In Islam and pre-Islamic Arabian folklore, a Genie, Djinn, or Jinn (Jinni) is a supernatural fiery creature which possesses free will. Jinn are mentioned in the Qur'an, wherein a whole Sura is named after them. They can be both good and evil and tend to live in isolated areas. In some cases, evil jinn are said to lead humans astray. In Islam, Satan, known in Arabic as Iblees, is the infamous jinn that refused to bow down to Adam when ordered to by God.
Some jinn are described as traveling instantaneously or as flying swiftly from place to place. In The Fisherman and the Jinni, one considers granting wishes as a reward, and in Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, enslaved genies will follow any command.
List of Jinn in the Arabian Nights[]
- Al-Anqa: a jinniyya who hates men. Also a name for a huge roc-like bird.
- Al-Dimiryat: a king of the djinn
- Al-Mundhir: a jinn king
- Al-Ra’ad al-Kasif: the genie of the ring in Judar and his Brethren
- Badiat al-Jamal: marries Sayf al-Muluk. Daughter of Shahyal ibn Sharukh, a king of the jinn. (Story of Prince Sayf al-Muluk and the Princess Badi'a al-Jamal.)
- Dahish: a genie imprisoned in a pillar for defying Solomon in The City of Brass
- Dahnash: an Ifrit who appears in the Tale of Kamar al-Zaman
- The Genie imprisoned in a jar in The Fisherman and the Jinni
- The Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
- The Genie of the Ring in Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
- Jarjaris: a descendant of Iblis who appears in The Second Kalandar's Tale
- Maymunah: a djinn princess, daughter of Al-Dimiryat, who appears in the Tale of Kamar al-Zaman
- Paribanou: a djinn who marries the hero in The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou
- Shabbar: half-brother of Paribanou
Other Stories Featuring Jinn[]
- Abdullah bin Fazil and His Brothers
- The Adventures of Bulukiya
- The Eldest Lady's Tale
- Ma'aruf the Cobbler and His Wife Fatimah
- The Second Shaykh's Story
- Story Of King Shahryar and His Brother
- The Story of Janshah
- Tale of Núr al-Dín Alí and his Son
- Tale of the Portress
- Tale of the Trader and the Jinn
- The Tale of the Warlock and the Young Cook of Baghdad