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:

I don`t understand this. Ive listened to a lecture and it explains that a neighbor of Mohammad actually put a spell on him. This is called Black Magic. What I don`t understand is that something like magic to my eyes does not exist. Could this just be a myth or is there a scientific explanation? 

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Answer:

Does magic exist

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Dear and Beloved Brother, first and foremost allow us to clarify that there is no such thing as a ‘black’, or a ‘red’, or a ‘white’, or a ‘yellow’ magic! Magic or ‘seher’ as decribed in the Glorious Quran simply ‘magic’!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 102:

102 They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon; the blasphemers were not Solomon but the evil ones teaching men magic and such things as came down at Babylon to the Angels Harut and Marut. 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 man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah'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 the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls if they but knew!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 116-118:

116 Said Moses: "Throw ye (first)." So when they (the magicians) threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them: for they showed a great (feat of) magic.

117 We put it into Moses's mind by inspiration: "throw (now) thy rod": and behold! It swallows up straightway all the falsehoods which they fake!

118 Thus Truth was confirmed and all that they did was made of no effect.

According to the guidance of the Quran, there are two types of magic.

1. The type of magic given by the two Angels Harut and Marut by the permission of Allah Subhanah as a trial for the people, whereby the magic would cause differences between a husband and a wife in marriage.
2. The second type is the magic was an illusion performed by the magicians in the court of Pharoah, whereby their staff when thrown became a snake.

Thus to answer the question if ‘magic really exists’, the answer in light of the guidance of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Quran would be ‘yes’!

Allah Says in His Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none can withhold: what He doth withhold there is none can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power Full of Wisdom.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 160:

If Allah helps you none can overcome you: if He forsakes you who is there after that that can help you? In Allah then let believers put their trust.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 17:

17 "If Allah touch thee with affliction none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness He hath power over all things.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 3:

And put your trust in Allah Alone; and enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 51:

Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our Protector"; and on Allah let the believers put their trust.

Beloved Brother, the first thing we, as believers, must understand that those who claim to do magic do not have the power to hurt or benefit anyone, without the permission of Allah Subhanah. No harm and no benefit can happen to the believer without the Will of Allah Subhanah. If Allah does not will it, all the magicians of the world can get together and try their magic on someone, they cannot harm him in the least!; for Absolutely All Power and All Strength belongs to none save Allah Subhanah Alone!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1019 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) used to seek protection against the Jinn and the evil eye till Surahs al-Falaq and an-Naas were revealed. After they were revealed, he (saws) stuck to them and discarded everything beside them.

If one fears any evil from any quarter whatsoever, one should recite the Muawwidaat (113^th Surah Al-Falaq and 114^th Surah An-Naas) thus seeking refuge in the One and Only Lord Most High. Allah is our witness sister, there is no other or better source of refuge or protection than in Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds. After one has recited the Muawwidaat and remained constant in its recitation, one should know and believe with absolute conviction that they are under the refuge and protection of none other than Allah Subhanah, and no amount or combinations of Jinns, or magic doers, or evil-eyes, or any harm can come towards them from any quarter.

There is indeed an incident related in the authentic narrations by Hadrat Aisha (r.a.), the wife of the Prophet (saws), whereby she narrates the incident of the magic that was done on the Messenger of Allah (saws), to the effect that he (saws) used to think that he had done something which in fact he did not do. Allah Subhanah informed the Prophet (saws) of the magic and its source, and protected him from its effect.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.400 Narrated by Aisha

that Allah's Messenger (saws) was affected by magic, so much that he used to think that he had done something which in fact, he did not do, and he invoked his Lord (for a remedy). Then (one day) he (saws) said, "O 'Aisha! Do you know that Allah has advised me as to the problem I consulted Him about?" 'Aisha said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! What's that?" He (saws) said, "Two men came to me and one of them sat at my head and the other at my feet, and one of them asked his companion, 'What is wrong with this man?' The latter replied, 'He is under the effect of magic.' The former asked, 'Who has worked magic on him?' The latter replied, 'Labid bin Al-A'sam.' The former asked, 'With what did he work the magic?' The latter replied, 'With a comb and the hair, which are stuck to the comb, and the skin of pollen of a date-palm tree.' The former asked, 'Where is that?' The latter replied, 'It is in Dharwan.' " Dharwan was a well in the dwelling place of the (tribe of) Bani Zuraiq. Allah's Messenger (saws) went to that well and returned to 'Aisha, saying, "By Allah, the water (of the well) was as red as the infusion of Hinna, (1) and the date-palm trees look like the heads of devils." Aisha added, "Allah's Messenger (saws) came to me and informed me about the well. I asked the Prophet (saws), 'O Allah's Messenger (saws), why didn't you take out the skin of pollen?' He (saws) said, 'As for me, Allah has cured me and I hated to draw the attention of the people to such evil.'"

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan