Sufi magic is the use of a human’s mind to focus on specific objectives. This can be done through recitation, herbs, teas, vigils or meditation. It can also be used to control the mystical forces of the Jinn or demons.

Sufi magicians are a part of the vast network of mystics that spread throughout the Muslim world, and their practices were widely popular during the late Middle Ages. The mystics of this time, known as Tariqas, wished to return to a state of primordial unity with God.

The mystics of this era believed that the soul of a person could interact with a hidden mystical substance in creation. This dialogue between the substance in the human soul and the mystical substance of creation is the source of co-creation, and allows us to participate in the moment-by-moment revelation of the divine within the world.

The Practices of Sufism: Rituals and Techniques for Spiritual Growth

During the late eighteenth century, two influential Sufi Muslim theologians in West Africa, Sidi al-Mukhtar and Sidi Muhammad al-Kunti, helped to shape the development of Sufi thought in the region. Theologians who devoted themselves to developing a pedagogical network across the Sahara Desert, they developed a set of practices that depended on knowledge of the unseen world and allowed practitioners to manipulate the visible and invisible realms.

Their cosmology and metaphysics were often controversial, but they argued that the science of the unseen was legitimate Islamic practice. As Ariela Marcus-Sells explains, they were able to make these ideas work within the broader framework of Islamic beliefs and practice. This is because they viewed the realm of the unseen as a “place of justice, freedom, and protection” rather than as a place of power and control.