Latest News
Ancient roots of Arabic talismans
A taweez is a talisman, amulet, or charm which is believed to ward off evil and bring good luck. Taweez are used in Islam to protect against the evil eye and other malevolent spiritual influences. Islamic talismans generally fall into three categories – taweez or amulets, sufi-mystical talismans, and Quranic talismans.
The word “taweez” comes from Arabic and means “to put a protective charm on something”. Taweez are typically made from paper, cloth, or leather with Arabic inscriptions of prayers on them. The word Taweez means “to tie” in Arabic and the taweez often has knots or threads that are tied to symbolize a strong bond between the wearer and God. The most common use of a Taweez is for love spells or as a cure for illness. The use of talismans is not a new phenomenon. It has been in existence for centuries and used by different cultures all over the world. Beyond belief, amulets were found in the Grand Mosque of Mecca while they were doing renovations. These amulets are said to be used during the medieval period and believed to provide divine protection or armor.
The origin of talismans in the Islamic tradition can be traced to the prophet Muhammad and his piety. We find the earliest references about the existence of talismans in Muslim culture in two texts dating back to the 11th century, named “Kitab Splendid Horsemanship” written by ` Ali ibn Ridwan in 1031 AD and “Book of Good Things” written by al-Faqih Santorini prior to 1100 as well.
The roots of talismans are Islamic, but they have been used by many other cultures throughout history such as ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians ( They called these talismans “Tala” which means “to tie”) Arabian pagans and more recently Christians. The Quran is the most common source of Islamic talismans for Muslims today because it is believed to have healing powers. The Quran has some verses that refer to amulets as well as verses that mention angels who will protect you when you wear them (Quran 2:102-103). It says that those who wear it will be protected from all evils, especially if they are believers. Early mention of these kind of amulets was from ancient Egyptian and from Assyrian civilizations where they were described as being an object that had superstitious powers, power embued with metaphysical significance or authority.
At first taweez were considered to be Pagan symbols and resembled talisman which belongs to the Greek word ‘talismanium’. This bound of beliefs led Al-Buni for instance to advocate the view that magic talisman are left behind by Chaldeans and Magians from Antiquity. Talismans were not always looked upon favorably by Arab countries because they continued to ascribe them to old pagan beliefs just as the Hebrews had done (such as wearing 777 bronze rings), but in the 10th century arab mystic Al-Buni changed their beliefs. It was the common Muslim view in Medieval hadiths, which were reports of sayings or actions attributed personally to the Prophet Mohammad, that Muslims should have a Quranic verse or supplication on a taweez in order to be blessed with its supernatural protection.
Talismans from Hindu India were transmitted by Sufi monks before being adopted by pre-modern Arabs who bestowed them with new powers and meanings in sync with medieval Arab mysticism. Sufi also developed as a mystic living in a Muslim society and has been heavily influenced by apostasy during the time of Islam’s medieval period from Turkic pagan tribes. They have inherited many ancient pagan customs from these tribes and these are often seen as the roots of Islamic magic amulets that usually possess zodiac symbols such as pentagrams, hexagrams, sigils etc. When islam was introduced to south Asia, many of the old talismans were redrawn including Arabic texts from Quran on them.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.
