The jinn are said to live in a parallel realm, but sometimes their lives intersect with the human world. One of the most involved jinn is Shamhurish

A Thread on the Jinn King of Jupiter, Shamurish

He is the jinn king most interested in human lives. He's said to have a vast palace, but visits humans frequently

As king of Jupiter or al mushtari he is described in the Buni corpus as a powerful, but kindly king who governs matters of law, justice, abundance, and children.

He works closely and is watched over by the planetary angel Sarfayal and aided by the spirit Farus.

See an image of him and his attendants from the 14th C Kitab al Bulhan above.

He is one of the ancient jinn who encountered Muhammad in life. He is said to be one of the jinn who gathered to hear Muhammad recite the Qur’an, converting from Christianity to Islam.

He would go on to become a judge (qadi) and expert in Islamic law.

In another iteration, it’s said he is the Qareen or jinn companion of Muhammad.

There are even hadith chains of transmission which list him.

He’s believed to have memorized and passed on the sayings of Muhammad.

As a respected judge, he is tasked with managing the jinn courts where humans and jinn alike are held accountable

In vast open-space places, humans would report crowds of whispers and shadowy figures while facing a mighty jinn king.

Despite the terror of it all, he is reputedly merciful and often allows humans to make amends.

He’s is well over a thousand years old, but in one minor legend he’s said to have passed.

It is unclear if he died because of an encounter with an enemy or from another cause.

He left his kingdom to his equally magnanimous son, Mutawakkil.

Mutawakkil is not considered a jinn king however, rather the custodian of Jupiter holding the throne in honor of his father.

But in most other traditions, he is very much alive though the legend of passing his throne on has esoteric significance: he is the jinn king who grants familiars.

If one enters an alliance with him, he grants a jinn as a guardian and protector.

These pacts last generations. It is said if one’s ancestor made such an alliance, the jinn would guard the family tree until the very last descendant.

These legends are common in South Asia and North Africa both and many family have lore about a jinn guardian

The idea of working through alliances and agents is central to Shamurish’s power. He governs over a vast network of jinn. When he wishes something to be done it is passed down through a chain of jinn agents.

So great is his power it is said by merely raising a finger he could cause an avalanche of change.

At his simple command scores of jinn spring into action to make things happen.

He is considered the jinn easiest to work with. He’s ready to hear petitions and is often the first jinn Muslim mages made pacts with.

Even still the invocation rite takes many weeks with long fasts and complicated recitations of the Name of God which governs him.

But because of his ability to bring about big change, his temperament, and willingness to listen, he was one the most sought after jinn kings.

Those who fashion his ring of power are granted riches, fame, & dominion over sandstorms. They are also assigned a jinn familiar

The legend of jinn rings popularized by the original Aladdin (who had both a jinn of the ring and a jinn of the lamp) is linked to this jinn king.

His easiest talisman is actually a paper one in which one takes the letters of your name and combines them with “hot” and “moist” letters which is used to affect a judge or official to be favorable to you.

The division of letters into hot and moist (which are the qualities of Jupiter) reflect the Hellenic scheme of the elements here fused with letter magic and the jinn.

In Morocco and Sudan he is known as Sidi Chamharouch and is one the legendary jinn saints whose shrine is a site of local pilgrimage.

At a large white stone adorned with flags, pilgrims make sacrifices and offerings to earn his favors.

According to the marabout tradition he is the head of a vast court and invoked in rites of protection, exorcism, and sits in judgement over various matters.

He is said to take the shape of a mighty white horse who appears in the night to guard villages and towns.

He is a reconciler who mediates between arguing parties, and a miracle worker who brings wealth and fortune to the petitioner

The cross-cultural nature of this jinn speaks to the way in which jinn lore localized Islam while simultaneously Islamizing local customs and beliefs.

It’s entirely likely the practices associated with Sidi Chamharouch predate Islam and were reinterpreted within an Islamic framework with the coming of the religion

Astrologically the way Shamurish enacts change through agents and networks may shed light on the nature of Jupiter

The talismans associated with him speak to the various intellectual traditions that were drawn together—astrological, Hellenic concepts of elements, and esoteric systems of letters and names.

You can learn more about talismans in the esoteric traditions of the Islamic world in my latest podcast episode here: https://www.patreon.com/headonhistory 

I'll cover the rest of the jinn kings in future threads