Jann (legendary creature)

Jann from the Semitic root JNN (Arabic: جَنّ / جُنّ‎‎, jann), is an Arabic term, whose primary meaning is "to hide" and can also refer to an agile snake.[1] In the Quran this term appers in Surah 55:15 and Surah 27:10 to designate a supernatural creature or a serpent.[2] In Surah 27:10 the term Jann is sometimes translated with jinn (or demon) and sometimes with snake.[3]

In islamic and arabian lore, the Jann are mostly considered as a primitive or transformed type of Jinn, familiar how apes are related to humans or sometimes considered as transformed men.[4][5] These are regarded as the most harmless class of supernatural creatures. Otherwise Jann is identified as the father of all Jinn and therefore the Jann is hold to be the first Jinn of all, created from the fires of samum. A minority identifies him with Iblis, accordingly the devil is depicted as the first Jinni.[4][6]

References

  1. ↑ Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman The Meaning and Explanation of the Glorious Qur'an (Vol 7) MSA Publication Limited 2009 ISBN 978-1-861-79661-5 page 111
  2. ↑ Al-Saïd Muhammad Badawi, M. A. Abdel Haleem Arabic - English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage BRILL 2008 ISBN 978-9-004-14948-9 page 176
  3. ↑ http://www.quranonline.net/html/trans/options/cmpr/27.html
  4. 1 2 Patrick Hughes, Thomas Patrick Hughes Dictionary of Islam Asian Educational Services 1995 ISBN 978-8-120-60672-2 page 134
  5. ↑ J. Douglas Kenyon Atlantis Rising Magazine - 88 July/August 2011 Atlantis Rising LLC 2011 ISBN 978-1-467-50091-3 page 134
  6. ↑ The Society Studia Orientalia, Band 85 1999 University of Michigan digitized 2008 page 130
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