by Riasath Ali Asrar

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The name of our organization: Kabikaj, does spark some curiosity. People are intrigued, asking about its meaning, its origin, and its pronunciation. The biggest question, though, is of an existential nature: “Why are you named this?” The answer to all these queries lies in the word’s rich history, which is exactly what you and I are about to explore in this piece.

Within the delicate endleaves of countless centuries-old manuscripts across the vast Islamicate world—from Arabic and Persian to Urdu and Ottoman Turkish texts—one may encounter an intriguing, almost mystical, inscription: “Ya Kabikaj!”.
My own curious journey into this tradition began a few years back, while sorting through my dadahazrat Riasat Ali Taaj (1930-1999)’s library. I first encountered a ta’widh² on the last page of a handwritten personal diary, and a similar inscription in a book of Urdu history. This latter book even mentioned that such an inscription on a book’s first or last page would protect it from all kinds of harm. The connection became clear when, while cataloguing manuscripts at the Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute, my historian friend Sibghat Khan pointed out the very word “Kabikaj” written on the margins and final folios of other works, we discussed this with Sahebzada Mir Ahmad Ali Khan – a learned member of the institute, whom we dearly call “uncle”. It was then that I realized the word embodies a unique historical approach to conservation, making it an ideal and suitable name for our initiative.

The Dual Nature of “Kabikaj”: Spirit and Science:

This seemingly simple phrase, Ya Kabikaj! often tucked away in the margins or final folios, holds layers of meaning hinting at a fascinating blend of botany, folklore, and spiritual belief.

Some say it’s the name of a jinn; others believe it’s an angel that protects the paper when invoked. A more grounded argument suggests it’s a type of plant with chemical properties that repel insects, used as bookmarks, or even in the paper, ink, and covers to preserve documents. The term “Kabikaj” is rich with a duality that speaks to the complex ways in which pre-modern societies understood and interacted with their world. It refers to both a specific plant and a metaphysical entity, each playing a distinct yet a strong possible interconnected role in the safeguarding of written knowledge.

Scholarship on “Kabikaj”:

This initial discovery spurred me to explore the topic further. What began with my grandfather’s annotations in calligraphy manuals and a couple of newspaper clippings, soon expanded into a fascinating survey of other works. One of the annotations is in the margins of a calligraphy manual and tazkirah – Saheefa e KhushnaveesaaN⁴ written by Maulvi Ehtramuddin Ahmad Shaaghil Usmani. Shaaghil Usmani mentions کبیکج along with other symbols and words like فسفع (fasfa’) and بدوح (budduuh) – regarding all the three as names of muwakkils (guardian angels). He mentions that these words under the chapter “khutoot e marmuza” (mysterious words/lines), and refers to a 13th century manuscript Sihah e Jauhari preserved at Aligardh Muslim University, and a couple of other works like Azhrang e Cheen by Munshi Debi Parshad (that cite such words). But Kabikaj is more than just a talismanic charm. A foundational study in this tradition is the codicological work of Adam Gacek, an author and lecturer at McGill University. In his seminal 1987 article, “The Use of ‘kabīkaj’ in Arabic Manuscripts,⁵” Gacek identified inscriptions spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries across an immense geographical area, from Indonesia to North Africa. Building on this, James W. Pollock of Indiana University drew parallels between book preservation in 1880s Syria and the 1980s West⁶. In a more botanical vein, Kamran Mahlooji, Abdoli Mahsima, and Zargaran Arman—scholars of Persian Medicine from Tehran—explored the possibility of using the flower Ranunculus asiaticus L. (a.k.a. the Persian Buttercup”) as a protective in manuscript preservation⁷. Similarly, Syed Mahmood Mar’ashi, director of the Mar’ashi Library in Iran, detailed the word’s etymology and its relationship to the medical uses of the Ranunculaceae family of plants in his paper in Persian.⁸

Use of “Kabikaj”:

I asked Dr. Syed Tanveeruddin Khudanumai – former Head of Persian Department, Osmania University, Hyderabad and an expert in Muslim Occult Sciences – about the usage of this word. He referred me to the voluminous Dehkhoda⁹ Persian dictionary and some Persian manuscripts from his private collections, and spoke about how the word was written by scholars and laymen alike with a common believe that ‘Kabikaj’ is the name of a Muwakkil (an angel appointed by God over certain functions of the universe) that will protect the pages from being stolen by any human and from being eaten by book-worms, and discussed the occult science behind this belief.

