some people appeal to a person of whom they think well—someone who is either dead or far away. They see him with their own eyes coming toward them; at times he speaks to them and even sees to some of their needs, so they assume he is that very departed person. In reality it is a devil who only claims to be him while he is not. It happens again and again that, after a man’s death, a being appears in the dead man’s likeness, converses with the living, pays off his outstanding debts, returns items left in his trust, and tells them information about the deceased. Convinced, they imagine the dead man himself has come back, whereas it is nothing but a devil taking on his form.

Such incidents are exceedingly frequent, especially in lands of polytheism such as India and similar places. You may even witness the supposed apparition standing beneath the bier, holding his own son’s hand during the funeral. Some of these people instruct before their death, “When I die, let no one wash my body; I will come from this side and wash myself.” After his death a figure appears, suspended in the air, in his likeness and proceeds to wash the corpse together with the person he had appointed. The person he had appointed thinks the deceased has returned, yet it is only a devil assuming his shape.

At other times someone may behold a figure—perhaps flying through the air, perhaps of gigantic stature, or one who divulges hidden matters—and the figure tells him, “I am al-Khidr.” In truth, it is a devil who has lied about his identity, and it might even be