Editing Ifrit (section)

==Islamic folklore==
In Islamic folklore, the afarit became a class of [[chthonic]] spirits, inhabiting the layers of the [[Jahannam#Seven levels|seven earths]],<ref>{{cite book |first1=Sebastian |last1=Günther |first2=Dorothee |last2=Pielow |date=18 October 2018 |title=Die Geheimnisse der oberen und der unteren Welt: Magie im Islam zwischen Glaube und Wissenschaft |language=de |trans-title=The Secrets of the Upper and Lower Worlds: Magic in Islam between faith and science |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004387577 |page=597}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Stephan |last=Conermann |year=2014 |title=History and Society During the Mamluk Period (1250-1517) |publisher=V&R unipress GmbH |isbn=9783847102281 |page=25}}</ref> generally ruthless and wicked, formed out of smoke and fire.{{efn|
The description "smoke and fire" is contrary to the jinn in Quranic traditions, who are created out of smokeless (clear) fire,<ref name="Chelhod-2005"/> but is in accord with a common tradition depicting the devils (''shayāṭīn''), as created out of smoke.}}<ref>
{{cite book
 | last = Hossein Nasr | first = Seyyed
 | year = 2013 
 | title = Islamic Life and Thought
 | publisher = Routledge 
 | page = 135
 | isbn = 978-1-134-53818-8
}}
</ref> Despite their negative depictions and affiliation to the nether regions, afarit are not fundamentally evil on a moral plane; they might even carry out God's purpose. Such obligations can nevertheless be ruthless, such as obligation to blood vengeance and avenging murder.<ref name="Chelhod-2005"/> [[Nizami Ganjavi]] describes an ''ifrit'' tormenting Mahan, as created from "God's wrath", thus underpinning the ifrit's role secondary to God's will.<ref>
{{cite book
 | last1 = Annabelle | first1 = Birgit 
 | last2 = Böttcher | first2 = Krawietz
 | year = 2021
 | title = Islam, Migration and Jinn: Spiritual Medicine in Muslim Health Management.
 | publisher = Deutschland: Springer International Publishing
 | page = 30
 | isbn = 978-3-030-61247-4}}
</ref> Further, an ifrit can be compelled by a [[Magic (supernatural)|sorcerer]], if summoned.<ref name="Szombathy"/>

===Egypt===
[[Image:Egyptian - Bes Mask - Walters 481661.jpg|thumb|Mask depicting [[Bes]], ancient Egypt deity, sometimes identified with afarit by Muslim Egyptians,<ref>{{cite book |first=Hans Alexander |last=Winkler |year=2009 |title=Ghost Riders of Upper Egypt: A study of spirit possession |place=Cairo, EG |publisher=American University in Press |isbn=9789774162503 |page=29}}</ref> early 4th–1st century BC ([[Walters Art Museum]], Baltimore)|200x200px]]

Although afarit are not necessarily components of a person, but independent entities, a common belief in [[Islam in Egypt|Islamic Egypt]]{{efn|
Although the identification of afarit with [[ghost]]s is usually associated with Muslims in Egypt, it is also attested among Muslims in India, [[Syria]], and [[Javanese people|Javan]] Muslims in [[Cirebon]].<ref>
{{cite book |first=A.G. |last=Muhaimin |year=2006 |title=The Islamic Traditions of Cirebon: Ibadat and Adat among Javanese Muslims |publisher=ANU E Press |isbn=978-1-920942-31-1 |page=38}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book |first=Gebhard |last=Fartacek |year=2010 |title=Unheil durch Dämonen?: Geschichten und Diskurse über das Wirken der Ǧinn; eine sozialanthropologische Spurensuche in Syrien |language=de |trans-title=Evil from Demons? |quote=Stories and discourses on the works of the djinn; a socio-anthropological search for clues in Syria. |publisher=Böhlau Verlag Wien |isbn=9783205784852 |page=68}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book |first=Frederick M. |last=Smith |year=2012 |title=The Self Possessed: Deity and spirit possession in South Asian literature and civilization |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-51065-3 |page=570}}
</ref>
}}
associates afarit with part of a human's soul.<ref name=al-Aswad-2002>{{cite book |first=el-Sayed |last=al-Aswad |year=2002 |title=Religion and Folk Cosmology: Scenarios of the visible and invisible in rural Egypt |place=Westport, CT |publisher=Praeger / Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780897899246 |pages=103–104, 153}}</ref>{{rp|style=ama|pages=103–104}}

Probably influenced by the [[Ancient Egypt]] idea of [[Ancient Egyptian concept of the soul#kꜣ "double"|''Ka'']], the afarit are often identified with the spirits of the dead, departing from the body at the moment of death. They live in cemeteries, wander around places the dead person frequently visited, or roam the earth close to the place of death, until [[Islamic eschatology|the Day of Judgment]]. A person who died a natural death does not have a malevolent ifrit. Only people who are killed give rise to a dangerous and active ifrit, drawn to the blood of the victim. Driving an unused nail into the blood is supposed to stop their formation.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title = Aeromancy | year = 2006 | encyclopedia = The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World | pages = 10 | publisher = Harper Element}}</ref> Such afarit might scare and even kill the living or take revenge on the murderer.<ref>{{cite book |first=Robert |last=Lebling |title=Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and genies from Arabia to Zanzibar |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-85773-063-3 |pages=151–153}}</ref><ref name=al-Aswad-2002/>{{rp|style=ama|page=153}} [[Islamic martyrs|Martyrs]], [[Islamic saints|saints]] and [[Prophets in Islam|prophets]] do not have a ghost, and therefore no ifrit.<ref name=al-Aswad-2002/>{{rp|style=ama|page=153}}

