The Jinn are not imaginary
The jinns are created beings alongside human beings and the rest of creation. We cannot see them; however this doesn’t mean they are not real. Belief in the unseen (as known from revelation) is a pillar of Islam. Toward the very beginning of the Qur’an, Allah says in Surat al-Baqarah (ayahs 2-3) describing the believers:
… a guidance for those conscious of Allah – Who believe in the unseen …
The jinn are referred to specifically in a number of places in the Qur’an, for example:
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We directed to you a few of the jinn, listening to the Qur’an. And when they attended it, they said, “Listen quietly.” And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners. (Al-Ahqaf:29)
There are numerous references to the jinn in the sunnah as well, for example:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu Sa`id al-Khudri: If you are out with your flock and call for prayers, raise your voice, for every jinn, human, or anything else that hears your voice will witness for you on the Day of Judgment (al-Bukhari)
What are they made of?
Allah says in the Qur’an regarding the provenance of the jinn:
And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire. (Ar-Rahman:15)
Ibn `Abbas (ra) explained that this refers to the purest form of fire and from the edges of the flame.
Types of jinn
The jinn are one creation, and they all have the ability to transform into different creatures. Most frequently, they take the following forms:
It is narrated from Abu Tha`labah al-Khushani that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
Jinns are of three types: one type has wings and flies, another type take the form of scorpions and serpents, and the third move from place to place. (Sahih al-Jami` 3/85)
This is not an exact breakdown, but rather describes the main activities of the different kinds of jinn. Some jinn specifically fly around and don’t interact with human beings. Others are the kind that can change their form; they typically appear as scorpions and snakes and are in proximity with human beings. This type can live for a long time – typically thousands of years. The last kind stay in one place for a time, and then move. Among the last type are the `ifrit, the most powerful jinn and mentioned in the Qur’an.
There are also male and female jinn, as mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ).
When a jinn becomes disobedient to Allah, they are referred to as a shaytan.
Places they are found
Most jinn prefer to reside in secluded and isolated places, far away from human beings. The desert is one such place. The Prophet (saws) used to go to the desert, call them, teach them the Qur’an, and teach them about their livelihood even. Others like to be near garbage dumps and bad-smelling places such as bathrooms and places of waste (see the du`a to protect oneself from these jinn). These jinn are not the good or Muslim kind. When they are brought the recitation of the Qur’an or good smells like musk, they don’t like it. The good jinns and Muslim jinns display the opposite of this behavior. Other jinn live in places like cracks, burrows, and animal stables. Yet other jinn live alongside human beings.
Their sustenance
A number of authentic ahadith confirm that jinns eat and drink. Abu Hurairah (ra) reports that the Prophet (saws) said: “Bones and dung constitute the food of the jinn.” (al-Bukhari 3860). This means that what appears to us as bones and dung is in reality food for the jinn.
Taking Forms and Shapes
The jinn in their natural form are invisible to human beings. Some animals (donkeys are mentioned specifically) bray when they see shaytan (an evil jinn). It is also possible for some of them (the second kind mentioned above) however to take a form in which humans can see them. This is demonstrated in the hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) where he was guarding the zakat al-fitr and Iblis came to him for three straight nights in the form of a man, trying to steal the collected food (due to the blessing in the food collected for fitr). He convinced Abu Hurairah to let him go the first two times, and on the third night taught Abu Hurairah that reciting Ayat al-Kursi before going to bed is a protection and a means of keeping the jinn away until the morning. See the full hadith for more details.
It is also well-known from the sirah literature that Iblis appeared to the chieftains of Quraish in the form of an old man from Najd on the night they were meeting to plan a course of action to take with the Prophet (ﷺ).
The ability of some jinn to take different shapes and forms is not an unrestricted one. They cannot do this at will into any form, according to the more correct of two opinions. Rather some methods are known to them, by which Allah changes their shape into one of a few forms. Snakes, dogs, and scorpions are common forms jinn take.
The Jinns obligations with respect to religion
The jinn are held accountable for their actions and religious obligations just like human beings. They too were sent messengers from among themselves. In terms of religious diversity, the jinn are similar to human beings in the sense that they too have Muslim, Christian, and Jewish jinn among them. Furthermore, among the Muslim jinn there could be those upon the sunnah and those upon bid`ah, the pious and the sinful, and so on.
When do the jinn congregate and spread?