![]() 7Ģ Question 1: What Is a Documentary Magical Text? 6 Their delimitation and the (virtual) size of the overlapping areas between them depends on the practitioner’s view of magic, medicine, and ultimately of Islam. It becomes clear that the boundaries between ʿaqīda, traditional medicine ( ṭibb nabawī), and all forms of what could be called Islamic magic are permeable. Likewise, the belief in angels and jinn is unshakably laid down in the Qurʾan and therefore an indisputable part of Islamic doctrine, but using the names of said creatures in exorcisms or acts of magic is oftentimes considered shirk, since it implies ceding some powers over man to them powers that ultimately belong to God only. As illustrated by the example of the ruqya, many practices constitute intersectional areas covering part of ʿaqīda (orthodox doctrine), medicine and magic at the same time. 5 Calling upon other entities than God and therefore ascribing some power to them can be regarded as unlawful or even shirk (polytheism) according to Islamic theology. 4 A “lawful” ruqya should consist exclusively of Qurʾanic verses and prayers from the prophetic tradition, whereas the ghayr sharʿī versions might include invocations of angels or jinn, or unintelligible utterances. 2 As an example, the ruqya, meaning all (exorcism) spells for curing consequences of the evil eye, aggressive magic, and jinn possession, with some Qurʾanic verses specifically recommended by Prophet Muhammad, 3 has been given the labels sharʿī and ghayr sharʿī or shirkī (lawful or unlawful/polytheistic according to Islamic law) according to its content. As cited above, manifold practices that might be classified as “magical” or somehow connected to a supernatural realm, have existed and still exist, and discussions about their legitimacy abound, both historical and modern. ![]() ![]() The Qurʾan also mentions the evil eye (Q 113) and accounts of jinn are found abundantly in it. The most famous and important instances of magic in the Qurʾan are as follows: First there is negative magic, aggressive magic ( siḥr) mentioned in the Qurʾan as being used for separating couples (Q 2/102) and as something one needs protection from (by seeking refuge in God, Q 113). Consequently, no wonder that discussions about the classification and judgment of magical practices erupt over and over again. While the Qurʾan condemns the practice of magic in general, it does not say explicitly which practices are illicit. In theory, Islam officially acknowledges the existence of different kinds of practices that could be called “magical.” The Qurʾan mentions magic in several instances, but sometimes without a clear definition of the term.
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