5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Very readable reference

b. · September 20, 2020

I have a strong interest in anomalies and this is a great addition to my library. Raises lots of questions about history and the idea of hauntings, since Jinn like abandoned places. Good read for anyone who wants to dig a bit deeper into what we call reality.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Bedtime Tales: A Scholarly Look at the Jinn

L.B. · January 9, 2012

I purchased this book at the recommendation of a friend who knew of Mr. Lebling's ongoing research in this topic. As an author in the paranormal romance genre, I am always searching for solid works that will serve as resources for my fiction. Mr. Lebling's book did not disappoint in this goal. In fact, he cost me a lot more money in books (in a very good way) because this book is so well researched and well-referenced that I wanted his source materials, too. Mr. Lebling has provided an open-minded look into cross-cultural phenomena. His treatment of the origins of the legends in middle eastern countries, as well as ethnic, religious and gender issues is sensitive, thoughtful and analytical. I applaud Mr. Lebling for making a significant contribution to the Jinn literature and to enlightening those of us who have little knowledge of the topic.

5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book.

T. · November 7, 2024

If you are looking for inform as tion on the Jinn stories, myths and beliefs, this book is a gold mine.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!

R. · May 27, 2016

I heard the author talk about this book on a podcast featuring the myths of Jinn and just HAD to check it out. And I'm so glad I did! It's a wonderfully thoughtful and well organized book with all the info i need to know about Jinn for a comic series I'm starting to work on featuring them! Thank you so much for making such a fascinating and useful book on this topic!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Important Book

G. · June 30, 2014

The book explains Jinn and Genies from ancient to modern times and illustrates their significance in different religions and cultures. It is impeccably researched. My favorite story is about Lilith the she-demon. The story is interesting for many reasons, including the fact that Lilith was the name of Frazer's wife in the TV sitcom.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book

D.P. · January 26, 2016

I had problems getting this book, but once it arrived I was very happy with it. It reads well and has interesting information on a world that most Western people have no idea of. I found it highly intriguing and informative. Very much worth both the wait and the purchase price.

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat dense but welcome info.....

S. · March 22, 2011

I would highly recommend this book. Its not like a Ghosthunters episode, but a solid collection of stories from the middle east, home of the Djinn. Culture, ethnography, religion, and geography play such an important part to understanding this subject, I was glad to find so much of it here. I was flabberghasted to read that Djinn are regarded differently throughout the middle east, sometimes favorable in some regions, feared in others, and even holy in others. This book is packed with hard to find info, that would likely never be seen by the eyes of western researchers. I am thoroughly pleased to find it here.I'm still reading it and will likely re read it as it is a bit dense in some areas. The Forward was very enjoyable, including a "first hand" experience with a Djinn haunting. The "experiencer" doesn't really offer an opinion of the whole experience, I realized, and you can come to the conclusion that you will. He goes through the motions of hiring some exorcists, and then tells what happens next.I bought this with the Guiley/ Imbrogno Vengeful Djinn, and so far I like this better. This book could have been used as a reference for the other, and will take you much longer to read. But, I guess they do have different purposes. In the Vengeful Djinn, the authors are making a case for paranormal experiences being part of the Djinn's effort to breach the veil into this world, and here the author is merely providing as much Djinn story from the region as possible. This is definitely worth having.

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior Study of The Jinn

V. · July 4, 2014

I really enjoyed this book ! Well researched, Well written, and not as overly Islamic as other books I have read on the subject. I highly recommend this book for the serious researcher or student of The Jinn.

