Does everyone have a qarin (jinn companion)?

The short answer

Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said every person has a companion from the jinn assigned to them, including himself, but Allah helped him against his, so it only commanded him to good. The qarin whispers but cannot force you, and remembering Allah weakens its hold.

Explanation

The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is none amongst you with whom is not an attache from amongst the jinn (devil)." The Companions asked, "Allah's Messenger, with you too?" He said: "Yes, but Allah helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand and he does not command me but for good" 1. When Aisha once felt jealous at night, he told her, "It was your devil who had come to you", and confirmed that a devil is attached to everyone 2.

Heedlessness strengthens it. The Quran says: "whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion", and such devils avert people from guidance "while they think that they are [rightly] guided" 3. On the Day of Judgment the person will wish there were the distance of east and west between him and "how wretched a companion" 3.

No excuses on that Day. The qarin will say: "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error" 4. So "my qarin made me do it" will not work as an excuse.

How it works. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Satan circulates in the human mind as blood circulates in it" 5. That is why whispers can feel like your own thoughts.

What weakens it. Remembrance of Allah, seeking refuge and reciting the Quran. The Prophet ﷺ said that a person who says "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners..." one hundred times in a day "will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan" 6.

Having a qarin is part of the test, not a curse. The Prophet ﷺ showed that, with Allah's help, even that companion can be overcome.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2814
    Sahih Muslim

    Everyone has a jinn companion, even the Prophet ﷺ, but Allah helped him against it.

    Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:There is none amongst you with whom is not an attache from amongst the jinn (devil). They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, with you too? Thereupon he said: Yes, but Allah helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand and he does not command me but for good

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ، عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ وُكِّلَ بِهِ قَرِينُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَإِيَّاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَإِيَّاىَ إِلاَّ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ فَأَسْلَمَ فَلاَ يَأْمُرُنِي إِلاَّ بِخَيْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2815
    Sahih Muslim

    Aisha's jealousy was from her devil; a devil is attached to everyone.

    A'isha the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported that one day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came out of her (apartment) during the night and she felt jealous. Then he came and he saw me (in what agitated state of mind) I was. He said:A'isha, what has happened to you? Do you feel jealous? Thereupon she said: How can it be (that a woman like me) should not feel jealous in regard to a husband like you. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: It was your devil who had come to you, and she said: Allah's Messenger, is there along with me a devil? He said: Yes. I said: Is a devil attached to everyone? He said: Yes. I (Aisha) again said: Allah's Messenger, is it with you also? He said: Yes, but my Lord has helped me against him and as such I am absolutely safe from his mischief

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو صَخْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ، قُسَيْطٍ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا لَيْلاً ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَغِرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَرَأَى مَا أَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا لَكِ يَا عَائِشَةُ أَغِرْتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا لِي لاَ يَغَارُ مِثْلِي عَلَى مِثْلِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَقَدْ جَاءَكِ شَيْطَانُكِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوَمَعِيَ شَيْطَانٌ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَمَعَ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَمَعَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ وَلَكِنْ رَبِّي أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  3. 3
    Quran Az-Zukhruf · 43:36–38

    Whoever turns from Allah's remembrance is given a devil as companion, who misleads him.

    وَمَن يَعۡشُ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضۡ لَهُۥ شَيۡطَٰنࣰ ا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينࣱ‏ ۝٣٦ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ۝٣٧ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَنَا قَالَ يَٰلَيۡتَ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكَ بُعۡدَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقَيۡنِ فَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡقَرِينُ ۝٣٨

    36 And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion 37 And indeed, the devils avert them from the way [of guidance] while they think that they are [rightly] guided 38 Until, when he comes to Us [at Judgement], he says [to his companion], "Oh, I wish there was between me and you the distance between the east and west - how wretched a companion

  4. 4
    Quran Qaaf · 50:27

    The devil companion will say he did not make the person transgress.

    ۞قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطۡغَيۡتُهُۥ وَلَٰكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدࣲ‏ ۝٢٧

    His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 3281
    Sahih Bukhari

    Satan circulates in a person as blood circulates.

    Narrated Safiya bint Huyay:While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was in I`tikaf, I called on him at night and having had a talk with him, I got up to depart. He got up also to accompany me to my dwelling place, which was then in the house of Usama bin Zaid. Two Ansari men passed by, and when they saw the Prophet (ﷺ) they hastened away. The Prophet said (to them). "Don't hurry! It is Safiya, the daughter of Huyay (i.e. my wife)." They said, "Glorified be Allah! O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (How dare we suspect you?)" He said, "Satan circulates in the human mind as blood circulates in it, and I was afraid that Satan might throw an evil thought (or something) into your hearts

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ، عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ ابْنَةِ حُيَىٍّ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُعْتَكِفًا، فَأَتَيْتُهُ أَزُورُهُ لَيْلاً فَحَدَّثْتُهُ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ، فَانْقَلَبْتُ فَقَامَ مَعِي لِيَقْلِبَنِي‏.‏ وَكَانَ مَسْكَنُهَا فِي دَارِ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، فَمَرَّ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَسْرَعَا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ عَلَى رِسْلِكُمَا إِنَّهَا صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ حُيَىٍّ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالاَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَجْرِي مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ مَجْرَى الدَّمِ، وَإِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقْذِفَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمَا سُوءًا ـ أَوْ قَالَ ـ شَيْئًا ‏"‏‏.‏

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 3293
    Sahih Bukhari

    Saying the tahlil one hundred times protects from Satan from morning till evening.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If one says one-hundred times in one day: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)", one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one-hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one-hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan, and nobody will be superior to him except one who has done more than that which he has done

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ‏.‏ فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ، كَانَتْ لَهُ عَدْلَ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، وَكُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ، وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ مِائَةُ سَيِّئَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ حِرْزًا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ بِأَفْضَلَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ، إِلاَّ أَحَدٌ عَمِلَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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