Chapter Five (Spiritual Ailments )

Magic

Islam proposes the true living model of a perfect human being embodied in the character of prophet Mohamed (PGBUH). He is presented as a model to be followed in his deeds, sayings, and manners. Islam has properly treated the issue of magic with enlightenment and clarification without any confusion or misunderstanding. He defines magic, its effect, diagnosis, and treatment both from the demand and supply aspects. It fought magic and decreed killing as the punishment for the magician as most scholars mentioned. Allah created mankind nature to coexist and socialize and in societies minds, interests, and desires interrelate. There are also the good and evil spirits which causes a constant struggle between the two parties, the good and the bad. Among the evils is magic which represents a strange world, full of fear to uncover hidden matters in addition to the feelings of power, tyranny, and dominance. Throughout the ages and in all societies we read of magic which survived among people over time.

Moslems were forbidden from going to the places of magicians, for Islam has declared war on magic and magicians and closes all doors leading to it. It also offers ways of diagnosing and treating magic through incantation as well as offering protective means against it. Islam also warned against going to magicians which is against man nature for Allah distinguished man with his mind and set for him the rules of dealing with his Creator and those around him. Man should be just and fair in his dealings and should have good and noble manners. Magicians, however, are people who went astray as they are always after corruption, lead by their pleasures and passions, with nothing to stop them. They seek the help of the devils to fulfill their ends, so they seek their acceptance with anything that angers Allah. Thus, they have frowning faces covered with misery and disgrace while their houses are degraded and their hearts are empty. They are deprived of the pleasure of faith and live in struggle and suffering. Thus, a Moslem should be aware of their deeds especially that they are against the Islamic creed and their deeds are acts of disbelief and blasphemy which is the cause of Allah’s anger and punishment. Going to magicians is also a waste of money and a loss to the woman who seeks them. Therefore, Moslems should avoid going to magicians or seeking their help. The true Moslem should only seek the help and assistance of Allah. The danger of going to magicians other than seeking the help of Allah is that it is one of the causes of disbelieving in the Creator. It is also considered one of the ways of polytheism that leads to disbelieve.
His honor, Sheikhh Sulayman Bin Naser Al-Olwan said” the best fight is against the enemies of religion such as the magicians, swindlers, and jugglers. The evil has spread and the increased in number so they harmed the believers and scared their sanctities without any consideration. Allah has warned the criminals with punishment and disgrace where He says in His Book that the magician is a disbeliever ” But neither of these taught anyone (such things) without saying ‘ We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme’. They learned from them the means to sow discord between the man and his wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by God’s permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in happiness of the Hereafter”.
Islam has prohibited magic, fortune tellers, and soothsayers for the following important reasons:

1. Islam keenness to protect the belief integrity:
Islam is keen on protecting the soundness of the creed in the hearts of Moslems to keep it for ever connected to Allah, depending on Him, and acknowledging his Divinity. Seeking Allah’s help in facing life difficulties where he only supplicates to Him. Allah only controls the laws of nature which works according to His will and power. The planets and stars abide by the route designed for them since eternity, and their movements do not affect man whom Allah has created. He has also set man’s welfare and age which will not end because some planet appeared or disappeared or will it increase or decrease his welfare.
Man is considered to be against Allah’s legislation if he claims to know what is hidden because he is in contact with planets or the jinn and the devils, and that he can control the natural course of the laws of life. No wonder that he is then considered to be a disbeliever for glorifying and seeking the help of other than Allah and relating the effect upon Allah’s creatures to other sources.

2. Magic prevents working according to religion and its rules:
Allah related the Quranic narrations for remembrance and to show the false claims of disbelievers against Sulayman regarding magic. It also shows how magic prevented the Jews from following the prophet which was mentioned in their books and which also identified his characteristics and asked them to believe in him. Undoubtedly, leaving part of the book is similar to leaving the whole, for this disrespects the revelation and allows them to leave the rest.

3. Learning and using magic is atheism:
According to the Quran, learning and using magic to be atheism. For man learns what harms him and is of no benefit, especially if this harm is disbelieving, God forbid. Knowledge of magic means working with it which is of no avail. Thus, there is no benefit in either knowing or working with magic; it is of no use in this life or the hereafter. Allah is the only One influential and thus it is an obligation to avoid magic.

4. Losing this life and the hereafter:
He who substitutes Allah’s Book with the teachings of the devil loses this life and the hereafter. He has chosen magic so he lost his reward in the afterlife. What can be worse than selling oneself for such a small price and is of no use in the hereafter. He paid his soul in exchange so he loses his self and what he bought too for it is of no use in the afterlife.

5. Magic harms people:
The magician can cause harm and injury to people to the extent of separating between the husband and his wife. This harm also extends to the one who learned it which refers to this world and the hereafter. The prophet (PGBUH) said that magic is evil and should be buried so that people do not remember magic or open any door.