Bestes Buch über das Thema Jinn

P. · February 5, 2016

Dieses Buch behandelt ein paranormales Thema auf seriöse und glaubhafte Weise.Brauchbare Sachbücher über die "Jinn", "Genies" oder auch "Djinn" sind rar gesäät, vor allem auf dem deutschen Buchmarkt. Die meisten Veröffentlichungen bewegen sich im Fantasy Bereich und sind für den sachlich interessierten Leser weder zuverlässige Informationsquelle, noch eine kulturell vielfältige Sammlung an Erfahrungsberichten. "Legends of the Fire Spirits, Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar" ist komplettin englischer Sprache gehalten, aber dennoch einen Kauf wert. In keinem (englischsprachigen) Sachbuch über dieses Thema bin ich bislang auf die abwechslungsreiche Informationsfülle gestossen, mit welcher derAutor hier aufwartet. Im ersten Kapitel behandelt er den Ursprung des Glaubens an diese Wesen, welcher natürlich in der arabischen Kultur und den früheren Völkern seinen Ursprung hat. Der heilige Koran ist die bekannteste Quelle, in welcher die Feuerwesen erwähnt werden. Die Spur der Jinn zieht sich anhand der hier dargestellten Informationen schon durch präislamische Zeiten, nach Mesopotamien, der heutige Irak, zurück. Magie, Erfahrungen von Zeitgenossen der verschiedensten Epochen und Länder, Überlieferungen, Folklore, Auszüge aus islamischen, jüdischen und christlichen Traditionen, Exorzismus, Götzendienst der antiken Völker, die Erzählungen des Propheten Mohammed, Geschichten über König Salomon und die Jinn, Notizen von Anthropologen, Historikern, Abenteurern zeichnen ein klares Bild von dieser Spezies das für Interessierte keine Fragen offen lässt. Eng mit der Menschheitsgeschichte verbunden wie dieses Buch beweist, sind sie den meisten Einwohnern im Westen trotzdem kein Begriff.Inhaltsverzeichnis:Vorwort von Tahir ShahDanksagungenNotizen zu TranskriptionenEinführungDie Natur der Jinn1. UrsprüngeIslamFrühe Legenden2. Historische BegegnungenAl-AndalusGeister des MittelaltersJinn in der FihristGenie oder Jinn-Meister?3. Durch ihre Taten: Jinn VerhaltenInmitten uralter RuinenMenschliche Besessenheit und ExorzismusJinn SpukJinn und Krankheiten'Das verdammte System'Entführungen und ProzesseGestaltwandlungDas Leben der JinnSex und Heirat4. Jinn GeografieArabien: Das HerzlandIrak: 'Pandämonium'Harran: Der 'Norden'Palästina: UntergrundSyrien: Die Tochter des roten KönigsÄgypten: Ifrits und GhuleMarokko: Die 'Meister'Tunesien: Luft, Meer und LandTürkei: Aus dem WaldIran: 'Die heiligen Jinn'Kurden: Kinder der JinnSüdasien: Mantel aus vielen FarbenSansibar und darüber hinaus: Verstreuung des WohlstandsNigeria: 'Kinder von Jangare'Malaysia: Jinn im Dschungel5. Kulturelle EchosWie ich den Ghul traf1001 NachtSoutheys GenieHugo's 'Jinn'Das Mysterium von IshmoniaArabische VolksmärchenAnhängeAnhang A: Edward Lanes Aufzeichnungen zu den JinnAnhang B: Muhammad Asad über die JinnAnhang C: Die Physik der JinnNotizenReferenzenIndexKlappentext:"Gemäß der islamischen Überlieferung, schuf Allah drei Gattungen von Wesen: Engel, gemacht aus Licht; Menschen, gemacht aus Erde; und Jinn, gemacht aus rauchlosem Feuer.Übernatürlich, gestaltenwandelnd, intelligent, und mit freiem Willen sowie bemerkenswerten Kräften gesegnet, haben Jinn durch die Zeitalter viele Namen erhalten - Dämon, Geist, Ghoul, Genie, Ifrit und Shaitan.Weder menschlich noch unsterblich, durchstreifen sie die Erde, bewohnen dunkle und leerstehende Orte, locken Menschen in den Tod oder ergreifen dämonisch Besitz von ihnen wenn sie verletzt oder verärgert werden. Trotz der Tatsache das sie nicht sichtbar sind, sagt man von den Jinn das sie seltsam menschlich sind - heiraten, Kinder gebären, Gemeinschaften und Stämme bildend, spielend, und dem Richtspruch gegenüber stehend wie jeder andere Mensch.Legends of the Fire Spirits erforscht das andauernde Phänomen der Jinn. Von Nordafrika nach Zentralasien, vom Mittelmeer nach Schwarzafrika und darüber hinaus, greift dieses fesselnde und oft schaurige Buch auf antike Bezeugungen, mittelalterlichen Geschichten, kolonialistische Aufzeichnungen, anthropologische Berichte, und Geschichten Reisender zurück um die verschiedenen Arten der Jinn zu untersuchen - ihrVerhalten, Gesellschaft, Kultur, und die lange Geschichte des Kontakts mit der Menschheit. Eine großartige und unverzichtbare Darstellung von der reichen Folklore der islamischen Welt, demonstriert Legends of the Fire Spirits die bunte Vielfalt der menschlichen Kultur und der Langlebigkeit des Glaubens.""Eine Energie, eine Impulsform der Quantenphysik vielleicht, lebendig an den Rändern des Schlafes oder Wahnsinns, und meistens im Geflüster eines einzigen unerwünschten Gedankens." - The EconomistRobert Lebling hat als Journalist in Ägypten, Libanon, dem Vereinigten Königreich, und den Vereinigten Staaten gelebt und gearbeitet, und ist Autor (mit Donna Pepperdine) von Natural Remedies of Arabia. Verheiratet mit zwei Töchtern, ist er zurzeit ein Autor und Kommunikationsspezialist ansässig in Saudi Arabien.

