The Legend of Khorafa and the Valley of the Jinn
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| Khorafa and Valley Of The Jinn |
There are people whose names live on forever, even after they leave this world. Their names seem to gain a life of their own, separate from their original owners, developing a kind of autonomy. Over time, people often forget the origins of these names and their connection to actual individuals. For example, who today remembers that the word “pajamas” was originally a man’s name? Or that the "sandwich" we eat is named after a man who couldn’t bear to part with his gambling table, so he invented a way to eat without interrupting his game? The same is true for the word "Khorafa."
Long ago, there was a boy from the tribe of Bani Uzra named Khorafa. In Arabic, khorafa refers to things the mind finds unbelievable—what we might call a fairy tale or myth in English.
One day, Khorafa’s mother asked him to take the sheep out to graze. She warned him not to go near the distant valley, fearing its remoteness and the mysterious aura surrounding it. However, when Khorafa reached the grazing lands, he found the nearby valleys crowded with shepherds and sheep. Looking around, he saw the Forbidden Valley, which was completely deserted, and curiosity led him toward it. This place was known as the Valley of the Jinn.
After some time, Khorafa grew tired and decided to rest. He eventually fell asleep and didn’t wake up until night had fallen. When he awoke, his sheep were gone. Searching frantically, he spotted three men running away with his flock. He chased after them, calling out, “Hey! Those are my sheep! Stop, thieves!”
As the figures turned toward him, Khorafa suddenly realized he wasn’t facing ordinary robbers. Instead, he stood before a group of jinn—supernatural beings who inhabited the valley.
Understanding now that he had entered the forbidden lands of the jinn, Khorafa tried to flee, but they quickly captured him. A debate arose among the jinn about what should be done with the intruder. One argued, “We must kill him.” Another said, “He didn’t know this valley belongs to us. Let’s just take his sheep as punishment and release him—there’s no need for bloodshed.”
After a long argument, the jinn reached a decision: instead of killing Khorafa, they would take him into their valley as punishment for grazing his sheep on their sacred hills without permission.
Strange Judgments in the Valley of the Jinn
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| Khorafa and Valley Of The Jinn |
The jinn tied Khorafa up and took him with them into the Valley of the Jinn. On their way, they encountered two jinn—one riding a mule and the other riding a horse. But something unusual caught their attention: the servant was on the horse, while the prince rode the mule. Puzzled, they asked, “Why do you let your servant ride the horse while you ride the mule?”
In response, the prince first inquired about the prisoner they were escorting—Khorafa. The jinn explained that they had captured him because they found him grazing his sheep in the forbidden valley.
The prince said, “I’ll tell you my story, on one condition: that I be allowed to participate in deciding the fate of this prisoner.” The jinn agreed, and so the prince began his tale.
“My father was a great king, and after his death, I succeeded him. Over time, I noticed strange behavior from my mother, so I started keeping a close watch on her. Eventually, I discovered that she was having a sexual relationship with one of my slaves. I arrested them both and cast an enchantment on them—transforming my mother into a mule and the slave into a horse.
When the people of my kingdom learned what had happened, they turned against me and expelled me from the throne. Since then, I have wandered the land, riding the mule that was once my mother, while my former slave rides the horse.”
The jinn were amazed. “That is certainly a strange story,” they said. “We have decided to include you in judging this prisoner.”
As the prince was telling his story, a wise old jinni overheard the conversation and exclaimed, “And what’s so strange about that?!”
Curious, the others asked him if he had a tale stranger than the prince’s. The wise jinni replied, “Yes, I do. But I will only tell it on one condition: that you allow me to join in judging the prisoner.”
The jinn agreed, and he asked them, “Have you ever heard of the case known as the Chain of Judgment?”
The Chain of Judgment and the Deceit of Mankind
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| Khorafa and Valley Of The Jinn |
One day, a merchant, who owned a large ruby, was about to go on a journey. Before leaving, he entrusted the ruby to his neighbor for safekeeping. But during the merchant’s absence, the neighbor grew greedy and desired the ruby for himself. So, he hid it inside a wooden stick that he regularly carried and leaned on.
A month later, the merchant returned and asked for his ruby. The neighbor feigned surprise and replied, ‘What ruby?’ The merchant said, ‘The ruby I gave you before my trip.’ The neighbor insisted, ‘I already returned it to you.’
The merchant was baffled. ‘When did you return it to me? I just got back—I haven’t seen you since I gave it to you!’
The neighbor doubled down, saying, ‘It was a heavy burden, and I returned your ruby. I swear I did.’ So, they both went to the heavenly Chain of Judgment to resolve the matter.
The merchant presented his story to the chain. As he finished, the chain leaned toward him, indicating he was telling the truth.
Then the neighbor said, ‘Now it’s my turn to speak, but can you hold my stick? It’s heavy and distracting me.’ The merchant took the stick from him—unaware that the ruby was hidden inside it.
The neighbor then said, ‘This man gave me his ruby before traveling, and I returned it to him. That is the truth.’
The chain now leaned toward the neighbor as well, signaling that he, too, was truthful.
The onlookers were outraged and cried out, ‘The chain has equated the liar with the one who was wronged!’ And at that moment, the chain ascended back to the heavens, never to judge again—because of the deceit and cunning of mankind. From that point on, judgment among people was left to arguments and evidence, not The Chain.”
The Origin of the Word “Khorafa”
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| Khorafa and Valley Of The Jinn |
Khorafa said, “Allah Almighty created both jinn and humans, and placed a veil between them. One night, a man was herding his sheep when a group of jinn appeared and captured him. They took him to their realm, and there, he listened to their tales—full of marvels and wonders. Tell me, is there anything more astonishing than that?”
The jinn burst into laughter and replied, “Yes, yes—you’re right! There is no tale more wondrous than this.” And with that, they released Khorafa and allowed him to return to his family.
When he got back, he began sharing his incredible experience with everyone. But no one believed him. No matter how often he told his story, people dismissed it as fantasy.
And so, the name Khorafa became synonymous with myth, fable, or fantasy—a story too strange to be true.