The Faal of Hafezفال حافظ

Faal-e gush, "ear divination", is traditionally practised on the eve of Chaharshanbe Suri, the last Wednesday of the Persian year. A person with an unspoken wish or question goes out to a lane or stands quietly near a doorway or crossroads and listens to the first words of passers-by or neighbours. Whatever is overheard, a cheerful remark or a grumble, is taken as the answer, and the listener interprets it in light of the wish. In some places it is customary to make an intention first, and young women in particular were said to listen for hints about marriage.

In the jug divination, people drop a small personal token, such as a ring, bead or hairpin, into an earthenware jug while making a wish. The jug is often covered and set aside, and later a child or young girl draws out the tokens one at a time while someone recites a short verse, frequently a do-bayti. The verse spoken as each token emerges is taken as its owner's fortune. The custom is traditionally associated with the summer festival of Tirgan, and in some regions it is held instead at Chaharshanbe Suri or other festive gatherings.

Coffee-cup reading is shared with neighbouring cultures, especially Turkey and the Arab world, and uses thick, unfiltered coffee. After the coffee has been drunk, the cup is turned upside down onto its saucer and left to cool, so that the grounds run down the sides and form shapes. A reader, often a friend or relative with a reputation for it, then studies the patterns, seeing birds, roads, rings or faces, and interprets them. It is usually a sociable, light-hearted ritual among friends rather than a solemn one, and readings are expected to be taken with a smile.

In Iranian cities, street fortune-tellers have long offered a faal of Hafez on the pavement or in a park. Traditionally the faal-gir keeps a small bird, often a canary or a budgerigar, beside a box of folded slips or envelopes, each bearing a verse of Hafez and sometimes a short interpretation. For a small fee, the bird picks out one slip with its beak for the customer. The custom is especially visible around Yalda night and Nowruz, and many people treat it as a charming encounter as much as a serious reading.

Alongside Hafez, Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, the national epic, has traditionally been consulted for a faal. The seeker makes an intention and opens the book at random, and the passage that appears is read and interpreted, often by a naqqal or storyteller familiar with the epic. The fortune is drawn from the tale in which the page falls: a passage about Rostam's victories might be read as strength and success, while a scene of grief would call for patience. Like the Hafez faal, it is traditionally taken with an intention held quietly in mind.

Istikhara means "seeking what is good" and is a religious practice distinct from fortune-telling. A person facing a decision, uncertain whether to proceed, asks God for guidance. This may be done through a prescribed prayer, by opening the Qur'an and reading the meaning of the verse that appears, or with prayer beads (tasbih), counting between two points to arrive at an answer of good or not good. Many people ask a trusted cleric or elder to perform it for them. It is approached with sincerity and reverence, as a request for guidance rather than a prediction.