The court of the jinn

Written by: Abdo Ali Al-Fahd

One night during Ramadan, I went to the house of the village elder, according to traditions and customs. We spend the evening together discussing matters of religion and worship. We gathered at the platform, each sitting in his place, waiting for the elder to arrive so we could listen to him. As he approached the platform from his room, he coughed, for he was nearing a hundred years old. He took his seat, and we drank tea while the elder requested the water pipe and tobacco. Every time he took a puff, he coughed, and his entire body trembled..

I said: "Elder, the reason for the cough is the pipe makes the chest inflated." He looked at us and said: "Children, the reason is that the tobacco has become impure." The evening went on, and everyone shared their stories and began discussing tales of jinn and demons. I said: "Elder, it is said that the jinn are chained during Ramadan, so it cannot be that the sick person is possessed." He looked at me and said: "You are overly curious, and I fear that what happened to Majid may happen to you." I asked: "What happened to Majid, and who is Majid?" He said: "It has been ages, and the explanation here is lengthy. Let me tell you so we may take heed and leave curiosity behind." He continued: "My uncle had a son named Majid, two years older than me. He was mischievous and stubborn, never leaving his bow from his hand. He set many traps and killed birds, pulling reptiles out of their burrows. The children did not escape his harm; he once poked the eye of one of his brothers." One day, in Mansour Valley, he stood under a tree where birds nested. He spotted a colorful bird unlike any he had seen before, so he aimed his bow at it and struck it. The elder took a puff from the water pipe and coughed. We waited eagerly until he recovered. We asked: "Then what happened?" He said: "Majid fell under the tree, unable to move. My uncle and Majid’s mother carried him home. His temperature was high, and his limbs were paralyzed. He lay bedridden, unable to work or live, water being poured into his mouth forcibly, his eyes closed, his mouth shut, his condition a marvel. He remained like that for a week, a body without a soul, only breath exhaling. We gathered to carry him to the healer, as there were no cars. Suddenly, he woke up as if from a deep sleep, asking for food, gasping as if he had traveled a long way. His mother brought him food, which he devoured, and then he put on his shoes and ran out the door to the street without looking back. The next day, I met him in the valley, where he was considered one of my closest friends. I asked: "Majid, would you tell me what happened in the valley that made you lose your mind?" He said: "I will tell you if you keep one of my secrets." I saw in the Mansour tree a bird unlike any other, and I wanted to capture it to enjoy its form and appearance. I shot it with my bow, and suddenly I found myself on my back. I saw a girl lying under the tree, crying with an injured arm. Three slender, short-bodied figures came to her, carrying her through the fields and crossing into a strange land. Suddenly, they returned and called my name, threatening and whipping me, binding me in chains, and taking me to their homeland in the rocky region. They placed me in one of their houses, imprisoning me in one of the rooms. One of them, angry, said: 'This human attacked my daughter; let him stay in prison until we see what becomes of her. If she dies, we will kill him; if she survives, we will release him.' I found two other humans imprisoned with me, bound and gagged. One was accused of stealing livestock and raisins, and impersonating a doctor. The other was convicted of kidnapping a jinni with a net from the sea during fishing. I remained imprisoned without food. They brought me unsalted food, which I refused to eat. A woman visited me, saying she was from the village, named Hind. They had captured and married her off after she urinated on their food in one of the stables. Her husband was the leader of the guards. She guaranteed me her presence with her husband, so the guard allowed me to leave through a window in one of the towers. I would enter the house through the window, take bread, and return from where I came. They then took me from prison to the court, bound hands, shackled feet, and blindfolded eyes, alongside the two gagged humans. The judge asked: 'What is the matter with this human, and who blindfolded and bound him?' The jinni replied: 'My lord, this human is evil, and I request that your justice impose the harshest punishments and strictest measures on him. He tried to kill my daughter, Siraj, who is still under treatment and care.' The judge ordered: 'Untie his bonds and remove the blindfold so we can see what injuries he bears.' The judge asked me: 'What drove you, human, to attack one of the jinn's daughters?' I said: 'I saw a beautiful bird perched on a branch, and with my bow, I shot it, not knowing it was a jinn's daughter.' The judge ordered the injured girl to be brought before him without a veil. The judge asked: 'In what form were you, and how did you appear to this human?' She replied: 'I was in the form of a bird, flying among the trees, and he wanted to kill me, casting a sharp stone at me. Without knowing, he targeted me with his bow and stone, after sensing me and seeing me perched on one of the branches.' The judge turned to his advisors to consult on the pronounced judgment. The judge ordered the court clerk to read out the judgment. He said: "How beautiful you are, blonde and slender! If only you didn't have bulging eyes and short hands." She agreed on the condition that he accepts her as his wife. She smiled and nodded her head, then said: "Follow me along this path." He held the reins of the horse and drove the herds until they reached a narrow pass between two mountains. She turned to him and said: "You must stay here and wait while I inform my family of what has happened. After that, we will send someone to bring you to our home." He waited for a long time; the sun set, and darkness fell. He heard the rustling of bats and the murmur of whispers. He saw a glow coming from the summit of a mountain, thinking it was a messenger from the lady of beauty, and his fears subsided. He stayed in place, following the light, which eventually faded and disappeared. Suddenly, a group of wild beasts surrounded him, attacking the livestock, both big and small. He mounted his horse and fled, ending up among huts made of palm fronds. He called out: "Oh, people of God." The same woman appeared, standing at the door of a tent. She unveiled herself and greeted him with kind words, showing him where to tie his horse. Then she asked him to follow her through the huts and tents to the hall where judgments were issued. He followed her, but as he entered the