According to Sharie’ah, the meaning of sihr is what the magicians do to delude and confuse people, so that the one who is watching thinks that it is real when in fact it is not. As Allah said concerning the magicians of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning): “They said: ‘O Musa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?’ Musa said: ‘Nay, throw you (first)!’ Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic , appeared to him as though they moved fast. So Musa conceived fear in himself. We (Allah) said: ‘Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand. And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician’s trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain.’” (Ta-Ha 20:65-69). Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “And they followed what the shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, Yet these two taught no man until they had said, ‘Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.’ Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it anyone except with Allah’s permission, and they learnt what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who brought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls; had they but known this.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:102). Sorcery was prevalent among the Jews for a long time; and they used to ascribe it to Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a). They believed that Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a) had mastered the techniques of controlling the angels, jinns and wild animals through magic, and some of these alleged methods had reached them. They also implicated the two angels Harut and Marut for other magical rites. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has denounced their belief regarding Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a) because sorcery is the method of misusing the power of human spirit in order to perform extraordinary acts. It is against the Divine law because it negates the supremacy of Allah (S.w.T.). Since Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a) was a Prophet and undoubtedly infallible, he cannot be blamed for such a violation of Divine Command. Therefore to ascribe sorcery to Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a) was absolutely wrong. As the Almighty says, “…and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery…” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:102). Regarding Harut and Marut the Holy Qur’an says: “…and that was sent down to the angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, “Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.” Even then men learnt from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it anyone except with Allah’s permission, and they learnt what harmed them and did not profit them…” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:102). We should however know that some of the commentaries of the Holy Qur’an by Ahle-Sunnat have recorded some lewd traditions on this subject; and their lewdness itself proves their forged nature. For example they say that the Jinns stole the ring of Hazrat Sulaiman (‘a) and with the help of its power ruled for forty days from his throne and during this period the satans spread the practice of sorcery among the masses. Moreover, the Qur’anic ayat mentioned above is clear that magic is equivalent to disbelief and the sorcerer will not receive any benefit on the Day of Qiyama. As the Holy Qur’an says, “And if they had believed and guarded themselves (against evil), reward from Allah would certainly have been better; had they but known (this).” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:103). The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, “Three kinds of people will not enter Paradise, habitual alcoholics, habitual sorcerers and those who severe relationships.”Hazrat‘Ali (R.A) says, “The magician will enter hell like the disbeliever.”Hazrat ‘Ali (R.A) says that a woman came to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and said, “My husband is very severe and misbehaves with me, so I have prepared something for him that he may become kind to me.” (i.e. I have prepared a magical potion to change his attitude). The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “Curse be upon you! You have darkened the realms of the seas and the lands, the angels of the earth and the heavens curse you.” After going from there the woman began to fast during the days and pray during the night and she trimmed her hair and started wearing a leather garment. When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learnt of this he remarked that her fasting and prayers would not be accepted.Muhaddith Faid mentions this hadith and comment that these actions will not save her from death penalty. Sorcery is such a severe crime that her repentance and worship will not bring her near Allah (S.w.T.). She has done an injustice to her husband and unless he forgives her, she cannot be forgiven. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says: “If a person goes to a magician, a diviner or a liar and testifies to the truth of whatever he says, he becomes an infidel according to all the books revealed by Allah.” Sihr is a serious crime and is one of the kinds of disbelief. It is one of the things with which people have been tested, in the past and currently, among the nations of the past, during the Jahiliyyah and in this ummah. The more ignorance increases, the less there is knowledge and awareness of faith, the less attention the authorities pay to this matter – the more the practitioners of sihr and trickery increase and spread in the land, to take the people’s wealth and confuse them and do other things. When knowledge prevails and faith increases, and the Islamic authorities are powerful, the number of these evil people shrinks and they move from one land to another, seeking a place where their falsehood will be accepted and they will be able to engage in their trickery and corruption. The Quran and Sunnah have described the kinds of sihr and the rulings on these matters. Sihr is so called because its means are hidden or secret, and because the practitioners of sihr deal with things in secret which enable them to perform illusions to confuse the people and deceive their eyes, and to cause them harm or steal their money, etc., in a secretive manner so that in most cases nobody realizes what is happening. Hence the last part of the night is called sahar, because at the end of the night people are unaware and they do not move about much. And the lungs are also called sahr, because they are hidden inside the body. Sihr may involve things that the magician does when tying knots on which he blows, as is referred to in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): “And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots.” (al-Falaq 113:4). And it may involve other things which they manage to do through the shayatin (devils), so they do things that may affect a man’s reason or make him sick; they may cause division between a man and his wife, resulting in her looking ugly to him, or by making her hate her husband or be put off by him. This is blatant kufr as the Quran states. