the jinn to speak and act according to its wish (using my body), but I can override it by commanding it to leave me anytime instantly, and (4) that I am protected from feeling any pain or acquiring any injuries during the session.

The purpose was that the intended victim can now see for herself what the jinn did while being in her previously, and that she could hear the dialogues herself, and even ask the jinn questions, under the supervision of the healer.

When the session started, I recited some Qur’anic verses and supplications and very quickly the jinn came into me, and promptly challenged the healer. The jinn was young, aggressive, rude and uncouth. He even farted in front of everyone! Of course everyone just saw me farting, and since I was fully aware, I was very embarrassed, but I allowed the session to proceed.

The healer’s assistants wrestled with the jinn (in me) while the healer recited Qur’anic verses (ruqyah). When certain verses were read, I could see the fire burning the jinn’s arms (my arms) and he was screaming in pain. But I didn’t feel the pain.

When he was so weakened and was subdued by the healer’s assistants, he called upon his father to help and he (father) instantly took over my body and immediately flung the 2 assistants away. The father was even more aggressive, and much stronger. This time it took 4 people to subdue him (in me) while the healer did his job – reciting the Quranic verses until the father jinn also became burnt and weakened, and decided to leave.

One unexpected bonus was that I was able to pick-up the jinn’s thoughts, and I knew when he was telling the truth, and when he was lying. So after the jinn had left me I could inform the healer and the victim about what was true and what was false in what the jinn had said.

Of course after the jinn left I apologized profusely to everyone for having farted in front of them. It was the jinn, not me!

That was the last time this particular jinn family disturbed my patient.

I had helped several other people the same way. Usually the jinn entered me so fast I couldn’t figure out how it entered. But sometimes I could feel the jinn leaving me through my fingers and toes. I have read people describing how the jinn enters and leaves the human body in ways which are different from my personal experience. Wallahu’alam (only God knows the Truth).

Some may wonder how can the jinn, who is made of (smokeless) fire be burned? The easiest example I can give to illustrate what happens is this – consider how hot water can destroy/melt ice. Both are water. Likewise jinns can be burned to ashes by spiritual fire.

The most powerful Qur’anic verse against the jinn is Ayatul Kursi (2:255 The Throne). There are numerous stories of how jinns are burnt by it. Inside this verse is one particular phrase which burns the jinns, as illustrated by this story from Iraq:

“Once in the city of Kufa, in Iraq, a merchant arrived and was searching for a rented accommodation. All the properties were full and someone directed him to a house which was empty and believed to be haunted. He was so tired that he did not care and decided to rent the property. When he was retiring to bed a huge black jinn came in front of him. He immediately started to recite the ‘Ayatul Kursi’. The jinn also followed his recitation and when he read the words, ‘Wala ya’uduhu hifzuhuma’ (‘And the safeguarding of the sky and the earth does not burden Him’) the jinn could not follow and stopped. The person understood the consequences of the words and recited the same words again and again until the jinn faded away. The merchant went to sleep and in the morning when he got up he saw the burnt ashes in the place where the jinn appeared. It was burnt by the power of Allah.” [told by Hazrat Thanwi rahmatullahi alaihi]

Once Atta (my Qadiri Shaykh) asked me to accompany him and help one of his mureeds (disciples) who was disturbed by jinns and his business was affected badly. So we went to his business premises. I summoned the jinn to come into me (with God’s permission and protection as explained above) and it immediately complied. However, since Atta was there, the jinn became timid and it cowered near Atta, almost like seeking forgiveness for its transgressions. Soon it left without causing any ruckus. I presumed it didn’t bother that mureed anymore after that as Atta did not mention this matter to me thereafter.

JABBA THE JINN

On another occasion, a famous veteran actor (now deceased) sought my help because his son-in-law was disturbed by jinns, and that was affecting his marriage to the actor’s daughter. I don’t know who had asked him to seek my help. I told him I was not an expert in exorcism, but since he had come to me, I offered to summon the jinn (with God’s permission and protection) so that he could see the jinn’s behaviour and I could pick up the jinn’s intentions. He agreed.

This time my wife was with us. Often God would lift the veil off her eyes whenever she was with me and I had “visitors” (departed Prophets and Saints, and also jinns/demons). For the Prophets and Saints, each time she would describe to me in detail the appearance of the visitors, their robes, and even their shoes.

I did a short prayer and recited some supplication, and ordered the jinn to come. It promptly came and took over my body. I felt like an ugly big monster. It grunted, snorted and snarled at the actor, but it didn’t attempt to hurt him. The actor was of course very frightened. Once I picked up its intentions on the family, I ordered it to leave.

After the monster jinn had left, both my wife and the actor described to me what they saw. Both described that the jinn was ugly and huge with a protruding tummy. The description reminded me of Jabba the Hutt (in the Star Wars movie), so Jabba the Jinn was the name I gave to it.

WHO DO YOU CALL? JINNBUSTERS!

Nowadays there are many good full-time spiritual healers and exorcists in the Malay community, so my career as an amateur exorcist was short-lived!

My duty is not to expel naughty jinns but to remind Muslims to become close to Allah such that malevolent jinns (shayatin) cannot disturb them. If you are afraid of jinns or devils, then your faith in God is not strong enough. They should be afraid of you because God says we are the best of His creations, but the Qur’an says that those among us who deny or disobey Him are worse than animals!

Our strength is not in our physical power – many animals are stronger than us, and we cannot even see the jinns while they can see us; not in our intellect because even though it enables us to discover the distant stars and the innermost structure of the atoms, we cannot outwit the cunningness of the jinns and devils. Our strength lies in our spiritual power: when we are given just a small portion of God’s power, we can do anything and defeat any enemy, by His permission. That is why jinns and devils are afraid of the Saints and the Righteous.

If you have any problems with jinns, please do not call me. There are many professional jinnbusters and ghostbusters around. The most accessible are the students of the late Almarhum Tuan Guru Professor Datuk Dr Haron Din, who was probably the most famous jinnbuster in Malaysia during his lifetime. He was a scholar and political leader as well. His students are all over the country and they offer their jinnbusting services through their association Darussyifa’ - Persatuan Perubatan, Pengubatan & Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (

https://www.facebook.com/darussyifamalaysia/

).

Another group is Persatuan Perubatan Islam Darussalam Malaysia (

https://www.facebook.com/perubatandarussalam/

) founded by another legendary scholar, teacher and spiritual healer, the late Allahyarham Tuan Guru Dato Ismail Kamus. He was also active in politics.

These associations not only offer spiritual healing services, they also have courses for aspiring jinnbusters.

There are many jinnbusters here in Malaysia because this is the homeland of jinns. Remember that our forests are the oldest rainforests in the world. Many jinns live for thousands of years and their preferred abode is in the jungle. That is why the Orang Asal/Asli shamans and sorcerors know them well.

The jinnbusters are now available online and are just a phone-call or WhatsApp away. One pair of young enterprising jinnbusters go around advertisng their services on their car (see photo below).

There are also many bogus, evil and mercenary bomohs who have fleeced many unsuspecting victims, and caused them to suffer emotionally, physically, socially and financially. So be careful when you seek a bomoh’s help. I will write about my experience with some of them in a future post.

Salam/Peace. Stay tuned. There are many more interesting stories of jinns and spirits to be told. See you at my next SUFI STORIES post!