Questioner:
Magicians and sorcerers have become numerous in our country, so we ask you about the ruling on who performs magic and spreads sorcery amongst the Muslims. And what is the ruling upon the one who visits them and takes charms from them and they use it on people, Muslim couples and on their daughters and children. May Allāh bless you.
Shaykh Muqbil bn Hādī al-Wādi’ee:
The magician is considered a disbeliever due to the statement of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic (which means):
But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (i.e magic) till they had said, “We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).” 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:102]
And the treatment of this is relying upon Allāh, the Exalted and Most High.
That which they have made is only a magician’s trick, and the magician will never be successful, no matter whatever amount (of skill) he may attain. [Ṭā Hā:69]
(There are) two ways of reciting it, (either) Kayda or Kaydu. And,
“What you have brought is sorcery, Allah will surely make it of no effect. Verily, Allah does not set right the work of Al-Mufsidun (the evil-doers, corrupts, etc.).” [Yūnus:81]
And the legal punishment upon the magician is killing as ’Umar -may Allāh be pleased with him- ordered or wrote to his workers: “That you should kill every male and female magician”, Ḥafṣah killed a slave girl that used magic on her. And Jundub saw a man claiming that he can enter the mouth of a camel and come out through it’s rear part, so while walking towards the camel, he (Jundub) struck him (dead) and said to him: “Bring yourself to life” then he said: “The legal punishment upon a magician is to strike him with the sword”. And the narration has been raised (to being a statement of the Messenger ﷺ) but what is authentic is stopping it upon Jundub (or Jundab)
As for consulting them, verily the Messenger ﷺ said: “Stay away from the seven destructive (sins)” and he mentioned amongst them, magic.
And he also said, as contained in the Sunan of Abū Dāwud, from the Ḥadeeth of Ibn ’Abbās:
“Whoever learns about a branch of stars has learnt about a branch of magic. The more he increases (in the former) he increases (in the latter)”
And he also said, as contained in Ṣaḥeeḥ Muslim:
“Whoever visits a soothsayer and consults him about an affair, his Ṣalāh will not be accepted for 40 nights (and days)”#
And a man was speaking to the Prophet ﷺ and he mentioned the sorcerers, so the Prophet ﷺ said to him: “Do not go to them” i.e do not go to the sorcerers.
So, visiting them is considered prohibited. And if an individual believes that they can bring about benefit alongside Allāh or besides Allāh, then he is considered to be a disbeliever because verily, benefit and harm is in the hand of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic. And Allāh’s aid is sought.
