The final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “The trunk of Satan is upon the heart of man. When a person remembers Allah, said trunk withers. When he becomes negligent of remembering Allah, Satan makes his heart a morsel.”^[1]

Black crows sitting on their heads

It is reported Imam Abū al-Qāsim Qushayri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه once befriended a Muslim jinn. One day, they were both sat in a masjid with other people also present. “Can you see something?”, the Muslim jinn asked. Imam Qushayri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه replied, “Yes! I can see the people sitting here.” The jinn then asked, “Can you see something else?” The Imam replied by saying no. The jinn placed his hand over the Imam’s eyes for a moment, then moved it away and said, “Now look!” Imam Qushayri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه looked towards the people and found black crows sitting on their heads. These crows had long hair covering their faces, some up to the eyes and others to the forehead. Imam Qushayri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه saw this shocking scene and asked, “What is happening?” The Muslim jinn recited the following verse of the Quran:

وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡشُ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ نُقَیِّضۡ لَہٗ  شَیۡطٰنًا  فَہُوَ  لَہٗ  قَرِیۡنٌ (۳۶)

Translation from Kanz al-Īmān: And whoever has blinded himself from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint a devil upon him, that he stays (with him) as his companion.^[2]

The Muslim jinn explained, “These are the devils stationed over them. A devil in the form of a crow sits on the heads of the heedless. When they perform the dhikr of Allah, the devil runs away.”^[3]