Mandal Practice: When the Unknown Becomes a Deadly Game

In the shadowed corners of magical practices across the Arab world, there exists a mysterious and dangerous ritual known as Fath al-Mandal  or simply, the Mandal practice. It’s a form of spirit summoning, not from the souls of the dead, but from supernatural beings known as jinn entities described in Islamic and Arab folklore as the hidden inhabitants (‘Ummar al-Makan) of certain places, able to communicate secrets beyond human reach.

The goals? To uncover hidden truths: who committed a crime, who stole valuable items, or where something precious has gone missing.

But here’s what makes the practice even darker: the medium.

Yes, the central figure in Mandal sessions is often a child usually between the ages of nine and twelve  called upon to act as a spiritual medium who gazes into the shadows and delivers the messages of the jinn.

What Happens During a Mandal Session ?

The ritual is orchestrated by a practitioner or sorcerer known as the Fateh al-Mandal (Opener of the Mandal), who carefully sets the stage:

The child must be calm, clear-headed, free from fear or distraction.

- A special magical charm or incantation (azima) is written on the child’s forehead using black ink or rosewater.

- The child is placed before a vessel: often a porcelain cup filled with black ink and oil, or a shimmering crystal ball, or even a bowl of water with a drop of oil floating on the surface.

- Staring into this darkened pool, the child is asked: “ Do you see the jinn kings? Do you see the spirits of this place? What signs or images appear to you? ”

- Sometimes, it’s said that the jinn speak through the child, either by direct speech, by guiding the child’s hand to write, or through mysterious gestures and signs.

- When the session ends, the practitioner recites additional incantations to “close the door” to the other world and supposedly return the child to their normal state.

But does the child ever truly return unchanged?

The Psychological Toll on the Child

Setting aside folklore, the psychological reality is disturbing :A young child is being asked to bridge two worlds, to see what should be unseen, to hear what should be unheard. Placed in a charged, fearful environment, surrounded by adults whispering of spirits and supernatural forces, the child becomes deeply vulnerable. The potential psychological aftermath can be severe:

- Sleep disturbances and recurring nightmares.

- Chronic fear of the dark or enclosed spaces.

- Confusion between reality and imagination, potentially leading to psychotic symptoms in extreme cases.

- And according to popular belief, even the risk of spiritual possession (talaab al-ruh) or demonic possession.

The Religious Stance

The Islamic faith is clear on the dangers of turning to the jinn for help. 

As the Qur’an states:

“And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they (only) increased them in burden.” (Surat al-Jinn, verse 6)

In other words, seeking aid from jinn leads only to greater harm, not enlightenment or guidance.

The Mandal practice is not an innocent game or clever shortcut to solve mysteries, it’s a dangerous incursion into the unseen, exposing children’s minds and souls to forces they cannot possibly understand or withstand.

Does Mandal Still Exist Today ?

Despite the march of modernity and technology, Mandal sessions still persist quietly in certain rural and traditional communities across the Arab world.

Unscrupulous practitioners, claiming they hold the “keys to the unseen,” exploit people’s ignorance, fear, and desperation.

The danger has even reached the screen: the popular Arabic TV series Al-Maddah (The Preacher) included a powerful scene showing a father subjecting his son to a Mandal session, resulting in the boy suffering severe psychological and spiritual harm. The show highlighted not just the risk to the child, but how these practices can fracture entire families, leaving behind scars that endure across generations.

So here’s the central question:

Is uncovering a theft or finding a lost item worth sacrificing the innocence or the very well-being  of a child ?

Should we allow children to be drawn into dark rituals that wound their minds and souls, all for the fleeting promise of hidden knowledge ?

Whether you believe the Mandal practice is real or simply folklore magnified by superstition, one truth remains clear:

Playing with the unseen is like playing with fire and those who get too close are bound to be burned.

Have you ever heard of the Mandal ritual ? Do you believe it’s a genuine supernatural practice, or just a cultural illusion passed down through generations?

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