Into the realm of smokeless fire: (Qur'ān 55:14): A critical translation of al-Damīrī's article on the jinn from "Ḥayāt al-Ḥayawān al-Kubrā"

Abstract

This critical English translation of the article on the jinn from the 14th-century zoological work, Ḥayāt al-Ḥayawān al-Kubrā written by the Egyptian al-Damīrī is presented with two primary objectives in mind. The first is to investigate al-Damīrīs sources and scholarship in the context of the Mamlūk period--an era which yielded a profusion of encyclopaedic works covering a wide range of topics. The second goal of this translation and analysis is to reflect on the religious and social significance of the jinn in medieval Islam. An appendix giving biographical data on persons mentioned by al-Damīrī is included. There is also a list of place names and a glossary.