Arabic magic

[erasmus]

Discover arabic magic on the net.

http://www.arabic-magic.net

[m1thr0s]

greetings erasmus,

ordinarily we would be inclined to regard this type of post as "spamming" as you may already be aware. We have no problem with members promoting their own sites or work around here...all we ask is that while you are here you honor the "discussion" format by presenting topics that can actually be discussed in some way and not just post adds leading back to your own site...

the best way to do that is just to tell us (in your own words) what is on your mind and perhaps whatever particulars you can manage along with that...

your subject area is almost certainly of interest to many around here so I am not going to close this topic in the hopes you may come back and tell us a bit more about all of this...

thanks for your cooperation (in advance) and welcome to Abrahadabra Forums...

m1thr0s

[dev]

Well it doesn't seem like he is coming back... yet I am happy this thread wasn't closed since the subject matter is very interesting. I am a great lover of Arabian-anything; culture, art, prose, language and music.

The Arab world is a wonderful place. The Arab on CNN doesn't really fit reality. It would be as if the collective impression of Christians was Timothy McVeigh... anyway let's not get political.

Alchemy of Happiness by Al Ghazzali (great alchemical/sufi text)

The Rubayyat of Omar Khayyam (great prose - allegedly a mate of Hasan Bin Sabbah - foudner of the order of the Assasins)

The Philosopher's Kaabah (my own post on AF - so I can blow my own horn)

Studied the Quaran quite a bit and when put next to the Bible there are several allegorical similarities. Is there anyone on AF that can speak either Arabic or the Persian language?

The Necronomicon (pdf) was said to have been written by a Mad Arab, although a fake... still a good read!

I really have no point with this post... just trying to get the subject going. Don't know if it will work.

بيي

[Kuroyagi]

I also wanted to look deeper into the writings of people like Al Ghazali, Rumi and Farriduddin Attar and other great scholars and poets but havent found the time. The book on The Sufis by Idries Shah was inspiring there for starters...in my view Persian (and to a lesser extent Indian) culture is one main ingredient of the romantic "arab" 1001 nights oppulence and cultural refinement...

[Naomi]

Mmmm 1001 nights, what a book....I havn't read that in 15 years....

[Kuroyagi]

Ive only read excerpts as a kid (HPL was much influenced by it one hears..)..hmm dunno maybe to get some discussion going I should be more outspoken: what I meant by above statement was that the Arabs themselves (at the times of Mohammed) were simple camel herders with primitive nature cults...even today one can see that. (The Persians still look down on the Arabs today with contempt) They are damn rich with their oil etc but still very tribal in their mindset, goat herders noveau rich...but at the time of the Islamic expansion very brutal and belligerent goatherders who- as it happens so often in history- adopted the higher cultures from Greeks, Persians etc, of the subjugated territories and people (cf. Mongols/Chinese)...Maybe we shouldnt comment on the situation today and how much the Amis knew of Islamic culture before invading Iraq (I personally doubt that either Bush or anyone of the commanding generals even knew or know the difference between Sunna and Shiah...you know would have been practical etc..)...I hate such political "substitue" discussions..but if anyone wants- I'll enjoy watching it still...

...so its quite difficult to pin any Arab magic in the first place, one could try digging out the pre Islamic cults, or go with the mystics and poets and Sufis who were often considered as heretics by orthodox Islam (some even executed for it), or consider the magic of several other folks like the Berbans in North Africa as Arabic too (?)...or we could go Lovecraftian and take all that is called Arabic as arabic if you know what I mean...simply extricating some techniques a la Chaos Magic...there are many possibilities I guess...Im simply scanning the territory a bit, of course there is something thats called the Islamic/"Arab" world but its very diverse, also considering that the largest muslim country in the world is Malaysia...

[Naomi]

Nah the humans, they're too shallow to know the score. It's a damned shame about Iraq. The gods remember though...err...oh, I mean...what gods?



Good post all in all.

[dev]

Originally Posted by NaomiChan

Nah the humans, they're too shallow to know the score. It's a damned shame about Iraq.

I have always preferred to think of Iraq as Babylon, and Iran as Persia... these names ring better in my ears!

Originally Posted by Kuroyagi

I also wanted to look deeper into the writings of people like Al Ghazali, Rumi and Farriduddin Attar and...

Bird Parliament by Farid ud-Din Attar

[Naomi]

Well one ran the other rocks...yeah I always love saying "PUrrrrrsia" it's sexy.

Prince of Persia 3 seriously kicked ass on the screen, I havn't played it yet though. I should.

[dev]

Two symbols from medieval Arabic alchemy as found in the book Kitab al-Aqalim by Abu 'l-Qasim al-Oraqi:





Interesting essay HERE!