Sorcery [MAGIC]

All praise is due to Allaah Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allaah! Bestow peace and blessings upon Your Messenger Muhammad , his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah and hold fast unto His Strong Rope and Straight Path and know that the most abominable of things is to disobey Allaah. Be also aware that the greatest of all sins is the one greatest in consequence. Perpetrating major sins is tantamount to waging war against Allaah and his Messenger . Sins differ in their consequences and punishments according to differences in their degree of contradiction of the purpose of creation and contrariness to the truth. In fact, Allaah created the universe that He alone may be worshipped without associating any partners with Him. He created the Heavens and the Earth in truth and in order to reward each soul for whatever it earned. He has also reformed the Earth by sending Messengers and revealing books. Therefore, whatever runs in contrary to these great aims is an abominable sin before Allaah, for which He has promised a severe punishment in this world and the next. That is why the act of associating partners with Allaah in acts of worship is regarded to be the greatest of major sins and its punishment is the most severe. Allaah says, “Verily whoever sets up partners with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him and the fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (Polytheists, and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.” (Al-Maaidah 5:72).

Further, the sorcerers always tell lies, have dirty minds and commit sins insolently. Allaah says, “Shall I inform you, (O people) upon whom the shayaatin (devils) descend? They descend on every lying (one who tells lies), sinful person.” (Ash-Shuaraa 26:221-222)

Brothers in faith! Sorcery separates between husband and wife, between a son and his father, brother and friend. It dominates and weakens one’s will power thereby making the bewitched perceive the harmful things as useful and vice-versa. He sees undesirable things in his house and his family but would be unable to correct it because he has been dispossessed of his will power. Sometimes sorcery kills, makes one sick, damages one’s sense of reasoning, brings about delusive imagination, and destructive insinuation. However, all this happens by the permission of Allaah and His will for nothing happens except by His will. Allaah says, “And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s leave.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 102)

Sorcery is widespread among ignorant women and some despicable and ignorant men who use this vicious means to win undue favour and inflict harm on others. As for the bewitched person, he is regarded as the wronged one and Allaah will come to his aid. Ibn Abbaas reported that the Messenger of Allaah said, “He is not of us, the one who sees evil omens, or the one the one whose behalf they are seen, or the one who practices soothsaying, or the one on whose behalf it is practiced; or the one who practices sorcery, or the one for whom sorcery is done.” (At-Tabaraanee)

An-Nisaaee also reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah the Messenger of Allaah said, “Whoever ties a knot and blows into it has practiced sorcery, and whosoever practiced sorcery has associated partners with Allaah. Whoever wears anything for protection (i.e. talismans, pendants etc.) will be left in its care. 

As-Sihr (Sorcery) literally means something that is hidden and its cause is unknown. Islaamically it means knots and shirk incantations that have impact on the victim’s mind or body. The Islaamic rule regarding learning it and teaching it is that it is Kufr and going out of the fold of Islaam, according to the authentic view of the scholars. Allaah says, “Sulaimaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaatin (devils) disbelieved teaching men magic.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 102)

He also says in the same verse, “And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the hereafter.”

He also says, “And the magician will never be successful no matter what amount (of skill) he may attain.” (Taahaa 20: 69)

Sorcery according to the scholars does have a real impact with Allaah’s leave. That is why Allaah enjoined seeking refuge against it. As for the legal ruling concerning sorcerers in this world, they should be killed if evidence is established that they practice sorcery. That is the opinion of Abu Haneefah, Maalik, and Ahmed. Imam Ahmad said, “Capital punishment for the sorcerer has been authentically reported from three companions of the Prophet . It is reported from Umar that he wrote, “Kill every sorcerer and sorceress.” Bujaalah (a sub-narrator) said, “Then we killed three sorceresses.” It is also authentically reported from Hafsah (Prophet’s wife) that she ordered a maid of hers to be killed because she did sorcery on her.” Jundub bin Kaab was also authentically reported that he beheaded a magician who was playing his magic in front of Waleed and said, “Let him use his magic for his own benefit now.” 

