بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned us about falling into affairs of Shirk (associating partners with Allah in matters of Lordship, Worship, and His Names and Attributes). There is no doubt regarding the importance of us learning and applying Tawheed (singling Allah alone for Worship) in all aspects of our lives. This article is a case-study on one such example of how this lack of focus on Tawheed has led some Muslims to easily fall into Shirk can be seen in the study of Islamic Manuscripts.
Mysterious terms and drawings often appear on the cover/title or end pages of Islamic manuscripts. Not much has been written about some of these terms and drawings. Some are the equivalent of doodles or artwork, while others have meanings of Shirk, such as the case of Kabikaj.
The term, “يا كبيكجYa Kabīkaj ” or “يا كيكتجYa Kaykataj” or “يا كيكجYa Kaykaj” , appears in various forms/spellings in manuscripts of different subjects in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, and Farisi. It is often found written on the cover or final pages of a manuscript written a single time or three times. Sometimes it is written as a complete statement invoking aid in protecting the manuscript (Gacek 2009; 1986).
Some Muhaqqiqoon (verifiers) of Islamic texts have mentioned in their descriptions of the Manuscripts that the term is one used by the ‘Ajam (non-Arab) as a non-Arabic work referring to Allah in the language of the ‘Ajam. However, this is unsupported as there is no solid evidence that this statement is even a reference to Allah in other languages. At least one Muhaqqiq that I came across, Ahmad Haaj Muhammad Uthman, noted that the statement was followed by “Ya Allah Ya Allah Ya Allah”.
It is noted that the word originates in Persian “كبيبكج” or “كَبِيكَج ” and refers to a plant species known as Ranunculus Asiaticus- the Asiatic Crowfoot (Gacek, 2009). Shihab-ud-Deen Al-‘Omri (d. 749H) mentioned that it’s a Berber term and refers to a plant found on certain trees in Andalus, citing Ibn Al-Baytaar (d. 646H) in his Al-Jaami’ li Mufradaat al-Adwiyyah. Numerous medical works, such as that of Ibn Sina (d. 428H), and Abu Bakr Ar-Razi (d. 313H) and Al-Khawarizimi (d. 387H), have mentioned the medical properties and usage of the plant known as Kabikaj. Adam Gacek, a Canadian Orientalist, noted in his 1986 article on the term “Kabīkaj ” that it’s possible that the plant was used to repel insects, but mentions that the repellent properties of this poisonous plant is unconfirmed, and this doubt is corroborated by Pollock (1988). However, the letter يا Yaa (حرف النداء) negates the idea that this word is not used as invocation, regardless of its meaning. This is specifically the case where the invocation calls on Kabikaj to protect the manuscripts.
Gacek (2009) stated that in many manuscripts of Indian origin, the word refers to the King of the Cockroaches that is thought to protect the manuscript from insects upon invocation. Gacek (1986) also cited Al-Biruni (D. 440H) as stating that the word derives from the Sanskrit Kapi, meaning Monkey. He also mentioned that the understanding is that Kabikaj is the name of a Jinn called upon to protect the manuscript from damage.
Abu ‘Amr Bakr bin Ibrahim Al-Ishbili (d. 629H) said on Page 40 of his Kitab at-Tayseer fi Sina’ah at-Tasfeer:
وجدت مكتوبا ما نصه:
وذكر لي سيدي محمد السميري أنه وجد في بعض الكتب الصحاح أنه من كتب في أول ورقة من الكتاب وفي آخر ورقة هذه الأحرف فإن الأرضة لا تضره وهي هذه (ياكيكتج) وهي صحيحة مجربة.
“I found this written down: ‘Sidi Muhammad As-Sameeri that he found something written on some of the authentic books, on the first and last pages of the book, the following letters that prevent the harm of termites/worms: “O Kaykataj” and it works based on experience'”
This is an example of how the people who applied this practice believed such invocations and talismans would protect the books. However, the manuscripts that contain these invocations were not only damaged by worms, but worse yet the ones who believed and applied this practice fell into Shirk. May Allaah protect us from falling into Shirk.
Shaykh Bakr bin ‘Abdullah Abi Zayd رحمه الله cited Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen Al-Albaanee رحمه الله in his Mu’jam al-Munahi al-Lafdhiyyah (pg. 563):
“عن ابن مسعود -رضي الله عنه- أن النبى – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قال: ((إن الرُّقى، والتمائم، والتولة: شرك)) . رواه أبو داود، وابن ماجه، وابن حبان، وأحمد، كما في السلسلة الصحيحة، وقال: (الرقى: هي هنا ما كان فيه الاستعاذة من الجن، أو لا يفهم معناها. مثل كتابة بعض المشايخ من العجم على كتبهم لفظ ((يا كبيكج)) لحفظ الكتب من الأرضة زعموا) اهـ.”
“Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Surely ar-Ruqa’ (Incantations), at-Tama’im (Amulets) , and at-Tiwalah (Love spells) are Shirk (Polytheism)”. Reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, and Ahmad- as it’s mentioned in As-Silsilah as-Saheehah (1/650, no. 331): He said: “Ar-Ruqa in this case is what comprises seeking refuge with the Jinn or what has an incomprehensible meaning- such as what some of the Mashayikh of the non-Arab would write on their books: “O Kabijak” in order to protect the books from (deterioration caused by) termites/worms (Silverfish, or any insects that eat the books) as they claimed.”
Shaykh ‘Umar Fulaatah رحمه الله described this same behavior in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim: Kitab al Fitan wa Ashraat As-Sa’ah (Class # 14, 29:20 -30:42)
هذا الله لا اله ال هو، من تعلق به كفاه ومن تعلق بغيره وكله الله تعالى اليه كما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : من تعلق شيئاً وكل به او وكل اليه. من تعلق بخرزة والذي تعلق بحبة البركة والذي يتعلق بالباتنجان الاسود والذي يتعلق بحجاب كتبه ساحر يريد ان يأكل أموال الناس يكتب كتاب الله منكوس او بدم الحيض او بدم النفاس او بدم دم محرم ميتة أو يأخذ ويكتب. أو يكتب أسماء جن، وكثيرا ما رأينا هذه الأسماء مكتوبة… كشكنككيائل ، شمهروس، جني ميمون، بدوح وما الى ذلك … يا كيكج يا كيكج يا كيكج احفظ الورق يا كشكنككيائل يا كشكنككيائل هذا نداء لغير الله ونداء لغير الله كفر وشرك وبعد عن الله تبارك وتعالى فيتعلق العبد بهذه الأمور ويدع الله فالله تعالى يكله الى هذه الأمور التي يتعلق بها
“This is Allah, there is nothing worthy of worship except Him; whoever attaches their affairs to Him are sufficed (by Him). Whoever hangs an object (seeking protection from it), Allah تعالى will leave him to depend on it; just as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Whoever hangs an object (seeking protection from it), he will be left to depend on it. Whoever entrusts himself to beads, or the one who entrusts himself to the ‘blessed seed’ or to the black eggplant, or a covering written by a magician who wants to steal the people’s money- he writes the Words of Allah backwards, or in with the blood of the period or menstruation, or in the impermissible bloods, like the blood of the dead animal; or he writes the name of the Jinn. Much of what we’ve seen are these names that have been written: “Kashkankkaya’il, Shamharoos, Jinni Maymoon, Badooh, and the likes of that… “O Kaykaj, O Kaykaj, O Kaykaj, protect these pages. Ya Kashkankkaya’il, Ya Kashkankkaya’il.” This is a supplication to other than Allah and supplicating to other than Allaah is disbelief, polytheism, and distancing from Allah تبارك وتعالى. When the servant entrusts his affairs to these things, then Allah will leave him to be entrusted by them.”
This type of Shirk crept into the Muslim world due to the ignorance of ‘Aqeedah (beliefs) and Tawheed to the point that one could find it written on manuscripts of Aqeedah that specifically identify this behavior as disbelief. Much of these phrases are assumed to have been written by book owners, scribes, or book sellers.
I asked Shaykh Muhammad bin Ramzan Al Hajiree and Shaykh ‘Abdul Qaadir Al-Junaid in 2015 what should one do if they find this statement written on a manuscript. Both responded that if it’s confirmed that such a statement of Shirk is found, that it should be erased.
اللهم إنا نعوذ بك أن نشرك بك شيئاً نعلمه ونستغفرك لما لا نعلمه
“O Allah, we seek refuge with you from knowingly associating partners with you in any affair, and we seek forgiveness from you in what we do not know.” (Musnad Imaam Ahmad 32/383, #19606)
English References:
Gacek, A. (1986). The Use of ‘Kabikaj’ in Arabic Manuscripts. Manuscripts of the Middle East I. Leiden, Netherlands.
Gacek, A. (2009). Arabic manuscripts: a vademecum for readers (Vol. 98). Brill.
Pollock, J. W. (1988). KABI: KAJ TO BOOK POUCHES: LIBRARY PRESERVATION MAGIC AND TECHNIQUE IN SYRIA OF THE 1880’S AND THE 1980’S WEST. MELA Notes, (44), 8-10.