hall, bells rang, and the guards stopped him. The woman approached the judge and said: "Your Honor, I bring you a human for your judgment. He is full of sins and transgressions." The judge asked the guards to bring him forward and instructed the woman to stand by his side until his story was fully investigated and his secrets revealed. Then he would be judged among the other defendants. The judge began issuing judgments against the accused, cutting off the hands and feet of thieves. The bailiff called the second defendant to stand before the judge, who asked for his name, occupation, and place of residence. He replied: "My name is Shadad, and I am a fisherman living in the land of Al-Amad." The judge called the plaintiff and asked: "What is your claim against this human?" The plaintiff said: "This human kidnapped my son from the depths of the sea with the fish and endangered his life." The fisherman denied the accusation, saying: "I was only fishing for fish and oysters." The judge asked the plaintiff to bring witnesses. The first witness arrived, and after verifying his name, age, occupation, and place of residence, the judge asked: "Do you have any connection to the plaintiff?" After the witness denied any connection and swore to tell the truth, the judge asked: "Where were you, and what did you see at that time?" The witness said: "I was in the sea collecting emeralds and agates when I saw this fisherman casting his nets into the sea. Some fish and an oyster were caught in the net. The fisherman retrieved the net and took the oyster from the sea." The judge asked: "In what form was the oyster when he took it?" The witness replied: "It was in the form of an oyster from the sea." The judge called the second witness, and after verifying his details and swearing him in, asked: "Tell us what you saw and heard, and where you were." The witness said: "I was waiting on the shore for the prince of the sea. I saw the fisherman pull his net from the sea and cast the fish onto the shore. Among the fish was an oyster with hooks piercing its insides, nearly killing it. The fisherman freed the oyster and returned it to the sea." The judge adjourned the session and consulted with the court members in private. Majid watched in confusion, his mind overwhelmed. Everyone remained silent, listening attentively to the judge, only speaking when called upon. The judge, dressed in his finest attire, sat on the bench with advisors to his right and left. The accused stood in a cage surrounded by bars and wires, while the witnesses stood before the judge. The plaintiff and the prosecution stood to the left of the bench, and the accused was asked to appoint someone to represent him in court. At the far end of the hall, the bailiff sat ready to record everything that was said. Majid felt his time was near, that his actions had been revealed, and he remained anxious. Moments later, the judge and his advisors returned. The judge asked the bailiff to read the verdict. The judgment was as follows: The court convened with all members present on this date to hear the case brought by the plaintiff, Shinkah from the jinn, against the defendant, Shadad the fisherman from the human race. The plaintiff accused the defendant of killing his son after kidnapping him from the sea. After hearing the witnesses and the statements from both parties, the court ruled as follows: The human Shadad the fisherman is acquitted of the charges. The victim had taken a form other than his usual form, appearing as an oyster, which can be legally fished by both humans and jinn. The plaintiff, Shinkah, is to be punished for kidnapping the human and bringing him here, causing harm without intent or will. Shinkah is tasked with returning the human to his family and leaving his body without causing any further harm. All jinn are to be informed not to take on forms other than their own to protect their bodies, and anyone who does so is subject to capital punishment. The session was adjourned, and the court reconvened. The attendees stood in respect for the court. The case was heard with the plaintiff accusing the absent human of impersonating a doctor, endangering his wife's life, stealing from his house, and defrauding the shepherd by taking his sheep. The thief stood before the jinn court judge, denying all charges. The judge asked the plaintiff to bring evidence. A woman testified before the court. The judge asked: "What did you see and hear, and where were you?" She said: "I was guarding the open field when I saw this human with horses, livestock, and wealth. He had stolen and looted them. I appeared to him as a woman, lured him with singing, and led him to our land." The judge asked the human's companion to present his case. He said: "This human took advantage of my absence, impersonated a doctor, and treated my wife with harmful herbs and oils. He stole from my house and left with whatever he pleased." The judge asked the shepherd's companion to explain his case. The shepherd told the full story. The judge and the court members deliberated and issued their judgment. The judgment was as follows: After hearing the witnesses and reviewing the evidence, the court ruled: The defendant is to be imprisoned and shackled for impersonating a doctor, endangering lives, and causing harm. The defendant must return the stolen items and compensate for the livestock that died. The defendant is banned from traveling between villages and towns. A mark is to be placed on his nose, indicating his status as a suspect. The session was adjourned. Majid said: "After the judgments were issued, we were allowed to leave. We left the court, escorted by guards. Before the elder jinn, we were ordered to stand, and the judgments were handed to him for review, signature, and sealing. He ordered the flying jinn to transport the released individuals home and return the imprisoned ones to their cells to serve their sentences." From the elder jinn's castle, a jinn carried me and placed me on my bed. I woke from my coma and called out to everyone around me. I was hungry, having not eaten for three days until lunch. They responded to my call, confused and anxious. I told them about Hind, and they rejoiced and fled from me. Majid did not stay long in his home after that; he disappeared, and his news was cut off in the prime of his youth. This is what happened to Majid, and I am his friend, cousin, and witness. The End. Those who love the Prophet, peace be upon him, say peace be upon him. The moral of the story: Justice is the backbone of life. Do not think that the wilderness belongs to you alone. From the fruit of deception comes poverty. Greetings to those who read, thanks to those who comment, appreciation to those who share and proofread, and may you remain happy, protected, and prosperous by God's will.

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