Jinn and Freemasons: An Ad Astra Educational Lecture

As the former Director of Masonic Education in my lodge here in Georgia, I learned rather quickly that history, spiritual matters, or even cut-and-dried recitations of Masonic Code were dangerous topics for lectures. I've been shouted down for mentioning that sectarian religious views shouldn't be, according to Code and tradition, discussed in the lodgeroom. I've been told my lectures were too long, or too esoteric. And often heard from the Worshipful Master that we "just don't have time."

That's why I get excited when I learn that all lodges aren't that way. When I discover a lecture or a paper written by a brother Mason that was presented and well-received in his lodge, I want to share it.

After the article I posted the other day about jinn being blamed for starting fires in Fujairah, Bro. Dean Kennedy, the author of the Freemason's Corner blog (and creator of a new Masonic toolbar you might want to download), told me about a recent paper presented in his lodge, Ad Astra Lodge No. 130, in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The article was written by Bro. Giles W. Crouch, who has given me his kind permission to publish it here.

Enjoy!

— W.S.

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Jinn & Freemasons
An Ad Astra Educational Lecture
Giles W. Crouch, MM, MIA(c)

About this Lecture

This lecture is about the Islamic concept of “Jinn” or in Western mythological terms “Genie,” what the Jinn are, their importance in Islamic belief and law and the relation to Freemasonry and what it may mean in current world terms.

Etymology of Jinn (according to Wikipedia)

Genie is the usual English translation of the Arabic term jinni, but it is not an Anglicized form of the Arabic word, as is commonly thought. The English word comes from French génie, which meant a spirit of any kind, which in turn came from Latin genius, which meant a sort of tutelary or guardian spirit thought to be assigned to each person at birth (see genius). But this has nothing to do with the jinn of Islam, as this might suggest. The Latin word predates the Arabic word jinni, and the two terms have not been shown to be related. The first recorded use of the word in English was in 1655 as geny, with the Latin meaning. The French translators of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights later used the word génie as a translation of jinni because it was similar to the Arabic word both in sound and in meaning; this meaning was also picked up in English and has since become dominant. The plural is Djinn (or Jinn).

Who Are the Jinn?

The jinn have communities much like human societies: they eat, marry, die, etc. They are invisible to humans, but they can see humans. Sometimes they accidentally or deliberately come into view or into contact with humans. Jinn are believed to live much longer than humans. Jinn are beings much like humans, possessing the ability to be good and bad. An "Ifrit" is a type of strong and powerful jinn. Evil or malicious jinn are called "Marid" usually they're malicious due to their feeling they have been usurped by humans, example "Shaitan."

Muslims believe that jinn are real beings. The jinn are said to be creatures with free will, made from 'smokeless fire' by Allah (the literal translation being "subtle fire", i.e., a fire which does not give itself away through smoke), much in the same way humans were made of clay. In Islam, unlike in Christianity and Judaism, Satan or Iblis is believed to be the most powerful (Jinn were created before humans) of the Jinn race, called "Shaitan." (Jinn have free choice, and satan exploited this in front of God by refusing to bow to Adam when ordered to do so.) In the Qur'an, jinn are frequently mentioned and Sura 72 of the Qur'an named Al-Jinn is entirely about them. Another Sura (Al-Naas) mentions the Jinn in the last verse. In fact, it is mentioned in the Qur'an that Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both "humanity and the jinn."

Jinn in Modern Day Society

In more Muslim parts of the world, hardly a week passes without a story about the Jinn. In Uganda in August of 2006, residents of a central became highly agitated over the story of a Jinn that was kidnapping and raping young women. When a woman stumbled out of the forest one day, unkempt and woolly looking, she was denounced as a Jinn. Town residents stoned her nearly to death. The local police finished the job with six bullets at close range.

A later investigation found she had been hunting with her husband and become lost and dehydrated while searching for her husband. Local newspapers asked the government to deny the existence of jinn. They did not.

There is said to be a cleft on the hill in northern Somalia that even the gangs avoid, for it is said to be the hole that leads down to the world of the jinn. As jinn were willed into existence to worship Allah, they were preserved for this purpose, living in a parallel world, but set at an angle where jinn can see men, but we cannot see them.

It is said that when a donkey bays, it is seeing a jinn and that animals can see jinn. Some say jinn can become an animal. If you say “Allah” aloud in your house, a jinn cannot sleep there and before you eat, a jinn cannot eat your food.

By many accounts, education is said to be a “noise” to jinn that they cannot stand, and women, especially uneducated women, are more open to jinn.

There is, currently, broad disagreement on whether jinn are just pulses of energy that can occasionally inhabit a body or animal, or are physical and beastly in shape. It is currently the subject of significant debate among mullahs and muezzins.

A prominent Muslim cleric and sheik in Pakistan warned the Americans in 2005 that their missiles, if they attacked Pakistan, would be redirected by jinn. A study is underway at McMaster University on stories in Toronto of clerics providing aspiring and anti-jinn advice to ill women since about 2000 to current times.