These inscriptions were both decorative and functional, serving a talismanic purpose. Several variants of the word appear across manuscripts—such as kabīkaj, kabrkaj, kabkai, karkai, kaykataj, and even the corrupted kavkataj in Maghribi manuscripts—highlighting a fluid orthography influenced by pronunciation, dialect, and scribal interpretation. Although there is no standard recorded methodology of composing this invocation (as is usually the case with ta’widh), looking at various manuscripts, the way seems to be to usually write “Ya Kabikaj” (O Kabikaj!). Sometimes the word will be repeated 2 to 7 times in a triangular shape (similar to how ‘concrete poems’ or ‘shape poems’ are written), this might even increase to as much as 24 times, and might include other similar invocations like “Ya Kabikaj, ihfaz al-waraq” (O Kabikaj! Protect <this> page/paper), “Ya Kabikaj, Ya Hafiz/Hafeez” (O Kabikaj, O Protector). In some instances, the name paired with descriptive epithets like ḥāfiẓ (“guardian”) or mufahhiḥ (possibly “the one who hisses”, referencing a snake). More complex variations, such as kanīnka.j and aktkanj kaj-kaj, also appear, suggesting either scribal error or intentional mystical distortion¹⁰.

 يا كبيكج  يا كبيكج  يا كبيكج
 يا كبيكج  يا كبيكج
 يا كبيكج

Another form is of specific talismans written as magic-boxes with a combination of different Arabic alphabets and numbers (derived from the Abjad¹¹ system). The former is found to be casually written on manuscripts of books, while the later is found to be written on manuscripts of firmans, family trees and property documents indicating the importance of such documents. 

Mir Mubashir Ali Khan – custodian of his ancestral archives in Hyderabad, that include royal firmans from late Mughal and early Qutub Shahi dynasties’ eras – presented one such family document from 16^th century that has the seal of Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Aurangzeb, that has a written-box (in the style of a ta’widh) in red-ink which is said to be made up of grinded red cinnabar dye, that can not be approached by termites. Cloths dyed in cinnabar were also used to cover these documents, which would keep them safe from termites.

While discussing this with our family and team member Dr. Ayesha Nishath – a pharmacologist from Nottingham University, UK, and a student of traditional calligraphy from Idara e Adabiyat e Urdu, Hyderabad – she shared some anecdotes of encountering certain types of papers and inks that were made from animal skins and specific plants, that when touched with bare-hands or smelt closely would cause irritations to the eyes and difficulties in breathing. These were used for secret communication purposes or for subjects that were known to be “harmful in nature if dealt without supervision”. Talking about the antifungal and antibacterial potentials of Ranunculus species – of which the word ‘Kabikaj’ is said to be related to – she suggested the parallels between usage of specific red cinnabar dyed inks to draw borders on manuscripts, and usage of Ranunculus species (commonly known as Persian Buttercup) as borders of gardens to keep them protected from rabbits and deers in various parts of the world. Due to their bitter taste and toxic sap, which contains protoanemonin—an irritant that can cause blistering and gastrointestinal distress in animals, this natural defense makes them generally unappealing to them. While formal horticultural sources rarely list ranunculus specifically as rabbit/deer-resistant, their acrid, toxic properties likely discourage them. As a result, some gardeners plant ranunculus along garden borders in hopes of deterring browsing animals, particularly deer and rabbits. Though this practice is more anecdotal than widely documented in professional landscaping guides, it does allude to the plant’s potential as a natural deterrent. This too indicates to the possibility of dried buttercup leaves that were placed between pages to deter pests in humid climates and possibly o0ver time, the plant’s name itself took on symbolic protective power. A few books from our collections do include “butter papers” that were included while the books were re-bound by dadahazrath (often to include more pages for notes and customised hardcovers). Butter papers are semi-transparent, water-proof papers that are resistant to moisture – usually used for wrapping butter, but occasionally found in between pages for the same properties and purposes.

