Etymology and Translations
Etymology: The English word “divination” comes from the Latin word divinatio, meaning “the power of foreseeing” or “to be inspired by a god.”
Arabic: العِرافة (al-ʿirāfa) Turkish: Kehanet
Overview
Divination refers to the practices aimed at acquiring knowledge of the unknown or future events through non-empirical and non-rational means. While the Qur’an strongly condemns practices connected with pre-Islamic pagan cults, officially secularizing norms around divination, there remains a nuanced discourse surrounding this practice within Islamic thought.
Types of Divination in Islam
Here are some diverse methods of divination that have been recorded within Islamic cultural and scholarly traditions:
- Dream Interpretation (تفسير الأحلام): It involves deciphering the symbolic meanings of visions seen during sleep.
- Footprint Observation: Reading signs and messages from footprints, particularly animal and human.
- Morphoscopic Plan: Interpretation based on the appearances of physical forms and structural lines, including facial and hand lines.
- Chiromancy (عِرَافَة اليد): Palm reading to predict characteristics and future life events.
- Shoulder Blade Observation (Kaf-nāma): Analyzing the scapulae bones of animals, often mentioned in Turkish practices.
- Astral Invocations: Invoking celestial bodies such as planets and stars.
- Invisibility and Incantations: Practices for making oneself invisible through magic words and spells.
- Recitation of Divine Names: Utilizing the Asmāʾ Allāh al-Ḥusnā (Beautiful Names of Allah) for protective and foretelling purposes.
- Islamic Personal Prayers Science (Istikhara): Personal prayer for seeking God’s guidance, often involving signs in response to one’s queries.
- Geomancy (علم الرمل, ʿIlm al-Raml): A method involving sand or earth’s markings to interpret divine will.
- Omens: Seeking meaning in random events or natural occurrences as messages from the divine world.
Religious Context and Controversies
In Islamic theology, practices of divination are often subjected to criticism and labeled as incompatible with monotheistic submission to God’s will (Tawhid). Nevertheless, some scholars have viewed these practices as potential forms of divine enlightenment or lesser prophecies when isolated from idol worship and considered under the purview of metaphysical or spiritual insights.
Takeaways and Conclusion
Divination in Islam represents a complex melding of cultural and religious narratives. While starkly opposed by orthodox Islamic views, elements of divination persist within folk religion and continue to be rationalized within some Islamic philosophical traditions as channels for divine foreknowledge.
Suggested Books for Further Study
- “Dreams and Their Meanings in the Old Arab Tradition” by Malti-Douglas, Fedwa
- “Islamic Divination: Studies on the Uses of Instrumental Sciences” edited by Toufic Fahd
- “The Occult Sciences in Byzantium and Latin Middle Ages” by Paul Magdalino and Maria Mavroudi
Conclusion
Though Islam officially rejects divinatory practices aligned with shirk (idolatry), an understanding of divination offers insight into an ancient practice interwoven into the cultural fabric of Islam’s profound history. Combining anthropological and philosophical inquiry, Islamic divination illustrates how permissible boundaries and mystical curiosities come together in a uniquely dynamic convergence of belief and practice.
