In Middle Eastern and Islamic cosmology, the djinn/jinn are a class of spirits that inhabit a hidden world, al ghayb. Belief in them predates Islam and they feature in folklore and religion both in a variety of shapes and forms— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) July 31, 2019
A thread on the djinn:
There are multiple types of djinn. The classic wish-granting type is known as Marid. They are giant beings with immense power.
According to Islamic lore, they try to listen in to the angels discussing fate and are driven off with fiery missiles—hence shooting stars.
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Ifrits are infernal winged djinn who live in tribal social structures with kings and rulers. They can shapeshift into animals, or appear as humans and are believed to cause sudden sandstorms and dust devils.
They frequent ruins
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In the classic story of Aladdin there are actually two djinn.
The djinn of the ring is a type of Ifrit while the more powerful djinn of the lamp is a type of marid.
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Ghuls (where we get the word ghoul from) are djinn who haunt cemeteries. They are flesh-eating creatures that feast on the living and the dead. They can appear as beautiful women to lure men to their deaths, but are recognizable by their donkey legs.
A Qutub is a bestial Ghul
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The Si’lat are shapeshifting djinn who take the form of beautiful women to procreate with men. They akin to the succubus or European hag, though si’lat aren’t always evil.
The more malicious Qarinah can also appear as a beautiful woman and is associated with sleep paralysis.
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Then there is the Shiqq, a malformed djinn that is like a homunculus.
They mate with humans and the offspring is a Nasnas a hybrid creature with half a head, one hand, and a single leg.
The Nasnas is related to the Somali xungruuf.
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We have the Hinn, which scholars debate are either a subclass of djinn or a separate group entirely who were rivals of the djinn.
Ibn Kathir relates that the jinn and hinn waged war on one another. They also feature prominently in Alawite cosmology
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The Hatif, also known as namgirak in the Persianate world, is a djinn who mimics the voices of loved ones to call out to you.
They has no form, but always sounds like someone you know. If you hear a disembodied voice of a loved on, it may be a Hatif
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Finally, there is the Qareen, a djinn-like companion everyone is born with, like a shadow that follows us through life.
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In addition to classes and types there are also famous djinn like Iblis, the Islamic devil. A djinn who was raised in status to heaven, but who defied God when he refused to bow before Adam.
He was cast out and became Shaiytan.
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There are the seven djinn kings associated with planets: Al Madhhab (Sun), Al Abyad (Moon), Al Burqan (Mercury), Zawba’ah (Venus), Al Ahmar (Mars), Shamhurash (Jupiter), and Maymun (Saturn).
They are associated with astrology and magic and watched over by angels.
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There is the djinn king Sakhr, who is reputed to have attempted to depose King Solomon and who appears in Arabian Nights as the ruler of a mystical island.
For his treachery he was bound in an iron chest and cast into the sea.
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The Qur’an and Hadith refer to the djinn as creatures formed of a type of elemental fire, a smokeless, smoldering flame.
Historically they may have their origin in local spirits of the land, or tutelary deities and perhaps may be related to the concept of Genii.
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They can appear as weather phenomenon, can be tricksters that make your household items go missing, can also be lethally dangerous, associated with illness and madness, and can shape shift.
It is said if you find a black cat, snake, or dog in your house it is likely a djinn.
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As Islam spread they also became associated with local spirits elsewhere like the Malay Pelesit.
There is some crossover with other spirits in global folklore