Parallel and Similar Traditions:

Speaking with Vishwas – a student of advanced Sanskrit studies, India – he notes that while any such invocations are rarely found in the north-Indian traditions, certain south-Indian manuscripts do mention Hindu deities that are believed to protect the manuscripts. Sri Lankan symbols or images of the Sinhalese “Fire Demons” are hung in the corners of libraries to appease the incendiary demons and to avert fire, lightning and cataclysm, according to Sinhalese mythology. Since fire and acid decomposition (also known as “slow fires”) are a special problem for libraries because of the concentration of paper products, the “Fire Demons” are also included when used to assuage these destroyers of libraries and books. Similarly, for the ancient Egyptians – the dung beetle and an artefact “scarab” based on dung beetle was the protector for written materials, and in some cases, protector of the mummies. Like St. Lawrence, St. Jerome and Catherine of Alexandria in certain Christian traditions, ancient Babylonian traditions also mention “Nabu” as the heavenly patron of books who invented writing. The ancient Chinese-deity “Wei T’O”, also found in some Buddhist traditions, is said to be the patron god of libraries and books, and examples of appeals are found in Chinese manuscripts. The major deity in Mayan Indians and Latin American traditions – Quetzalcoatl – is said to be the discoverer of writing, and a single feather or plume at the beginning or at the end of a document would indicate a dedication to the “Feathered Serpent”, which degenerated over time to a single fringed line – with or without the belief – that the paper will be protected due to this.

In the calligraphy manuals mentioned previously, and in some works on paleography certain symbols and mysterious words like فسفع fasfa’ and بدوح budduuh (mentioned previously) are discussed. About one such symbol is even ascribed to the Prophet and King Sulaiman (Solomon), and to Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (cousin of the Prophet ﷺ and fourth caliph of Islam). This symbol has been mentioned by a 16th century poet from Ahmedabad – Khub Muhammad Chishti – in his work حفظ مراتب Hifz e Maratib using Arabic and Persian couplets.

ثلچ عزصی صففت بعد خاتم ؛ علی راسیھا مثل السنان المرقوم
و میم طمیس ابتر ثم سلم ؛ تشتیر الی الخیرات و لیس بسلم
و اربعہ مثل الانامل صففت ؛ وھاء شفیق ثم واو منعکس
کانیوب حجام و لیس بمججم

صفرہء سہ الف کشیدہ مدبر سر ؛ میم کجکول، نردبان، بدودر
پا چہار الف کشیدہ ھا و وا دم سر ؛ این جملہء بود، نام خدائ اکبر

Shagil Usmani translated the meaning into these Urdu couplets;

چھ کونٹی ایک شکل ہے پھر تین الف پر مد | دو میم ہیں ملے ہوے سیڑھی کا پھر نشان
پھر چار انگلیاں ہیں کھڑی اور دو چشمی ہے | پھر واو دم ہے، جس کی مثال خم کماں

While many talismanic charms are used solely for protection, the case of Kabikaj is particularly distinct in the way that it is linked not only to metaphysical properties but also to a tangible-material entity (such as the flower Persian Buttercup) for protection, and specifically in our case, for book preservation. The botanical Indian equivalent of the Kabikaj plant is the Azadirachta Indica or neem, whose leaves are kept between manuscript folios to protect the paper.¹² This is still practiced commonly in the subcontinent.

“Kabikaj” – that once was a common tradition with seemingly rich combinations of different subjects dealing with occult, botanical, medicinal sciences, and paper-preservation techniques – is now getting erased from texts as well as memories. A great potential for research lies in this single word – that can be explored not just for its history and metaphysicality, but also for the different methods that were used to preserve manuscripts in the past – and open another door for the on-going preservation-methods.

NOTE: There is still some room for more research on this practice, and I will be updating if and when I find something new.

