An Islamic discussion
on Magic--
…All power belongs to The Most
Beneficent & Most Merciful
The
physical and the non-physical world:
We have this
physical world with all its mysteries in
front of us that are possible for us to see.
But there is again a whole world, more
enormous and much more fantastically
mysterious, that is not possible to witness
through the eyesight. Lots of things do
exist but are not comprehensible through our
eyes. One of the aspects of this unseen
world is the cause and effect of our
actions.
As there is the good and the bad in this
physical world so is there the good and the
bad in the unseen world. Amongst the good
things are Allah (S.W.T.), angels, etc.
Amongst the bad things present in the
non-physical realm are things that are
anti-system to the physically good. They
also include the misuse or wrong application
of some of the physical and non-physical
good.
Definitions Of Certain Haraam Actions:
1.
Magic – Indulging in magic, teaching and
learning magic, earning out of it is
unconditionally and absolutely Haraam. On
the basis of obligatory precaution, this is
not allowed even for retaliating to magic in
general. The exception to this being, when
there is no alternate to this and there is a
requirement that is of higher significance
in nature, like saving a momins life who is
being affected by magic. By magic it is
meant to influence the mind of a person
through influencing of the sight or hearing
or similar aspects of a person.
Let us refer
to the Holy Quran in this regard:
“They said: O
Musa! Will you cast, or shall we be the
first to cast? He said: Cast. So when they
cast, they deceived the people’s eyes and
frightened them, and they produced a
mighty enchantment.” (Araaf 7: 115-116).
“He said: Nay!
Cast down. Then lo! Their cords and their
rods – it was imaged to him on
account of their magic as if they were
running.” (TaHa 20: 66).
This is how we
have defined magic in the above point.
2.
Soothsaying – Fortune telling, this is
defined as informing about the hidden things
by maintaining that the information has been
received through Jinn. It is haraam to
indulge in soothsaying. It is also haraam to
earn out of soothsaying. Similarly, it is
also haraam to refer to a soothsayer.
Furthermore, it is even haraam to believe in
what the soothsayer has said as true.
3.
Astrology – This is Haraam. It is defined as
information regarding events like inflation,
deflation, heat, cold and other events
relying on the movements of celestial
bodies, developments in the state of the
stars like the proximity between them or the
distancing between them or their timing or
other similar things with the faith that
these have an effect on the events, an
effect that is either autonomous to Allah (S.W.T.)
or in sharing with Allah (S.W.T.). It is
also to be noted that many claimants do not
even have this knowledge of astrology. They
claim to have knowledge based on their
ulterior motives. Obviously, this is also
Haraam.
It
is NOT Magic in most cases?
We tend to
put all the blame for any misfortune/problem
on other people & most convieniently on
magic. Instead of looking at our sins &
other reasons we immediately accept any
suggestion(from anybody at all), that
someone has done something to us!.
In 99% of
cases we only incorrectly assume that magic
has affected us & it may be true in a very
rare case.
Magic is evil
Magic is unconditionally & absolutely
haram/prohibited .A gunahane Kabira (greater
sin) leading to Hell fire. A person who
indulges in magic & does not repent is
punishable by Death in an Islamic society,
as it is equivalent to shirk & severly
criticised in many ahadith
At times, the
sorcerer discontinues all good actions &
concentrates on performing satanic rituals,
committing adultery, drinking blood etc.
There is an entire cult in magic called as
Blood Magic. This is based on the belief
that as blood represents life force, and
thus can be used to power or augment
powerful magic. Use of blood can provide
power to humans and also to objects. A more
hideous though related cult is Death Magic.
In both of these the magician does not fall
short of killing ones own wife, kids, etc.
Another form is called as Necromancy. This
also includes rapes of little girls. In this
and most of the forms of magic atrocities of
ghastly nature are caused more specifically
to women. Then there are other forms of
magic like the sympathetic and the
contiguous. Contrary to the name, even the
sympathetic is very harsh. Both these also
involve making idols/dolls and then harming
the idol/doll so as to harm any given person
with the only difference that contiguous
includes something (clothes, shoes,
footprints, etc.) related to the target.
These acts bring the magician close to Satan
so that he is helped in his magic. Obviously
the closer to Satan a man is the further he
is from any kind of truth & Islam.
A Muslim is
one who submits to the All Powerful Allah
swt.
If he goes near these things he demonstrates
that he has no faith in Allah swt & Ahlul
bayt(as).The Imam of our time will be
saddened to see a believer relying on Magic
or soothsaying as he has abandoned Allah swt,&
HIS chosen people.
If someone wishes for something bad to
happen to HIS creation especially another
Muslim, Allah swt will also hate him for it.
