Folk religion deals with evil spirits often with a shaman, etc. All major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism have both a formal traditional religion and also some form of folk religion. This outlines some of the folk religion found in a variety of places among the more than 1,000,000,000 Muslims.

1. Islam - Folk Islam
MI 396
Dr. Robert Patton

2. Folk Islam
 Virtually all religions have a folk
religion – Islam, Christianity,
Hinduism, Buddhism
 Criteria
 Not highly educated “clergy”
 Deal with spirits and demonism
 Often a “shaman” from among the people

3. © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 3
Popular Islam
 Popular Expression of 70-85% of
Muslims
 Remember that Allah is transcendent
but not immanent. He is HiGH and
lifted up. He does NOT have a Father-
Son relationship as in Christianity
 The same intimate relationship we have
with God the Father is lacking

4. © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 4
Pre-Islamic Beliefs
 Syncretism may exist between the
pre-Islamic animism and Islam,
especially in more remote areas
 Underlying power and allegiance
is a form of folk Islam, which may
be a form of animism

5. Popular Islam
 Two basic groups – impersonal
forces, and persons grouped by
different levels of power
 We see impersonal divided
further into forces and dreams
and visions

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 6
Worldview Reported for
Folk Islam
Beings or Persons
God
Angels
Satan, Devils
Jinn
Prophets,
Dead Saints
Spirits
Ancestors
Souls of Recently dead
Holy men
Humans
Animals
Plants
Physical
Temporary
Spiritual
Eternal
Otherly
EternalPowers or Forces
Fate
Magic, Sorcery
Astrology, Divination
Baraka (Blessing)
Evil Eye
Omens
Vows, Curses
Dreams – Visions – Sleep
Herbs, Drugs
Natural Forces

7. Levels of beings
Power groups reported
Allah is the most powerful of all
Angels
Satan, Devils
Jinn
Prophets,
Dead Saints
Spirits
Ancestors
Souls of Recently dead
Holy men
Humans (currently living)
Animals

8. Impersonal powers
FatePowers or Forces
Magic, Sorcery
Astrology, Divination
Baraka (Blessing)
Evil Eye
Omens
Vows, Curses
Dreams – Visions – Sleep
Herbs, Drugs
Natural Forces

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 9
Dream and Visions
 Many conversions have some element
of the supernatural, often through
dreams, visions, deliverance from evil
spirits and divine healing.
 I have personally spoken with a devout
Muslim who accepted Jesus Christ after
seeing him repeatedly in visions

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 10
Dream and Visions
 God uses dreams to reach many
 Visions are common – in some
situations, > 50% of converts
 Healings have been common

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 11
Kingdo Biblical Worldview
 Satan is defeated – We do not fear him!
 Elijah and the prophets of Baal – a pure power
encounter with Jehovah victorious over Baal
 Paul at Ephesus – “known in hell” Evil spirits
said: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who
are you?” See Ephesians 19

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 12
Biblical Worldview
 “Heavenly Places”
 We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places – Eph 1:3
 We are seated with Christ at the right-hand of God
in the heavenly places, far above all rule and
authority, power and dominion - Eph 1:20-21 & Eph
2:6
 God’s wisdom is made know in the heavenly places
– Eph 3:10
 Spiritual warfare for which we have been armed
with spiritual weapons takes place in the heavenly
places – Eph 6

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 13
Found in folk Islam
 Diviners
 Enchanters
 Wizards
 Necromancers
 Sorcerers
 Astrologers
 Prognosticators
 Magicians
 Omens
 High places
 Sacred trees
 Amulets and charms
 Fertility
 Magic arts and
bewitching
 Possession & casting
out spirits and
demons
 Images

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 14
Protective Objects
 Nazar as protection from the evil
eye (Talisman)
 Potions from herbs to holy water
 Productive (prosperity, fertility)
 Protective (overcome fear)
 Destructive (black magic, forcing,
hex, curses and spells)
 Anointing with Oil

