Belief and practice in magic in Islam is "widespread and pervasive"[1] and a "vital element of everyday life and practice", both historically and currently in Islamic culture.[2]
While scholars generally agree that the Quranic term siḥr, (usually defined as magic) is forbidden in Islam, there is less agreement on how siḥr is defined.[3] Magic encompasses a wide-range of non-physical beliefs; including sorcery (which seeks to alter the course of events usually by calling on a supernatural force), divination (attempts "to predict future events or gain information about things unseen"),[4] precognition via dreams,[5] or occultism. Magic further includes protection from other forms of magic, such as black magic, the evil eye, demons, and evil jinn,[6] which are thought to bring "illness, poverty, and everyday misfortunes";[6] or alternately seeking to bring "good fortune, health, increased status, honor, and power".[6] Techniques include evocation, casting lots, the production of amulets and other magical equipment.[7]
At least some of the dispute over what is permissible may be explained by how magic, or forbidden magic, is defined;[8] whether natural, or sympathetic magic—which "makes use of the hidden properties (in Arabic: khawass) of natural substances"—is included as forbidden magic.[9]
- ^ Rassool, G. Hussein (2018). "Magic, witchcraft and demonic possession from an Islamic perspective (Abstract)". Evil Eye, Jinn Possession, and Mental Health Issues (1st, ebook ed.). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315623764-14. ISBN 9781315623764. S2CID 217188843. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Kruk, "Harry Potter in the Gulf", BJMES, May 2005: p.48
- ^ Knight, M. M. (2016). Magic in Islam. Tarcher, p.52.
- ^ Savage-Smith, Magic and Divination in Early Islam, 2004: p.xiii
- ^ Knight, M. M. (2016). Magic in Islam. Penguin.
- ^ a b c Perlmutter, Dawn (Spring 2013). "The Politics of Muslim Magic". Middle East Quarterly. 20 (2). Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Savage-Smith, Magic and Divination in Early Islam, 2004: p.xiii-li
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
RKHPitG2005:53-4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Kruk, "Harry Potter in the Gulf", BJMES, May 2005: p.52