Incident of Atrafa Jinn

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Sayyid Murtadha has mentioned in Uyunul Mojizaat that the incident of Atrafa Jinn is well known among Shia scholars and it is one of the miracles of Amirul Momineen (a) and a proof of his Imamate. I have quoted this incident from Kitabul Anwaar.

It is narrated from Zazan, ‘From Salman who said, ‘One day the Prophet was seated at Abtah and in his presence was a group of his companions, and he was facing us when we looked at a tornado which had raised and spreading the dust, and it did not cease coming closer and raising the dust until it paused parallel to the Prophet.

Then a person who was in it, came out and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s)! I am a delegate of my people and we are seeking your help, so help us, and send from you with me one who can overlook upon our people, for some of them have rebelled upon us, for him to judge between us and them with the Judgment of Allah and His Book and take a pact upon me and the solemn oath that I shall return to you in the morning tomorrow safely until an event occurs upon me from the Presence of Allah.’

The Prophet said: ‘Who are you? And who are your people?’ He said, ‘Atrafah bin Shamrakh, one of the clan of Najaj, and I and a group of my people used to steal the hearing. When we were prevented from that, we believed and when Allah sent a Prophet, we believed in you upon what we knew and we have ratified you, and some of our people have opposed us and are standing upon what they used to be upon. Thus, opposition occurred between us and them and they are more than us in number and strength, and they have overcome upon the water and the pastures and they have harmed us and initiated (enmity), so send me with someone who will judge between us with the Truth.’

The Prophet said: ‘Uncover your face for us until we see you which form you are upon.’ He uncovered his face and we looked and there was a person with a lot of facial hair, and his head was long, of long eyes. His eyes were in the length of his head and there were small cheeks, and for him were teeth of the predators. The Prophet took the pact from him that he will return to him in the morning, with the one he would be sending with him.

When he was free from that, he turned to Abu Bakr and said, ‘Travel with our brother Atrafa and look at what they are upon and judge between them with the Truth.’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s) and where are they?’ He said: ‘They are beneath the ground.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘And how can I endure the descent beneath the ground? And how can I judge between them and I am not good in their speech (language)?’  

Then he turned towards Umar bin Khattab and said to him similar to his words to Abu Bakr, and he answered similar to the answer of Abu Bakr. Then he turned towards Uthman and said to him similar to his words to them both, and he answered him  like their answer.

Then he called for Ali and said to him: ‘O Ali! Travel with our brother Atrafah and overlook upon his people and look at what they are upon, and judge between them with the Truth.’

Amirul Momineen (a) stood up with Atrafah, and sheathed his sword.

Salman said, ‘I followed them up to the valley. When they were in the middle of it, Amirul Momineen (a) looked at me and said: ‘I thank Allah the Exalted for your striving, O Abu Abdullah, so return!’ I paused looking at them and the ground split up and they entered into it, and I returned from there fearing the well being of Amirul Momineen (a).

The Prophet woke up in the morning and prayed the Morning Prayer with the people, and came and sat upon Safa and his companions surrounded him, and Amirul Momineen (a) was delayed and the day rose, and the people frequented the  speech until the sun declined, and they said, ‘The Jinn have tricked the Prophet and Allah has given us rest from Abu Turab, and removed from us his priding with his cousin upon us.’ And they repeated these words until the Prophet prayed the Zuhr Prayer and returned to his place and sat upon Safa, and did not cease narrating to his companions until the Asr time arrived; and the people repeated their speech and manifested the despair for Amirul Momineen (a).

The Prophet prayed the Asr Prayer and he came and sat upon Safa, and manifesting the thinking regarding Amirul Momineen (a) and the hypocrites continued gloating about Amirul Momineen (a), and the sun almost set. The people were convinced that he had perished, but Safa split asunder and Amirul Momineen (a) emerged from it, and his sword was dripping blood, and with him was Atrafah. The Prophet stood to him and kissed between his eyes and his forehead and said: ‘What is that which withheld you from me until this time?’

He said: ‘I went to a lot of Jinn from the hypocrites who had rebelled against Atrafah and his people, and I invited them to three characteristics, but they refused, that is I invited them to faith in Allah the Exalted and the acknowledgment with your Prophethood and your Messengership, but they refused. Then I called them to the payment of Islamic tax, and they refused. So, I asked them to reconcile with Atrafah and his people so that part of the pastures would happen to be for Atrafah and his people, and the water similar to that, but they refused all of that.

So, I placed my sword among them and killed eighty thousand of. (When) they looked at what had befallen them, they sought safety and reconciliation. Then they believed and the difference between them melted away, and I did not cease to be with them until now.’

Atrafah said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s), may Allah recompense you and Amirul Momineen (a), goodly on our behalf.’1

1 Uyunul Mojizaat, Pg. 43; Biharul Anwar, Vol. 18, Pg. 86. Tr. 4; Vol. 63, Pg. 90, Tr. 45; Hilyatul Abraar, Vol. 1, Pg. 270; Nawadirul Mojizaat, Tabari, Pg. 52, Tr. 21; Arbaeen, Ibne Abi Fawaris, Tr. 26 quoted from Abu Saeed Khudri – Al-Yaqeen, Pg. 68, Chapter 90, traditional report of Abu Saeed Khudri as a tradition without chains of narrators; Al-Fadhail, Ibne Shazan, Pg. 60, traditional report of Zadaan, Al-Raudha, Pg. 34, traditional report of Abu Saeed Khudri, with difference of some words.