Such negative feelings arising out of pride
,jealousy need treatment by consulting
knowledgeable people & reading books on
Ethics like Greater sins, Self Building*
Pir/ Baba/ Mulla/ Fakir/ Sufi:
It is to be
noted that whenever we happen to say that it
is haraam to go to a Pir/Baba we always mean
along with the associated conditions. This
sentence is not absolute in nature. Going to
a Pir/Baba or to a mulla/fakir/sufi/scholar
etc. for that matter is haraam when it falls
under the above-mentioned haraam categories.
But if a person goes to another person
called as Pir/Baba and he evidently guides
through the knowledge of the Holy Quran or
the Holy Traditions, then it is absolutely
no harm. There may be certain apprehensions
here and hence please note that we can
divide the actions of Pir/Babas/scholar etc
into the following categories for the sake
of convenience in particular related to our
subject matter herein:
1.
Actions that are evidently haraam based on
the above-mentioned criterion. Like a person
dominates other peoples minds or a person
claims that he gets news from the Jinn, etc.
Here we need to abhor the action and the
person indulging in it and prevent this
social bane from spreading wherever
possible.
2.
Actions that
are evidently good or mubah. Like a person
informing through the Holy Traditions about
the signs of the re-appearance the Imam
(A.F.) and also informing that probably now
so and so events will take place as is
mentioned in the Holy Traditions or a person
advising that fornication be totally
uprooted from the society because he
foresees the punishment of Allah (S.W.T.) in
the near future.
3.
Based on our
limited knowledge that varies from person to
person, we are not capable to understand
whether the person involved is using the
pure knowledge or otherwise. In such case,
ethically we should keep aloof from such
activities. But here we do not have the
responsibility or the right to do Amr Bil
Maaroof and Nahi Anil Munkar.
Reference to
an important Ayat on this topic:
After the
demise of H.Suleiman (A.S.) many people
started claiming that he used to indulge in
magic to achieve such a huge kingdom. Hence,
the Jews in particular claimed that magic is
a good action and is not prohibited. The
basic motive was to cleanse their own hands
and to make their own magic business
successful. The following verse of the Holy
Quran vouches for this fact and furthermore
informs us about some aspects of magic:
“And they
followed what the shaitans chanted of
sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and
Suleiman 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
any one except with Allah’s permission,
and they learned what harmed them and did
not profit them, and certainly they know
that he who bought 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.” Al-Baqarah 2: 102
The Jews were
adamant in propagating the thought that
H.Suleiman (A.S.) indulged in magic. Hence,
the Holy Quran had to clarify distinctly
that H.Suleiman (A.S.) was a Prophet of
Allah (S.W.T.) he did not commit magic. Here
the verse uses the words ‘Unbeliever’ and
‘disbelieved’ for magic! This verily denotes
the intensity of this crime. A person
becomes a disbeliever in the realm of action
once he indulges in magic!
How
to protect against Magic
As
highlighted above:
“and they
cannot hurt with it any one except with
Allah’s permission” Al-Baqarah 2: 102
1. One of
the best things to do is reliance on Allah
(S.W.T.)
“…..and
whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient
for him….” Talaq 65: 3
Reliance on
Allah (S.W.T.) is definitely a perfect and
absolute solution to any kind of problems
including magic.
It is
related from Abu Abdillah ( Imam Sadique –
A.S.). He said: Allah Tabarak Wa Ta’ala
revealed to Dawood (A.S.):
” Whoever, grasps me withdrawing from My
creation – I know this from his intentions –
then the skies and the earth and those in
them conspire against him; but I deliver him
from this state of affairs. A servant from
my servants does not grasps someone from my
creation except that I slash his means from
the heavens that is already in his hands and
makes this world a difficult place to stay.
I do not care where exactly he is ruined.” –
Mishkat-ul-Anwar Chapter 4 number 36.
2. Whenever
there is a serious need for anything then
Allah (S.W.T.) immediately fulfills that
need. Even if a kafir has a genuine need
then there is a voice raised from the very
depth of his heart – “O Allah”. This kind of
a voice is always answered even if it comes
from a kafirs heart. Being momins such a
voice from the depth of the heart coupled
with the genuine need will be always
answered. If someone faces some problem then
he should know that there is some good
hidden in it. Accept whatever comes from
your Lord and do not be panicky. Your need
in itself is a strong dua that will
InshaAllah be soon answered.
It is
reported from Abi Ja’fer (Imam Baqer A.S.):
“ The most
commendable of the creation of Allah
(S.W.T.) is the one who submits to whatever
Allah (S.W.T.) has determined for him. A
person who recognized Allah (S.W.T.) and is
satisfied with the verdict will be rewarded
when the verdict overwhelms him. But a
person who feels grudge over the verdict
will be overwhelmed with the verdict albeit
Allah (S.W.T.) will quash the reward.”
