What is a taweez?

A taweez is a written amulet from the Islamic tradition of South Asia and the wider Muslim world: Qur’anic verse, the names of Allah and du‘a, written by hand on paper, folded, and then carried by a person or kept in a building. Each one is written out for a single named individual, which is what makes it personal to them.

The word itself

Taweez comes from the Arabic تعویذ, from a root meaning to seek refuge or protection. You will see it written many ways in English — taweez, tawiz, ta‘wiz, taviz, tabeez — because it is being spelled out from Urdu, Arabic or Persian by ear. They all mean the same object. In Arabic-speaking countries the same idea is often called a hijab or himala; across Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, and among families from there now living in Britain, the Gulf and North America, it is a taweez.

What is written on a taweez

What goes on the paper is the whole of it. A taweez is written from Qur’anic verse, the names of Allah, and du‘a — supplication. Certain passages are traditionally associated with particular needs: Ayat al-Kursi and the two Surahs of refuge, al-Falaq and an-Nas, are the ones most often reached for where protection is the concern.

Alongside the words, many taweez carry a naqsh — a grid of numerals. The letters of Arabic each carry a numeric value in the abjad reckoning, and the naqsh arranges those values in a square. It is not decoration; it is the same words in another form.

Why a taweez is written for a named person

A taweez is written for someone. The name of the person, and customarily their mother’s name, is part of what is written — which is why a taweez cannot be mass produced, held in stock, or passed from one person to another. A taweez written for a home, a shop or an office is written for that address instead, and stays in the building rather than being carried.

This is also why every taweez on this site is written to order after you have placed it, and why none of them can be returned: by the time it exists, it already has a name on it.

How a taweez is kept

Once written, the paper is folded — small, in the traditional way — and sealed. Most people wear it on a cord at the neck or on the upper arm, or keep it in a pocket, a purse or a wallet. What matters is that it stays with the person it was written for. A taweez written for premises is kept above the main door, in a cupboard near the entrance, or in the till or safe.

The fold is not opened and the paper is not unwrapped. Ours are sealed in a waterproof locket so that ordinary washing and rain are not a problem, though many people still prefer to remove it before the bathroom out of respect.

What people ask for a taweez for

The needs people bring are remarkably consistent, and they are the reason the catalogue is grouped the way it is:

• Protection حفاظت — Personal, household and spiritual protection.
• Marriage & Relationships رشتہ و محبت — Love, reconciliation, marriage and family harmony.
• Livelihood & Business رزق و کاروبار — Rizq, trade, customers and financial relief.
• Career & Study کامیابی و تعلیم — Jobs, promotion, exams and success.
• Health & Wellbeing صحت و سکون — Health, sleep, comfort and relief.
• Children & Family اولاد و گھرانہ — Children, pregnancy and parenthood.
• Property, Travel & Affairs جائیداد، سفر و معاملات — Premises, journeys and disputes.

Protection is the largest of these by some distance — the evil eye, envy, and the protection of a home or a child are what most people write in about.

Is a taweez the same as black magic?

No. What is written on the taweez we prepare is Qur’anic verse, the names of Allah and du‘a, and it is written as a prayer for the person who asked for it. It is not directed at anyone else.

Ordering one

Choose the taweez that matches the need, give the name it is to be written for, and it is written by hand within 24 hours, sealed, and posted to you free with tracking anywhere in the world.