Muslim and Sufi: magic in this belief world

Ruqyah, the talisman, the djinn, and the debate over what Islam permits.

In Islam, the Quran is held to be a source of protection and healing, and the faith has a long, debated relationship with talismans, amulets, the djinn and divination. The practice of ruqyah, Quranic recitation for protection or relief, is widely accepted when it uses the Quran and prayer alone. This page covers the range of practice, from Sufi shrines to Salafi critics, and the legal and social stakes. Practice varies from country to country, and between Sunni, Shia and Sufi communities.

What is accepted

Muslim scholars generally accept supplication and recitation of the Quran and the prophetic prayers for protection. The existence of the djinn, beings of smokeless fire, is stated in the Quran, and the evil eye is mentioned in hadith. Protection from the eye and from harm by recitation is common, and recitation for sickness is a regular practice of both laity and imams. The Quran's last two chapters, the Mu'awwidhatayn, are widely recited for protection, and many Muslims keep a Quranic verse in the home or the car.

What is disputed

Writing verses on amulets, using names and letter squares as in the sciences of huruf and awfaq, consulting astrologers, and visiting shrines for intercession divide scholars. Salafi and reformist movements condemn such practices as shirk, associating others with God. Sufi traditions and many popular practices defend them. The Maghreb has a long tradition of written talismans, and West African marabouts supply them. The djinn are discussed by scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya, and by popular preachers, and many Muslims believe that possession by a djinn can occur and that recitation is the proper response.

Law and punishment

Treatment of sorcery varies. In Saudi Arabia, people have been executed for sorcery or witchcraft, and the law there treats it as a serious crime. Elsewhere, courts prosecute fraudulent healers, and in Indonesia and Malaysia the bomoh and dukun are both consulted and criticised. Women are often healers, clients and accused, though men hold most formal religious authority. Many Muslims, especially in South Asia, West Africa, Indonesia and Turkey, visit tombs of saints to ask for help, while others, including Salafis and many modernists, regard this as wrong.

Diaspora and the market

Muslim communities in Europe and North America run ruqyah services, and websites sell talismans. Some exploit the fear of djinn or the evil eye, charging high sums, and abuse in the name of exorcism has been reported in several countries. Scholars note that practice differs sharply by region, class and school of thought. Some Muslims also see the line between permitted and forbidden as clear in principle but hard to keep in daily practice, and think that what matters is that practice does not replace worship of God alone.

Muslim and Sufi on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreEvil eye A curse caused by an envious look and the charms used to block itBelief · Protection · Cursing and harm Living

🇵🇸 Palestine and 1 moreRachel's TombQever Raḥel; Qabr Rāḥīl A shared holy site near Bethlehem revered by Jews, Christians, and MuslimsTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreHamsaخمسة A palm-shaped amulet used across North Africa and the Middle East to ward off harm.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreJinnجِنّ Supernatural beings in Islamic and pre-Islamic Arabian belief, created from smokeless fire.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Living

🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreRainmaking Efforts to induce rain through technology, ritual, or prayer.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreTalisman An object believed to channel specific forces for protection, healing, or influence.Charm · Protection · Healing Historical

🇹🇴 Tonga and 5 moreTabootapu A cultural prohibition that marks something as forbidden or sacredBelief · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇸🇳 Senegal and 5 moreMaraboutmurābiṭ A Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, often linked to Sufi brotherhoods.Tradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreKejawènꦏꦗꦮꦺꦤ꧀ (Kajawèn) A Javanese tradition blending animism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam into a path of inner harmony.Tradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇳🇿 New Zealand and 5 moreFace tattoo Marks inked on the face for spiritual protection, identity, rank, and rite of passageTradition · Protection · Power and authority Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇩🇿 Algeria and 1 moreAhmad al-Buniأحمد البوني المالكي A medieval Sufi scholar known for works on letter mysticism and talismansText · Power and authority · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreRelic An object or body part kept to honor a holy person and mark their connection to the divineCharm · Protection · Healing Living 🇬🇧 United KingdomEvil eye bead (sample)Nazar boncuğu A blue glass bead hung to turn aside envy.Charm · Protection Living 🇹🇷 TurkeyHamsa (sample)Khamsa An open hand with an eye, hung on doors.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇲🇱 Mali and 3 moreGris-gris A small pouch or charm from West Africa used for protection and luck.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreTalismanic shirttılsımlı gömlek A worn textile inscribed with sacred verses and symbols for protection in the Muslim worldCharm · Protection Historical

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAsian witchcraft A broad overview of magical practices and persecution across Asian culturesTradition · Cursing and harm · Protection Living

🇹🇳 TunisiaStambeli A Tunisian music and possession rite practiced by Black communities of slave descentTradition · Healing · Protection Living

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 4 moreTrinidad Orisha A syncretic Afro-Caribbean faith blending Yoruba spirit work with Christian and other traditions in Trinidad.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreAmulet A portable object worn or carried to ward off harm and invite protection.Charm · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇩 IndonesiaPancar Merah An engraved Islamic talisman from South Borneo used for protection and charismaCharm · Protection · Power and authority Historical

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreAfrican divination Methods used across the continent to understand present realities and predict future events.Oracle · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreAngelמלאך A supernatural messenger or intermediary spirit found in many religious traditions.Being · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living

🇲🇦 Morocco and 1 moreTweezaتويزة A North African Sufi tradition of communal labor and mutual aidTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreSuperstitions in Muslim societies Beliefs in supernatural forces and charms found across the Islamic worldTradition · Protection · Healing Living

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Rachel's Tomb: Lane-Poole, Stanley, Public domain, source
Sunda Wiwitan: Greenland4, Public domain, source
Gris-gris: Teogomez, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Amulet: Anonymous ( Egypt ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Hamsa: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Jinn: VenusFeuerFalle, CC0, source
Egungun: Ìṣẹ̀ṣeAssembly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rainmaking: George Catlin, Public domain, source
Talismanic shirt: Ibrahim Husain Meraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Stambeli: Youssefbensaad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Talisman: Sasha India, CC BY 2.0, source
Taboo: Jonathan McIntosh, CC BY 2.0, source
Marabout: Jan Broekhuijse, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pancar Merah: Stameni011, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Angel: Unknown author, CC0, source
Face tattoo: Gottfried Lindauer, Public domain, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tweeza: Demeester, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
African divination: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
Ahmad al-Buni: Khalili Collections, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, source
Superstitions in Muslim societies: Unknown author, CC0, source
Relic: MathieuGuy, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Asian witchcraft: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, source