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Footnotes:

1. Gacek, Adam. “The Use of ‘kabīkaj’ in Arabic Manuscripts.” Manuscripts of the Middle East 2 (1986): 49–53. ↩︎
2. Ta’widh تعويذ is from the Arabic word awwadha, which means “to fortify someone with an amulet or incantation” – commonly translated as ‘amulet’ in English – which is drawn or written through various traditionally passed on processes – and worn as lockets or inscribed on certain places (including doors, papers and other things). ↩︎
3. a. al-Ghāfiqī. Kitāb al-adwiyāʾ al-mufradah (The Book of Simple Drugs), fol. 277a. Mid‑13th century manuscript. Osler Library of the History of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal. Reproduced in the Rational Sciences in Islam project, McGill University. Accessed August 5, 2025. https://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/index.html
   b. Gacek, Adam. “Arabic Calligraphy and the ‘Herbal’ of al-Ghâfiqî.” Fontanus: From the Collections of McGill University 2 (1989): 49–51.
   c. “The Herbarium of al-Ghafiqi, named after the illustrious 12th century Islamist scholar versed in botany and pharmacology, Abù Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ghàfiqi, brings together 475 entries including 367 color illustrations accompanied by calligraphy Arabic. The manuscript was acquired in 1912 by the famous professor of medicine at McGill University, Sir William Osler from an admirer, Dr. M. Sa’eed of Hamadan (Iran)” (translated from the French). https://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/actualite/2010/10/12/lumiere-herbier-al-ghafiqi
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4. Ahmad, Ehtramuddin Shaaghil Usmani. Saheefa-e-Khushnaveesaan (صحیفہ ء خوشنویساں), Aligarh: Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu, 1963.
   2nd ed. New Delhi: Taraqqi Urdu Bureau, 1987. Printed by Super Printer South, Anarkali, Delhi. ↩︎
5. Gacek, Adam. “The Use of ‘kabīkaj’ in Arabic Manuscripts.” Manuscripts of the Middle East 2 (1986): 49–53. ↩︎
6. Pollock, James W. “KABI:KAJ TO BOOK POUCHES: LIBRARY PRESERVATION MAGIC AND TECHNIQUE IN SYRIA OF THE 1880’S AND THE 1980’S WEST.” MELA Notes, no. 44 (1988): 8–10. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29785407.
   ↩︎
7. Mahlooji, Kamran, Abdoli, Mahsima, and Zargaran, Arman. “Gabigaj: A Persian Herb for Protecting Manuscripts against Fungies and Insects from Safavid Era (1501–1722 AD).” Research on History of Medicine 9, no. 1 (February 2020): 63–68 ​​https://rhm.sums.ac.ir/article_46469_c2f0837990dee4d072aeb5cdf7b1b540.pdf ↩︎
8. Marʿāshī Najafi, Seyyed Mahmoud. “کبیکج در نسخه‌های خطی [Kabīkaj in Manuscripts].” میراث شهاب [Mirāth-e Shahāb], no. 26 (2010): 123–132. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1235878/ ↩︎
9.  https://dehkhoda.ut.ac.ir/fa/dictionary/detail/256324?title=%DA%A9%D8%A8%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%AC  ↩︎
10. Gacek, Adam. “The Use of ‘kabīkaj’ in Arabic Manuscripts.” Manuscripts of the Middle East 2 (1986): 49–53. ↩︎
11. The abjad system is an alphabetic numeral system in which the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet are assigned numerical values, and is used for different purposes. For an introduction and overview of this, see: Farooqi, Mehr Afshan. “The Secret of Letters: Chronograms in Urdu Literary Culture.” Edebiyat 13, no. 2 (November 2003): 147–158. ↩︎
12. Akkerman, ‘The Bohra Manuscript Treasury as a Sacred Site of Philology’, 195. ↩︎
13. Halimi Zuhdy, “Menelisik Asal dan Makna كبيكج di Pesantren,” Pesantren.ID (blog entry hosted at halimizuhdy.com), published (n.d.), accessed August 5, 2025, http://www.halimizuhdy.com/2022/09/menelisik‑asal‑dan‑makna‑di‑pesantren.html. ↩︎