The supernatural beings in Arabian mythology and Islamic tradition said to be made from smokeless fire are the jinn.
Jinn, also spelled djinn and popularly rendered as genies, are supernatural beings associated with ancient Arabian religion and Islam. The Qur’an describes them as created from fire, commonly translated as “smokeless fire,” while humans are described as being made from clay or earth. Their fiery origin helps explain their legendary abilities to become invisible, change shape, and move beyond ordinary human limits.
Jinn are not uniformly evil. Islamic tradition generally presents them as morally accountable beings who can be believers or unbelievers, much like humans. Folklore gives them societies, families, rulers, and rivalries, and stories place them in deserts, ruins, wells, and other liminal spaces.
An ifrit or marid may be portrayed as a powerful type of jinn or demon, but each is narrower than the collective term jinn. A ghoul is a separate folkloric figure often associated with graves and human flesh. The English word “genie” ultimately comes through the French génie, which was used to translate jinn.