'Afreet': The Arabic word for demon can be both scary and complimentary

Found in the Quran, the term can be used to describe someone as witty or energetic

The Arabic word afreet refers to demons or a class of powerful jinn

In the Quran, in Surah Al Naml, Allah describes “an afreet from among the jinn”, who tells Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) that he can bring him the throne of Bilqis (Queen of Sheba) “before you rise from your council”.

The verse offers one of the earliest glimpses of the afreet, a being of immense power, speed and cunning, yet still bound by divine command.

Our Arabic word of the week is sometimes transliterated in English as ifrit or efreet, which has come to represent a demon, or a distinct class within the world of the jinn.

These are spirits created from smokeless fire, able to move unseen and influence human affairs in mysterious ways. While all jinn occupy the space between the human and the divine, the afreet is often portrayed as something more formidable: proud, defiant and capable of both great good and great harm.

In classical Arabic literature, particularly in One Thousand and One Nights, afreets appear as beings of immense stature and fiery presence, sometimes cruel and vengeful, other times wise and even tragic. They possess the power to shape-shift, command the elements and traverse vast distances in an instant.

These depictions elevated the afreet from a scriptural reference to a potent symbol of untamed energy and rebellion, reflecting the struggle between order and chaos that has animated the region’s storytelling traditions.

Over time, the afreet became a cultural archetype, representing what lies beyond human control: the unseen, the unpredictable and the wild. Folklore across the Arab world situates afreets in deserted places such as ruins, wells and stretches of empty desert, spaces thought to blur the boundaries between the human world and the spiritual realm.

The idea travelled beyond the region through translation and retelling, influencing western literature and fantasy, where the afreet often appears as an emblem of elemental fire or ancient power.

The word continues to find new meaning in modern culture. Egyptian rapper Wegz’s hit 3afareet El Asphalt, or Asphalt Spirits, reimagines the afreet as a symbol of street life and survival. The song’s title and lyrics evoke the restless energy of Cairo’s urban underbelly, portraying young people who move through the city with the same defiance and resilience once attributed to the mythical being.

The word is also found in everyday Arabic speech, often used light-heartedly to describe someone as sharp or mischievously clever. To call someone “an afreet” is to acknowledge a spark of wit. To call a child an afreet, though, would suggest they have too much energy for mere adults to catch up with.