Divination Manual

Title
Divination Manual
Year/Period
c. 1824
Region
North Coast Java, Indonesia
Dimension
Image size: L 33.1 x W 20.8
Accession No.
1996-00525

The Qur’an is sacred for Muslims and some verses are believed to have talismanic qualities. In this divination manual, the right page has a table of numbers from which you pick any number (from 1 to 15). The left page contains a circle with 30 segments containing the names of the 30 surahs in the Qur’an. The surahs are associated with queries such as “Will I be successful?” or “Should I set sail today?”, and you should pick one relevant to your situation. Each surah heading has 15 different answers, and the number you choose will determine an answer.