Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. Africa is home to an incredible amount of cultural diversity, with each country and region having its own distinct history, traditions and customs. Throughout Africa there are many different ethnic groups, languages and religions which have shaped the development of each region throughout history. Africa’s culture has been shaped by various influences from outside such as Islamic traders from Asia who brought their religion along with them when they settled in cities such as Timbuktu.Africans are not one particular people, but a collection of diverse ethnic groups. Click here for more info :- taweez in Quran .
There are over 10,000 ethnic groups in Africa; in fact, the continent is the most ethnically diverse on Earth. The legacy of these many histories and cultures can be seen throughout present-day Africa. With over 1 billion people living on the continent, it is home to some of the world’s most influential and powerful nations—including Egypt, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Islam is the major religion in Africa with 1 billion adherents, followed by Christianity with 600 million adherents.According to a Pew Research Center report on Muslim populations around the world there are more than 20 countries where Muslims make up more than 50% of their populations; these include Chad, Niger and Somalia.
Taweez (amulets) have been a part of African culture for centuries, whether they are called amulets or talismans they are used as protection against bad luck and evil forces.African people believe that these talismans work to protect them from harm, disease and other negative forces. They are often given to new born babies so that they will live happy lives free from any misfortune. Some people even wear the taweez in their homes to keep them safe from any bad spirits lurking nearby.A taweez is an Arabic word which means “amulet” or “talisman”, that serves as protection against the evil eye, black magic (sihr), possession (masaha), disease etc., and generally consists of verses from the Quran or supplications to powerful figures such as God, angels or saints. It also refers to a type of amulet prepared by Muslims in order to ameliorate some of their worldly needs.The most common use of taweez is for protection against the evil eye and its effects. There is nothing written for taweez in Quran but their belief stems from a verse in Surah Al-A’raf: “Satan has overcome them for their disobedience” [7:17]. It is believed that if someone sees something beautiful but does not praise Allah for it, then Satan will send an evil look towards it which can cause harm upon those seeing it
Gris-gris is a kind of taweez – talisman or amulet worn by adherents of many African religions, especially Voodoo practitioners in West Africa and Haiti.In Haitian Vodou, gris-gris are charms made of roots, herbs, or minerals that are shaped into little bags or other containers. They’re said to hold spiritual power, and the wearer can use them for protection against bad luck, illness and other evil influences.The word “gris-gris” comes from the French term for gray squirrels (also called grisons), who were thought to have magical powers because they could not be caught with a net. So some people believed that wearing one of these animals around their neck would give them this same freedom from being trapped by evil forces. Gris-gris are also known as mojo bags in New Orleans Voodoo practices; in Nigeria they’re known as nganga; and even among Christians in Haiti there’s an association between the two words.
Taweez are an important part of African culture and it’s great to see this tradition still going strong today. It will be interesting to see what happens next with taweez as they continue to evolve.
