There once was a house made of arish. The sun never entered it, the rain never fell on it and the wind never shook it. Jinn occupied it for more than a thousand years. Humans called them Qawm Al Deseas.
The people didn’t want Qawm Al Deseas because they brought misfortune on the village, so the Sheikh decided to destroy the house. One day soon after, the villagers all started reading the Holy Quran and mawethat. But one old woman called Aisha didn’t want the house destroyed. She had lived in the area for more than 70 years, and knew what would happen if the house was knocked down. Aisha warned the people but no one listened, so she left.
The night after Al Asha prayers, the villagers read together in a loud voice. Suddenly, the house burst into flames. They thought they had killed all the jinn, but they were wrong. Qawm Al Deseas didn’t die. They had escaped and were now very angry.
They went to Ras Al Khaimah to get help from a friend who lived in the sea. Khattaf Raffay is a boat with a haunted sail. United, Khattaf Raffay and Qawm Al Deseas decided to kill the people, take their souls and throw the bodies away.
Disguised as traders, Qawm Al Deseas and Khattaf Raffay built a store in the Souq and hung up a sign, ‘Change Your Life in a Minute.’ They invited the Sheikh to open it. When he stepped inside, his mind started playing tricks. He saw an amazing chair made of gold and purple diamonds and other wonderful things. Khattaf Raffay told the Sheikh to close his eyes and put his hand on a sail.
Possessed by Qawm Al Deseas, the Sheikh saw everything he wanted in life – popularity, riches, and much more. He left the store telling people how wonderful it was. The people visited one by one. Qawm Al Deseas and Khattaf Raffay were very happy, because with each body they entered, they became stronger. They turned all the people into jinn and made the whole village haunted.
By Mariam Juma Al Dhaheri
Illustration by Dina Bin Masoud
