Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalam Alaikum,
When i was about 3/4 years old, my mother took me to this little house and a man cut me with a small blade on my forehead, near my chest and the stomach. He placed some powder of which i have no knowledge. But today i recall this experience and i understand that thsi man was actually a witch doctor and i remenber my mother telling me not to tell any one but i know that i have to do some thing about it. Both my parents are muslims but i guess my mother believes in shirk, What should i do? 

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Answer:

Witch doctor black magic in childhood

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 15:Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.

Firstly brother, you must realize that you are not responsible for what happened to you in your childhood; it is the people who proposed this evil ritual and the people who performed who will be accountable for their deeds in the Court of Allah Subhanah.

Secondly, you should not pay any attention or importance to the ritual, nor fear that any good or evil will ever happen to you because of that ritual. Put your complete trust in Allah Subhanah at all times, for He Alone has Power over all things.

We assume it has been a long time since that incident, and it may be that your mother has repented for her those deeds. If you still think that your mother still believes in such evil rituals or shirk, then it is your duty as a believer to invite her to the Truth of Al-Islam and advise her as her son and her well-wisher to seek sincere forgiveness from the Merciful Lord. It is expected that she will find the Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

In our humble opinion, if you could convince your mother to read the Holy Quran even once with understanding, and if the Merciful Lord Wills, she would leave the evil path of shirk, and come to the invocation and worship of the One Lord Alone! But we must remember to do this with a lot of wisdom and patience. We must be careful never to be in haste, and we must never assume that just because we have recognized and pointed out the evil of shirk that they commit, they will immediately leave the deities they have been invoking and worshipping since birth. We must never ever get into a situation which results in a fight, or abuse, or any un-orderly arguments. We must always try and choose the best time, and determine whether one is willing to listen to good caution and logic from the Glorious Quran, and then invite them to the Truth in the best possible manner, for that is what our Merciful Lord has commanded us to do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125:Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

Sometimes it might take only a couple of minutes to make someone understand, and sometimes it might take a life time, and the person might never accept the Truth! Allah has made it our duty only to invite mankind to the Truth; to guide them or leave them astray, is in the Sole Power and Domain of Allah Alone! Allah has given each individual intelligence and a free will to choose whatever path he/she wills to take unto their Lord. We cannot, and should not, force our beliefs onto anyone, no matter how close they are, or how much we love them, and how much we want them to be guided aright so that they may be saved from the torment of Hell Fire! It is not upto us to guide someone to the Truth; our duty is only to invite them in the best possible manner.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 28 Surah Qasas verse 56:You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whomever He Pleases. And He best knows those who would accept guidance.

Thus, my beloved brother in Islam, be patient, and constantly supplicate Allah to help you help your mother to understand the Truth from the Glorious Quran. Be rest assured, that the All Seeing, All Hearing Lord is watching over everything that we do in His Cause; and Allah Subhanah has promised to help those who help in His Cause. If Allah Wills, your patience and wisdom will be rewarded one day, and the people you so love to accept and understand the Truth, with the help and Will of Allah, will leave the practices of shirk, and come to the sole worship of the One Lord Alone.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan