BLACK MAGICIAN OR SORCERER OR FAITH HEALER …
People employ different names when they go to ‘heal’ them or when they go to see their future or when they go to cause harm to someone. The following names are generally utilized by people; black magician, sorcerer, faith healer, fortune-teller, diviner, astrologer, saint … etc.
No matter how people call them, but in Islam they all fall in the same category. In this book, the words ‘sorcerer’ and ‘black magician’ have been repeatedly used to represent all the names that have been mentioned above.
THE SORCERER’S MODE OF WORKING
There are many people who practice sorcery and they seek the help of the Jinn in this endeavor. They may get the Jinn for evil purposes, or to perform something harmful against someone or they may use the Jinn for protection.
- “And there are men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they increased them in wrongdoing”. [ Al-Jinn 72; verse 6]
Sorcery can only be performed with the aid of devils whose help is attained under one condition. And the condition is that the sorcerer must carry out shameful and Haraam acts which are strictly forbidden by Islam and actions that are shirk and kufr and in return the Jinn will obey the sorcerer and help him mislead people.
THE WAYS BY WHICH THE SORCERERS APPROACH THE JINNS
There are indeed several methods that the sorcerers employ to approach the Jinn. Below, few ways have been cited:
- They perform some sort of unlawful and unclean rituals that are kufr and they recite words and sentences which contain types of shirk, kufr and the disobedience of Allaah.
- They stay in a state of extreme filthiness and they chant words containing shirk and kufr.
- They sacrifice hens, cocks and other animals in the names of other divinities and not in the name of Allaah and then they perform some rituals of kufr with the blood or the flesh of the sacrificed animals.
- They worship and recite words which contain types of shirk and kufr to the stars or idols or statues and perform rituals of kufr.
- There are plenty other types of impure and disgusting rituals that the sorcerers perform.
To attain the help of the Jinn, the performer should attribute them as partners to Allaah in worship. Therefore, the sorcerer invokes the Jinn by some kind of devotion or offering and involves in unclean things and in return the Jinn does some of the request of the sorcerer.
When the sorcerer diminishes the practice of the unclean acts and rituals of kufr, the Jinn start disobeying the orders of the sorcerer.
Hence, what we can observe is that the sorcerer further succeed in his satanic works and the Jinn further aid him when the sorcerer persist in defying Allaah and excessively practice rituals of shirk and kufr.
Thus, the Jinn assist the sorcerer under the condition that the sorcerer performs unlawful and shameful actions that are shirk and kufr.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SORCERY
(1) Black magic which affects directly
In this type of black magic, the sorcerer harms the victim with the aid of the devils.
(2) Black magic with objects
The sorcerer, with the support of the Jinn, write some symbols in a piece of paper, cloth, stone, wood or other personal belongings of the victim and then chant words containing shirk and kufr and invokes the Satan and Jinn.
(3) Black magic on imagination
The sorcerer, with the help of the Jinn, perform some satanic tricks and influence the imagination of the victim. Therefore, the victim sees and perceives with the eyes that which is not so in actual reality. The sorcerers of pharaoh were practicing this type of sorcery.
- “He said: Cast. So they cast, they enchanted the people’s eyes and frightened them, and they produce a mighty enhancement”. [ Al-Araaf 7, Verse 116]
(4) Magic, trick and deception
This category of black magic depends on the tricks that the sorcerers have learned. Together with a high dosage of lies, which form part of the business of the sorcerers, they trick and deceive people.
(5) There are many other forms of sorcery, for example in the Hadeeth it has been mentioned that:
In the epoch of the Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam), a form of black magic that was in ‘fashion’ was to tie a knot and recite words containing kufr. And our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) was himself exposed to the effect of this type of magic.
And Allaah Ta’alah has revealed some verses from the Qur’an to recite to break the spell of the black magic.
Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) said: “Whoever ties a knot and blows in it, has certainly practiced black magic and whoever has practiced black magic has for sure committed shirk. (Nasaii)
BLACK MAGIC IS SHIRK AND KUFR
Whoever performed magic has committed shirk.
Magic is attained through worshipping the Jinn besides Allaah and seeking nearness to them with sacrifices and oaths.
Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) has taught us that the foundation of sorcery is on shirk.
lack magic is a destructive act, thus, it destroys all the good deeds of the person because he befriends the Jinn and follows them.
The sorcerers sacrifice animals in the names of these Jinn and this is utterly haraam!
They prostrate and bow before the Jinn and this is completely haraam!
They eat dirty and unclean things and they perform filthy actions and these are totally haraam!
They implore the Jinn and search help from them and this is absolutely haraam!
Subsequently, in exchange of their devotion, the Jinn give the sorcerers information and help them and obey the sorcerers.
And the black magicians are big liars and they have dirty minds and they sin shamelessly.
- “Shall I inform you upon whom the Satan descend? They descend upon every big slanderer and sinner”. [ As-Shua’arah 26, Verse 221-222]
They pretend to know the future through the contact of ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’ or ‘saint’ … etc and Qur’an says:
- “Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen, but Allaah…”. [ An-Naml 27, Verse 65]
THE ACTIONS OF THE SAHABAS REGARDING BLACK MAGIC
The Sahabas and the intellectuals of Islam, they all share the same opinion of the kufr of someone who practices black magic. The practitioner steps out of Islam and enters the row of those who are the permanent dwellers of hell.
