From the early days of Islam, the Arabs used talismans and other amulets for many reasons to protect themselves or their countries and property. One of these was the taweez, made from precious metals such as silver, gold or platinum. Though Islam prohibits using amulets and talismans today because of a literal interpretation from some quarters that it goes against Allah’s protection mentioned in verse 25:61 of the Quran, they are still in use by many people.
Islamic talismans play an integral role in the Muslim countries like Libya. These talismans are mainly used for general protection and for protection from illness. The taweez is a mystic item manufactured of paper, parchment, cloth or thin metal in many Islamic countries and modern Islamic societies to achieve various spiritual and material benefits. Widely used by village women in the predominantly Muslim society of Libya, the general power of these amulets is derived from prayer recitation and other practices that aim at invoking divine energy.
One of the most popular taweez is a Dervish taweez which gives its wearer good fortune, wealth and success. When used as a taweez, it is tied around one’s neck with a scarf. When worn without a scarf or tied to one’s belt instead of being worn around the neck, the wearer enjoys good fortune, wealth and success according to his/her wishes. They are often purchased at a Sufi Islamic store, but can also be found in grocery stores and mosque gift shops.
Contrary to popular belief, these pieces of jewelry do a lot more than just bring wealth, money to the wearer. They’re also touted as ‘reminder powers of Allah’. Through the Islamic history spanning throughout ancient Arabia, Islam continued to spread across the continent of Africa. Taweez from those days can be seen in certain regions today like Libya- native Hunafa kingdom found in Cyrenaica in 1911 A.D with abundant resources still marveled for taweez relics near sarcophagus the different ways people have found to put taweez for more practical uses includes: during pregnancy- wearing it over abdomen helps ease pain during difficult labour; as a child’s protector- keeps away harmful spirits; when travelling- acts as a charm to protect the wearer from any form of harm; in case of sickness or death in the family; if you get married- wearing it will bring a lot of happiness and bless your marriage.
One of the most famous taweez is called Almayadeen. It is between 7 inches to 16 inches long and are incredibly heavy- more than a pound, curved smooth on one end. It is made from brass with gold plating on the outside edge for three or four ribs bound with leather to prevent any scratching against gold thread.
Citizens who believe in the holy talismans tend to be poorer, more superstitious and more religious due to lack of basic needs, education and access to health services, says a study. “We found that people in countries where religious talismans are used to solve problems tend to have less education and access to health services,” said the study, which was published in the European Journal of Social Psychology.”
It is not just Libya where some people use talismans to have their wishes granted. There are lots of Muslim countries who believe in and use these amulets and it is a sure sign that they have much interest in you and your financial prosperity. It’s generally hard to tell what or who traditional Islam actually believed, but the spread of this practice in Muslim societies suggests that it holds some deep recognition for the very important role that scrolls play in traditional secular culture.