Can two Sufis repair the rip between dimensions in time to stop the hideous Jinn from possessing everyone? The dervishes must find the Ring of Solomon and invoke its power before the human race is consumed by the damned.
Can two Sufis repair the rip between dimensions in time to stop the hideous Jinn from possessing everyone? The dervishes must find the Ring of Solomon and invoke its power before the human race is consumed by the damned.
[Yusuf]
“Stand up! Protect yourself!” I stood up shakily but had to duck quickly as another spiraling arm of dark, greasy force whipped over my head.
The fanged and goggle-eyed Jinn roared, but my Shaykh already had the upper hand. Pronouncing one of God’s powerful Names, he swept the air with his arms, shouted the Name, and the screaming Jinn evaporated with a sizzle, and gelatinous, gray goo rained down.
“Gack! This stuff stinks!” said Shaykh Daud disgustedly, “Clean me off and then I’ll clean you off.”
I passed my hands over his body about an inch away and flicked the grimy energy off into the bushes. The rugged bush shriveled and turned brown the moment the goo touched it.
He did the same for me as he said, “Man, I could really use a shower now: a long, hot shower. Let’s head back home to the Dergah (Sufi place of prayer).”
We got into the car and headed down the road. I am dizzy, sweaty, exhausted, still breathing hard but trying to catch my breath when my Shaykh, as usual, brings me back to reality.
“What did you learn, Yusuf?” he asked as soon as we got into the car. No matter what has just happened, my Shaykh always immediately asks this question. It is part of Sufi training: to understand the lessons learned, no matter where or when. It is often referred to as 'learning how to learn'. The philosophy behind this is that life is a ‘school’ and that our education continues. There is no end to learning
I began to reply without much certainty, “to know which Name is appropriate, and stay low when you do that thing with your hands?”
He made a 'hmm' noise.
I am Shaykh Daud’s murid, his dervish student. My Shaykh, as you’ve probably gathered by now, besides being my teacher, is also a Jinn hunter. I’m still not sure how I ended learning under him or what my purpose is. That is why I am writing this journal–to keep track of what’s happening, because it all seems so impossible, and sometimes many lessons and events happen at the same time. Even when I read this back my own writings, I find it hard to believe them.
This path is often difficult, but I do sometimes feel a sense of peace, especially when we’ve completed one of these cleansings. It gives me purpose. And I really need that after what I've been through.
We were both exhausted when we got back. After Shaykh took his shower, I took mine and went in my room to lie down. My breathing slowed down, I shook off some of the flashbacks until I could close my eyes and let out a big sigh. Within minutes I had this dream…
An elder vizier reveals to the emperor of the Jinn that the ancient and powerful Shamir still exists. It would not only confer power to the empire but finally bring the slow, and slow, meaty humans to their knees. It is a powerful artifact, and it belongs to the Jinn, not the humans. It is not a legend.
I woke up, wrote it down diligently as I was instructed to do with all of my dreams, and waited until Shaykh was awake.
He read it and asked me, “Do you know what the Shamir is?”
“I heard something about it. Something to do with Solomon’s Temple?’
“Yes – Allah prohibited him to use iron implements. So, the Jinn helped him out by loaning him the Shamir. It’s described as a worm in some ancient writings. It may have been a laser that used crystals or sunlight. But why now? This subject came up about two years ago. Three strangers visited us and were looking for the Shamir. I am concerned that the subject is cycling around again. Have you noticed anything unusual?”
“Well, that's five Jinn that came through this week,.” I replied.
Shaykh looked into his heart for a moment and said, “Something’s wrong. It feels like a rift or hole between the worlds is opening. I wonder if it is the beginning of a search for the Shamir or something else. Please research the Prophet Solomon and see if you can find a context or reference point for the Shamir then and now. We need to get on top of this before we encounter an unpleasant surprise.”
I looked him in the eyes and realized the importance of what he meant, “You mean, we need to find it?”
He gave me a look that said “obviously” without him even opening his mouth to speak.
As you can tell, Shaykh’s specialty is hunting and disposing of Jinn: those beings who come into this dimension to joyride within human bodies, who cause havoc and disturbances both physical and emotional. He is also a very good healer.
In the medical cases where nothing seems to work, after all the tests and treatments, when the patients still feel distressed and depressed, well, they come to him as a last resort. Sufi healing is centuries old, but in most western countries it is still unknown. The Catholic version of exorcism has some similarities, but misses some important points.
Jinn are not demons, though that is how some cultures understand them. They are people like us in a faster dimension that intersects ours, including normal families, communities and neighborhoods. They eat and sleep and work. And like us, there are criminals or gap-year enthusiasts who enter our world for fun, and sometimes they inadvertently get stuck – usually in human bodies. Sometimes they joyride animals, or get into electronic circuits. Those who are lost or confused are easily removed and sent back home. Those that are possessive or with criminal intent must be dealt with more seriously. Here’s a hint: if you look in the mirror and your face seems fuzzy, or you hear a persistent voice, or someone is hard to look in the eyes, it might be a Jinn possession. Through the Silsillah, the oral tradition of passing on the message the previous Shaykhs taught my Shaykh how to deal with various situations and to help as needed.
It depends on connection and listening to your heart in a very profound way. Sometimes it seems kind of like surfing — following the flow of energy, as you would follow a stream.
"Yusuf, let's go for a drive. I need to clear my head."
"Sounds good, Shaykh. Back to nature..." I replied.
We got in the small car and headed into to the Berkeley hills
After some time, I broke the silence, “Things are getting worse, aren’t they?”
“I think you’re right, Yusuf. I’ve been doing this for over seventeen years, and I would have thought it would get easier. It’s not. They are getting stronger, and I don’t know if we can keep up. I’m feeling outnumbered.”
