Mental illness is sometimes blamed on possession by jinn or shaitan

[Setting: A rooftop in Lahore. The two friends are sipping chai after maghrib prayers.]

Ali:
Yaar Bilal, I swear on everything—my cousin Salman has been acting possessed these days. He’s been talking to himself, screaming at night, even stopped eating biryani. Biryani! Can you believe it? I’m telling you, koi jinn ka chakkar hai.

Bilal:
(laughs) Not eating biryani is serious, I’ll give you that. But Ali, maybe he’s just going through something psychological. Did anyone think about taking him to a doctor?

Ali:
Doctor? Arey no yaar, Ammi already called that pious baba from Multan. He did some dum and gave us a taweez to hang near Salman’s bed. Baba said it’s a strong shaitani asar.

Bilal:
And how’s that working?

Ali:
Well… the taweez fell off yesterday and Salman threw it out the window. Then he laughed for ten minutes straight. Definitely a jinn reaction.

Bilal:
Or maybe… just maybe… he didn’t like someone hanging necklaces over his bed and treating him like a horror movie character?

Ali:
(laughs) Tu hass le, but explain this—how come as soon as baba came and read that ayat, Salman calmed down?

Bilal:
It’s called suggestibility, Ali. It’s like when kids behave because they believe their teacher has a magical stick. Maybe Salman felt some comfort, or maybe he didn’t want to be stared at by ten aunties and a molvi all chanting over him like it’s The Exorcist.

Ali:
Okay Mr. Harvard, so you’re saying there’s no such thing as jinn?

Bilal:
I’m saying jinn are part of our belief system, yes. But not every case of depression or schizophrenia is because of them. That’s dangerous thinking. I had a cousin too—Rameen—very smart girl. One day, she just shut down. Didn’t speak, avoided light, started crying randomly. Her mother took her to three peers, spent thousands. Turned out, she had bipolar disorder.

Ali:
But you can’t see bipolar. With jinn at least, there are signs—like eyes rolling, voices changing, even levitating sometimes.

Bilal:
Levitating?! Bhai, this isn’t a Netflix series. That’s either fabricated or a medical condition. People in seizures or psychosis can appear like that. The brain is powerful, Ali. It’s not all black magic and shadows.

Ali:
But then how do you explain cases where someone gets better after ruqya or Quran recitation?

Bilal:
That’s the placebo effect. The belief that you’re being healed can trigger a real response. And Quranic verses can be calming, no doubt—just like meditation. But that doesn’t mean there’s a jinn involved. We shouldn’t confuse spiritual comfort with medical treatment.

Ali:
So you’re saying religion has no role?

Bilal:
Not at all. Faith helps people cope. It gives strength. But when someone breaks their leg, we don’t wrap it in taweez, right? We take them to the hospital. Same goes for the mind. Mental health issues are real, and treatable. Ignoring them in the name of jinn can make things worse.

Ali:
Hmm… maybe you’re right. But still, I’m keeping my eye on Salman. Last night he whispered in Urdu, English, and Pashto. He doesn’t even know Pashto.

Bilal:
(laughs) Maybe he’s watching Pushto drama serials when no one’s looking.

Ali:
Or maybe… you’re the jinn, Bilal. Always logical. No emotions. Classic sign!

Bilal:
Acha chal, jinn or not, finish your chai before it gets cold. Otherwise Ammi will think the jinns drank it again.

Ali:
(laughs) Fine. But if I start levitating later tonight, it’s your fault.

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[End Scene]