Creatures that are half-human and half-demon from pre-Islamic times. Originally, they were spirits of nature that caused madness in humans. They differ not much from humans: they reproduce, they have the same bodily needs, and they die, although their life span is much longer. The Arabic word jinn, which means “spirit”, is neutral–some of the jinni serve Allah, while others do not. The Arabs believed the jinni often took the form of ostriches, or rode them. Dalila, Samson's treacherous...