What is the Sharee‘ah (Islamic law) ruling on those who claim to employ Jinn?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day when He will gather them together [and say], "O company of jinn, you have [misled] many of mankind." And their allies among mankind will say, "Our Lord, some of us made use of others, and we have [now] reached our term, which you appointed for us." He will say, "The Fire is your residence, wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allaah wills. Indeed, your Lord (Allaah) is Wise and Knowing."} [Quran 6:128]

Scholars interpret  the part of verse that reads, {" some of us made use of others"}  to mean that humans worshipped Jinn by slaughtering animals for them, making offerings to them and asking them for help.

The Jinn did what humans asked them to do and informed human beings about some matters of the Unseen. Jinn can know some matters of the Unseen by going far away and by eavesdropping, but mostly they make up what they say.

Ibn Katheer quoted Al-Hasan Al-Basri as saying that Jinn also order human beings to do things, and humans obey. He also quoted Ibn Jurayj as saying that men in the time of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance) used to seek the protection of Jinn whenever they stayed in empty desolate places. This was the manner in which the humans used the Jinn and on the Day of Judgment those humans would resort to this pretext to justify their sinful alliance to the Jinn. Due to the fact that some human beings venerate Jinn by seeking their help, the Jinn say that they have sovereignty over humans and Jinn.

 Ibn Taymiyyah categorizes the human-Jinn relationship as follows:

•        Humans who order the Jinn to obey Allaah The Almighty and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and they are the closest servants to Allaah The Almighty and one of the true followers of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

•        Humans who use Jinn in doing some permissible acts, and they are just like humans employing other humans to do some permissible things. For example, they order Jinn to do what is obligatory for them to do, forbid them from doing what is forbidden, and order them to help in permissible things. Such humans are like kings.

•        Humans who utilize Jinn to do what has been forbidden by Allaah The Almighty and His Prophet; for example, acts of polytheism,  killing an innocent person, causing someone to become ill, or forget knowledge, or facilitating acts of unlawful sexual affairs; they are using Jinn for sin and aggression. A human who employs them in an act of disbelief is a disbeliever. If any human being uses them to commit acts of disobedience, he would be disobedient to Allaah The Almighty -- no matter if he is a believer or disbeliever, he would still be sinful.  

Those who claim to use Jinn may be liars who want to frighten some people or get some advantages or money.  Those who are not lying can be judged according to what they use them for;

If they used them in an act of obedience, such as  teaching a Muslim Jinn Sharee‘ah knowledge in order to convey it to Jinn or to do some acts required by Sharee‘ah, this would be recommended. This is a type of Da‘wah (call to Islam). Jinn came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he read the Quran to them. When they returned to their people, they warned them and asked them to be Muslims. Some Jinn are righteous, worshippers, ascetics and scholars. Those that are scholars preach to others . However, there are a very small number of Jinn scholars.

If they are used in permissible acts, this would be permissible as long as the means is permissible. If the means is impermissible, using  them is impermissible, because some Jinn insist that  a Muslim must do an act of Shirk (polytheism), for example, slaughtering, bowing, or prostrating to the Jinn.

If they are used for impermissible acts, such as theft or terrorism, this would be impermissible. If the means was impermissible or Shirk, then this would likewise be impermissible or Shirk.

Most of those who employ Jinn are evil people who commit  major sins; neglectful of prayer and, enjoy being near Najaasah (ritual impurity) and dirty places. They are also liars and thieves.

They use talismans, slaughter animals for Jinn and do Istinjaa’  (cleaning after relieving oneself) using milk.

Muslims must stay away from such charlatans, yet scholars and righteous people must advise them to give up what they do, or even report them to the authorities. 

Allaah Knows best.