Known Jinn Types and Tribes

The concept of jinn is deeply embedded in a rich cultural heritage and appears in numerous belief systems. Especially within Islamic tradition, references to the existence, types, and attributes of jinn can be found in the Qur’an and Hadith. Over the centuries, scholars, mystics, and popular folklore have elaborated upon these references, producing diverse understandings of jinn that vary region by region. In this article, we explore the most widely recognized jinn types and tribes, discussing their characteristics, habitats, and interactions with humans. We also review accounts from cultural and religious texts, offering readers a foundation for better comprehending the core of the jinn concept.

The Fundamental Characteristics of Jinn

According to Islamic belief, jinn are beings created from smokeless fire (Qur’an 55:15). Like humans, they possess intellect and free will. Some are righteous while others are evil, and they are said to live in different clans and types. Because they can appear—or choose not to appear—to human eyes, many accounts speak of how they adopt a variety of shapes and forms. It is believed they can exist both in the physical realm and in the metaphysical plane.

Information about jinn can be found in classical Islamic sources, folklore, and Sufi literature. Prominent figures such as Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn ‘Arabi note that jinn can influence human spirituality, sometimes leading people astray and sometimes supporting them in positive ways. Similarly, there are malevolent (like the Ifrit or Marid) as well as neutral or even benevolent jinn (such as the Musferish or Musabbar).

This text serves as a compilation drawing on folk narratives, focusing on different jinn names, locations they reside in, and how they relate to humans. Examining each type individually underscores the complexity of these age-old belief systems.

1. Afarid (Ifrits)

The word “Afarid” is plural, corresponding to “Ifrits” in Turkish. They are believed to be descended from Satan (Iblis). Well-known for their formidable powers—both physical and beyond the physical—they are described in some sources as jinn that can invade human bodies, driving them insane or usurping their free will.

Characteristics and Role in the Belief System

Ifrits rank among the most dangerous jinn.
They can inhabit a person’s body, causing psychological and physical harm.
They reportedly possess their own clans and rules. While it is said some commit lethal harm, this is typically forbidden among them.
Although researchers sometimes compare them to demonic elements in Jewish and Christian traditions, the notion of “Ifrit” in Islamic discourse carries its own distinct nuances.

Habitats

Folklore often places them in deep, dense forests.
It is believed that even wild animals cannot dwell in these areas they inhabit.

Interaction with Humans

They rarely reveal themselves to humans, and shape-shifting is not as frequently reported with them.
Well-known cases of severe hauntings or possessions are sometimes attributed to Ifrits in local lore.

2. Amir Jinn

Amir jinn dwell primarily in places inhabited by humans—such as cities, towns, and other settled areas. They are not known to frequent empty or purely natural locales.

Characteristics

Often described as jinn with beliefs outside Islam—some are identified as polytheistic or atheistic.
They show an aggressive hostility toward religious devotion, often focusing this animosity on Muslims.
Seen in corners of buildings or derelict structures where people live.

Behavior

Their form of haunting involves inducing sudden fear and unease.
In some stories, they afflict families with physical discomfort or anxiety.

3. Ammar Jinn

Ammar jinn are said to reside in homes. Some cultures may refer to them as “house jinn.”

Characteristics

They share the living quarters of a household.
They are believed to partake of food from which God’s name is not invoked or foods consumed in the presence of alcohol.
Their behavior can be benign or disruptive, depending on the household’s actions and attitudes.

Patterns of Behavior

Often, they remain quiet watchers, revealing themselves only subtly.
Some might make noises or play with children.
Their antics recall the “poltergeist” phenomenon in Western culture, with odd sounds and objects moving.
Known to tell lies, so those who attempt to summon or communicate with them via rituals often face trouble down the road.

4. Betr Jinn

Betr jinn seek to instigate anger and chaos. They are occasionally called “rage jinn.”

Characteristics

They target a person’s emotions, fueling anger and aggression.
Their ultimate aim is to sow discord and havoc among people, reveling in hostility.

Effects

In moments of rage, people can speak hurtful words that damage relationships—a result Betr jinn are eager to bring about.
In Sufi teachings, if individuals cannot rein in their anger, they become susceptible to demonic whispers.

5. Dasim (The “Food Demon”)

Dasim is known in many sources as the “demon of food.” It appears around eating and drinking times, scheming to bring about material and spiritual harm.

Characteristics

Believed to steal or spiritually defile food that is eaten without saying “Bismillah” (invoking God’s name).
Encourages wastefulness and gluttony, working to weaken people religiously by leading them into financial and spiritual distress.
Persuades individuals toward behaviors that squander resources.

6. Demons

Although “demon” in English literally translates to “devil” or “demonic being,” it is asserted that these entities do not have a unique name in certain traditions. They often present themselves to humans as deities, forming part of beliefs like spiritualism or Satanism.

Characteristics

They are linked to spiritual or satanic cults, where they are revered or invoked.
They readily respond to summoning rituals with a polite façade, but this is typically a trick.
If defied, they can become hostile and use illusions—sights and sounds—to break one’s will.

