Jordan’s Magic Sorcerers Continue to Be Sought After · Global Voices
Amman, Jordan. Taken by <PERSON>. Used with permission.
The demonological conception of Islam regards the “jinn” (الجن‎‎), anglicized as “genie”, as a servant of Allah, similar to the human. What makes the subject of magic practices and beliefs in Jordan all the more fascinating is the conflicting relationship of simultaneous opposition and tolerance between religion and “the Occult”. Indeed, Islam does not reject the existence of magic; quite the contrary: several Quranic verses refer to magic-doing, if only to condemn the practice.
When asked by Global Voices whether he believed in magic, Amman-based taxi driver <PERSON> said, “Every Muslim should believe in magic because of the story of Prophet <PERSON> in the Quran”. According to the Chapter of al-A‘raf in the Quran, upon arrival in front of the <PERSON>, <PERSON> had a confrontation with the Pharaoh’s sorcerers, who used black magic to turn their rods into snakes. With God’s approval, <PERSON> turned his rod into a serpent, forcing the sorcerers to kneel before him and accept his prophecies, stunned by the miracle observed.
This episode illuminates the Quranic distinction between magic and miracle, whereby in the words of <PERSON> , one of the most prominent Muslim historians, “a miracle 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. 773
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” .
In Jordan, the acceptance of the existence of “jinn” and its believed ability to possess people is one of many commonplace magic beliefs, such as the greedy “ evil eye ”, amulets and Al-matuom — the practice of using the deemed “dirty” menstrual blood to ensure someone’s love towards you.
But from a religious perspective, magic is frowned upon, to say the least. The Imam of Masjed Al-Edlbe in Na’ur, <PERSON>, summarized religion’s attitude towards magic by explaining that “magic is the deed of the Sheitan (Devil) and teaching, learning, and practicing magic is haram (sin)”.
However, although magic is strictly forbidden, in his concurrent role as the mosque’s sheikh, <PERSON> gets called to dispel magic at least twice a week on average. Because Al-Masjed is perceived as the home of God who has the ultimate power over all creatures, individuals possessed by “jinn” avoid setting foot in the mosque, thus requiring the sheikh to visit their homes.
The last case Sheikh <PERSON> recounted for Global Voices involved a 22-year old woman “of exceptional beauty”:
Over forty men had asked for her hand and yet each engagement had broken off right before becoming official. Desperate, her family invited me to their house to read to her Quranic verses, thought to be the best way to dispel magic. I then began conversing with the ‘jinn’ who possessed the woman and learned that the magical creature had fallen in love with her. Thus, whenever someone came to offer her marriage, the genie would cause her face to temporarily deform. Upon the unpleasant sight of her suddenly ‘monstrous’ face, all candidates would run away with no intention to come back. Yet, once I finished reading the Quran, the jinn left the woman’s body and soon after she got married.
Although religious leaders are unanimous in their view that casting spells on others is an utmost sin, being a sheikh al-sihr (magic sorcerer) is a profitable occupation not without demand. A simple Google search lands pages of results, featuring advertisements of Amman-based sorcerers who profess to “break magic”, “cast magic”, or do both.
Screenshot sample of a Google search for “Magic sorcerer in Amman, Jordan”.
Global Voices got in touch with someone who offers wizardry and learned that the cost of casting black magic depends on its “kind” and ranges from 200 (US $282) to 100,000 (US $141,014) Jordanian dinars.
Financial well-being, marriage and maledictions against others are amongst the biggest motivators for people to seek sorcerers. 361