She thinks that the jinn are stealing from her house

Question: 101681

I am a Muslim woman living in Europe. I have been living in my home for a year. Few months ago I noticed that some things are disappearing from my home. Initially I did not care about it. But something returned after it disappeared, I have been looking for this thing for three months in the same place where I found it eventually. I became really frightened and started to remember all things that disappeared before. My heart is full of fear and doubt. Are there devils or something in this house? I pray regularly and read Quran daily, Alhamdulillah. I may neglect the daily adhkaar sometimes but now I am Alhamdulillah regular in saying them. I still fear for myself and family. Shall I leave this home or not? I cannot tolerate living here anymore, I am really tired, please help me.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

You have done well to pray regularly and recite Qur’aan daily, because these are among the best of deeds and means of protection against destructive and harmful things. We ask Allaah to protect you and give you well being in your religious and worldly affairs.

Secondly:

If you are certain that some things have disappeared from your house, and that no one who lives with you has taken something for some reason, and that has happened repeatedly, then it is not unlikely that that was done by the jinn, because there are good and bad among them, and there are some who steal for themselves or for others. But the remedy for that is simple, praise be to Allaah. If you mention the name of Allaah when you put something down, and you say the name of Allaah when you enter the house, and when you shut the door, then the jinn will have no way of entering your house or taking any of your things.

Muslim (2018) narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When a man enters his house, and mentions Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, when he enters and when he eats, the shaytaan says: ‘You have no place to stay and no dinner.’ But if he enters and does not mention Allaah when he enters, the shaytaan says, ‘You have found a place to stay.’ And if he does not mention Allaah when he eats, he says: ‘You have found a place to stay and dinner.’”

And Muslim (2012) narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Cover vessels, tie up waterskins, close doors and extinguish lamps, for the shaytaan does not undo waterskins or open doors or uncover vessels. If one of you cannot find anything but a stick to place over his vessels, or to mention the name of Allaah, let him do so…”

Al-Bukhaari (3280) narrated it with the wording: “Shut your door and mention the name of Allaah; extinguish your lamps and mention the name of Allaah; tie up your waterskins and mention the name of Allaah; cover your vessels and mention the name of Allaah, even if you just place something on top of it.”

Based on this, if you shut the door and mention the name of Allaah, and you put your things in a box, for example, and say the name of Allaah, then they will be protected, in sha Allaah, because the shaytaan cannot upon a door or uncover a vessel.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the lessons learned from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah and his conversation with the jinni who was stealing from the zakaah dates: The jinn eat human food, and they speak human words, and they steal and cheat. It also points to the virtue of Aayat al-Kursiy and the virtue of the last verses of Soorat al-Baqarah, and tells us that the jinn can get food over which the name of Allaah has not been mentioned. End quote.

If you take these means, but you still do not feel comfortable staying in the house, then it is better to look for another house. Abu Dawood (3942) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man said: O Messenger of Allaah, we lived in a house and we were great in number and wealthy, then we moved to another house where our numbers and our wealth grew less. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Leave it for it is bad.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.