In reality, the sorcerers cause agitation and restlessness by confusing people and misrepresenting the truth instead of promoting justice and they harm instead of doing good.
- “And they followed what the Satan chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Satan disbelieved, they taught men sorcery”. [ Al-Baqarah 2, Verse 102]
Umar (Radhi Allaahu Anhu) ordered to execute all the sorcerers. And the Sahabas gave their consent that all the sorcerers be killed. And the sorcerers were not even given the opportunity to atone.
Thus, the punishment that awaits every sorcerer is death, for this is the chastisement ordained by Allah.
To safeguard people from harm and wrong, and to uproot its manifestation from the Muslim community and to preserve the faith of Muslim, their reasoning and their welfare, Islam encourages to do good and impede to harm.
THOSE WHO VISIT A BLACK MAGICIAN OR A SORCERER OR …
There are certain people, who in their ignorance do not have a clear perception concerning the lie and deceptions of the sorcerers. So, they easily fall in their traps and confusion with their satanic work. Examples are to walk in water, in the fire, giving news of the unseen and giving cure to diseases.
As a result, the ignorant consider that the sorcerers are endowed with great mystic capacities and powers. There are even some people who start seeking shelter in the sorcerers and invoke them instead of Allaah. Such people are the companions of Satan.
Here, we can observe that people cannot discern between magic and miracles. Nearly all messengers of Allaah were granted miracles as a proof of their authenticity. To name only a few: Musa (Alaihis salaam) and the separation the sea and water pouring from rocks, Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam) was thrown in the middle of a huge wild fire, which Allah made cool and peaceful to him and Isa (Alaihis Salaam) could cure the blind and the leper and bring back the dead to life.
If we contemplate these acts we find that miracles are totally different from magic. While magic is always harmful, miracles are useful. Magic is from devils while miracles are from Allaah.
No matter how they are named; whether sorcerer or black magician or astrologer or numerologist or fortune-teller or faith healer or … , etc, all are in the same category. And in Islamic term they are known as ‘Araaf’. All of them pretend to be the knower of the unseen and Allaah Ta’alah says:
- “Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen, but Allaah…”. [ An-Naml 27, Verse 65]
- Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa Sal lam) said: “Whoever approaches an Araaf (someone who predicts the unseen ) and believes what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad”. (Abu Dawood)
Therefore, whoever believes in the divinations of the Araaf, has committed kufr. He is regarded as a disbeliever because he denies the truthfulness of the verse of the Qur’an:
- “Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib ( unseen), except Allaah…”. [ An-Naml 27, Verse 65]
Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa Sal lam) has warned us against seven deadly acts, and the first two among the seven are:
- Shirk with Allaah (Ascribing partners to Allaah)
- Black magic
Thus, Islam has closed the door for practicing magic, simply because it is against its teachings, and it is misleading and harmful.
REMOVAL OF THE EFFECTS OF SORCERY
There are two ways by which we can remove the effect of black magic from an infected person:
1) The best way to break a spell is through the repeated remembrance of Allaah and the recitation of assigned chapters and verses of the Holy Qur’an, and to utter specific invocations specially worded by the Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam)( popularly known as rukiah) and by placing trust on Allaah Ta’alah, the Almighty.
2) To use black magic as a means to break the spell of black magic. In Islam it is prohibited and it is deemed haraam to remove black magic with black magic itself because this is likely to be done by the aid of devils.
- Once, someone asked Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa Sal lam) concerning An-Nushrah ( using sorcery to combat the effects of sorcery ). Thus, Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal laahu alaihi wa Sal lam) replied that ” It is among the works of Satan.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood)
And how is it acceptable to break the spell of black magic from an infected person by going to a person who practices witchcraft! Thus, the Sahabas agreed to it that all people practicing black magic should be killed.
THE POWERS OF THE SORCERER
The powers of the sorcerers are limited. They can neither cause rain nor cause calamities to occur …, etc.
And they succeed in their works only by the command of Allaah Ta’alah and the black magician can by no means alter the destiny of a person.
The practice of black magic to hurt someone is completely forbidden. It is kufr to torment someone with black magic or to send Jinn to torture people.
- “And cast what is in your hand; it shall devour what they have wrought; they have wrought only the plan of a magician, and the magician shall not be successful wheresoever he may come from”. [ Twaha 20, Verse 69]
CURE
- “And we reveal of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust”. [ Al-Isra 17, Verse 82]
Allaah Ta’alah is making us understand in this verse that the entire Qur’an is a cure to every calamity and difficulty. Hence, whoever believes in halaal as halaal and haraam as haraam will discover all the benefits and cure in the Holy Qur’an.
And we should make supplications with Allaah Ta’alah with humility and we should accomplished all our obligations and rights towards Islam.
CONCLUSION
1. Satan is the source of sorcery and he is the promoter.
2. Sorcery is shirk and kufr.
3. Sorcery causes harm and it is without benefits.
4. Whoever visits a sorcerer or fortune-teller etc commits a very serious crime, that is shirk.
5. And Allaah Ta’alah will never forgive him.
6. And all his good deeds become invalid, that is all his good actions are cancelled.
7. And paradise becomes haraam on him, meaning that he will never be admitted in paradise and his permanent abode will be hell.
8. If he is a Muslim and he practices black magic, then he commits a very grave sin.
9. And if he repents sincerely and swears never to go to such places again then Incha Allaah, Allaah Ta’alah will pardon him. Ameen!