Difference between revisions of "Ifrit"
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== Etymology == | == Etymology == | ||
The term ''ifrit'' is a weird one because only variants of it appear in Arabic poetry before the Quran, and even in the Quran it only appears once, in Surah 27. In it, King Solomon asks his people which of them can bring him the throne of the Queen of Sheba. Then | The term ''ifrit'' is a weird one because only variants of it appear in Arabic poetry before the Quran, and even in the Quran it only appears once, in Surah 27. In it, King Solomon asks his people which of them can bring him the throne of the Queen of Sheba. Then: | ||
{{Quote | | |||
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌۭ ٣٩ | |||
Qaala 'ifreetum minal jinni ana aateeka bihee qabla an taqooma mim maqaamika wa innee 'alaihi laqawiyyun ameen | |||
A powerful one from among the jinn said, 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.' | |||
—Quran 27:39 | |||
}} | |||
The term "powerful one" there is ''ifritun'', coming from ''ifrit'', meaning "powerful, rebellious." In other words, when Solomon calls for volunteers to take the Queen of Sheba's throne, a fearsome, loose-cannon of a jinn raises his hand—that's an ifrit.<ref>And if you're wondering, in the next verse, a scholar of the Torah speaks up and volunteers as well. Solomon gives him the job over the ifrit, and the guy brings him the throne in "the blink of an eye."</ref> | The term "powerful one" there is ''ifritun'', coming from ''ifrit'', meaning "powerful, rebellious." In other words, when Solomon calls for volunteers to take the Queen of Sheba's throne, a fearsome, loose-cannon of a jinn raises his hand—that's an ifrit.<ref>And if you're wondering, in the next verse, a scholar of the Torah speaks up and volunteers as well. Solomon gives him the job over the ifrit, and the guy brings him the throne in "the blink of an eye."</ref> | ||
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File:Ifrit-FF7.png | File:Ifrit-FF7.png | ||
File:Ifrit-1.jpeg | File:Ifrit-1.jpeg | ||
File:IfritAladdin.jpg | The ifrit from ''Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp'' | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
== Endnotes == | == Endnotes == | ||
Latest revision as of 16:50, 18 February 2023
If you're looking for the 12-foot-tall elemental genies called "efreet" in D&D, see jagur.
Ifrit (I say "ih-FREET"; Arabic: عفريت),[1] also spelled efreet, are legendary beings from Islamic theology. They are generally believed to be a class of powerful demons.
Etymology
The term ifrit is a weird one because only variants of it appear in Arabic poetry before the Quran, and even in the Quran it only appears once, in Surah 27. In it, King Solomon asks his people which of them can bring him the throne of the Queen of Sheba. Then:
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌۭ ٣٩Qaala 'ifreetum minal jinni ana aateeka bihee qabla an taqooma mim maqaamika wa innee 'alaihi laqawiyyun ameen
A powerful one from among the jinn said, 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.'
—Quran 27:39
The term "powerful one" there is ifritun, coming from ifrit, meaning "powerful, rebellious." In other words, when Solomon calls for volunteers to take the Queen of Sheba's throne, a fearsome, loose-cannon of a jinn raises his hand—that's an ifrit.[2]
See also
Gallery
The ifrit from Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Endnotes
- ↑ The plural is 'afarit (عفاريت), but like with the term jinn, I use the singular as the plural.
- ↑ And if you're wondering, in the next verse, a scholar of the Torah speaks up and volunteers as well. Solomon gives him the job over the ifrit, and the guy brings him the throne in "the blink of an eye."
