In Islam, the belief that spiritual entities—such as jinn, ghosts, devils—can possess a person, a thing or location, is widespread; as is the belief that spirits can be expelled from the possessed person (or thing/location) through exorcism. This practice is called al-'azm, ṭard al-shayṭān/al-jinn (expulsion of devils/spirits), or ruqya (Arabic: رقية, romanized: ruqya, spell, charm, magic, incantation), and exorcists are called raqi.

Belief in the supernatural—witchcraft, sorcery, magic, ghosts, and demons—in the Muslim world is not marginalized as eccentric or a product of ignorance, but is prevalent among all social classes. Belief in the supernatural creatures such as Jinn are both an integral part of Islamic belief, and a common explanations in society "for evil, illness, health, wealth, and position in society as well as all mundane and inexplicable phenomena in between". Given the moral ambivalence ascribed to supernatural agents in Islamic tradition, exorcisms can be addressed to both good and evil spirits.

Jinn are thought to be able to enter and physically possess people for various reasons, while devils (shayāṭīn) assault the heart (qalb) and attempt to turn their victims to evil.

Most Muslim scholars believe in the possibility that jinn can physically possess people. Only a minority denies possession and argues that jinn can merely whisper to a person. The everyday-life concern may vary. Some consider possession to be purely theoretical with no practical application, others consider interference of jinn only under rare circumstances, for example, when summoned by a sorcerer, yet others take it seriously and attribute everyday events to demonic activities. Jinn are thought to be able to enter and physically possess people for various reasons, while devils assault the heart (qalb) and attempt to turn their victims to evil. Because of that, jinn are associated with physical and mental illnesses, while cases of moral transgressions speak about devils (shayāṭīn) or Iblīs.

Mental disorders, such as epilepsy, forgetfulness, schizophrenia, lack of energy, and morbid fears, are often attributed to demonic-possessions and witchcraft. Yet, not all mental-illnesses are attributed to demons, rather demons are believed to cause such symptoms. Belief in Jinn-possession is not only prevalent in Middle-Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, but also among Muslims in Great Britain. Belief in demonic possession also prevails among educated people.

Due the ambiguous nature of jinn, some people may volunteer for possession. Possession by spirits is believed to grant beneficent powers, as in the case of diviners. In that case, the possessed performs a trance dance (hadra) in order to renew their covenant with their personal jinni. In context of Swahili culture, jinn possession may be used for healing purposes. Such possessions are to be distinguished from cultural concepts of possession by demons.

Possession could be either that the spirit enters the victim's body physically and stays there, or is haunted by their presence but stays detached from their victim. The latter would manifest in somatic problems such as bad dreams, while the former supposedly causes confusion, violance, and superhuman strengh.

According to the Islamic view on possession, a corrupted soul (nafs) increases susceptibility (dha'iyfah) to possession by evils spirits. Among them are ghosts (arwa'), jinn, and devils. The jinn differ from devils, by that the former can be believers (Muslim). However, since both are said to be created from some sort of fire, they are affined in some local Islamic beliefs. In some beliefs, ghosts are the souls of the improperly-buried dead and those who have been cursed by God. They are conceptually different from jinn-possession.