The Si’lat, si’lah, or sila (plural sa’alin) literally means “she-jinn” or “she-ghul” the jinn of lightning who possess very long forelegs and hind feet and have a mane of ash-gray color. As for their overall appearance, they are supposed to resemble greyhounds, making them analogues of the Bedouins' favorite canine, the slender. They enjoy frightening camels away from their grazing areas. They are expert shape-shifters and the smartest of the jinn. They can mimic human appearance with ease.
Sources vary on the morality of si’lats. Some assert they are the wickedest type of ghul; others that they are merely capricious tricksters who might either help or cause trouble for mortals.
A she-demon of this name was ancestress of the tribe of Amr-b-Yarbu. Si’lats often dwell in woodlands, where they might capture travelers and force them to dance for their amusement, which indicates her electrical origin. An island in the China Sea is reported to be inhabited by them, or possibly by Shaitans, the offspring of human beings and jinn, who eat men.
Ancient traditions describe this jinn as sudden in appearance and disappearance, with a cat-like face, canine teeth, and a forked tongue.