Throughout history, people believed in the protective power of certain objects and thought that they would be protected from all kinds of mischief by wearing them. When religious beliefs began to emerge, they combined with old beliefs and created special rituals. Using amulets is one of them. Even if we think of it as special to us, in fact, humanity has been using amulet-like protective talismans for thousands of years.
Since the word amulet is of course Arabic, it describes the talisman method applied by Muslims. However, even when we look at the Neanderthals long before today, we see that handmade protective talismans were used. In other words, in this respect, it may not be a practice that is tolerated by religious beliefs. Let’s take a closer look at what the amulet is, how it came to be, what its history is.
What is an Amulet?
Amulet; It is a piece of paper or object that is believed to protect the person who carries it from accident, trouble and disease by hanging it around the neck in the form of a necklace or wearing it on the wrist in the form of a bracelet. Amulets, which are thought to be especially effective against the evil eye and nightmares, are often triangular in shape and are kept in a leather or similar sheath.
In our culture, that is, Muslims write verses from the Quran, the names of Allah or the encrypted numbers of such words on the amulet paper. Sometimes Hz. It happens that it is written from the words of Muhammad, that is, from the hadiths. When we look at different cultures, it is seen that prophet names, angel names, special symbols, animal figures and the like are written.
Amulet is not just about writing on paper. Throughout history, some natural materials such as stone have also been used as amulets due to their talismanic effect. Different objects such as the cross worn by Christians today and the evil eye bead we see in many cultures can also be considered amulets because they are believed to be talismans.
Etymology of the amulet:
The word amulet is derived from the Arabic words nasaha and copy, meaning ‘cleared’. Tumar and tomar were used to mean amulet in Turkish. Amulet, talisman, sihr, bugü and many more similar words; Due to its protective effect, it has been used for objects and papers that people carry on it.
Date of the amulet:
According to Britannica, when tombs dated 25 thousand BC were excavated, handmade amulets belonging to Neanderthals and other communities were encountered. Although these are the first examples, experts say that since the day they existed, people have always considered some objects sacred and talismanic and have carried them on them due to their protective effect.
When we look at the history of Egypt, we see that 75 different amulets were written on the MacGregor papyrus. Especially the stink bug is an extremely common amulet among the Egyptians, as it represents the sun and life. Written materials buried with the Egyptians when they died are amulets that protect life after death.
Christians in the Middle Ages; they used the belongings of the saints, body parts or letters they believed came from heaven as talismans. One of the most important duties of rabbis, who are Jewish clergy, is to write amulets.
How did the amulet appear?
According to the rumor, the bird-man Anzu, who lived in Mesopotamia, stole the tablets that the gods wrote the destinies of people and hung in the sky. Fearing Anzu, the people, together with the sorcerers, prepared magic papers and asked the gods and other supernatural powers for help. It worked, and the gods took back the fate tablets. What remains of us is to still believe in the magical power of writing.
This story began to be told in the 1700s BC. But even much earlier, people used amulets. Until the monotheistic religions came, just as nature or handmade idols were worshiped, just like it was believed to be the protector of an object by giving meaning to it.
Amulet in Islam:
According to the Islamic belief, the Qur’an is the word of Allah and therefore the words in the musaf have a divine effect. For this reason, the call to prayer, prayer, dhikr and similar rituals. However, there are examples of writing amulets for those who cannot read verses in the Companions. At that time, just like today, verses, hadiths and the names of Allah were written on papers.
At this point, it is necessary to open a parenthesis because the belief in talismanic objects is a pre-Islamic belief. There are even those who see it as idolatry. In some hadith sources, Hz. There are words that Muhammad curses those who use such things. However, it is said that this curse is against polytheists. However, the opinions of the clergy should be taken seriously as it is a sensitive issue.
We answered the curious questions such as what is the amulet, which is believed to have a protective effect, examples of which we see in all cultures of the world, how it emerged, what is its history, and we talked about the details you need to know about the subject. You can share your thoughts about the amulet in the comments.
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