Ifrit, also spelled as efreet, afrit, and afreet (Arabic: ʿifrīt: ‫عفريت‬, plural

ʿafārīt: ‫)عفاريت‬, is a powerful type of demon in Islamic mythology. The afarit are
often associated with the underworld and also identified with the spirits of the
dead, and have been compared to evil geniī loci in European culture.[2] In Quran,
hadith, and Mi'raj narrations the term is always followed by the phrase among the
jinn. In later folklore, they developed into independent entities, identified as
powerful demons or spirits of the dead who sometimes inhabit desolate places such
as ruins and temples. Their true habitat is the underworld.[3]
Contents

1 Etymology
2 Islamic scriptures
3 Islamic folklore
3.1 Egypt
3.2 Morocco
3.3 Shabakism
4 In fiction
5 See also
6 Explanatory notes
7 References
8 External links

Etymology
Makhan embraced by an ifrit. Illustration to Nizami's poem Hamsa. Bukhara, 1648.

The word ifrit derives from the Quran, but only as an epithet and not to designate
a specific type of demon.[2][4] The term itself is not found in pre-Islamic Arabic
poetry, although variants such as ifriya and ifr are recorded prior to the Quran.
[4] Traditionally, Arab philologists trace the derivation of the word to ‫عفر‬
(ʻafara, "to rub with dust" or "to roll into dust").[3][5] It is further used to
describe sly, malicious, wicked and cunning characteristics.[6] Some Western
philologists suggest a foreign origin of the word and attribute it to Middle
Persian ritan which corresponds to Modern Persian ‫( آفريدن‬to create), but this is
regarded as unlikely by others.[4] In folklore, the term developed into a
designation of a specific class of demon, though most Islamic scholarly traditions
regard the term as an adjective.[5][4] These popular beliefs were elaborated in
works such as in al-Ibshihi's Mustatraf. They became identified either as a
dangerous kind of demon (shayatin) preying on women, or as spirits of the dead.[4]
Islamic scriptures
The ifrit Al-Malik al-Aswad (The Black King) sitting on the right listening to the
complaints of jinn; from a manuscript in the late 14th century Book of Wonders[7]

In Islamic scriptures the term ifrit is always followed by the expression of the
jinn.[8] Due to the ambiguous meaning of the term jinn, which is applied to a wide
range of different spirits, their relation towards the genus of jinn remains vague.
[3] However within the Islamic scriptures themselves, the term is apparently used
as an epithet to describe a powerful or malicious spirit of undefined nature.[9][4]
[3]

In the Quran itself, such an ifrit is mentioned in (Q27:38–40). The ifrit offers to
carry the throne of Bilqis (the Queen of Sheba) to Solomon: "An ifrit from the jinn
said: 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. And verily, I am
indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work." However, the duty is not given to
him, but to somebody who is endowed with knowledge of the scripture.[4] An "ifrit
among the jinn" is mentioned in a hadith of Muhammad al-Bukhari, attempting to
interrupt the prayers of the prophet Muhammed[10][a] and in a narrative of
Muhammad's night journey recorded in the 8th century by Malik ibn Anas. In the
latter account, the "ifrit among the jinn" threatens Muhammad with a fiery
presence, whereupon the archangel Gabriel taught Muhammad a Du'a (Islamic prayer)
to defeat it.[12][8]
Islamic folklore

In Islamic folklore, the afarit became a class of chthonic spirits, inhabiting the
layers of the seven earths,[13][14] generally ruthless and wicked, formed out of
smoke and fire.[b] But 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.[3] An ifrit can further be bound
to a sorcerer, if summoned.[8]
Egypt
Mask depicting Bes, ancient Egypt deity, sometimes identified with afarit by Muslim
Egyptians,[16] early 4th–1st century BC (Walters Art Museum, Baltimore)

Although afarit are not necessarily components of a person, but independent

entities, a common belief in Islamic Egypt[c] associates afarit with part of a
human's soul.[20] Probably influenced by the Ancient Egypt idea of 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 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.[21] Such afarit might scare and even kill the living or take revenge on
the murderer.[22][23] Martyrs, saints and prophets do not have a ghost, and
therefore no ifrit.[23]
Morocco

In Moroccan belief, the afarit form a more powerful type of demon, compared to the
jinn and other supernatural creatures. They have more substantial existence, and
are greater in scale and capacity[24] than other demons.[25] Their physical
appearance is often portrayed as having monstrous deformities, such as claw-like or
thorny hands, flaming eyes or seven heads.[25][8]

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.[24][25] With the aid of a magical ring, the afarit might be
forced to perform certain orders, such as carrying heavy stones.[25]
Shabakism

A story circulates among the Shabak community in Northern Iraq about a certain
ifrit who incensed Ali by his evil nature long before the creation of Adam.
Consequently, for the ifrit's wickedness, Ali chained the ifrit and left him alone.
When the prophets arrived, he appeared to all of them and begged them for his
release, but no prophet was able to break the chains of the ifrit. When Muhammad
found the ifrit, he brought him to Ali. Ali had mercy with the ifrit. He decided to
release him under the condition that he surrender to the will of god.[26]
In fiction

Afarit appear already in early poems, such as those of Al-Maʿarri (973–1057), who
describes his protagonist visiting a paradise with "narrow straits" and "dark
valleys" for afarit, between heaven and hell.[27] In later works, the afarait are
mentioned among the narratives collected in One Thousand and One Nights. In one
tale called "The Porter and the Young Girls", a prince is attacked by pirates and
takes refuge with a woodcutter. The prince finds an underground chamber in the
forest leading to a beautiful woman who has been kidnapped by an ifrit. The prince
sleeps with the woman and both are attacked by the jealous ifrit, who changes the
prince into an ape. Later a princess restores the prince and fights a pitched
battle with the ifrit, who changes shape into various animals, fruit, and fire
until being reduced to cinders.[28][3] In "The Fisherman and the Jinni" an ifrit,
locked in a jar by the Seal of Solomon, is released but later tricked by the
fisherman again into the jar. Under the condition that the ifrit aids him to
achieve riches, he releases the ifrit again.[29] The latter ifrit however, might be
substituted by a marid, another type of powerful demon[28][3] easily tricked by the
protagonist.[30] The latter portrayal of an ifrit, as a wish-granting spirit
released from a jar, became characteristic of Western depictions of jinn.[29]

Afarit feature frequently in film and video games. In the Final Fantasy video game
series, an ifrit appears as a summonable spirit and an enemy. Like its mythological
counterpart, it is a spirit of fire and can use an iconic spell called Hell-Fire.
[31] In the fifth season of True Blood (2012), an ifrit seeks vengeance for murder
of Iraqi civilians by U.S soldiers.[32] In both the novel American Gods (2001) and
the television adaptation by Neil Gaiman an ifrit disguised as a taxi-driver
appears, trying to get used to his new role, seeking intimacy in a lonely world