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onsn's review
5.0
This book was fun!
It's very different from what I normally read, but it was a topic I very much required to read for research purposes.
This book was well-researched and well written. The tone was far from boring and the chapters and topics handled were very interesting.
I liked the notes a lot and the wealth of resources in them. Also, the incorporation of Arabic in including the true names of things and their translations. The objectivity of the author on the subject of Jinn and Islamic mythology and core concepts is also note-worthy.
Unfortunately, there aren't many books that tackle the issue of Jinn like this one. So, this book in its wealth of resources and research is basically a gem and worth keeping as a reference.
So, if you're looking to read something different or in the mood for Islamic spiritualism and fantastical creatures, go for this book. It's interesting, and light-enough yet well-researched.
It's very different from what I normally read, but it was a topic I very much required to read for research purposes.
This book was well-researched and well written. The tone was far from boring and the chapters and topics handled were very interesting.
I liked the notes a lot and the wealth of resources in them. Also, the incorporation of Arabic in including the true names of things and their translations. The objectivity of the author on the subject of Jinn and Islamic mythology and core concepts is also note-worthy.
Unfortunately, there aren't many books that tackle the issue of Jinn like this one. So, this book in its wealth of resources and research is basically a gem and worth keeping as a reference.
So, if you're looking to read something different or in the mood for Islamic spiritualism and fantastical creatures, go for this book. It's interesting, and light-enough yet well-researched.
ayaha's review
4.0
This is a very intriguing book about beliefs Muslims have had about the jinn. I was a bit skeptical at first regarding whether the author would distinguish between what common Muslims say versus Islam itself says, because I've found that orientalist or non-Muslim scholars often lump everything cultural or religious together into one monolith “Muslim culture and religion.” But I was happy to see that this author splits her sources into three categories: "orthodox" Islamic sources (Quran, hadith, sunnah, and what Muslim scholars and jurists have said or written about the jinn), Sufi sources (like Ibn al-Arabi), and folklore (such as the 1001 Arabian Nights).
The author examines various aspects of the jinn, from their roles as characters in literature, Muslim jinn and their interactions with the Prophet pbuh, diseases and possessions, different types of jinn (demons, ifrits, marids, and how commoners vs scholars vs the Quran dealt with these differences), magic, and shapeshifting.
There were some really fascinating facts--like did you know that in the Abbasid period, some muftis issued fatwas stating that it's illegal for jinn and humans to marry each other? It makes me really wonder about what was going on in the Abbasid period! Like, how would that even be possible--and shouldn't the forbidenness of such a union be obvious? Perhaps these fatwas were inspired by stories from the 1001 Nights?
There was also a chapter on jinn inspiring poets, and apparently many famous historical Arab poets pre- and post-Islam had their success attributed to a jinn who would inspire them with their poetry. It reminded me of some video I'd watched years ago about famous singers in the music industry saying that they get inspired by some "spirits" or "alter egos" for their music. Like, that's clearly another term jinn in this context, right? Just another reason to stay away from music lol
Another thing I loved about the book is that the author compares Muslim beliefs about the jinn with beliefs from different cultures about the "spirits" or other terms used. For example, she compares jinn to European "fairies," Greek, Indian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian "gods/goddesses," and spirits in central African and Native American beliefs. It was amazing to see the similarities between very different cultures/religions/regions/time periods.
I would include a warning to just be careful with some of the quotes used about the Prophet and his companions--sometimes the author points out that they may not be authentic but other times she doesn't and I found myself questioning the authenticity. I wouldn't take this as a reference for Islamic beliefs, but it's just an interesting read about the cultural beliefs Muslims (particularly Arab Muslims) had about the jinn. It's definitely good inspiration/research for fantasy authors!
The author examines various aspects of the jinn, from their roles as characters in literature, Muslim jinn and their interactions with the Prophet pbuh, diseases and possessions, different types of jinn (demons, ifrits, marids, and how commoners vs scholars vs the Quran dealt with these differences), magic, and shapeshifting.
There were some really fascinating facts--like did you know that in the Abbasid period, some muftis issued fatwas stating that it's illegal for jinn and humans to marry each other? It makes me really wonder about what was going on in the Abbasid period! Like, how would that even be possible--and shouldn't the forbidenness of such a union be obvious? Perhaps these fatwas were inspired by stories from the 1001 Nights?
There was also a chapter on jinn inspiring poets, and apparently many famous historical Arab poets pre- and post-Islam had their success attributed to a jinn who would inspire them with their poetry. It reminded me of some video I'd watched years ago about famous singers in the music industry saying that they get inspired by some "spirits" or "alter egos" for their music. Like, that's clearly another term jinn in this context, right? Just another reason to stay away from music lol
Another thing I loved about the book is that the author compares Muslim beliefs about the jinn with beliefs from different cultures about the "spirits" or other terms used. For example, she compares jinn to European "fairies," Greek, Indian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian "gods/goddesses," and spirits in central African and Native American beliefs. It was amazing to see the similarities between very different cultures/religions/regions/time periods.
I would include a warning to just be careful with some of the quotes used about the Prophet and his companions--sometimes the author points out that they may not be authentic but other times she doesn't and I found myself questioning the authenticity. I wouldn't take this as a reference for Islamic beliefs, but it's just an interesting read about the cultural beliefs Muslims (particularly Arab Muslims) had about the jinn. It's definitely good inspiration/research for fantasy authors!
k_aldrich's review
3.0
Read this for my Middle Eastern Gothic class. It was an interesting read. I liked how Amira El-Zein situated the Jinn within the culture as a way to push back against popular ways of contextualizing the Jinn (generally disneyfied or just looked at through political lens). This text considers the Jinn from within its spiritual and cultural grounding and goes beyond the "Arab/Muslim redundancy".
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