more serious than one who is earnest, for he has combined disbelief with mockery of Allah. Whoever ridicules the religion and says, “I only meant it as a joke and for laughter,” we say: You have disbelieved. If you are truthful, then repent to Allah, perform a ritual bath, and return to Islam; for repentance wipes away what came before it.

The author of al-Iqnaʿ said: “Or if he denies the angels.” If he denies the angels, he is a disbeliever. Likewise, if he denies the jinn, he is a disbeliever, because he is denying the Quran. As for one who denies that a jinn can enter a human being, he is astray but not a disbeliever. He is astray because he has made a claim contradicted by reality and by the reports authentically transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and from others.

In the hadith of the boy whom his mother brought to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was suffering seizures, the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the jinn within him: “Come out, enemy of Allah, for I am the Messenger of Allah.” The jinn then left the boy. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, returned from his expedition—having told the boy’s mother, “Inform me of his condition”—he found that she had prepared for him a sheep, ghee, and dried yogurt. She informed him that her son had been cured and that the jinn had not returned to him. The hadith is authentic (1).

There are many reports from the leading scholars and imams of the Muslims regarding this, so do not deny it. Shaykh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, would be brought those afflicted by possession; he would strike them, address the jinn, and take a pledge from it, whereupon it would leave and not return. His student Ibn al-Qayyim related that a possessed man was brought to him and laid before him, and he spoke to