The Islamic Verdict on Sorcery

The Islamic Verdict on Sorcery

Sorcery is considered one of the acts that nullifies one’s Islamic faith, for a sorcerer can only engage in such practices by rejecting belief in Allah, the Most Exalted.

Allah, the Almighty, states:

وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ  [البقرة: 102]

[Never did Solomon disbelieve, rather the devils disbelieved. They taught magic to the people] 2:102.

Sorcery is among the deeds of the Jews. Allah, the Most Exalted, has mentioned them:

  يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ [النساء: 51]

"They believe in the jibt and the Taghut." 2:105 Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, explained: "Al-jibt refers to sorcery, and at-taghut refers to the devil."

Sorcery involves the use of spells, incantations, and amulets that impact both hearts and bodies, leading to illness and sowing discord between individuals.

And whoever deals with sorcery, for him there is no share in the Hereafter, as Allah said:

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ [البقرة: 102]

[although they already knew that whoever buys into magic would have no share in the Hereafter.] 2:102.

Meaning, they would have no portion of Allah's mercy. The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned: 'Avoid the seven destructive sins...' among them, he mentioned: sorcery. The meaning of 'al-mubiqat' in this Hadith, is the things that lead to destruction.

The sorcerers are disbelievers and transgressors; they only attain their magic after embracing disbelief and Shirk. The devils command them to disbelieve so that they become sorcerers and serve them. This may involve prostrating to the devils, demeaning the Quran by casting it in impure places, or writing it with blood and impurities – may Allah fight them – engaging in filthy and malicious acts to draw near to the devils in their service. Therefore, the verdict of Islam on sorcerers is execution. Narrated by Jundub, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'The punishment for the sorcerer is to strike him with the sword.'[1]

It is forbidden for a Muslim to seek treatment from sorcerers, fortune-tellers, and magicians, even if the sorcerer claims to be a religious scholar, as some Sufi scholars falsely do.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever visits a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days."[2]

He also said, "Whoever visits a soothsayer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him)."[3]

Those who read palms, cups, sand, and those who interpret stars and constellations are all considered fortune-tellers claiming knowledge of the unseen.

Seeking their guidance, whether in person, over the phone, or through television, is strictly prohibited, as warned in earlier hadiths. The knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah, and it is one of the attributes of His Lordship (Rububiyyah).

Allah says in the Quran:

  قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ  [النمل: 65]

[Say, ˹O Prophet,˺“None in the heavens and the earth has knowledge of the unseen except Allah.] 27:65.

Even Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not possess knowledge of the unseen during his lifetime, as Allah mentions in the Quran:

 وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ  [الأعراف: 188]

[If I had known the unknown, I would have benefited myself enormously, and no harm would have ever touched me.] 7:188.

It is incumbent upon the Muslim to seek protection through the recitation of prescribed supplications and religious routines, so that Allah may safeguard him from the harm of sorcerers. This includes Ayat al-Kursi and Surah Al-Baqarah, for protection against sorcery. It is advisable for the Muslim to keep books containing supplications in his home and memorize as many of them as possible. Some the important books are as follows:

1- Al-Adhkar by Al-Nawawi.

2- Al-Wabil Al-Sayyib by Ibn Al-Qayyim.

3- Tuhfah Al-Akhyar by Sheikh Ibn Baz- "Hisn 4-Hisn Al-Muslim by Sheikh Saeed bin Wahf Al-Qahtani.

Mothers should not overlook enchanting their children with morning and evening prayers. When the child communicates, instill in them protective supplications, Ayat al-Kursi, and guide them to invoke the name of Allah in every situation.

We implore Allah to protect us from the malice of wrongdoers and the deceit of the wicked.

The twelfth lesson concludes here with gratitude to Allah.