Magic Squares: Islamic Ritualistic History

As discussed before, magic squares probably found their origin in China, already before the first century AD. This is because the Da-Dai Liji was written to record the ancient rites of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC).

As discussed before, magic squares probably found their origin in China, already before the first century AD. This is because the Da-Dai Liji was written to record the ancient rites of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). The aforementioned trade of knowledge between India and China could have contributed to the spread of the magic squares, as the first magic squares in India were found around the 5th century. While most Chinese magic squares were concerned with divination, astrology and mathematics, Indian squares took on a medical purpose. The 10th century text _Siddhayog_by the physician Vrnda is the first to mention the purpose of the squares as a way to ease child labor. Takao, Hayashi. “Magic Squares in India.” In Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2600-2607. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2016.

The Indian ritualistic healing idea of magic squares was transported over to the Islamic world. It is found in the translation of Indian texts by al-Tabari. This Persian physician translated Syriac, Greek, Persian and Indian materials and compiled them in the Firdaws al-Hikma. In this text, the magic square is introduced as a ritual to help the delivery of a child.

You take two pieces of ceramics, from a new jug or jar in which no water has been poured, and draw upon them a figure like this, using numbers so that they add up to fifteen horizontally or vertically or from corner to corner. Write two lines [of the psalms] of David surrounding the figure, and bring them to the woman, so that she can see the writing on them well. Then place them under her feet.

To look upon the square and also to stand on them would help with a speedy childbirth. Other texts from the 10th and 11th century also specifically discuss the need to stand on the squares in the form of ceramics. This clearly shows the relation with the Indian rituals that came over to the Islamic world. One text by the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, however, strays from the ceramic use and instead urges the need for cloth. Yet, this might be a translation mistake, as the Arabic script of “two pieces of cloth” is خرقتين and “two pieces of ceramics” is خزفتين. Just one dot makes a difference, and due to the other sources that all refer to the use of ceramics, the intention was probably to use ceramics instead of pieces of cloth. Interestingly enough, the magic squares were not inscribed with incantations or quotes of the Qur’an. The physicians of the 10th century seemed mostly interested in which numbers were used in the square and the form of the square. In a text by al-Qurtubi, this is especially prevalent.

It is by this example that other numbers and forms are combined in such a way that other properties of theirs appear. We have noted some of the aspects of the benefit and interest of this in the epistle on talismans and incantations, and we mention one example in this chapter so that it might point to the truthfulness of what we stated there. We therefore say that [in the case of] the ninefold figure, its benefit is in easing birth if it is drafted on two pieces of ceramic, in which water has not been poured, and these are hung over the woman in labor, then, if the moon happens to be in the ninth [house] and is connected with the lord of the ninth, birthing is eased; or also [if] the lord of its house is in the ninth; and similarly with [other] ninefold things.

As can be seen here, the ninefold figure is of great importance here for an effortless childbirth, as well as everything that is related to the ninth of something. Tolsa, Cristian. "The earliest Arabic magic squares." Suhayl 18 (2020), 7-24. doi:10.1344/SUHAYL2020.18.1. The importance of magic squares goes back many centuries, and the origin of its healing attributes can be found in the collision of Indian culture and Islamic cultures.