MAKKAH: There are widespread rumors among Makkawis claiming some abandoned buildings and estates are possessed by jinns.
According to the widely circulated gossip, residents of these buildings located in various districts of the holy city, especially on the outskirts, say they vacated their dwellings after supernatural forces had harmed them.
There are divergent views among local residents with regard to the rumors. However, most of their views seem to confirm the existence of something mysterious at these buildings.
These have forced the owners of a number of such buildings and plots of lands to sell them at much lower rates.
There are also reports that some realtors are allegedly behind these rumors.
Local resident Muhammad Bazaid said it was easy to identify abandoned buildings that are allegedly possessed.
“Some buildings and estates in the city are known to be possessed by jinns. People used to say that,” he said, while noting that this situation is being exploited by some realtors.
“They are behind spreading of these rumors and are thus instrumental in lowering prices of these properties. They then try to buy them at prices much lower than the market value,” he said.
Majdi Habeeb, another local resident, told Arab News that there are some abandoned buildings and enclosures in the city. They are reportedly abandoned after being possessed by jinns.
“There are rumors that these forces either attacked the inhabitants or frightened them by making noises, causing fires and so forth, forcing them to leave the place,” he said.
“When I visited the house of a relative in an undeveloped district in the city, I found an abandoned house in the neighborhood. I saw the lights were on and the windows open. When I asked about it, the neighbor told me the occupants of the house were forced to abandon it recently due to an unbearable situation,” he said.
There were eyewitness reports of residents having stones thrown at them from their house, he said, adding that they also found some giant cats moving around and howling excessively.
He said they failed to drive them out and at last they abandoned the house after being advised by some sheikhs not to provoke the jinns further.
“When the neighbors abandoned the house, they asked us to monitor the situation at their house after their departure. But the situation is still the same,” Habeeb said.
Turki Al-Hussein recounts a similar experience with one of his neighbors. “The other day, I saw my neighbor and his family leaving their old house at midnight. They were in a bewildered state. When I asked them why they were leaving, they said people would not believe them if they gave the real reason,” he said.
Al-Hussein added that people in the neighborhood later decided to conduct a search at the house. “When some of the neighbors entered inside the house, stones were hurled at them. There were also some big cats and birds such as owls hovering above their head. They also heard some strange noises and that forced them to run away from the house,” he said, adding that the building was then abandoned and its gates locked with chains.
Meanwhile, the owner of a real estate office confirmed to Arab News on condition of anonymity that certain businessmen were exploiting the situation as a ploy to reduce the prices of residential buildings and plots of land.
“They spread rumors about certain buildings so that nobody comes to buy them and their prices remain low. Over the course of time, these unscrupulous guys manage to buy the properties at the price they want,” he said, claiming several such abandoned buildings and plots of land on the outskirts of the holy city have been sold in this manner.
“Prices of such properties are now 10 times higher, thanks to the new residential townships being developed there,” he said.
Muhammad Al-Suhali, director of the Islamic Studies Center at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, said such disturbances by jinns could be something that actually happens as confirmed by the Holy Qur’an.
“There are believers and non-believers among the jinns. Those who cause trouble include both Muslim and infidel jinns. There could also be differences in the types of harm caused by them. There are jinns who set fires inside a house or those who make frightening noises in order to create panic and confusion,” he said.
Al-Suhali noted that there were reports about some houses reportedly possessed by jinns. “There is the possibility of humans can be troubled by jinns and vice versa. There are tribes and groups of jinns living in their own homes while others target houses already occupied. Some jinns take vengeance on people who build on their houses,” he said.
Source: Arab News