Mishkat-ul-Anwar Chapter 4: 42
-Special
dua for protection (to be written
on deerskin & kept )
A person came to Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s.)
and complained that a spell has been cast on
him. Ali (a.s.) told him to write the
following dua on the skin of deer and keep
it with him so that the spell may not affect
him:
BISMILLAAHI WA BILLAAHI BISMILLAAHI WA MAA
SHAAA-ALLAAHU BISMILLAAHI WA LAA QUWWATA
ILLA BILLAAH
QAALA
MOOSAA MAA JI-TUM BIHIS SIH'R INNALLAAHA
SAYUBT'ILUH INNALLAAHA LAA YUS'LIH'U A'MALAL
MUFSIDEEN
FAWAQA-A'L
H'AQQU WA BAT'ALA MAA KANOO YA'-MALOON
FAGHULIBOO HUNAA LIKA WANQALABOO S'AAGHIREEN
In the Name of Allah and by Allah.(SYunus
81) In the Name of Allah and as Allah
willed. In the Name of Allah. There is no
power or might except by Allah. Musa (a.s.)
said Allah shall soon falsify the magic of
those who have come with magic. Indeed Allah
does not improve the affairs of
transgressors.(S Araf 118) Then the truth
became manifested and falsified what they
had done. The truth triumphed and they were
disgraced.
Another important dua: He also
advised reciting the following dua (verse 35
of Sura al Qasas )seven times to
safeguard against magic.It is better
to recite it seven times after Namaz-e-Shab
and before the morning prayers. It will
protect one from the evils of magic
Recite
QAALA
SANASHUDDU A'Z'UDAKA BI-AKHEEKA WA NAJ-A'LU
LAKUMAA SULT'AANAN FALAA YAS'ILOONA
ILAYKUMAA BI-AAYAATINAAA ANTUMAA WA MANIT
TABA-A'KUMAL GHAALIBOON
… In the Name
of Allah and by the help of Allah. Soon We
shall strengthen your hand by your brother.
And appoint for you a force. By which their
mischief would not harm you. Move ahead with
our signs. You and your followers shall
triumph.
Also Dua e
Sabasab can be used to protect oneself
from magic and all other evils.
We need to
rely on powerful methods at our disposal to
change our future for the better instead of
such ways
Sadqa & observing ties of kinship(selah
reham) result in long lives.
Dua’a especially with the medium of
Ahlulbayt(as) changes fortunes & destiny
An
interesting incident
In the book Qasasul Ulama there is
an anecdote of the period of Abbas the
Safawid. A Christian king sent a messenger
to Abbas with the message that he may be
given a chance to debate with Muslim
scholars and if he defeats the Muslim
scholars they must all accept Christianity.
Now the person sent by the Christian king
had some powers by which he was able to
guess accurately what others held in their
fists. The scholars were invited to debate
with him and they included Mulla Mohsin Faiz.
When the debate began Mulla Mohsin remarked
that the Christian king has sent an ordinary
man instead of a religious scholar for
debate. The envoy brushed the remark aside
and told him to hide something in his fist
so that he can prove his miraculous powers.
Mulla Mohsin kept the tasbih made of
dust from Imam Husain (a.s.)’s grave in his
fist and challenged him to guess. The man
thought for sometime but kept quiet. When
Mulla urged him to speak up he said,
“According to my knowledge there is a piece
of Paradise soil in your hand but I am
astonished as to where it was and how it
came into your hands.”
Mulla Mohsin said, “You are correct! It
is the dust from the grave of Imam Husain
(a.s.) who was the grandson of our Prophet
(s.a.w.s.). Your statement itself proves
that the Imam of Muslims was on the right.
Hence, you must accept Islam.”
The Christian followed his conscience
and became a Muslim. He had acquired the
power by acting in contradiction to all his
wishes & desires for which he was being
compensated in this world itself as he was
not a believer.
*For Islamic
info visit
www.al-islam.org & read books
available from
67/69, H.
Abbas (a.s.) Street, Mumbai- 400009. (India)
Telephones : 377 3648 / 370 0308 Fax :
(91-22) 374 5144.
Email:
win@bom4.vsnl.net. www.winislam.com
Please note that rules
discussed herein are quoted from fatwas of
Ayatullah Sistani. The translations of M.H.
Shakir have been used for the verses of the
Holy Quran to avoid confusion. There is
neither claim nor the possibility to discuss
the entire subject matter in this brief
article. For further
information/clarifications you may contact
us through email
