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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.islam.sufism,alt.sufi,alt.magick,talk.religion.misc,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic
From: haramullah 
Subject: Islam, Sufism, Magic and More!
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 10:07:40 GMT

50010828 VI! Hail Satan! Hail Allah!

assalam alaykum, kin.



> well hope that u will be able to help me in the
> following. let me tell u a little about myself.I am a
> Muslim girl by birth, by I was never much interested
> in my religion. Thought my parents teach me the basic
> of Islam. From some years I found myself interested
> into witchcraft. I didn't know about Muslim
> witchcraft, but after some deep research. 

I would like to know more about Muslim magic, have only
a little bit of knowledge regarding charms and spells,
and have enjoyed working Islam (as I know it, very
unconventional and unusual) into my life and ritual.

> Well, I would like to know whether you can
> help me; I would like to learn more about Muslim
> religion 

what I know about Muslim religion is very little,
though I have shared time with some Sufis and enjoy
a little study of traditional principles (such as
the Five Pillars (six? :>), as well as the details
about strange things like Ka'ab and Sufi magic).

you grew up Muslim? what could I tell you that you
do not already know?! perhaps what I could quote to
you from my library or from my archives. I'm very
willing to hear your questions. if I do not know an
answer to them I may wish to try to find some of
them from Muslims online.

> as well as magic which are contain in the
> coran(Muslim sacred book). 

a wonderful subject! I know Qur'an very little and
have understood that some Arabic charms and amulets
have Qur'anic inscriptions on outside and perhaps
paper with Qur'an text inside. there are specific
surah which are used for these, but I have now
forgotten them. perhaps you would know what these
are? I might be able to look them up, or perhaps you can
tell me what you have found. this is also a subject
of great interest to me. 

I have met more than one Muslim trader: both named
Abdul! they knew little about magic but shared what 
they could. the first Majid was from Afghanistan
but had lived in Pakistan and India before coming to
the US. he was getting out of the business of selling
charms, statues of gods, deity cards, etc. when my wife
and I met him and he shared his Ramadan supper with us 
(we were very honoured at this). what Majid had to share
besides the occasional amulet boxes (in which one
places portions of Qur'an for protection) was a kind
of plant (its seed) called 'Aspand' which one burnt
upon charcoal. one waves the smoke around the child's
head after she returns to the home, thereby removing 
the effects of the Evil Eye (a very well-known Middle 
Eastern, Mediterranean, European, Aegean, and Indian 
belief). the smoke was to circle around the child's 
head with the following recitation (perhaps you can 
better the translation I was given by Majid!):

	(transliterated Arabic)

	Aspand Bla Band
	Barakati Shaw Naqshband
	Jashmi Heach Jashmi Khaish
	Jashmi Dost wa Dooshmani
	Bad Andish
	Be sosa der Hamin Atashi
	Taze.

	(translated into English?)

	This is Aspand, it banishes the Evil Eye
	the blessing of King of Naqshband
	eye of nothing, eye of relatives
	eye of friends, eye of enemies
	whoever is bad
	should burn in this glowing fire.

if you know anything about this seed, where it comes
from, what its English name is, the plant from which
it comes, etc., I would like to learn this, as well
as anything more you know about Muslim magic.
 	
there is some text within books about Sufism (unknown
how reliable this is). it describes what seems to me
a comparable type of magic or power (siddhis) as what
are taught by Indians (Hindus usually) and Hermetics
(Europeans) or Buddhists (variable, often Tibetan):
that sufficient mystical development will allow the
adept to obtain or use certain superordinary abilities
such as telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to be two
places at once or travel in an instant, etc.  I must
urge caution that I am unaware that any of the tales
about these powers are true, though I have some little
experience with people who appeared to dream something
before it occurred (usually something very 
inconsequential!). I was unaware that these individuals
were more spiritually developed than others, not having
dedicated their lives to mystical disciplines, for example.

> I am very much interested
> in witchcraft and I also know that you can learn much
> through coran. 

you may wish to check out the book "Semitic Magic",
published by Samuel Weiser, whose information I can
get for you if you need it (you can probably look them
up at Google.com if you like). it contains descriptions 
of Babylonian, Canaanite, Jewish, Muslim, and other
Middle Eastern forms of magic from ancient times to
the present. I know very little about this as I am
not yet familiar with the subject. if you do research
it please share with me in public forums to which I
would like to also post this email! :>

> But I also want to learn more about my
> religion, 

I find that online a good source is #muslim channels in
IRC (ignore those who wish to tell you 'The Truth', if
you take my advice, and ask lots of questions regardless
of how upset they may get -- but of course try to keep
respectful so they don't throw you out! I go by the
name "haramullah" when I visit so they know to expect
the forbidden from me :> -- this is my name among Muslims
and why I have signed my letter to you as such).

> about the hadiz, 

perhaps you mean the Hadith? this is a collection of
sayings attributed to Muhammad, probably composed some
decades or longer after his death.

> sufism, etc.

sufism is very complex, being a system and culture of
mystics whose common structural component is that of
'orders' or 'tariqas', usually headed by a sheikh or
guide, and tracing itself back through many former
sheikhs to Muhammad (pbuh), Mosheh (pbuh), and even
to Adam (pbuh)! they are of variable contention about
their allegiance to Islam, some expressing universal
sentiments (transreligious), some walking the line,
most of them associating themselves with a variety of
mystic saints and poets (e.g. Ibn Arabi, Al Hallaj,
and Rumi) by whom they are inspired and whose
presence some believe may still be encountered! there
are many orders throughout the world which one may
encounter by finding their local center via the internet.
my own experience was with the Naqshbandis and the
Jerrahis, if memory serves, and each had its own appeal.
VERY kind and humble people.

as a woman you may find that some serve you better
than others (because of their tendency, for example,
to break apart the males and females in socialization
and worship -- something with which my own Shakti-worship
does not always mix well). it may be helpful for you to
initially try to contact universalists sufis, such as
those who of the lineage of Inayat Khan, or Idries Shah
(the latter's book, "The Sufis" is also a valuable read).
 
peace be with you,

haramullah 
nagasiva@luckymojo.com 
-- 
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