Interaction with Humans

They claim never to serve humans, but rather demand worship or submission.
Their greatest weapon is persuasion; they can deceive targets by altering their perception of reality.

7. El Ebyaz Jinn

El Ebyaz jinn allegedly fixate on prophets and saints (awliya). Although they cannot harm prophets—who enjoy special protection from God—they are said to be very active in assemblies of the learned and the pious, attempting to sow doubt and discord.

Characteristics

They seek to disrupt religious gatherings, sowing fitna (sedition) and fracturing unity.
Islamic tradition holds that many assemblies of scholars have been ruined at their hands.
They are credited with a variety of manipulative capabilities.

8. Ervah Jinn

Ervah jinn are notorious for targeting fetuses in the womb and influencing children during their early development.

Characteristics

They are said to be behind cases of infertility or miscarriages when no physiological cause is apparent.
Some believe that with the proper spiritual remedies (prayers, invocations), these beings can be repelled.
They are thought to harm the unborn child by weakening the mother physically and spiritually.

Interaction with Humans

During pregnancy, they aim to disrupt the mother’s mental and physical equilibrium.
Without appropriate precautions, these influences may have lasting effects on both mother and child.

9. Gul Jinn Tribe

“Gul” or “Gulyabani” is a widespread motif throughout the Middle East. These are ferocious, merciless spirits living nomadically, bringing malevolence wherever they travel.

Characteristics

They can appear in terrifying forms, sometimes gigantic in size.
When they settle in one area for some time, they may bring bizarre phenomena or even a strange kind of temporary abundance—but once they leave, the region is said to become “dried up.”
Nightly howls or occurrences like “showers of stones” are often attributed to them in folklore.

Cultural Reflections

In Turkish literature, Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar popularized the term “Gulyabani.”
Middle Eastern lore portrays them haunting cemeteries and deserted places, frightening travelers in order to ambush them.

10. Hanzep (The Whisperer in Worship)

Hanzep is known for interrupting religious devotion, instilling doubts and anxieties to deter believers from their worship.

Characteristics

Fills believers’ hearts with questions—“Is my prayer valid or invalid?”—leading to constant worry.
Feeds on the apprehension and guilt that arise in a person’s mind.
The resulting unease prevents individuals from comfortably fulfilling their acts of devotion.

11. Ifrit

While the term “Ifrit” can be confused with “Afarid,” here it is used to refer to one of the mightiest categories of jinn. Like the Marid or Afarid, Ifrit occupies a prominent place in discussions of very powerful jinn.

Characteristics

If an Ifrit possesses a human, it can drive them to madness or crime.
Often emphasized is its propensity for sexual exploitation via the possessed body.
Regarded as extremely dangerous and formidable.
Envies those with religious knowledge, attempting to afflict them.

Habitat

Commonly believed to dwell in the depths of forests, away from populated areas.
Rarely assumes human form.

12. Lietli Jinn

Taking their name from the figure of Lilith, Lietli jinn carry echoes of the Lilith myth in Western traditions. They specialize in deception and potent “whispers” that manipulate people’s minds.

Characteristics

Highly adept at planting suggestions and confusion.
Prefer valleys and high places.
Induce a sense of drowsiness, lethargy, and detachment from reality in their human targets.

Interaction with Humans

Often appear as a beautiful person to lure individuals into their snare.
Impair judgment and distance the victim from the tangible world, muddling perception.

13. Marid Jinn

Marid jinn are featured prominently in Islamic culture and broader Middle Eastern mythology as “noble but exceedingly dangerous.” They are said to have no inherent allegiance to either Satan or God, living in an almost atheistic state.

Characteristics

Considered among the most perilous jinn.
Usually do not respond to summoning rituals, but if they do, the person who summoned them faces extreme danger.
Known to command or influence other types of jinn through superior authority.

Habitat

Reside in forests and around marshy areas, capable of taking the shape of humans or animals.
Avoid densely populated regions.

14. Metun / Mesit (The Confounder of Knowledge)

Also called Mesit, Metun is believed to tamper with what people hear, sowing confusion or fostering forgetfulness regarding beneficial knowledge.

Characteristics

When individuals learn something valuable, Metun twists or distorts it in the person’s memory.
Thrives on misinformation, leading people astray through ignorance or misunderstanding.
Delights in seeing individuals distance themselves from truth, plunging into error.

15. Musabbar Jinn Tribe

Musabbar jinn typically inhabit caves, crags, and rocky areas. They are portrayed as generally averse to human contact.

Characteristics

Said to be around 90 centimeters tall.
Their diet allegedly includes minerals and moss found in these isolated regions.
Move in groups, displaying exceptionally strong family bonds; they never engage in one-on-one confrontation.

16. Musfer / Musferish Jinn

Also known collectively as “Musferish,” these jinn dwell in rural fields and near fig trees.

Characteristics

Often described as around 140 centimeters tall.
Regarded as well-intentioned and non-aggressive.
Can swiftly shift their appearance and mimic human or animal voices for extended periods.

