Allah created the jinn for the same purpose as that for which He created mankind. Allah (swt) said: “And I (Allah) created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.” (Qur’an 51: 56)

On this basis, the jinn are accountable and subject to commands and prohibitions: whoever obeys Allah, Allah will be pleased with him and will admit him to Paradise, and whoever disobeys Him and rebels, will enters Hell. This is indicated by many texts.

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will say, addressing the kuffar of the jinn and mankind, rebuking them: “O you assembly of jinn and mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours? They will say: ‘We bear witness against ourselves.’ It was the life of this world that deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.” (Qur’an 6: 130).

These verses indicate that the laws of Allah were conveyed to the jinn too, and that there came to them Messengers who warned them and conveyed the messege.

The evidence that they will be punished in Hell are the verses: “Allah will say, ‘Enter you in the company of nations who passed away before you, of men and jinn, into the fire.” (Qur’an 7: 38). And Allah said: “And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell.” (Qur’an 7: 179) and He further sais: “I will fill the Hell with jinn and mankind together.” (Qur’an 32: 13).

The evidence that the believers among the jinn will enter Paradise is the verse: “But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two gardens (in Paradise). Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and mankind) deny?” (Qur’an 55: 46-47)

The words here are addressed to the jinn and mankind, because the beginning of the surah (chapter) is addressed to both of them. In the preceding verse Allah reminded the believers among the jinn that they would enter Paradise; if they could not attain that, then He would not have reminded them of that blessing.

Ibn Muflih said in his book Al-Furoo’: “The jinn are accountable in general according to the consensus of the scholars; the kuffar among them will enter Hell, according to scholars’ consensus, and the believers among them will enter Paradise according to Malik and Al-Shaafi’i (ra). They will not become dust like the animals. The reward of the believers among them will be salvation from the Fire.

Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The Jinn are commanded with regard to basic issues and with regard to minor issues they are accountable according to their nature. They are not comparable to mankind as far as the nature of their deeds is concerned. The commands and prohibitions enjoined upon them are not the same as those enjoined upon mankind, as far as the quantity is concerned, but they are also subject to commands and prohibitions, as human are, and they are subject to rulings of halal and haram. This is a matter concerning which no dispute is known among the Muslims.”

How can they be punished in the Fire when they are created from fire?

Some people express their doubts and say, you state that the jinn are created from fire, and then you say that the kuffar among them will be punished in the Fire of Hell, and that those among them who try to eavesdrop are struck with flaming fire. How can fire have any effect on them when they are created from it?

The answer is that the essence from which they were created is fire, but after they have been created they are no longer like that, because they become something other than fire. This may be explained by the fact that man is made from dust, but after he has been created he becomes something other than dust, if a man is struck with a peace of baked clay it will kill him, and if dust is thrown at him it will harm him; if he is buried in it he will suffocate. Even though, if he is created from dust, dust can harm him. The same applies to the jinn.

Abu Wafaa ibn Aqeel said: “The devils and jinn are related to fire in the same way that man is related to dust, clay and mud. What is meant with regard to man is that his origin is clay, not that the human is actually clay, but he was clay. Similarly the jinn were originally fire.”

By Dr. Umar S. Al-Ashqar