Ghouls (ghul) and jinn are believed to inhabit cemeteries and deserted places, with various rituals to avoid offending or encountering them

Setting: Two close friends, Omar and Fahad, are sitting on the rooftop of Omar’s house in Riyadh one evening after dinner, sipping on qahwa (Arabic coffee) and dates. A gentle breeze carries the occasional sound of distant traffic and a mosque’s late-night prayer call.

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Fahad:
shivering slightly Bro, why do you always insist on sitting out here after dark? You know what they say—cemeteries, empty houses, even rooftops… this is prime jinn territory.

Omar (grinning):
Come on, Fahad. This is Riyadh, not a horror movie. You think a ghul’s just going to pop out of the water tank and start doing the dabke?

Fahad (serious):
I’m not joking, Omar. My cousin Abdullah once swore he heard whispers near that old farmhouse in Diriyah. He turned around and saw a shadow move without anyone being there. He was sick for two days after that.

Omar (chuckling):
You mean the farmhouse that’s 80% dust and 20% goat poop? Look, shadows move when clouds pass over streetlights. And whispers? Probably the wind—or a goat with sinus problems.

Fahad:
You always laugh, but you don’t know what these things can do. My grandmother said if you step on a grave without saying “Bismillah,” a jinn might attach to you. There’s a reason we have rituals, you know. People don’t just make them up!

Omar:
Actually, they do. Not maliciously, but to explain things they couldn’t understand. Like before we knew about germs, people thought diseases were caused by spirits. Now we wash our hands instead of sacrificing chickens.

Fahad (defensive):
But the Qur’an mentions jinn, doesn’t it? That they live among us?

Omar:
Yes, but the Qur’an also talks about free will—for humans and jinn. That doesn’t mean every creaky door is a jinn trying to steal your socks. And not everything “unexplained” needs to be supernatural.

Fahad:
Then explain how my uncle’s car broke down three times only after he moved near a cemetery. New battery, new alternator—nothing worked until he moved!

Omar (grinning):
Maybe the car just didn’t like the smell of old ghosts. Or maybe your uncle needs a better mechanic. Correlation isn’t causation, ya habibi.

Fahad:
Easy for you to say! You sleep with your window open and whistle at night. That’s like waving a flag that says, “Hey jinn, buffet open!”

Omar (laughs):
First of all, jinn aren’t cats. Second, if they were real, do you think whistling would really draw them in? What are they, DJs?

Fahad (mock-serious):
They might be. You ever seen a jinn on TikTok? They’re surprisingly creative.

Omar (grinning):
Alright, fair. But seriously, Fahad, I respect that you follow tradition. I just think we should question things too. Like, what if your fear of jinn makes you overlook natural causes?

Fahad:
Hmm… maybe. But what if your skepticism makes you blind to things that do exist, even if we can’t explain them?

Omar (thoughtful):
Touché. You know, maybe jinn exist in a way we haven’t understood yet—like dimensions or energy fields. But until I see one sign a lease or ask for Wi-Fi, I’m gonna stay team science.

Fahad (smiling):
And I’ll stay team “Just in case,” with a side of “Bismillah” and “Don’t whistle after maghrib.”

Omar (raising his coffee cup):
Deal. But next time you hear a strange noise, just remember—it’s probably the wind. Or my neighbor’s washing machine. Or, okay, maybe your TikTok jinn practicing beatboxing.

Fahad (laughing):
If they drop a mixtape, I’ll send it to you first.