Qareen

A Qareen (Arabic: قرين qarīn, literally meaning: 'constant companion') is a spiritual double of a human, either part of the human himself or a complementary creature in a parallel dimension.^[1]^[2]

The qareen belongs to the jinn in regards to its ghostly nature, yet distinct from the genus of jinn.^[3] Although the qareen can be either a devil or an angel, they are more often associated with malevolent spirits tempting into sin.

The idea of a spiritual double accompany humans might be a remnant of older Semitic beliefs, such as the Egypt kꜣ which in turn resembles the Babylonian idea of an undefined personal deity accompanying a person.^[4]

The Qareen as an accompanying spirit should not be confused with the Qarinah, a female "childbed demon" in Middle Eastern traditions.

^ Anwer Mahmoud Zanaty Glossary Of Islamic Terms IslamKotob page 184
^ Kelly Bulkeley, Kate Adams, Patricia M. Davis Dreaming in Christianity and Islam: Culture, Conflict, and Creativity Rutgers University Press 2009 ISBN 978-0-813-54610-0 page 144
^ Veena Das, Clara Han Living and Dying in the Contemporary World: A Compendium Univ of California Press 2015 ISBN 978-0-520-27841-7 page 145
^ McAuliffe, Jane Dammen, ed. (2003). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. Vol. 5. Brill Academic Publishers p. 119

[1] Anwer Mahmoud Zanaty Glossary Of Islamic Terms IslamKotob page 184

[ReferenceA-2] Kelly Bulkeley, Kate Adams, Patricia M. Davis Dreaming in Christianity and Islam: Culture, Conflict, and Creativity Rutgers University Press 2009 ISBN 978-0-813-54610-0 page 144

[ReferenceB-3] Veena Das, Clara Han Living and Dying in the Contemporary World: A Compendium Univ of California Press 2015 ISBN 978-0-520-27841-7 page 145

[4] McAuliffe, Jane Dammen, ed. (2003). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. Vol. 5. Brill Academic Publishers p. 119

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]