by QXZ
Question by : What is the theological understanding(s) of jinns as the cause of mental illness in Islam?
I have posted this question before and got some excellent answers (thanks especially to Sarah Bint Jihad). I am re-posting on it on principal (it should not have been deleted) and because one of the respondents sent me a link to an excellent You-Tube video on the topic that I simply cannot seem to find.
My question is this:
Islam has historically shown compassion and kindness to the mentally ill (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mental_disorders#Persia.2C_Arabia_and_the_Muslim_Empire and also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_in_medieval_Islam in this regard). In medieval times, when the mentally ill were cruelly persecuted in Christian Europe, Muslim physicians posited that mental illness was the product of chemical imbalances etc and not personal fault. Even Mohammed (PBUH) said that three categories of people should be spared judgement, “the child, until he reaches puberty, the sleeping until he wakes, and the insane until he becomes sane.”
This notwithstanding, I was watching a documentary on Al Jazeera World News this afternoon about mental illness in Pakistan, and about the immense stigma attached to it. The documentary did not touch on the issue of jinns, but, as can be expected (and as is the case in non-Muslim countries too) highlighted the fact that people were not educated about mental illness etc, which obviously lends way to greater stigma. Upon further research I found that many people believe mental illness is the result (exclusively) of possession by jinns.
What would a more educated, and soundly theological view on this issue be? Can jinns cause mental illness? Does this negate the influence of chemical imbalances etc? How do you know if someone is biologically mentally ill as opposed to possessed by a jinn? What is your view on this issue?
Thanks to all who answer.
@Rosy Pearl – Sorry to sound ignorant, but what is Athan and/ or Dhikr?
@Sub-Poof- What are pirs?
@Cool – I appreciate your concern, but I am interested in garnering a variety of opinions on the issue – And Sub-Poofy did state he was offering an opinion. I think that both your responses are very interesting and would like to thank you both for answering. Unfortunately I lost the link to the You-Tube video when my question got deleted! Hopefully someone will re-post it! 
Best answer:
Answer by Cool Fundamentalist-Allahs’ Slave
I hope you read this book titled:
The jinn and human sickness (it contains all answers to the questions you posted above).
Click to access The%20Jinn%20And%20Human%20Sickness.pdf
do consult this one link for more information on jinns:
http://www.kalamullah.com/jinn.html
Encyclopedian on jinns
http://www.islamawareness.net/Jinn/
@asker:
don’t be confused by sub poofys response.
he is ignorant and speaking without knowledge.
Learn that ‘sufism’ is NOT islam.
Sufism was not known in the time of the Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) or his Companions, nor was it well known in the first three generations after them. It first appeared in Basrah in Iraq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the worldly life, something which is admonished in the Quran:
“The Monasticism which they invented for themselves; We did not prescribe it for them.” Qur’an 57:27
read more about sufism from this link:
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1388/
I’d further advise you to learn islam from AUTHENTIC sources and certified scholars.
Not from ‘hearsays’ or what ‘people think’.
For Islam is not based upon any persons priorthoughts, intellect or knowledge.
What do you think? Answer below!
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