The Killing of sorcerers is for the purpose of protecting people from their harm and evil, in order to uproot all its manifestations from the Islaamic society and to preserve the purity of Muslims’ belief, their intellect, and properties. Islaam also encourages good and fights evil. Executing sorcerers is therefore the correct opinion of the scholars, even if he shows repentance because the companions did not ask the sorcerers to repent before they killed them. Further, most sorcerers are liars. If a sorcerer is given a chance to repent, he is unlikely to be truthful. If he is however truthful in his heart his repentance will benefit him before Allaah but that does not save him from being executed because he has practised a malicious and wicked act.

Fellow Muslims! There are some ignorant people who do not have a clear perception of the lying and deceitful sorcerers and are confused by these devils’ acts, like flying in the sky, walking on water, healing the sick, or informing of hidden things and it  becomes as said, thereby making these ignorant people believe falsely that the sorcerer is a Walee of Allaah. It can even lead to worshipping him besides Allaah and seeking his benefit and protection. The Islaamic Shariah has however distinguished between friends of Allaah and friends of Shaytaan. Friends of Allaah are those who maintain the limits of Allaah, adhere to his injunctions inwardly and outwardly and observe the prayer. Allaah says, “No doubt! Verily, the Awliyaa’ of Allaah (i.e. those who believe in the oneness of Allaah and fear Allaah much; abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden, and love Allaah much; perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained.), no fear shall overcome them, nor shall they grieve. (Those who believe in the Oneness of Allaah), and used to fear Allaah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and by doing righteous deeds.” (Yoonus 10: 52-63)

Further, it is not a prerequisite for being Allaah’s Walee to perform supernatural acts which the ignorant people regard as miracles while they are satanic works in actual sense with which devils serve them in order to mislead people. Do not therefore be carried away by the feats of these magicians. If you look at their adherence to Islaamic injunctions you will find that they do not attend Jumu’ah or congregational prayers; they do not listen to the Qur'ân. They only spread immorality and listen to music. Allaah says, “They are the party of Satan. Verily, it is the party of Satan that will be the losers!” (Al-Mujaadalah 58: 19) Regard those who perform such a supernatural acts as charlatans/ swindlers who are disbelievers in Allaah.

Dear brothers! There are others who are considered to be the same as sorcerers. These are soothsayers, fortune-tellers, and astrologers; and those who make writings on the sand. They all claim the knowledge of the unseen, thereby becoming kuffar. Allaah says, “Say: None in the heavens and the Earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allaah.” (An-Naml 27: 65)

Therefore, whoever believes them in their claim has also become a kaafir. The Prophet said, “Whoever visits a soothsayer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Abu Dawood)

Brothers in faith! Magical spells can be prevented by having trust in Allaah, supplicating to Him, reciting the Qur'ân and authentic adhkaar, perfection of Tawheed, keeping away from shirk and waging war against malicious people. Allaah says, “O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islaam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islaamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaitaan (Satan). Verily, he is to you a plain enemy.” (Al-Baqarah 1: 208)

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah, and know that Allaah knows the secret and that which is hidden. He says, “And obey Allaah and the Messenger and beware and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away then you should know that it is our Messenger’s duty to convey (the message) in the clearest way.” (Al-Maaidah 5: 92)

Fellow Muslims! Allaah says, “And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him.” (At-Talaaq 65: 3)

The Prophet said, “Supplication benefits in things that have happened and things that have not yet happened.” As a measure of prevention from magical spell, the Prophet enjoins reciting the Qur'ân and doing dhikr in the morning and evening. He said, “Recite Sooratul- Baqarah, for recitation of it is blessing and abandonment of it is a loss. The wicked people are incapable of doing anything for those who recite it.” 

It should however be noted that the kind of magical spell that affected the Prophet did not in any way affect his divine immunity or deliverance of his message. It was just a mere harm done to him from which Allaah cured him.