In the Star Wars series, the new episodes (1-3), the main character played by Liam Neesom is named Qui-Gon Jinn; his name had to be changed for certain Mid-East countries and Star Wars was banned in Saudi Arabia as the “Jedi” are seen as Jinn and their spirits might haunt cinema goers.

In 2004 the government of Dubai recorded 10 complaints of Jinn as extra-terrestrials, kidnapping people.

How Serious Are Jinn in Muslim Society

The concept, deeds and actions of jinn are written into Shari a Law in ALL Muslim cultures. One can claim that they were “invaded” by evil jinn as a standard defence, and this is more viable in court than the Western “insanity” plea.

Connecting Jinn, Jews and Freemasons

Many Muslims believe Jews are either “of” the jinn or have control and special powers over jinn, they believe this, very strongly, today. Jinn are said to be held under power by the Jews and respond in a servile manner to Hebraic. Many original texts on the Jinn were written by Muslims — in Hebraic.

As we know, the Kabbalah and much Judaic mythology is inherent to Masonic tenets. There are many links between Masonry and Judaism as well as the Mithraic legends and even earlier pagan links going even before the birth of Islam. It’s common knowledge in various Abrahamic cultures that King Solomon could control spirits and jinn; most legends claim that Solomon used the help of spirits to build the great Temple of Jerusalem. This legend automatically brings one to Freemasonry, where the “masons” in question were individuals involved in the construction of the Temple under the leadership of Hiram Abiff. Since Solomon built the temple using the assistance of the jinn, under the command of Hiram Abiff, one might wonder where the Masons were. Is it not possible that the Masons involved in the construction of the Temple *ARE* the jinn?


How Do Muslims Feel About Freemasons?

From a relatively non-fundamentalist website:

“One could never truly love another unless he has faith in Allah. This is why the term "human love." which is frequently used in the Masonic Ideology is entirely divorced from reality; all ideologies based on denial will strengthen the wicked side in people and will therefore give rise to bloodshed and torture. During the 20th century, due to the existence of irreligious ideologies such as communism and fascism, hundreds of millions of people suffered from genocide while billions were subjected to torture and pressure. It is also important to remember that The French Revolution, a Freemason-supported movement, derived its strength from the motto "Freedom, Equality and Fraternity" but ended up with tens of thousands of dead executed under guillotine.”

From a British Muslim Society:

In other words 'Masonic', 'Masonry' and 'Craft' are euphemisms or abbreviations to describe the 'Old Religion of Wicca,' the cult of 'Cunning Men.' Therefore, it can now be stated, categorically, and without fear of further contradiction, that the 'Masonic Craft' and its other branches and degrees, are simply 'Witch Craft' by another name, albeit of the all male variety.

Muslims believe that Freemasons are an extension of Judaism and that we have little understanding of the truth of what we are being subjected to by the usual conspiracy buffs.

In the Middle East, identifying yourself as a Freemason can result in jail time and in Saudi Arabia public display and communication of Masonic items and rituals can result in death.

In basic Islamic beliefs, there are those who are “In the City of Islam” and those who are “Outside the City of Islam,” those outside are non-muslims and are considered, at best “unclean” and at worst, Jinn, among which are Masons.

Basically, in Islamic terms, you can and must only surrender your will to Allah, and similar to Catholicism you cannot “serve two deities” or surrender to another belief beyond Allah, if you do so, this is called “shirk” or to associate a partner with Allah. In Islamic countries and culture Allah comes first before anything, followed by family, then business, then anything else.

“Everything that furthers the interest of the Jews and promotes their position in the world is undertaken by the society. The cover of absolute secrecy and its strict hierarchy enables it to make use of the positions and influence of its non-Jewish members to serve the Jewish cause. We have to understand that many of its members work for the society trusting that they only serve the causes of liberty, equality and justice. They remain unaware that they simply serve the cause of giving the Jews supremacy in world affairs. Freemasonry has over the years earned itself a number of enemies, most notably the Catholic Church.”

So What Does This Mean To Us?

As with my travels in the Middle East, I learned that as a businessman, one will never do business in that area if you are known to be a Mason. Wearing Masonic jewelry or symbols can at the very least, get you kicked out of the country and at worst, you may be hung.

In Nova Scotia, it currently has little impact, if any. But we do not know what the future holds as we are in challenging times and fractures between countries increase along with religious fervor, the increasing rise in Islamic Fundamentalism, the reach of terrorists and the explosive growth of Christina Evangelism in Western society, some of whom are also anti-Masonic. Likely in Western culture however, Masonry will see a broader appeal and growth, while becoming a deadly marker in some Islamic parts of the world.

Are All Muslims Anti-Masonic?

Definitely not. There are some Islamic muezzins that actually think Masonry is tied to Islam and supports Islamic belief similarly to Protestant sects acceptance of Masonry. In more tolerant Islamic societies or where Islam shares space with many religions, many Islamic Freemasons can be found. There are a number of websites and books that have been written comparing the two and finding many connections — perhaps in reality, Masonry is a uniter of all religions? Perhaps the Jinn are real, but perhaps too, it was Hiram Abiff’s Masons that controlled the Jinn who helped them build the temple?

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