Ḥinn ( from: hnn "to desire" or "to sigh for something") are a kind of

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

creature—along with

jinn Jinn or djinn (), alternatively genies, are supernatural beings in pre-Islamic Arabian religion and Islam. Their existence is generally defined as parallel to humans, as they have free will, are accountable for their deeds, and can be either ...

— from pre-Islamic Arabian lore. Like jinn, they are sometimes considered to be a pre-Adamitic race in Islamic hagiography. Shibli considers them to be the dogs of the jinn. Their existence, along with that of binn, timm, and rimm, is accepted by the

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

. First online ed. 2012, ; print eds. 1960-2007, .

Pre-Islamic references

Ḥinn, said to appear in the form of wild dogs, were referred to, along with jinn, in pre-Islamic poetry: "Jinn and Ḥinn frolic around me!" They also found their ways into

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

tradition, stating that if a wild dog approaches a Muslim, they shall throw some food to it and chase it away, because it could have an evil soul.

Pre-Adamic Creation in Quran exegesis

Theories on what creation existed before the creation of Adam emerge from interpretive reflections on Qur'anic verses, particularly Surah al-Baqarah (2:30):

"And when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am placing a vicegerent on earth,' they said, 'Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and proclaim Your holiness?' He said, 'Indeed, I know that which you do not know.'" — Qur'an 2:30

This verse has historically been identified with jinn or other creatures who caused bloodshed before Adam. According to

Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...

, the Ḥinn belongs together with the jinn to those creatures who shed blood on earth before humankind, causing the angels to question God's command to place

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

as a vicegerent. Ibn Barrajan mentions pre-Adamite beings in a discussion about angels and jinn. He indicates that they are created from the elements of

Jahannam In Islam, Jahannam () is the place of punishment for Islamic views on sin, evildoers in the afterlife, or hell. This notion is an integral part of Islamic theology,#ETISN2009, Thomassen, "Islamic Hell", ''Numen'', 56, 2009: p.401 and has occupied ...

and water. They can originate from minerals, plants, or animals. Some were anticipating (''hanna'') the creation of Adam and called Ḥinn, while the others were aversed to humans (''bana''), wreaking havoc and hence called Binn. Although many sources describe the Ḥinn and Binn as powerful gigantic primordial creatures,

Al-Jahiz Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Kinani al-Basri (; ), commonly known as al-Jahiz (), was an Arab polymath and author of works of literature (including theory and criticism), theology, zoology, philosophy, grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, philology, lin ...

mentions them as a "weak type" of supernatural being in his Kitāb al-Ḥayawān.

References

{{reflist, 25em Arabian legendary creatures