One should realize that al-Rāzī and his followers vacillate in this argument and others like it: at times they side with the scholastic theologians, and at other times with the philosophers. For that reason he cites this very proof in the book he composed on magic, the invocation of the heavenly bodies, and the worship of idols that rests upon it. There he says, “This is a summary of what has reached us regarding the science of talismans, sorceries, incantations, and calling upon the planets, while disclaiming anything that contradicts the religion or undermines certitude.”

He states in the first treatise, where he lays down the general principles of this discipline—and it contains several sections—the first of which deals with defining talismans and treating the subject in a universal manner:

“A talisman,” he writes, “is knowledge of the blending of the active celestial forces with the passive terrestrial forces so as to be able to manifest what lies outside the ordinary course of events and to obtain the benefits that accord with it.”

He adds, “A thorough discussion of the matter requires clarifying two points, the first of which is…”