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulayman (Solomon). Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic.” (al-Baqarah 2:102). Allah informs us that they (the shayatin) committed kufr by teaching men magic. Then Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s Leave” (al-Baqarah 2:102). i.e., this magic and any harm that results from it is subject to the prior decree and will of Allah, for our Lord cannot be overwhelmed and nothing can happen in His Dominion against His Will. Nothing happens in this world or in the Hereafter except by His prior decree and His great wisdom, as He wills. So some people may be tested by sihr, and others may be tested by sickness, or by being killed…etc. Allah is All-Wise in all that He wills and decrees, and in all that He prescribes for His slaves. Hence Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s Leave.” (al-Baqarah 2:102). i.e., by His universal (kawni) will and decree, not by His legislative (shar’i) will (i.e., He wills that it should happen but He does not enjoin it and He is not pleased by such actions). For shari’ah does not allow such things, indeed it forbids them, but by His universal leave He already knows and has already decreed that So and So will do sihr, and that So and So will be affected by sihr, just as He already knows and has already decreed that So and So will be killed, or afflicted with a certain sickness, or will die in a certain land, and will receive such and such provision, or will be rich or poor. All of that happens by the will and decree of Allah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees, Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz.”) (al-Qamar 54:49). “No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.” (al-Hadid 57:22). The evils that come at the hands of the magicians or others do not happen because our Lord is ignorant, for He knows all things and nothing at all is hidden from Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.” (al-Anfal 8:75). “that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allâh surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge.” (al-Talaq 65:12). So Allah knows all things, and nothing happens in His Dominion that He does not will, but He has perfect wisdom and good aims in whatever He decrees should happen to people of honour or humiliation, losing or gaining power, sickness or health, magic and other things. Everything that happens to people happens by the will of Allah and in accordance with His prior decree. These magicians may perform their illusions, as stated in the verse quoted above (interpretation of the meaning): “They said: ‘O Musa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?’ Musa said: ‘Nay, throw you (first)!’ Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.” (Ta-Ha 20:65-66).
Islam greatly condemns black magic for it is impure and it digresses heavily from the teachings of Allah (SWT) and the path of truth and purity. It only leads to more damage and destruction and strays the believer away from all that is good and blessed.
It appeared to the onlooker as if these sticks and ropes were snakes, moving fast in the valley. They were only sticks and ropes, but the magicians, through what they had learned, made what they demonstrated before the people look different in their eyes to what it really was. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.” (Ta-Ha 20:66). And in Surah al-A’raf Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “He (Musa) said: ‘Throw you (first).’ So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.” (al-A’raf 7:116). But in fact their sticks and ropes did not change; it was the people’s sight which changed because of the sihr, so they thought they were snakes, because of the illusion brought about by the magicians. Some people call this taqmir, which is when the magician does things to make a person not sense reality as it really is, so his eyes do not see what is really there and things may be taken from his shop or his home without him realizing it, i.e., he does not know what is really happening. So he may see a rock as a chicken or as an egg, and so on, because reality has been changed in his eyes because of the confusion wrought by the magician, and because his eyes have been bewitched. There are things that the magicians do with certain substances to make people’s eyes not see what is really happening. This is the kind of magic which Allah describes as “great” (i.e. serious, powerful) in Soorat al-A’raf (interpretation of the meaning): “… So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.” (al-A’raf 7:116). How to seek protection against Sihr: Dua; seek protection from Allah (SWT)Make constant dua and ask Allah (SWT) for His protection, for only He has the power to save you from the harm brought about by black magic. Our Prophet (PBUH) used to constantly seek Allah’s refuge and shelter from evil and make the following dua: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from all evil things, both male and female.” (Sahih Bukhari, vol 8, Book 75:326). Never stop calling out to Allah (SWT), for only He has the cure for all things evil. Another source of protection against black magic is the recitation of Surah Baqarah from the Holy Quran. Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Satan flees from the house in which is recited Surat Al-Baqarah” (Sahih Muslim, 780).The Messenger of Allah used to seek protection against the evil of jinn and the evil eyes till Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas were revealed. After they were revealed, he took to them for seeking Allah’s protection and left everything besides them” (At-timidhi, Book 9, Hadith 25). In conclusion, Islam greatly condemns black magic for it is impure and it digresses heavily from the teachings of Allah (SWT) and the path of truth and purity. It only leads to more damage and destruction and strays the believer away from all that is good and blessed.
(The authors write regularly on “Islamic topics” exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)