From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Abu Fanus at dawn |
|
| other names) | Abu Siraj, Abu Nuwaira |
|---|---|
| grouping | Jean |
| subgrouping | vampire |
| similar institutions | Min Min Light, Marfa Lights |
| folk literature | Arabic and Islamic |
| first certified | Pre-Islamic period |
| Known for | luring travelers into the desert, then disappearing without a trace, and leaving them lost |
| Country | Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Iran |
| Area | Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf |
| natural habitat | arabian desert |
abu fanous (Arabic: and many more) is a mysterious light phenomenon observed by travelers in the Arabian desert, mainly in the Eastern Province, Riyadh, Najd, Rub’ al-Khali and the Gulf.[1] It appears at dawn or during the night as a sphere or headlight that moves unexpectedly and lures people into the desert, then disappears without a trace.[2][3]
literally means abu fanous Is Fanous’s fatherwith fans (Thank you) means lantern or light. there are other names also abu siraj (very nice) Or Abu Nuwaira (and many more).[4]
In local Arabic folklore, Abu Fanas is described as a jinn, an Islamic and Arabic supernatural being, who lures people to remote areas of the desert and then disappears, leaving travelers lost and to die. According to oral accounts, travelers are advised not to approach the light and instead to move away from it by reciting the Ayat ul-Kursi or Azaan, based on the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad about Ghilan by Jabir ibn Abdullah.[2][3]
This phenomenon was depicted in a painting by Saudi artist Aziz Jamal in 2023, depicting its effects using eyes visible in the dark.[5]
Abu Fanas has always been sighted and there have been cases of travelers getting lost in the Arabian desert, such as one traveler being chased in his car until he reached the town of Qaisumah, after which the lights disappeared.[4] No clear scientific explanation has yet been gathered for this phenomenon, while there are theories such as natural gases rising from the Earth’s crust and igniting when exposed to air, producing the bright light.[6]
<a href