________________
Ghouls In ancient Arabian folklore, ghouls are fiendish creatures that open up graves during the night and eat the rotting flesh of dead bodies. They are a type of invisible spirit called a Jinn (or genie), but they can also assume a physical form, and sometimes appear in the guise of a human or animal. However, no matter what form they take, they always leave the hoof prints of a donkey. In addition to eating corpses, they also rob graves, drink blood, steal coins, and kill young children. The only defense against a ghoul is to strike it dead in one blow, because a second blow will bring it back to life again.
ideas about ghouls can be traced back to the pre-Islamic superstitions of the ancient Middle East. Members of some desert-dwelling tribes originally called them "ghuls". After Islam became the main religion in the region, its followers tried to eradicate the old superstitions. But belief in ghouls persisted, and the creatures were eventually incorporated into Islam as one form of a type of spirit called a Jinn. Some descriptions of them say that they are the offspring of the Devil. In modern Islamic countries, stories about ghouls are sometimes used to frighten a disobedient child.
The Tree of Zaqqum In Islamic descriptions of hell, the Tree of Zaqqum grows at the lowest level. Its fruits, which look like the heads of devils, have a horrible taste. If one of them is plucked from the tree and eaten, it puts out thorns that rip into the inner lining of the belly. It also becomes so hot that it burns any flesh it touches inside the body.
As part of their punishment, the sinners in hell are always starving. In their search for food, they eventually reach the lowest level and find the Zaqqum Tree. Driven to desperation by hunger, they eat the disgusting fruit. But it doesn't alleviate their hunger or provide any nourishment to