===Morocco===
In [[Morocco|Moroccan]] belief, the afarit form a more powerful type of demon, comparable to [[jinn]] and other supernatural creatures. They have more substantial existence, and are greater in scale and capacity<ref name="Crapanzano-1973">{{cite book |first=Vincent |last=Crapanzano |year=1973 |title=The Ḥamadsha: A study in Moroccan ethnopsychiatry |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520022416 |page=137}}</ref> than other demons.<ref name="Westermarck-2014">{{cite book |first=Edward |last=Westermarck |date=23 April 2014 |title=Ritual and Belief in Morocco |volume=I |series=Routledge Revivals |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317912682 |pages=263–264}}</ref> Their physical appearance is often portrayed as having monstrous deformities, such as claw-like or thorny hands, flaming eyes or seven heads.<ref name="Westermarck-2014"/><ref name="Szombathy"/>

Just as with jinn, an ifrit might possess an individual. Such persons gain some abilities from the ifrit, such as getting stronger and more brave, but the ifrit renders them insane.<ref name="Crapanzano-1973"/><ref name="Westermarck-2014"/> With the aid of a magical ring, the afarit might be forced to perform certain orders, such as carrying heavy stones.<ref name="Westermarck-2014"/>

===Shabakism===
A story circulates among the [[Shabakism|Shabak]] community in [[Disputed territories of Northern Iraq|Northern Iraq]] about a certain ifrit who incensed [[Ali]] by his evil nature long before the creation of [[Adam in Islam|Adam]].{{efn|It is a common belief among Muslims that Muhammad's creation precedes that of Adam. Shia sources, often add Ali to the human beings predating the creation of Adam and the earth.<ref>M.J. Kister ''Adam: A Study of Some Legends in Tafsir and Hadit Literature'' ''Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of The Qur'an, Oxford 1988'' p. 129</ref>}} Consequently, for the ifrit's wickedness, Ali chained the ifrit and left him alone. When the prophets arrived on earth, he appeared to all of them, beginning with Adam, and begged them for his release, but no prophet was able to break the chains. When Muhammad met the ifrit, he brought him to Ali for release. Ali was merciful to the ifrit, and decided to release him under the condition that he surrenders to the will of God.<ref>{{cite book |first=Matti |last=Moosa |year=1987 |title=Extremist Shiites: The Ghulat sects |place=Syracuse, NY |publisher=Syracuse University Press |isbn=978-0-815-62411-0 |page=69}}</ref>

===Mahan and the Ifrit===
[[File:MakhanEmbracedByAnEfreeti.jpg|thumb|upright|Māhān embraced by an ifrit. [[Persian miniature|Illustration]] to [[Nizami Ganjavi]]'s poem ''Hamsa''. [[Bukhara]], 1648.]]
[[Nizami Ganjavi]] (c. 1141–1209) narrates in his ''[[Haft Peykar]]'' the story of the Egyptian wayfarer Māhān (the "moonlike one") and his travels to a demon-infested desert.<ref>Brend, Barbara. "Figurative Art in Medieval Islam and the Riddle of Bihzād of Herāt (1465–1535). By Michael Barry. pp. 408. Paris, Flammarion, 2004." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 17.1 (2007): 64-68. pp. 361-363</ref> Māhān's horse, presented to him by a demon in human disguise, gallops his rider into the desert, where it turns into a seven-headed monster. In the desert, Māhān finds shelter in a mysterious [[oasis]] owned by an old man. After Māhān and the old man know each other better, the old man decides to bequeath his legacy and marry him to a beautiful woman. He leaves to prepare for the wedding and warns Māhān that he must not descend from the perch until the old man is back. After that, the house, garden, and wife will belong to him.

When a beautiful girl with the face of a ''[[peri|parī]]'' (fairy) enters the room, Māhān is overwhelmed by his lust and passion and ignores the order of the old man. While the beauty of his desire embraces Māhān, the girl suddenly turns into an ifrit, formed from God's wrath.<ref>Nünlist, Tobias (2015). Dämonenglaube im Islam [Daemonic Belief in Islam] (in German). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 978-3-110-33168-4. pp. 235-239</ref><ref>Brend, Barbara. "Figurative Art in Medieval Islam and the Riddle of Bihzād of Herāt (1465–1535). By Michael Barry. pp. 408. Paris, Flammarion, 2004." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 17.1 (2007): 64-68. pp. 361-363</ref> The demon explains that the fairy turned into a demon because of Māhān's uncontrollable passion.<ref>Brend, Barbara. "Figurative Art in Medieval Islam and the Riddle of Bihzād of Herāt (1465–1535). By Michael Barry. pp. 408. Paris, Flammarion, 2004." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 17.1 (2007): 64-68. pp. 361-363</ref> Thereupon, the ifrit explains that he now must tear Māhān apart; if it were to spare him, the monster would be no true demon ([[div (mythology)|''dēw'']]). Furthermore, the demon considers it ashamed to present as a fairy in the first place. Māhān is saved when the rooster sounds in the morning and everything demonic vanishes.<ref>Nünlist, Tobias (2015). Dämonenglaube im Islam [Daemonic Belief in Islam] (in German). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 978-3-110-33168-4. pp. 235-239</ref>

Nizami notes that the meaning of the story is that the ifrit is the consequence of Māhān's moral transgression. The ifrits in the story feature as moral instance and guardians of moral order.