Religion among the folk in Egypt / Hasan M. El-Shamy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

El-Shamy, Hasan M., 1938-

Contributor:

Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islam--Egypt--History.

Islam.

Folk religion.

Egypt.

History.

Folk religion--Egypt.

Islam--Egypt--Customs and practices.

Physical Description:

x, 408 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2009.

Contents:

Alphabet and Note on Transliteration xiii

Arabic Language: Classical and Vernacular (Dialectical) xv

I Creation and Cosmology: Characters and Their Functions 11

Allah, Creation, and Worship 11

I.A 'Allah (i.e., God) 11

I.A.1 zikr (Remembrance [of God]) 20

I.B Cosmology (el-wugud, el-koan) 24

I.B.1 Creation of al-qadar, el-qismah/en-nasib (Destiny, Kismet): al-qalam (the Pen), al-lawh al-mahfuz (The Safeguarded Tablet) 24

I.B.1a al-arsh (The Throne), al-hayyah (The Viper), es-samawat (The Skies, Heavens), Nun (The Whale) 25

I.B.1b Creation of Time: Establishment of night, day, and related temporal phenomena 27

I.B.2 Paradise, Hell, the Isthmus, and the Straight-Path 29

I.C Heavenly Bodies 36

I.D el-'Ard (Earth) 37

I.E el-Higab (The Veil, Barrier-to-Gnosis) 39

I.F el-barzakh (The Isthmus, Purgatory) 41

I.G Sidrat al-Muntaha (The Lote-Tree of the Extremity) 42

II Supernatural Beings 45

II.A malaykah/mala'ikah (Angels) 45

II.A.1 Other Categories of Angels 50

II.A.1a Angels as components of a person (self/psyche, etc.) 51

II.A.1b Nakir and Nakir, the two interrogative angels 52

II.A.2 Eblis and Other Fallen Angels 52

II.A.2a Harut and Marut 55

II.B el-gin (The Jinn, Fairies) 56

II.B.1 ginniyyat (Female Jinn) 62

II.B.1a Unstratified female jinn 64

II.B.2 Harnessing the Jinn and Minor Angels 65

II.B.2a fath el-mandal (oracle, detective-divination via jinn) 72

II.B.3 sihr (Magic): sihr-sufli (Nether-Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery): halb-en-nugum (Milking-the-Stars); shabshabah ([Sorcery Via] Use of Slipper); rabt (Induced Impotence) 74

II.B.3a Magic (sihr) or folk para-religious ritual? 78

II.C Jinn as Components of the Individual: Supernatural Counter-Spirits and Siblings 79

II.C.1 The Qarin and Qarinah: A Human's Counter-Spirit, Correlative, or Spouse 80

II.C.1a The 'ukht (sister), and 'akhkh (brother) 83

II.C.2 The Cult of Supernatural Illness, Possession, and Healing 87

II.C.2a 'asyad ez-Zar (zar spirits/possessing-jinn) 89

II.C.2b 'asyad ez-Zar pantheon 95

II.D Zoological Supernatural Beings 103

II.D.1 ghilan (Ogres) and Similar Creatures 104

II.D.2 Supernatural Animals: The Mare and the Stallion 106

II.D.2a "Dabbat al-'ard" (the "earth's animal") 108

II.D.3 Supernatural Reptiles 109

II.D.4 Supernatural Birds 111

II.D.5 The Cat and Other Creatures with Ties to the Supernatural (Ant, Bee, Mantis) 114

II.E er-roah (The Soul), and en-nafs (The Self) 116

II.E.1 afrit (Ghost, Cf. Spook/Revenant) 129

II.E.2 Summoning the Soul (Seance, "Ouija Board") 130

III Al-'ince (Humans) 133

III.A Social Stratification in 'ince Society 139

III.B Specific Classes 141

III.B.1 rusul ([God's] Messengers) and "anbiya" (Prophets) 141

III.B.2 sahabah (The Prophet's Companions) 143

III.B.3 Saints: Moslem 'awliya ("God's Favorites") and Coptic shuhada ("Martyrs") 144

III.B.3a Sufi brotherhoods and other religious organizations 152

III.C en-nas (People), and Folk Theories of Personality 155

IV Deified Humans 161

The Arch-Saints 161

IV.A el-'arba ah el-'aqtab (The Four Axes [of the World]) 161

IV.B el-Khidr (The Green-One), St. George, Elijah 163

IV.C Imam Ali 164

IV.D Organization among Arch-Saints 165

IV.D.1 The Concept of Power and the Right to Rule: The Parallel Government 166

IV.D.2 ed-Diwan (the Divan/Council), and the Cult of Martyrdom 167

IV.E jihad: Righteous-Struggle and Greater Martyrdom 171

V Powers and Abstracts 175

V.A Sacred Powers 175

V.A.1 God's Power 175

V.B al-ilm, (Gnosis, Knowledge) 176

V.B.1 Sources of Knowledge and Truth 178

V.B.2 Instructive Dreams (Sleeper's Vision, manam) 179

V.C Concepts and Abstract Forces 182

V.C.1 barakah (Blessing/Grace/Benediction) 183

V.C.2 la nah, ghadab/sukht, niqmah: ([God's] Curse, Anger/Wrath, Vengeance) 186

VI Nonsacred Forces and Concepts 189

VI.A Temporal Forces, Quasi Powers of Fate: ez-zaman/ez-zaman (Time), ed-dahr (Time-Epochs), el-ayyam (Days), el-ishah (Life), ed-dunya/dinya (World, Life) 189

VI.B Chance: hazz/bakht (Luck), zahr (Dice), el-ya-nasib/lutariyyah (Lottery), sudfah (Accident, Chance), and tali (One's Place in the Horoscope) 190

