Mystery Cults

This book includes brief information on the Keepers of Tales, a Merinita subtradition originating in the Middle East (pages 81-82). It also presents the Criamon Path of Walking Backwards, which was inspired by Sufi mysticism, along with information on its founder, the Primus Abdkypris (pages 56 and 70-73).

Houses of Hermes: Societates

The description of the Hermetic sahirs in Houses of Hermes: Societates, while concerning itself with an Iberian tradition of Islamic magi, also includes information on the Jinn, including a sample character, Wahhab (pages 133-136).

Ancient Magic

This book describes some of the magical secrets that might be found in the region covered by this book, including the language of Adam, ancient Babylon, the Garden of Eden and Cain (pages 10-29); a source of Grigori magic on Mount Ararat (pages 70-73) and the Altars of Alexander the Great (page 125). Information on some of the naming conventions used in the Middle East may also be found (page 46). On more on names, see also Appendix A in this book.

Hedge Magic Revised Edition

This book describes two traditions of Islamic elementalists, the Ikhwan al-Safa' and the Tulab ibn Sina (pages 28-32). Middle Eastern counterparts to Folk Witches (pages 33-53), Learned Magicians (see pages 79-99) and Mythic Alchemists (page 100) are possible with only minor modifications to fit an Islamic setting. Characters descended from nomadic shamans of the northern steppe tribes or deep deserts of Arabia may be represented by the rules for Nightwalkers (pages 102-118).

Rival Magic

This book gives details about Soqotra, an island in the Gulf of Aden south of Yemen ruled by non-Hermetic sorcerers and their magical tree spirit companions. This book also details the Amazons and their magical tradition descended from Trianoma's sister Veia — the warrior women are based on an island in the Sea of Khazars (the Caspian Sea) but hunting parties may have ranged into Khwarazm or further. Both groups may be potential allies or enemies in sagas set in the Mythic Middle East.

book," and are permitted to live in Muslim lands as long as they accept the status of dhimmis. The subject peoples are required to pay a special poll tax, the jizya (JIZ-ya), and to abide by a number of restrictions in society, including refraining from bearing arms, riding animals with saddles, building new places of worship, or attempting to convert others to their faith. Their ability to testify in court is restricted, and the value of their testimony is less than that of Muslim men. Sometimes they are also required to wear distinctive dress. How strictly these restrictions are actually enforced varies from ruler to ruler.

Islam is both a religion and a social contract, and so the law humans should use to regulate their lives is contained in its teachings. There are a number of sources Muslims use for this law, which is called in Arabic al-shari'a (ash-sha-REE-'a).

Crime and Punishment

The shari'a divides crimes into three main categories:

• • Deliberate killing or wounding, giving the victim or their family the right to exact vengeance, under the control of the authorities. In some cases, vengeance can be replaced by a ransom.
• • Accidental killing or wounding, dealt with by financial settlement.
• • Five major crimes, dealt with using canonical penalties called hudud (hu-DOOD). They include theft (punished by cutting off the right hand), brigandage (death, if a murder involved; otherwise as theft), adultery (stoning or flogging), false accusation of adultery (flogging), and use of alcohol (flogging).

Some other crimes also incur severe penalties. For example, apostasy is punished by death. Less serious offenses are punished with a verbal reprimand. Islamic law often requires a number of witnesses to a crime, making it difficult to impose penalties without adequate proof and moderating the more severe penalties somewhat.

Magic is permitted in Islam, as long as it is used for good purposes. Use of magic for evil purposes, on the other hand, is punishable by beheading. Thus, while Dominion auras generated by Muslims affect magic as normal, the attitude of the Muslim inhabitants of these auras toward practitioners of magic is likely to be more nuanced. In particular, an accusation of use of evil magic is likely to be subject to the same legal processes as any other alleged crime.

The Pillars of Islam

The Muslim life is encapsulated in five basic duties, known as arkan al-islam (ar-KEHN-ul-is-LEHM), or the pillars of Islam. These are as follows:

• • Shahada (sha-HEH-da), or testimony: Muslims witness to their faith through two statements, which signify conversion to the faith. These are "la ilaha illa Allah" (there is no god except God) and "Muhammadun rasul Allah" (Muhammad is the messenger of God). These are repeated regularly as part of the ritual prayers.
• • Salat (sa-LAWT), or prayer: Muslims must perform ritual prayer five times every day, at fixed times.
• • Zakat (za-KEHT), or alms-tax: All Muslims who are able are required to give a portion of their wealth as charity. Exactly where it is actually directed varies, depending on the political and social situations in any given place.
• • Sawm (SOWM), or fasting: All ablebodied Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan (ra-ma-DAWN), the

Medieval European Christians had many misconceptions about Islam, perhaps the most common of which was that Muslims worshiped an unholy trinity composed of three deities known as Mahound, Termagant, and Apollyon. In Ars Magica these three figures are demons of the Order of False Gods (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 37), who seek to foment hostility between Christians and Muslims. They may be found operating anywhere within Europe or the Middle East, whispering their vicious lies into the ears of any who might listen. Like most False Gods, the demons usually take forms that will appeal to their listeners. In their original forms, though, they appear as follows:

• The demon Mahound takes the form of a grotesque parody of a monotheistic prophet, clothing itself in fine robes of green silk and gold, and leering at those around it. It has immense ears, intended to mock the fact that such prophets heard the divine revelation.

• • Termagant takes the form of a hag with an incredibly wrinkled face and bulging eyes, literally spitting venom at any who oppose it. It has sharp, jagged fingernails with which it claws at its opponents' eyes.
• • Apollyon appears on first glance to be a twisted parody of the Greco-Roman Apollo, a hunchbacked, hideously ugly blond man with a lyre,

dressed only in an oversized, ill-fitting golden cloak. The cloak drips with acid and the lyre produces jangling dissonances that set teeth on edge and paralyze the senses.

This unholy trinity might form a suitable arch-enemy in a saga, particularly one that draws characters from western Mythic Europe into the lands of the Mythic Middle East and involves characters with both Christian and Muslim friends and allies. Characters are likely to spend much of their time promoting friendly relations between these groups while seeking to track down and combat those who are nurturing discord.

ninth month of the Muslim year and the month when Muhammad first began to receive the revelation. Fasting is undertaken from sunrise to sunset, and includes abstention from food, drink and sexual activity.

• Hajj (HADJ), or pilgrimage: All Muslims who are able are required to make the major pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lives. Further details on the hajj are given in the section on the Hijaz in the Mecca section (See Chapter 6: Mythic Arabia).

Each pillar has associated mechanical effects, detailed further in Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 106-108.

Mosques

Mosques serve several purposes, for in addition to prayer one finds other activities taking place in them, including public orations, readings of the Qur'an, Sufi rituals, and religious festivals.

A mosque generally takes the form of an open central space, usually a courtyard or hall, surrounded on three sides by a pillared arcade and on the fourth side, which is the one closest to Mecca, by an open, pillared hall. In the wall closest to Mecca there is a mihrab (MIH-rahb), or prayer niche, which indicates the way which worshipers should face when praying, and a minbar (MIN-bar), or pulpit, from which sermons are preached. A mosque also often has a water source for ablutions, frequently in the form of a fountain or pool in the courtyard.

Mosques have a Dominion aura that varies in power according to their size and importance. Most mosques have a Dominion aura of 4, while major, famous mosques will usually have auras of 5, though this may increase by a point or two if relics are kept in them. The auras of mosques increase if prayer is performed in them or if those inside are performing the Ramadan fast.