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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 0
Alphabet and Note on Transliteraton 0
Abbreviations and Signs 0
INTRODUCTION 1
I. CREATION AND COSMOLOGY
CHARACTERS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
I. God, Creation and Worship 11
I.A. 'Allâh (i.e., God) 11
I.A.1. zìkr (Remembrance [of God]) 21
I.B. Cosmology 26
I.B.1. Creation of al-qadàr, el-qismah/en-naÃîb (Destiny, Kismet): al-qalàm (the Pen), al-làwà al-maÃfûà (The Safeguarded Tablet) 26
I.B.1a. al-¿arsh (The Throne), al-Ãayyah (The Viper), es-samâwât (the Skies, Heavens), Nûn-the Whale 27
I.B.1b. Creation of Time: Establishment of Night, Day, and Related Temporal Phenomena 29
I.B.2 Paradise, Hell, Isthus-The Straight-path 31
I.C. Heavenly Bodies 39
I.D. el-'Arà (Earth) 40
I.E. el-Ãigâb (The Veil, Barrier) 43
I.F. al-bàrzàkh (The Isthmus, Purgatory) 44
I.G. Sìdràt al-Mùntahâ (The Lote-tree of the Extremity) 45
II. SUPERNATURAL BEINGS
II. Supernatural Beings 48
II.A. malâykah/malâ'ikàh (Angels) 48
II.A.1. Other Categories of Angels 54
II.A.1a. Angels as Components of a Person (Self/Psyche, etc.) 54
II.A.1b. Nâkir and Nakîr, The Two Interrogative Angels 55
II.A.2. Eblis and Other Fallen Angels 56
II.A.2a. Hârût and Mârût 59
II.B. el-gìn (The Jinn, Fairies) 60
II.B.1. gìnnìyyât (Female Jinn) 68
II.B.1a. Unstratified Female Jinn 69
II.B.2. Harnessing the Jinn and Minor Angels 70
II.B.2a. fàtà el-màndàl (Oracle, Detective-divination via Jinn) 79
II.B.3. sìÃr (Magic): sìÃr-sùflî (Nether Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery): Ãàlb-en-nugûm (Milking-the-stars); shàbshabàh ([Sorcery Via] Use of Slipper); ràbà (Induced Impotence) 81
II.B.3a. Magic (sìÃr) or Folk Para-religious Ritual? 86
II.C. Jinn as Components of the Individual: Supernatural Counter-spirits and Siblings 87
II.C.1. The Qarîn and Qarînàh: A Human's Counter-spirit, Correlative, or Spouse 88
II.C.1a. The 'Ukht (Sister), and 'Akhkh (Brother) 91
II.C.2. The Cult of Supernatural Illness, Possession, and Healing 96
II.C.2a. 'asyâd ez-zâr (zâr spirits/possessing-jinn) 99
II.C.2b. 'asyâd ez-zâr Pantheon 106
II.D. Zoological Supernatural Beings 115
II.D.1. ghîlân (Ogres) and Similar Creatures 116
II.D.2. Supernatural Animals: The Mare and the Stallion 119
II.D.2a. "Dâbbàt al-'àrÃ" (The "Earth's Animal") 121
II.D.3. Supernatural Reptiles 122
II.D.4. Supernatural Birds 124
II.D.5. The Cat and other Creatures with Ties to the Supernatural-(Ant, Bee, Mantis) 127
II.E. er-roaà (The Soul), and en-nàfs (The Self) 130
II.E.1. ¿àfrît (Ghost, cf. spook/revenant) 145
II.E.2. Summoning the Soul (Seance, "(Ouija board") 146
III. AL-'INCE (Humans)
III. al-'ince (Humans) 150
III.A. Social Stratification in 'ince Society 157
III.B. Specific Classes 159
III.B.1. rusùl (God's Messengers) and anbiyâ (Prophets) 160
III.B.2. ÃaÃâbah (The Prophet's Companions) 162
