What is a qareen in Islam?
A qareen is a "companion" from the jinn that is assigned to every human being and whispers to them towards wrong. The Prophet ﷺ taught that everyone has one, including himself, but Allah helped him so his qareen only told him to do good. You fight your qareen with remembrance of Allah, not with fear.
The hadith about the qareen
The Prophet ﷺ said that there is none of you except that a companion from the jinn has been assigned to him. The Companions asked, "Even you, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Even me, but Allah helped me against him and he submitted, so he only commands me to do good" (Sahih Muslim 2814).
The word qareen literally means "one who is closely joined". It's used in the Quran for a close companion, good or bad, and in this context for the jinn who stays with a person.
The qareen in the Quran
The Quran links a devilish companion to turning away from Allah:
On the Day of Judgement, the qareen will even try to disown the person: "His companion will say, 'Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he was in extreme error'" (Quran 50:27). In other words, the qareen whispers, but we choose. It can't force anyone to sin.
How the qareen works
The Prophet ﷺ said Shaytan flows through a person like blood (Sahih al-Bukhari 2035). That's why bad ideas can feel like your own thoughts. Common signs of its whispering are:
- laziness about prayer or putting it off "just this once";
- suspicion and bad thoughts about other people;
- anger that flares up quickly;
- doubts that keep repeating without real questions behind them.
Having these thoughts doesn't make you a bad Muslim. Everyone gets them. See Do Muslims believe in the devil?
Is the qareen the same as a guardian angel?
No. Alongside the qareen from the jinn, every person also has angels with them: two who record deeds and others who protect by Allah's command. Some scholars mention that a person has an angelic companion who encourages good as well. So you're never left alone with the whisperer. See Do Muslims believe in guardian angels? and What are jinn in Islam?
- Every person has a qareen, a jinn companion (Sahih Muslim 2814).
- It whispers but cannot force you to sin (Quran 50:27).
- Forgetting Allah strengthens it; dhikr weakens it (Quran 43:36).
- You also have angels with you, so you're never alone with it.
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