VI.C Learning of the Unknown: el-kaff ([Reading] the Palm of the Hand); el-fingan/fingal ([Reading the Residuals in a Coffee] Cup); Divination through er-raml ("[Cutting] Sand"); el-wada (Sea Shells), et-tali (One's Horoscope) 190

VI.C.a Soliciting God's Choice ('istikharah), and Bibliomancy (fath el-kitab) 190

VI.D Risks and Gambles: miqaysah/muqayasah (Risk-Taking, Venturing), muqamarah (Gambling, or Taking a Gamble), 'istibya (Venturing Everything Out of Desperation) 191

VII Anti-Sacred Forces 193

VII.A sharr (Evil) khair (Goodness) 193

VII.B Eblis (Satan), Other "Satans." Cf. sharr (Evil) 194

VIII Mechanical Associations Within the Supernatural 197

VIII.A khuza balat (Superstitions) 198

VIII.B mushahrah, kabsah or sakt (Induced Loss of Fecundity, Barrenness, Infertility) 199

VIII.C el-hasad ([Malicious] Envy) and el-Ain (The [Evil] Eye) 205

VIII.C.1 el-ain (The Eye) 207

VIII.C.2 el-kelmah (The Word) 210

God/Allah and Creation 213

Appendix 1 The Ninety-Nine Names of God 213

Appendix 2 Reasons for Creation 214

Appendix 3 The Tablet and the Pen (Reed) of Destiny 215

Appendix 4 Creation of Earth and the Mountains 216

Appendix 5 Resuscitation in Answer to Prayer: Image of the Universe 216

Appendix 6 Tour of Sky-Worlds 217

Angels 221

Appendix 7 Love Song for a Dead Sweetheart 221

Appendix 8 A Turk Is Introduced to the Two Angels 222

Appendix 9 Chain of Command among Archangels 223

Appendix 10 Crumbs as Fee for Admission into Paradise 223

Jinn and Familiars 224

Appendix 11 How Shakir Became a Shaman-Shaikh: "Working from the Books" 224

Appendix 12 How Shamaness-Shaikhah 'Amnah Acquired Her Supernatural Powers: Working with a Jinni-Familiar 229

Appendix 13 How Was the Temperamental Father Handled: A Psychodrama 231

Appendix 14 The Value of Dying in the Holy Land 236

Appendix 15 Why It is Preferable to Seek Reconciliation with the Jinn 236

Appendix 16 Pregnancy via Artificial Insemination 238

Appendix 17 How Shakir Cured a Case the Medical Doctor Couldn't 238

Appendix 18 Miscarriage: A Problem of a Young Bride Addressed 241

Appendix 19 Detective-Divination by mandal: A Successful Case 243

Appendix 20 Detective-Divination via Pottery Water-Bottle: A Failure 250

Appendix 21 A Case of Missing Jewelry 253

Appendix 22 A Jinni-Woman Pays an 'inci/Human Friend a Visit 254

Illness 255

Appendix 23 The Thigh of the Duck 255

Appendix 24 "Mari" Girgis, The Devil Slayer 257

Zar 258

Appendix 25 Zar 'asyad: A Pantheon (I, II, III) 258

Appendix 26 How the Zar-Ritual Solved a Childless Woman's Problem 260

Appendix 27 Maruma's nida 262

Appendix 27A Safinah's nida 263

Appendix 28 Saints in Zar-Like Ritual ("The Love for el-Hasan and al-Husain") 264

Appendix 29 The Possessed Husband and His Zar 265

Appendix 30 Moslem Woman Possessed by Christian Zar-Spirit 267

Zikr and Worship 267

Appendix 31 dhikr Worship: "O Mohammad, You Are My Beloved" 267

Martyrdom: Advantageous Death 269

Appendix 32 "In Order Not to Gain Martyrdom" 269

Suffering 269

Appendix 33 The Blind Man and Satan 269

Nether-Magic 270

Appendix 34 How Za zu Can Be Summoned to Perform a Task: A Case of Nether-Magic 270

Appendix 35 How Shakir Was Pressured into Leaving His Village and Giving Up His Craft 273

Appendix 36 Magic Fix Written on a Catfish 276

Prophets and Saints 276

Appendix 37 God's Messengers (Apostles) 276

Appendix 38 The Generating of a Saint for a "Saint-Less" Community: A Dead Person Demands Recognition 277

Appendix 39 The Death of Shaikhah Shafiqah's Brother 278

Appendix 40 The Shaman-Shaikh's Barakah Produces the Lost Wallet 279

Appendix 41 Can a Woman Be More Beautiful than the Moon? Ibrahim ed-Disuqi and the

Ulama 280

Appendix 42 Arch-Saint as Deity: ed-Disuqi's Power Display 282

Appendix 43 Bes, El-Badawi, and St. Nicholas: From Ancient Egyptian Deity to Moselem waliyy, to Christian Saint 284

The Evil Eye 287

Appendix 44 el-Ain (The Eye): Incantation (raqwah) 287

Appendix 45 The Source of Illness Was the Eye 288

Appendix 46 The New Car 289

Appendix 47 The Stone in Bed 290

Instructive Dreams and Other Visions 290

Appendix 48 A Widow's Dream-Sayyidah's Dream 290

Appendix 49 El-Sayyid el-Badawi Cures a Case of Heart-ailment 291

Appendix 50 A Utopia and Mental Illness 292

Appendix 51 Unfulfilled nadhr (Pledge) to Saint 293

Appendix 52 The Benefit of Friday 294

Luck 295

Appendix 53 Luck: Playing with Dice 295.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [357]-368) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780275979485

0275979482

OCLC:

227031541