III.B.3. Saints: Moslem 'awliyâ ("God's Favorites") and Coptic shuhadâ ("Martyrs") 163
III.B.3a. Ãûfî Brotherhoods and Other Religious Organizations 173
III.C. en-nâs (People), and Folk Theories of Personality 176
IV. DEIFIED HUMANS
IV. The Arch-saints 183
IV.A. el-'arba¿ah el-'aqÃâb (The Four Axes [of Earth]) 183
IV.B. el-KhiÃr (The Green-one), St. George, Elijah 185
IV.C. Imam ¿Alî 186
IV.D. Organization Among Arch-Saints 188
IV.D.1. The Concept of Power and the Right to Rule: the Parallel Government 188
IV.D.2. ed-dîwân (the Divan/Council), and the Cult of Martyrdom 190
IV.E. jihâd: Righteous-struggle and Greater Martyrdom 194
V. POWERS AND ABSTRACTS
V.A. Sacred Powers 197
V.A.1. God's Power 197
V.B. al-¿ìlm, (Gnosis, Knowledge) 198
V.B.1. Sources of Knowledge and Truth 200
V.B.2. Instructive Dreams (Sleeper's Vision, manâm) 201
V.C. Concepts and Abstract Forces 204
V.C.1. barakàh, (Blessing/Grace/Benediction) 205
V.C.2. la¿nàh, ghaÃàb/sùkhÃ, niqmàh: ([God's] Curse, Anger/Wrath, Vengeance) 209
VI. NONSACRED FORCES AND CONCEPTS
VI.A. Temporal Forces, Quasi Powers of Fate: ez-zamàn/ez-zamân (Time), ed-dàhr (Time-epochs), el-'ayyâm (Days), el-¿îshah (Life),
ed-dùnyâ/dìnya (World, Life) 212
VI.B. Chance: ÃaÃÃ/bàkht (Luck), zàhr (Dice), el-yâ-naÃîb/lutariyyah (Lottery), Ãùdfah (Accident, Chance), and Ãâli¿ (One's place in the horoscope) 212
VI.C. Learning of the Unknown: el-kàff (Reading the palm of the hand); el-fìngân/fìngâl (Reading the residuals in a coffee cup); Divination through er-ràml ("[Cutting] sand"); el-wadà¿ (Sea shells), and eÃ-Ãâlì¿ (One's horoscope) 213
VI.Ca. Soliciting God's Choice ('ìstikhâràh), and Bibliomancy (fàtà el-kitâb) 213
VI.D. Risks and Gambles: miqaysah/muqâyasah (Risk-taking, Venturing), muqâmarah (Gambling, or taking a gamble), 'istibyâ¿ (Venturing everything out of desperation) 214
VII. ANTI-SACRED FORCES
VII. shàrr (Evil) khair (Goodness) 215
VII.A. Eblis (Satan), Other "satans." Cf. shàrr (Evil) 216
VIII. MECHANICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THE SUPERNATURAL
VIII.A. khuzà¿balât (Superstitions) 218
VIII.B. mushâhràh, kàbsàh or sàkt (Induced Loss of Fecundity, Barrenness, Infertility) 219
VIII.C. el-Ãasad ([Malicious] Envy) and el-¿ain (The [Evil] Eye) 226
VIII.C.1. el-¿ain (The Eye) 229
VIII.C.2. el-kelmàh (The Word) 232
IX. APPENDIXES
God/Allâh and Creation
APPENDIX 1 The Ninety-Nine Names of God 237
APPENDIX 2 Reasons for Creation 238
APPENDIX 3 The Tablet and the Pen (Reed) of Destiny 239
APPENDIX 4 Creation of Earth and the Mountains 240
APPENDIX 5 Resuscitation in Answer to Prayer: Image of the Universe 240
APPENDIX 6 Tour of Sky-worlds 242
Angels
APPENDIX 7 Love Song for a Dead Sweetheart 247
APPENDIX 8 A Turk is Introduced to the Two Angels 247
APPENDIX 9 Chain of Command Among Archangels 248
APPENDIX 10 Crumbs as Fee for Admission into Paradise 248
Jinn and Familiars
APPENDIX 11 How Shâkir Became a Shaman-shaikh: "Working from the Books" 249
