Question:
Recently, there was news about reports that several houses in Kubang Keiran were robbed by toyol. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can protect our house from the disturbances of the creatures of the unseen?
Answer:
There is a possibility it is the actions of a robber. It is also possible that it is the actions of an unseen creature. No matter whatever the name used in the Malay folklore to describe it, all of them actually refer to the jinn and shaytan. It is created even before the creation of the Prophet Adam AS. Allah SWT states:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَالْجَانَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ
“And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud. And the jinn We created before from scorching fire.” [1]
Syeikh al-Maraghi said: “We created the jinn before the creation of Prophet Adan AS. It is created from fire, scorching wind that it will burn and kill anyone who experiences it.” [2]
Narrated from Saidatina Aisyah R.Anha, Rasullullah PBUH said:
خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُمْ
“The Angels were born out of light and the Jinns were born out of the spark of fire and Adam was born as he has been defined (in the Qur’an) for you (i. e. he is fashioned out of clay).” [3]
According to Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Mujahid, al-Hasan and others regarding the creation of jinn from “مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ”, it means the tip of burning fire (طرف اللهب) and in another narration, it means pure fire (من خالصه). [4]
The jinn is divided into three groups. This is in accordance with a hadith narrated from Abi Tsa’labah al-Khusyaniy radhiyallahu ‘anhu, the Messenger PBUH said:
الْجِنُّ ثَلاَثَةُ أَصْنَافٍ صِنْفٌ لَهُمْ أَجْنِحَةٌ يَطِيرُونَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ ، وَصِنْفٌ حَيَّاتٌ وَكِلاَبٌ ، وَصِنْفٌ يَحِلُّونَ وَيَظْعَنُونَ
“The jinn are of three classes, one which has wings and flies in the air, one which consists of snakes and dogs, and one which stays in places and travel about.” [5]
My suggestions to prevent our homes from being broken into or anything that we didn’t want are:
- Always recite al-Qur’an especially Surah al-Baqarah and Ayat al-Kursi. In a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
لاَ تَجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ مَقَابِرَ ، إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْفِرُ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي تُقْرَأُ فِيهِ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ
“Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surah Baqara is recited.”
According to Ibnu Mas’ud RA, he said:
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ تُقْرَأُ فِي بَيْتٍ، خَرَجَ مِنْهُ
“Indeed, the shaytan when he heard the recitation of surah al-Baqarah in a house, he’ll run away from that house.” [7]
- Increase one’s In a hadith narrated from Jabir bin Abdillah R.Anhuma, the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ بَيْتَهُ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ، وَعِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ، قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ: لَا مَبِيتَ لَكُمْ وَلَا عَشَاءَ، وَإِذَا دَخَلَ فَلَمْ يُذْكَرِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ: أَدْرَكْتُمُ الْمَبِيتَ
“When a man enters his house and mentions God’s name on entering and when at his food, the devil says, “You* have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; ” but when he enters without mentioning God’s name on entering the devil says, “You have found a place to spend the night; ” and when he does not mention God at his food he says, “You have found a place to spend the night and an evening meal.” [8]
- Recite supplication when entering the house followed by salam for those who are in the house. The supplication is as the following:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلَجِ، وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا، وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا، وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا
“O God, I ask Thee for good both when entering and when going out; in the name of God we have entered and in God our Lord do we trust.” [9]
Insya-Allah with the above-mentioned sunnah guidance of the Messenger PBUH that we practise when entering our hearts, we’ll be protected from the disturbance of the jinn, people and any disaster by His will. Furthermore, by placing our absolute dependence on Allah SWT, other precautionary steps such as activating or mobilizing patrols, installing CCTVs, hiring a guard or alarm system should also be done. Wallahu a’lam.
[3] Narrated by Muslim, no. 2996; Narrated by Ahmad, no. 25194; and Narrated by Ibn Hibban, no. 6155
[4] Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, 1/59
[5] Narrated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, no. 3702
[6] Narrated by Muslim, no. 780) and al-Nasa’ie (10735)
[7] Narrated by al-Tabrani in Mu’jam al-Kabir (8642) and al-Darimi (3422)