Sorcerers and the Evil Eye

In the Maghrib, there is a type of magical practitioners who are known as “rippers” (baaj).

• They point at a garment or a piece of leather, and it is torn to shreds.
• Or they point at the bellies of sheep and goats with a ripping gesture, and they are ripped open.

Such sorcerers nowadays are called “rippers” in the Maghrib because most of their magical practice concerns ripping animals open.

In that way, they frighten the owners of animals into giving them some animal they can spare.

They keep their activities very much under cover, because they are afraid of the authorities. I have met a number of them and witnessed their kind of magical practice.

They informed me that they practice devotions and exercises which consist of heretical prayers and of association with the spiritualities of jinn and stars.

These things are written down on a sheet of paper they possess, and called al-Khinziriyah. They study it together.

With the help of such exercises and devotions, they perform their magical actions.

They can only affect objects other than free men. Examples are:

• utensils
• animals
• slaves.

They express the idea by the words: “things into which there goes money” . This means all the things that are owned, sold, and bought.

Their magical actions are plain fact. We have come across very much of it. We have observed them with our own eyes and have no doubt about it.

This is the situation with regard to sorcery and talismans and their influence in the world.

The philosophers made a distinction between sorcery and talismans.

They affirmed that both derive their effectiveness from influences of the human soul.

They deduced the existence of an influence of the human soul from the fact that the soul exercises an influence on its own body that cannot be explained by the natural course of affairs or from corporeal reasons.

At times, it results from the qualities of the spirits such as heat, which originates from pleasure and joy.

At other times, it results from other psychic perceptions such as the things that result from imagination (tawahhum).

Thus, a person who walks upon the ledge of a wall or on a high tightrope will certainly fall down if the idea of falling down is strongly present in his imagination.

Therefore, there are many people who train themselves to get used to such things, so that they are not troubled by their imagination.

• They can walk on the ledge of a wall or a high tightrope without fear of falling.

This shows the influence of the human soul and of the soul’s imagining of the idea of falling down.

• If the soul can influence its own body without any natural corporeal causes, it can also exercise a similar influence on bodies other than its own.

Its position with regard to its ability to exercise this type of influence is the same with regard to all bodies, since it is neither inherent nor firmly impressed in a (particular) body.

• Therefore, it is definite that the soul is able to exercise an influence on other bodies.

To philosophers, sorcerers do not need any aid. But those who work with talismans seek the aid of:

• the spiritualities of the stars
• the secrets of numbers
• the particular qualities of existing things
• the positions of the sphere that exercise an influence on the world of the elements, as the astrologers maintain.

Thus, the philosophers say that sorcery is a union of spirit with spirit, while the talisman is a union of spirit with body (substance)

• It means that the high celestial natures are tied together with the low natures. The high natures being the spiritualities of the stars.
• Those who work with talismans, therefore, as a rule, seek the aid of astrology.

The philosophers think that a sorcerer does not acquire his magical ability. Instead he has, by nature, the particular disposition needed for exercising that type of influence.

They think that the difference between miracles and sorcery is this. Amiracle is a divine power that arouses in the soul (the ability) to exercise influence.

The worker of miracles is supported in his activity by the spirit of God.

The sorcerer, on the other hand, does his work by himself and with the help of his own psychic power, and, under certain conditions, with the support of devils. The difference between the two actually concerns the idea, reality, and essence of the matter. We, however, (prefer to) deduce the differentiation merely from obvious signs.

That is, miracles are found (to be wrought) by good persons for good purposes and by souls that are entirely devoted to good deeds. Moreover, (they include) the “advance challenge” (tahaddi) 787 of the claim to prophecy. Sorcery, on the other hand, is found (practiced) only by evil persons and as a rule is used for evil actions, 788 such as causing discord between husband and wife, doing harm to enemies, and similar things.

It is found (practiced) by souls that are entirely devoted to evil deeds. This is the difference between (prophecy and sorcery) in the opinion of metaphysicians.

Among the Sufis some who are favored by acts of divine grace are also able to exercise an influence upon worldly conditions. This, however, is not counted as a kind of sorcery. It is effected with divine support, because the attitude and approach (of these men) result from prophecy and are a consequence of it.

They enjoy divine support, as befits their state and faith and belief in the cause of God. Were someone among them capable of doing evil deeds, he would not do them, because he is bound by the divine command in whatever he may do or not do. Whatever he is not permitted to do, he would certainly not do. Were he to, he would deviate from the path of truth and would in all likelihood lose his “state.”

