"Abu Fanous" the jinn of the Saudi desert
Is it really a jinn, or just an optical phenomenon? Many people and scientists are unsure how to explain this strange being or phenomenon known as "Abu Fanous" of the Saudi desert. Some even say the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) spoke of it as "ogres" or "ghouls." Here we will examine this strange object or phenomenon and explore its origins and nature.
Who is "Abu Fanous"
Abu Fanous, also called Abu Nuwayra and Abu Siraj, is clearly linked to light in one way or another. It appears as a glare resembling car headlights at night, or as a ball of light when seen from a distance. Reportedly, in the early hours before sunrise it sometimes moves away or toward observers and then vanishes suddenly.
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It is frequently seen in the Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand desert and part of the Arabian Desert. Local residents say Abu Fanous’s aim is to mislead travelers; those who follow it do not return, supposedly wandering until they become trapped in quicksand.
Other theories about what a "lantern" is
Abu Fanous is also compared to the "Marfa Lights" and the "Min Min Lights," named for the places where these moving lights appear—Marfa in Texas and Min Min in Australia. Scientists and others have proposed the following explanations:
The proposed scientific explanations fall into three broad categories, each connecting the moving lights to a different source or mechanism.
Three explanation paths for the lights
| Explanation | Source or context | Suggested mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorms underground | In 2000, James Bunnell studied the Marfa Lights with surveillance cameras at multiple angles. | Underground electrical discharges, tectonic stress discharges, or underground lightning create dusty plasma clusters that power the lights. |
| The supermirage (Fata Morgana): car headlights | In 2004, physics students from the University of Texas investigated the Marfa Lights. | Car headlights on the highway appear higher, distorted, and moving when layers of air at different temperatures refract and scatter the light. |
| Incandescent gases | The explanation refers to phosphine and methane leaks from swamps and to places with oil, natural gas, and hydrocarbons such as methane, including Saudi Arabia. | Under certain temperatures and pressures, the gases can ignite on contact with oxygen, producing a glow known as marsh gas. |
Mentioning "Abu Fanous" in the hadiths of the Prophet
Some say that "Abu Fanous" was referred to as "ghoul" or "ogres," terms used for types of jinn and demons that take many shapes, including forms of light. They are mentioned in two hadiths:
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If you walk in the fertile, then enable the passengers to have its teeth, and do not bypass the houses, and if you walk in attraction, then beg for it, and you have to go to the daluj, the earth is folded at night, and when the ogres wandered for you, so take the initiative to call to prayer, and you and pray on the horse of the road, and descend on it, for it is the shelter of serpents, and the seventh, and the elimination of the need, for it is cursed."
It is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he said: "There is no infection, no tira, no important, no zero, no petrel, no ghoul, and I like the omen."
In the first hadith, the Prophet commanded people to call for prayer and remember Allah when confronting ghouls (jinn). In the second hadith, he does not deny the existence of the jinn, but rather rejects the Arabs' claim that ghouls can deliberately mislead and harm travelers by causing them to become lost in the desert.