All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Ghouls (ghīlān) is the plural of ghūl. The Arabs used this name for jinn and devils that they believed appeared to travelers in the desert in different forms in order to lead them astray and make them lose their way.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no contagion, no evil omen, and no ghoul.” Narrated by Muslim.
The negation of ghouls here does not mean denying the existence of jinn altogether. It is established that a devil may appear to a person, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, when a devil came to him. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“He told you the truth, although he is a liar. That was a devil.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
Many scholars held that the meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement “There is no ghoul” is to deny the ability of jinn to transform themselves into the various forms that the Arabs used to claim, thereby misleading and destroying people in that manner. It does not mean denying the existence of jinn or the possibility that they may appear to people.
The ruling on denying ghouls depends on what is meant:
1. Someone who believes in the existence of jinn but denies their ability to change forms and appearances in order to mislead people: This view is correct and agrees with the position adopted by many scholars.
2. Someone who denies that jinn can ever appear to human beings: This is a weak position, although some scholars held it as an interpretation of the hadith. The person who holds this view should not be declared an innovator, misguided, or a disbeliever, as long as they believe in the existence of jinn.
3. Someone who denies the existence of jinn altogether: This is a denial of what has been established in the Quran and Sunnah, and it is a statement of disbelief, unless the person is ignorant, in which case they should be taught and the evidence should be made clear to them.
Conclusion: Belief in the existence of jinn is obligatory. However, denying ghouls in the sense of denying their ability to change forms and appearances in order to mislead people is permissible; indeed, it is a recognized scholarly position.
And Allah knows best.