APPENDIX 12 How Shaman-shaikhah 'Âmnah Acquired Her Supernatural Powers: Working with a Familiar 256
APPENDIX 13 How the Temperamental Father Was Handled: A Psychodrama 258
APPENDIX 14 The Value of Dying in the Holy Land 263
APPENDIX 15 Why it is Preferable to Seek Reconciliation with the Jinn 264
APPENDIX 16 Pregnancy Via Artificial Insemination 265
APPENDIX 17 How Shâkir Cured a Case the Medical Doctor Couldn't 266
APPENDIX 18 Miscarriage: a Problem of a Young Bride Addressed 269
APPENDIX 19 Detective-divination by màndàl: A Successful Case 271
APPENDIX 20 Detective-divination via Pottery-water-bottle: A Failure 279
APPENDIX 21 A Case of Missing Jewelry 282
APPENDIX 22 A Jinni-woman Pays an 'încî/Human Friend a Visit 283
Illness
APPENDIX 23 The Thigh of the Duck 284
APPENDIX 24 "Mari" Girgis The Devil Slayer 286
Zâr
APPENDIX 25 Zâr 'asyâd: A Pantheon (I, II, III) 287
APPENDIX 26 How the Zâr-ritual Solved a Woman's Problem of Childlessness 290
APPENDIX 27 Marûma's nidâ 292
APPENDIX 27A Safînah's nidâ 293
APPENDIX 28 Saints in Zâr-like Ritual ("The Love for el-Ãasan and al-Ãusain") 294
APPENDIX 29 The Possessed Husband and His Zar 296
APPENDIX 30 Moslem woman possessed by Christian zâr-spirit 297
Zikr and Worship
APPENDIX 31 dhikr Worship: "O MoÃammad, you are my beloved" 298
Martyrdom: Advantageous Death
APPENDIX 32 "In Order Not to Gain Martyrdom" 300
Suffering
APPENDIX 33 The Blind Man and Satan 300
Nether Magic
APPENDIX 34 How Za¿zû¿ Can Be Summoned to Perform a Task: A Case of Nether-magic 302
APPENDIX 35 How Shâkir Was Pressured into Leaving his Village and Giving up his Craft 304
APPENDIX 36 Magic Fix Written on a Catfish 308
Prophets and Saints
APPENDIX 37 God's Messengers (Apostles) 309
APPENDIX 38 The Generating of a Saint for a `Saint-less' Community: A Dead Person Demands Recognition 309
APPENDIX 39 The Death of shaikhah Shafîqah's Brother 310
APPENDIX 40 The Shaman-shaikh's barakàh Produces the Lost Wallet 311
APPENDIX 41 Can a Woman Be More beautiful than the Moon? Ibrâhîm ed-Disûqî and the Ulama 313
APPENDIX 42 Arch-saint as Deity: ed-Disûqî's Power Display 315
APPENDIX 43 Bes, El-Badawî, and St. Nicholas 317
The Evil Eye
APPENDIX 44 el-¿Ain (The Eye): Incantaation (ràqwàh) 320
APPENDIX 45 The Source of Illness Was the Eye 322
APPENDIX 46 The New Car 323
APPENDIX 47 The Stone in Bed 323
Instructive Dreams and Other Visions
APPENDIX 48 A Widow's Dream-Sayyidah's Dream 324
APPENDIX 49 Es-Sayyid el-Badawî Cures a Case of Heart-ailment 325
APPENDIX 50 A Utopia and Mental Illness 326
APPENDIX 51 Unfulfilled nàdhr (Pledge) to Saint 327
APPENDIX 52 The Benefit of Friday 328
Luck
APPENDIX 53 Playing the Dice (Luck) 329
NOTES TO APPENDIXES 331
REGISTER OF TALE-TYPES 347
REGISTER OF MOTIFS 351[??]
BIBLIOGRAPHY 385[??]
GENERAL INDEX 395[??]
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:
Islam -- Egypt -- History.
Folk religion -- Egypt.
Islam -- Egypt -- Customs and practices.