I continued to drive the little Toyota Echo over the Berkeley highlands, while he stared out the side window at the dry, brown hills. Summers here are filled with scorched vistas of dead things.
How do I describe Sufism? It’s a spiritual path, a practice, a way to become fully human. I like to imagine that Allah chose me to learn the techniques of Jinn extraction, passed down orally for thousands of years.
We returned to the Dergah, feeling a little fresher from the cool, evening air. Night gently settled in, and we performed our evening prayers. I couldn’t sleep. I went back into the prayer room and sat on the floor. While doing my Zikr (repetition of the sacred divine Names) I sensed a light wrap around me. It felt like I was floating. Someone or something spiritual was touching me.
“Yusuf,” it said.
“Peace be with you if you are from Allah.”
The voice spoke again, “I am Archangel Jibril (Gabriel), and I have a message for your Shaykh. There is a breach opening between your world and the Jinn. Your world is already infested. If this rift grows any larger, the invasion of Jinn and Demon will destroy all humanity. You must find the Ring of King Solomon to close the fracture. The Shamir will show you where to find the Ring.”
"How much time do we have?" I replied without hesitation.
"This must be done before two weeks have passed."
“Where shall we find the ring?”
“You will be guided.”
“How?”
Then the light receded, and I found myself once again sitting on the floor. I couldn’t wait until morning. With some trepidation, I woke Shaykh Daud up and told him what just happened.
“Well, that clinches it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Shaykh said, “I had an inner confirmation from my heart about this, but you have brought me the outer confirmation, which means it is true.”
“Okay… but how do we find the Shamir and The Ring? Where do we start?”
“Well, Yusuf, since Jibril is your contact, that means you’re the navigator.”
“Me? I don’t know how to find King Solomon’s Ring. I’m not even sure what it is.”
“You will, Yusuf, you will. Now you can go to sleep.” He placed his hand over my eyes and I immediately felt all the tension and worry drain out of my body and mind. I stumbled into my room and fell instantly to sleep.
That’s when the dreams began. Vivid, intense dreams with strangely textured landscapes, exotic scents and rhythms. I wondered if I was seeing the places we had to pass through to find the legendary ring.
* * * *
The following morning, as I opened my eyes, I saw in the window a dark reflection, a cold, weighted shadow.
The room vibrated with a guttural voice, “Death will be your portion should you attempt this quest, oh man. Remain here and honors, riches and powers will be your reward. Continue in this ill-favored quest, and your reward will be grief and pain.”
“You are so predictable, Anashwara,” said Shaykh Daud in a quiet, yet angry voice as he dashed into my room, “Get the hell out of my home, you piece of shit. And get a better script writer while you’re at it!”
The bloated, grey rogue Jinn floated away. It shook me. I’d never heard – or felt – such a vehement threat before, let alone one that was communicated with such force. It left me nauseous.
“We’ve got to renew and strengthen the protective seals on the house again,” said Shaykh.
Later that day, we packed to get ready for wherever we were going. There would be a sign.
While we were waiting, I researched material on King Solomon’s Ring, and discovered endless material from Jewish, Christian and Islamic sources. I read everything I could find from the Torah, Talmud (Rabbinic discussions), the Kabbalah, the Qu'ran, and the collection of rare and ancient books we had in the house, as well as the internet.
* * * *
At 11 a.m., I turned on the television to see what was happening in the news. Moments after I switched the television on, there was a burst of static, the picture wobbled and an odd warbling voice said, “In today’s news we have a tragic story regarding two plucky Sufis who, while trying to retrieve the legendary ring of King Solomon, died in a fire in a hotel. Or perhaps their car careened out of control. We don’t know. We don’t care. This is Bob Ashmodai, for KJIN news.”
Immediately, I stabbed the remote’s off button. It’s so annoying when a Jinn insinuates itself into the electrical system. I went out into the backyard to pull weeds in the garden. I needed to get my feet in dirt to ground out the electricity. As my eyes passed over the cornstalks, it looked like they spelled out the letters 'LA'. I wondered if that was a sign. And if so, did it mean Louisiana, Los Angeles or Littlerock, Arkansas?
I had turned on my iPhone to listen to a local DAB station. It played a cover of Maria from West Side Story, and then news broke in. “… And in the Santa Monica area we are getting numerous reports of animals behaving oddly.” My heart went “Ding!” and I knew we had to go to Santa Monica, the coast of Los Angeles.
I told Shaykh about my inner and outer confirmation, and his answer was to grab the bags, pop the trunk, toss them in, and get in the car. I did the same, and off we went down Highway Five.
During those seven hours, I relayed what I had learned about King Solomon and the Ring.
The New Ring of Solomon was a collection of scenes with a decidedly spiritual undertone that features paranormal elements.
Various characters are introduced throughout the novel, the first being Yusuf who currently trains under a Jinn hunter and has been tasked with saving the world from demons when a rift opens.
I liked the unique conceptualization of Jinn as people like us but in a faster dimension that intersects ours who can occasionally inhibit bodies (human and animal). The writing comes across as intimate as we are reading the thoughts/diary of Yusuf.
I will say that this book may not be for everyone as there are a lot of religious sayings and passages from various disciplines which may confuse some. For me. growing up in an ethnic household I was familiar with some but truly learned a lot about inner peace and spirituality.
To me, the overall goal of the book is to bring awareness to harnessing positivity both within yourself and in the actions you project to the world which I agree we need more of. Self-introspection and having a deeper consciousness are vital as you are able to be guided by a higher calling
That being said, I do believe there are some things that elevate the book, the dialogue is very clinical and stiff and could have benefitted from more lush descriptions and worldbuilding. There was a need for more character development particularly the main characters.
I received a copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.