page_title: Demon
section_title: Islam
hierarchical_section_title: Demon / Abrahamic religions / Islam
caption_attribution_description: English: A Persian depiction of Muhammad visiting Hell during the Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey) and seeing a demon punishing "shameless women" who had exposed their hair to strangers. For this crime of inciting lust in men, the women are strung up by their hair and burned for eternity. Muhammad is depicted riding Buraq and being accompanied by Gabriel.
context_page_description: A demon is a supernatural being, typically associated with evil, prevalent historically in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies and television series.
  The original Greek word daimon does not carry negative connotations. The Ancient Greek word δαίμων daimōn denotes a spirit or divine power, much like the Latin genius or numen. The Greek conception of a daimōn notably appears in the works of Plato, where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates.
  In Ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism. In Western occultism and Renaissance magic, which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic, Jewish Aggadah and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.
context_section_description: Islam and Islam-related beliefs acknowledges the concept of evil spirits known as malevolent jinn, afarit and shayatin. Unlike the belief in angels, belief in demons is not obligated by the six articles of Islamic faith. However, the existence of several demonic spirits is generally assumed by Islamic theology and further elaborated beliefs persist in Islamic folklore. The Div, probably adapted under Zorastrian influences, became another prominent demonic creature in Islamic culture. Just like jinn, they are able to possess humans, but differ from jinn and shayatin in their physical strength thus also equated with Ogres or giants. They are in constant war with peri a benevolent spirit. Among Turks, the term In relating to demonic spirits, with characteristics comparable to jinn, are found and usually mentioned together. Nar as-samum (fires of samum or poisonious fire) described in the Quran with hell, becomes associated with the minions of the Devil in tafsir.Furthermore the Quran mentions the Zabaniyya, who torture the damned in hell, who may have originated from a class of Arabian demons. However, their execution of punishment is in accordance with God’s order, therefore they are not equalized with shayatin, that means they are not devils, who in turn are rebellious against the divine will.
caption: Depiction of a member of the Zabaniyya
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