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 15
Magic Words
 Amulets with Qur’anic verses
(Tawiz)
 Invocation
 Oaths
 Bismallah – the first verse of the
Qur’an used by some for protection
 Mashallah – what Allah wills, also
used by some for protection

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 16
Powerful Places
 Shrines & tombs of
saints
 Relics and Veneration
 Association of Divine
Power, Worship and
Respect
 Mediation
 Water, trees, hot
springs reported to be
used

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 17
Anointed Times
 Festivals
 Nights of power (before
Eid)
 Muhammad’s Birthday
 Friday prayers &
Thursday nights

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 18
Anointed Times
 Life Cycle Rituals -
Astrology
 Birth, Naming,
Circumcision, Marriage,
Pregnancy, Death
 Calendar – Harvest,
Drought

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Divination
 Astrology
 Communication with the
recently departed
 Omens
 Numerology
 Hearing Voices

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 20
Supernatural People
Marabout or Dukun (shaman)
Contrast this with recognition by
the true Christian of Spirit’s
indwelling but make certain God
gets the glory

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 21
Supernatural Beings
 Jinn, demons, spirits
 House Cleansings

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 22
Fate and Taboo
 “Controlling Superstitions”
 I have seen pictures, and know of blood being
used.
 The law of contagion used
 Kismet – Causality/Equilibrium
 “Qur’an as fetish (placement) – I have
never seen the Qur’an used, but I have
seen the Bible used by Bush Negroes in
Suriname as a fetish for protection (under
pillow, etc)

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 23
Blessing - Baraka
 Blessings are important
 As Christians, we can pray for the
Muslim;
 When we pray, we must make certain
that the glory goes to God for His power
– and it is His decision; it does not rest
on the power of faith of the individual
Christian

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 24
Transcendence &
Imminence
Transcendence
 Who is God? Allah is
otherly, distant,
ultimately unknowable
 Islam is doctrinally
transcendent.
Imminence
 Can I touch God?
 Is he close?
 Normal life is lived at
the imminent level.
 Popular Islam – Can
God help me against
Evil Spirits? This is
usually the realm of folk
religon

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 25
Sufism – an approach
directly to Allah through…
 Knowledge, music, dance,
exercise, breathing
 Ascetic practices
 Whirling Dervish

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Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 26
A Sufi’s Path to God“One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I
call”
Rumi
 Serve God
 Love God
 Seek Seclusion with God
 Seek a perfected Knowledge of God
 Seek an ecstatic relationship with God
 Seek a “true” revelation of the nature
of God
 Seek union with God

27. Response to Folk Islam
Power Encounter
 Offensive attack is possible – direct
confrontation with evil spirits
 Defensive resistance

Mental – Thought life – not focusing on sinful
thoughts – repenting from bitterness, anger,etc

Moral – Repent and confess all known sin

Physical – Burn the books and charms

Rejection of witchcraft
© 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 27

28. Response to Folk Islam
 Truth Encounter – using Biblical
 Satan is a Defeated foe defeated at the
cross by the Lord Jesus Christ
 Liberating Lord
© 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 28

29. Response to Folk Islam
Deliverance ministry
 Confession of known sin
 Repentance – turning from sin to the
Lord
 Renunciation – rejecting further sin
© 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 29

30. © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 30
Bridge to Life
 God is the King of the Universe.
 Men and women were created and
blessed as God’s representatives.
 But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and
were expelled from the Kingdom of God.
 Because of sin, Satan now rules the
Earth.
 Consequently, we have become
enslaved by Satan and are under the
Wrath of God.

31. © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Encountering the World of
Islam is a trademark of Caleb Project. 31
Bridge to Life
 Our sin separates us from God and
His Kingdom.
 But God still loves us and sent Jesus
Christ to defeat Satan and delivers us
from the Kingdom of Darkness and
save us from the Wrath of God.
 If men and women want to enter into
to Kingdom of God, they must repent
and believe in Jesus the Messiah, the
Son of God, and totally trust in His
salvation.