Bedeviled: Jinn Doppelgangers in Islam and Akbarian Sufism

Dunja Rasic investigates the concept of jinn doppelgängers and their role in the problem of evil within Akbarian Sufism. The book explores how jinn, including doppelgängers known as qarīn, are represented in Islamic tradition, philosophy, folklore, and Sufi literature, particularly focusing on those discussed by Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī. Ibn ʿArabī's detailed writings on jinn reveal insights into their physiognomy, culture, and behavior, including the belief that each human has an evil doppelgänger assigned by God. His explanations relate to broader themes in Islamic religious philosophy, such as spiritual ascension, predestination, and the human relationship to the Divine.