Ifrits (Afrit, Afriteh, Alfrit, Efreet, Ifriteh) In Islamic mythology, spirits often evil but sometimes good. They are but one of the five classes of Djinn, or devils. The Koran (sura 27) makes a brief mention of the “Ifrit, one of the Djinn.” In Egyptian Islamic folklore an Ifrit means the ghost of a murdered man or one who died a violent death. Yet the female version of the Ifrit, called the Ifriteh, mentioned in The Thousand and One Nights, is a benevolent Djinn. In one tale, “Second Old Man’s Story” (night 2), a pious woman is transformed into an Ifriteh and carries a hero to an island to save his life. In the morning she returns and says: “I have paid thee my debt, for it is I who bore thee up out of the sea and saved thee from death, by permission of Allah. Know that I am of the Djinn who believe in Allah and his prophet.” Thus, some Ifrits are good spirits, converted to Islam.
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow – Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante