44 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
These beliefs, however, are only a few instances of an ex- 
tensive lore ; in fact there are almost no departments of human 
knowledge and activity, in which traces of spar’ eee 
cannot be detected. Asarule, they are all in some way connect- 
ed with religion, some being ingeniously based on various spuri- 
ous hadiths, or traditions of Muhammad himself, and others 
on verses of ‘the Coran, which, naturally, like all utterances torn 
away from their original context, admit of an unlimited variety 
of ‘mystical’ eudiintions! Although practices of malefic 
magic, necromancy, etec., are often regarded as impious and 
even occasionally persecuted, they continue to live in dark 
corners and even the most devoted Muslims often not only have 
no objections to them but even spend much time in studying 
astrology, alchemy, sorcery. and other interesting matters of the 
same kin 
The literature of these occult sciences in Persian, Arabic, 
Turkish. and other languages is fairly rich, sromnsip so’ far 
entirely unexplored.’ Its study would seem to promise abund- 
ant material to the ethnologist or the erie in folklore. 
rof. A. Christensen, in his work, referred to in hs next following 
fosanute, described a Persian xcs Pera er er jours t may be called 
the BPphes cron. of the Coran to ic. milar ee are common in 
Muhammadan « pubaleane ; fitscatase. In he. nears of the A.S.B. there 
are several of them (in MSS.), as, for instance, allt .IS whT de pled 
(M 24, ff. 25-39), or a treatise, without title, on the ‘ properties’ of the 
stra beginning with alt yas sla w! (Oc 4), ete. 
2 Sorceres ( gals ) usually are regarded as dangerous offenders oa 
public safety, but only in so far as the Muhammadan com nity 18 
affected. They are “ists at liberty , seconde 3 to the ethics of hagas 
to use their paid ee non-Muhammadans (ef. A. Christensen, Xavass- 
tdi 1920, pp. 12, 33). 
3 Occasional, and u usually very meagre, references to these practices 
and ideas may be found scatterred in bade of con ellers, in commentaries 
upon various Persian or Arabic Phat o far as I know, only 
w special orp have b aevcing. ve chs mbtick Besides the 
penphiot of Pr aie Chr istensen, sighitioned oe e, only one substantia! 
contribution ma ee recalled, 7.e. E. Doutté, Magie et Religion dans 
Afrique du Nora, Alger, ie See also ae atin ng notes on the Muham 
madan magic in India : H. A Rose, A glossary of the Tribes and Castes 
of the Punjab and N.-W. F. Province, 1919, 236-237. Also R. F. 
Burton's remarkable description of the practice as observed in Sind, 
p. , 8q. 
The MS. library of the A.S.B. possesses a fairly good eolleetion 
of works on these subjects. tage be hcustn seem to be two books on 
the interpretation of dreams, promising to reveal much of interest to the 
student of folklore, ¢.e. Kamilu’t-ta‘bir at 131), comp. in the middle of 
».< A.D., 
and 46), 
Nizami'l-Mulk. Of some interest may be Tuh atl ghara'a (Oa 30), by 
Muhammad b. Ahmad Daiisi, based on an earlier Arabic work, as the 
author says. It deals with various methods 
of different kinds of sorcery, ete. The Speenites! literature, in whist 



