Can Humans Marry Jinn?

I have heard many stories of Jinn marrying humans or falling in love with humans. Is it true and is marriage allowed to jinn? As-Suyooti (rahimahullah) mentioned many such reports from the early generations and scholars pointing to the existence of marriages between humans and jinn. Ibn Taimiyah (rahimahullah) said: “Humans and jinn have married and have had children, this has happened often and is well-known.” Assuming it is possible, many of the scholars showed a dislike for such a marriage. Allah knows best.

Many people say that they have seen offspring from the union of a human and jinn but that is extremely rare. In my experience of witnessing a woman go through what was supposed to be a jinn pregnancy, all that happened was that her abdomen grew large for many many months, which means over 9 months. The woman went for scans and was told that there was nothing there yet she continued to feel and see movement as a foetus does. An ‘aamil (one who treats people afflicted with sihr) later confirmed that it was sihr and the foetus of a jinn inside her but that the foetus would only cause her harm and could never be born. He also added that the foetus had been placed there and was not by physical union between the woman and jinn. So majority of ‘Ulama are of the opinion that there would be no offspring if a human and a jinn were to marry each other. Although this story is true, we do not form our our beliefs on stories even though they may be true. It is really difficult to know how authentic stories are because human and jinn are two different species and also jinn are shape-shifters. How would you know if a female human actually married a male jinn or visa versa? Since a male jinn can take the form of a female human or anything for that matter.



According to Mughni Al-Muhtaj by Al-Khateeb Asherbini, a Shafi’ee scholar, there are two kinds of prohibitions to marriage: perpetual and non-perpetual.
Of the perpetual prohibitions is marriage between humans and jinn; it is not lawful for a member of human kind to marry a jinn. Allah ‘Azza wa Jall says: ”O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you” [Surah 04, an-Nisaa’v:1]. 

He Almighty also says: “It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature.” [Surah 07, al-A’raaf, v:189].
In these verses, mate and mates refer to spouses from the same kind, i.e., humankind.


An unauthentic hadith was reported on the authority of Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya to the effect that it is forbidden to marry the jinn. 



According to Radd Al-Muhtaar ‘ala Ad-Dur Al-Mukhtar by the classical Hanafi jurist Ibn ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah), the fuqahaa (jurists) define marriage as “a contract that makes it lawful for a man to make love to a woman without there being a lawful prohibition to this marriage.” A lawful prohibition here refers to marriage to another man or to a hermaphrodite, a polytheist woman, a closely related woman, or a female jinn.
Ibn ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) states:
“…This concept [of human-Jinn inter-marriage] is a possibility, because their (Jinn) taking various forms [including the human form] is proven by many Hadiths and incidents. This is why it is reported from the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) that he forbade the killing of certain snakes [since it may be a Jinn in the form of a snake]…” (Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 3/5) Shape-shifting in other words as we said earlier on.

Muhammad bin Adam from Darul Iftaa, Leicester, UK says:
“

Contemplating the verses ”Marry women of your choice” [Surah an-Nisaa, v:03] and “And Allah has made wives for you from among yourselves” [Surah an-Nahl, v:72], one can realise that it is only women of human kind that are lawful for men to marry. In addition, a jinn male may take the form of a female and vise versa. 

Also according to Al-Ashbah, a book on juristic rules by Ibn Nujaym, marriage between a human and jinn is not lawful, for they are of different worlds. 

It was said that al-Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullah) was of the opinion that such a marriage is lawful so long as there are witnesses to it. But it was also reported that he did not believe it is lawful. 

Any way, the more correct opinion to follow in this regard is that it is not lawful for a human being to marry a jinni, for they are of different worlds.

From the Shafi’i School, Imam Khatib al-Shirbini (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his Mughni al-Muhtaj:

“Prohibited (i.e. invalid) marriages are of two types: 1) Eternal, and 2) temporary. Of the eternally prohibited marriages is that which takes place between different species. As such, it is not permitted for a male member of the human kind to marry a female Jinni [and vice versa]… Allah Most High says: “He (Allah) is the One who has created you from a single soul, and out of him created his wife, so that he may find comfort in her.” (Surah al-A’raf V 189) and: “O people, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its match, and spread many men and women from the two.” (Surah al-Nisa, V 1) (See: Mughni al-Muhtaj, 3/232)”

Scholars such as al-Hasan Qataada, al-Hukum and Ishaaq were known to have shown a dislike for it. Imaam Maalik could not find any text that would prohibit it but he himself did not like for it to occur and he gave! Imaam Maalik said “I hate that it would be the case that we would find a woman who is pregnant and we ask her, ʻWho is your husbandʼ and she replies ʻOne of the jinn.ʼ Much evil would be the result of that.”

Sulaiman al Ashqar mentions in his book,
A group of people are of the opinion that it is not permitted to marry from the jinn. From the blessings of Allah is that He created for mankind spouses of their own species.

Allah says in the Qur-aan: “And of His signs is this: He created for you mates from yourselves that you might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy” [Surah ar-Room, v:21].

If it could occur, it would not be possible to have that companionship and love between the spouses due to their different species. The goal and wisdom of marriage would not be attainable since the tranquillity and love mentioned by Allah in the Qur-aan would be impossible. In any case, although people claim that such marriages occur and have occurred in the past, if such does occur, it is rare and strange. Furthermore, the one who performs it must seek the Islamic ruling concerning it. It could be the case that the one who does it is, in a sense, overpowered and has no way to escape that situation.

I second the words of Shaykh Muhammad bin Adam from Darul Iftaa, Leicester, UK..
“In conclusion, human-jinn inter-marriages are possible, but extremely rare. However, they are not permitted according to most early Muslims and classical scholars due to human and Jinns being different species and having different origins – something that would result in the marriage being void of the companionship, comfort, love and mercy mentioned by the Qur-aan, and as such, the wisdom behind marriage would be lost”.

And Allah knows best.