Miracles take place with the support of the spirit of God and the divine powers. Therefore, no piece of sorcery can match them. One may compare the affair of the sorcerers of Pharaoh with Moses and the miracle of the staff. Moses’ staff devoured the phantoms the sorcerers produced, and their sorcery completely disappeared as if it had never been. 789

Also, the following verse was revealed to the Prophet in the Mu’awwidhatan: “And (I take refuge in God) from the evil of the women who blow into knots.” In this connection, ‘A’ishah said= “As soon as he recited the Qur’an over one of the knots into which a spell against him had been placed, that particular knot became untied.” 790 Sorcery cannot last whenever the name of God is mentioned in a believing state of mind. 791

The historians report that the Darafsh-i-Kaviyan 792 - that is, the banner of the Persian emperor - had a magic square of a hundred fields 793 woven into it in gold.

That had been done when there were certain astronomical positions that had been (especially) observed for the purpose of writing down the magic square.

The banner was found on the day Rustum was killed at al-Qadisiyah. It was lying on the ground after the flight and dispersal of the Persians.

The people who work with talismans and magic squares think that such (a magic square) means victory in war and that a banner containing it or accompanied by it could never be routed. However, (the spell) was counteracted by divine support, which resulted from the faith of the men around the Prophet and their belief in the cause of God.

Through the presence of (faith), any magic spell was dissolved and did not last (this time, as it will always happen whenever faith is involved), “and what they did came to naught.”

The religious law makes no distinction between sorcery, talismans, and prestidigitation. It puts them all into the same class of forbidden things. The Lawgiver (Muhammad) permitted us only those actions that are of relevance to us inour religion, which concerns the well-being of our life in the other world, and in our livelihood, which concerns the wellbeing of our life in this world.

Things that are of no relevance in these two respects and that may cause harm or some kind of harm, are forbidden, (and the strictness of the prohibition is) in proportion to the harm they might do.

Among such (irrelevant and harmful) things are sorcery, which causes harm when it is practiced. Talismans belong together with it, because the effect of sorcery and talismans is the same. There is also astrology, which causes a certain harm in that the belief in astral influences, referring as it does to (beings) other than God, corrupts the Muslim faith.

As to things that are of no relevance to us but cause no harm, nothing is easier than not to do them, in order to be close to God, 795 for “a good Muslim does not do what does not concern him.” 796

Thus, the religious law puts sorcery, talismans, and prestidigitation into one and the same class, because they may cause harm.

It brands them as forbidden and illegal.

The speculative theologians said that the difference between miracles and sorcery lies in the “advance challenge” (tahaddi), 797 that is, the claim that a miracle will occur just as it has been claimed (in advance that it would happen).

It is not possible, they said, that a miracle could happen in agreement with the claim of a liar.

Logic requires that a miracle indicate truthfulness. By definition, a miracle is something that can be verified. If it were performed with lying (intentions), it (could not be verified and thus) truth would have changed into falsehood, and that is absurd.

Therefore, miracles never occur together with lying (intentions). 798

The philosophers assume that the difference between miracles and sorcery is the difference between the two extremes of good and evil. Nothing good issues from a sorcerer, and (sorcery) is not employed in good causes. Nothing evil issues from a worker of miracles, and (miracles) are not employed in evil causes.

Miracles and sorcery are contradictory by their very natures, as are good and evil.

The evil eye

Another psychic influence is that of the eye. It is an influence exercised by the soul of the person who has the evil eye.

A thing or situation appears pleasing to the eye of a person, and he likes it very much. This (circumstance) creates in him envy and the desire to take it away from its owner.

Therefore, he prefers to destroy him.

The eye is a natural gift. The difference between it and the (other) 802 psychic influences is that it appears (and acts) as something natural and innate. It cannot be left alone.

It does not depend on the free choice of its possessor. It is not acquired by him.

Some of the other psychic influences may also not be acquired ones, but their appearance (in action) depends on the free choice of the person who exercises them.

The thing that characterizes them as natural is their (possessors’) potential ability to exercise them, not their automatic action.

Therefore it has been said= “A person who kills by means of sorcery or a miraculous act must be killed, but the person who kills with the eye must not be killed.” The only reason for the (distinction) is that the (person who kills with the eye) did not want or intend to do so, nor could he have avoided doing so. The application (of the eye) was involuntary on his part.