Relationship with Humans

Do not disturb humans unless provoked.
People sometimes hear human-like chatter or animal cries just outside their door at night, only to find no one present—attributed in folklore to the Musfer jinn.
Traditional etiquette calls for saying a short invocation (“destur”) when approaching fig trees to avoid disturbing them.

17. Shaytan (Satan)

Although “Shaytan” is essentially a singular entity, certain folk beliefs treat it as if it has its own tribes. In Islamic teaching, all evil jinn are considered part of Shaytan’s broader influence.

Characteristics

Has the ability to appear or remain invisible to both humans and jinn alike.
Scripture identifies him as the being who refused to bow to Adam.

18. Velhan (The Prodigality Demon)

Velhan works by pushing people toward profligate behavior, urging them to consume resources—water, oil, thread, and so on—excessively.

Characteristics

Promotes wastefulness (israf), thereby causing both material and spiritual ruin.
Since israf is counted as a sin in many Islamic texts, Velhan’s goal is to draw humans into transgression.

19. Vesnan / The Sleep Demon

Known as the “sleep demon,” Vesnan takes over when people drift off, bringing nightmares or “sleep paralysis” experiences.

Characteristics

Disturbs a person’s dreams, instilling dark and frightening images.
Many believe protective prayers guard against these disturbances.
Seizes on the mental vulnerability of sleep to unsettle the sleeper’s psyche.

20. Zellenbur (The Merchant Tempter)

Zellenbur is said to target tradespeople and merchants, pushing them toward deceitful trading practices and exploitation of customers.

Characteristics

Inspires business owners to cheat in weight measurements, sell faulty goods, or overcharge clients.
Intends to jeopardize believers by leading them into defrauding others, thus denying them salvation in the afterlife by incurring “the rights of others.”

21. Zulman Jinn

Zulman jinn inhabit deserts. They are said to be physically large and quite few in number, yet highly dangerous.

Characteristics

Despite low population, they are considered very menacing.
Folklore places them in the Arabian Peninsula, attacking trading caravans.
Some sources claim they were cursed for refusing to obey Prophet Solomon—a belief drawn from regional lore.

Cultural Reflections

Stories recount how caravans protected their camels by hanging copies of the Qur’an on them to ward off Zulman attacks.
Nomads in desert regions often avoid camping around water wells at night, fearing these jinn.

Common Traits of Jinn and Their Place in Beliefs

When we survey this range of jinn types, a unifying theme emerges: their potential to intertwine with human life, sometimes benevolently but often harmfully. While some jinn can be neutral or relatively kind, others rank as extremely perilous. In traditional Islamic scholarship, many emphasize that humans should not try communicating with jinn; rather, they should protect themselves with prayers and remembrance of God.

Over the centuries, numerous Sufi masters and scholars have made the following points about jinn:

Methods of Protection: Reciting “Bismillah,” reading the Qur’an, engaging in dhikr (remembrance), and praying.
Behavioral Etiquette: Seeking permission or uttering a respectful phrase (“destur”) when entering places known to be inhabited by jinn, and refraining from fear-driven obsessions.
Human Emotions: Negative states—anger, jealousy, hatred—can act as gateways for jinn intrusion. These emotions may “invite” the influences of malevolent jinn.

The cultural dimension surrounding jinn should not be overlooked. In Anatolia and the broader Middle East, narratives, tales, ghost stories, and even certain folk rituals mirror the deep-seated belief in these beings. Customs like avoiding stepping on door thresholds or muttering “In the name of God” at night to avert clumsiness highlight age-old practices aimed at staying safe from potential jinn harm.

Final Thoughts

The existence, types, and attributes of jinn have left a profound mark on humanity’s collective memory. Within Islamic belief, they figure prominently, classified as good or evil, each group bearing its own responsibilities and dangers. In everyday life, the stories and traditions about jinn frequently surface in folk literature, religious practices, and local customs. These beliefs, part of a broader cultural richness, blend both curiosity and trepidation.

Whether it concerns the quiet presence of Ammar jinn, the menacing power of Ifrit, or the regal yet fearsome nature of Marid, jinn stories emphasize an important lesson: heightened awareness of the spiritual realm. Such mindfulness encourages people to approach the unseen with caution and to cling more firmly to virtues and faith. In this way, knowledge of jinn is less about stoking fear and more about reflecting on moral and spiritual resilience.

References

Ibn ‘Arabi, Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya, Vol. 2, p. 143 – A Sufi work discussing different planes of existence and their influence on the human soul.
Imam al-Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din, Vol. 3, p. 89 – Brief commentary on how jinn can affect human nature and acts of worship.
Al-Bukhari, Al-Tajrīd al-Ṣarīḥ, Vol. 2, p. 47 – Hadith references to jinn and Satan.
Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddimah, trans. Zakir Kadiri Ugan – Observations on the historical impact of jinn on societies and cultures.
Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Qur’an, Vol. 7, p. 191 – Traditional explanations and exegesis of Surah al-Jinn.
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar, Gulyabani – A Turkish literary work reflecting popular beliefs about supernatural entities.
Various Folk Narratives and Anonymous Sources – Numerous regional traditions and folk tales provide a wealth of material on these topics.