INTRODUCTION The need for divine protection and the desire to predict the future in order to be able to gain a favorable outcome are as primordial to human beings as food, water, and shelter. Most religions have incorporated a set of rituals and practices that facilitate this need, while providing assurance for their practitioners through scripture. Islamic cultures inherited an abundance of pre-Islamic beliefs and occult practices, in particular astrology and geomancy or sand divination. These practices, often referred to as “illicit magic”, struggled with what was permissible within the context of religion. And the question of whether diviners and astrologers pose a challenge to God’s ultimate authority over human destiny persists up to the present.1 Yet, daily practices of seeking protection from a present or future harm, and averting danger or asking for healing, have found an abundance of sources within the Qur’anic texts, the hadith, and Qur’anic interpretations. In addition, some of the best-trained astronomers and mathematicians, for example, Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni (d. 1225), applied their scientific training when forecasting astrologically and even developed tools for this purpose, e.g. magic squares. This exhibition aims to demonstrate the widespread use in Islamic cultures of what might be termed “permissible magic”: material objects such as astrological calendars; talismanic charts, shirts, and bowls; and amulets in jade and carnelian, often inscribed with protective Qur’anic verses. These objects served as intercessors and conduits of divine protection and grace, with the underlying belief that god is the ultimate source of help and support.
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