Opening cultural curtains

M.H. · December 17, 2010

This is a great book about fire spirits or jinn. It's about their possible origins, their families and religions, their interaction with humanity, their malevolence and kindness, likes and dislikes.It appears that jinn don't like citrons (the fruit, not the Citroen car) although they probably don't like Citroens either because they dislike iron; they also dislike salt. Hence, perhaps the use of horse shoes above doors and various superstitions about throwing salt; in Japan, they throw salt to purify a sumo ring. The next time you meet a jinn please ask him or her why they don't like salt when they like the sea; they also like living at crossroads, in ruins, in sewers, down wells, in or beside rivers, in caves and in houses which have been empty for a while; which makes the excellent introduction by Tahir Shah relevant as he experienced jinn while renovating a house in Morocco.Having read this book, there seem to be few qualities possessed by jinn that do not play on human hopes and fears. They live for a long time, yet most of us have puny life spans and fear death; they often have fabulous wealth or are able to produce it in an instant as in the tale of Maruf the Cobbler; they have incredible skills and can make jewelry which cannot be surpassed in beauty by human beings; they can travel at impressive speed. Yet, as Robert Lebling points out, they are very human; they have families, religions, although they live longer than us they are not immortal, they belong to large social groups and are tribal; but, whether or not they can enter paradise is disputed. Whether their leader, Iblis, is a fallen angel or was born a fire spirit is also disputed.The real problem for would-be geni spotters is that jinn seem to be most visible to genuine sufis and prophets; in other words to men and women at the very top of the human pyramid who have the capacity to see them; the wise. It's perhaps not a coincidence that when King Solomon was asked which gift he would like, he chose wisdom and that he had power over the jinn who helped him to build his temple. The book also points out that humans can marry jinn and that Bilqis, Queen of Sheba (King Solomon's wife) was perhaps half jinn.If asked, who lives in a ruined castle in desolate mountains? Who cannot be seen in a mirror? Who has lived for centuries? Who can cause a change in local weather and shape shift from human to animal? Who comes out at night and sucks human blood? You might answer Dracula and it's quite possible that Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) was inspired by the nineteenth century poet laureate, Robert Southey, whose eastern interests are explained by Robert Lebling; but if you asked these questions in the east the answer would almost certainly be 'a jinn'; and there are many fascinating cross-cultural aspects to this book.But what are jinn? Are they real? Are they allegorical and symbolic of psychological behaviour? Are they cunning literary devices? Are they a means of reconciling happenings we don't understand? Are they mere superstition? Are they spirits from a parallel world? After all, they are mentioned in the Quran and the Quran informs us that Allah is Lord of the Worlds (note the plural: Worlds; which may include a world for the jinn). Or, are they all of these and more? Whatever they may be, having read this book, you'll be able to make a better decision. There's so much here, it's a great book, it will make your mind fly like the most aerobatic fire spirit.

Amazing read

M.F. · July 5, 2024

The stories told in this book are quite compelling.The folklore and mythology are utterly fascinating.Definitely recommend this book.

Jinn and Us

I. · May 6, 2011

How do you write for sceptical westerners about things, beings or forces so subtle they are undetectable by ordinary human senses and, until now, by scientific instruments? Robert Lebling has done just that, undeterred by the risk of incurring ridicule from those of us unwilling to concede that there is much we still do not understand; but who saw Osama bin Laden as the embodiment of evil clashing with good in the form of Barack Obama; and the marriage of Kate Middleton to Prince William as the union of a mortal with a supernatural being.`Jinn' is a word derived from an Arabic root which means to `conceal' or `cover with darkness'; but the darkness is not total. The spirits created by God from smokeless fire can take on the features of any living being they desire apart from those of a prophet or imam, but when they interact with humans, who are more dense and made from clay, there is an energy change. Robert Lebling has searched for these energy bursts in pre-Islamic writing, the Koran, the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed), folktales, history, European literature, the Internet and the writing of maverick scientists. With time and space compressed a picture emerges, fashioned from metaphor and legend.Although Jinn are physically fundamentally different from familiar living creatures, we see a race similar to us in many ways, sharing our emotions of envy, love, hatred, fear resentment, anger. Some Jinn are helpful to mankind. Others are powerful and malicious. From them humans have found it necessary to devise forms of protection, and not just in Muslim countries. Here in the West people wear blessed medals, bless themselves with holy water and put sprigs of conifer, blessed on Palm Sunday, behind pictures as protection against evil spirits.It wasn't until after I started to read this book for the second time that I really appreciated how extraordinary it is. It deserves to be read for several reasons. Besides being entertaining it provides, as Tahir Shah writes in his introduction, `a window into Arab and Islamic society that is usually clouded over, opaque to all except Arabists and scholars of Islam.' By gazing through this window with an open mind we may discover something useful. Spiritual forces, whether we call them Jinn or not, whether they are material entities, a form of electromagnetic radiation, thoughts, or none of these, are complex but inescapable. Robert Lebling concludes that we may never really understand them, but `we can understand how they affect us, and how we respond to them and how we interact with each other as we try to deal with them.'

I was very disappointed. I was looking for something with real information ...

F.M. · October 11, 2014

Mostly from jahili (ignorant) concepts found on Muslim societies. Not a book based on facts. I was very disappointed. I was looking for something with real information not myths.