PART 7 – WITCHCRAFT AND SOOTHSAYING
33. Consulting Someone, Then Discovering He Is a Soothsayer
Question:
According to the Hadith, “If one consults a soothsayer and believes him,, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days.” Does this punishment apply to those who are unaware that the one they have consulted is a soothsayer?
Answer:
This punishment does not apply unless you know you are consulting a soothsayer. However, if you ask about matters of the unseen, which is known only to Allah — such as asking about the place where some magic is hidden and the magician, or about something stolen, the thief and where the stolen things are hidden, etc. – you must believe the consultant has knowledge of the unseen. This demonstrates you know the consultant is a soothsayer, so the punishment is applicable.
If one consults a soothsayer without knowing it is forbidden to do so, he is to be excused for being ignorant. Also, one is to be excused if one does not know someone is a soothsayer, and asks him about an ordinary matter, such as a house or the price of something. (A Fatwa by Al-Jibreen, Signed by him.)
34. Witchcraft is Devil’s Work, and Whoever Does It Is a Mushrik
Question:
There is a witch who has caused harm to a lot of people. What must we do in her case, and how can we get rid of her sorcery?
Answer:
Witchcraft is the devil’s work, for the sorcerer invokes and appeals to the Jinn instead of Allah. He does that by offering sacrifices and supplications to them, by giving up the compulsory prayers and by eating filth, etc. By doing so, he seeks devils’ assistance in possessing humans, killing, maiming, disabling husbands sexually, separating husbands and wives, etc.
Thus, by invoking and appealing to other than Allah through his Kufr acts, the sorcerer becomes a Mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) and Kafir (disbeliever). Therefore, death is his due penalty, which has been confirmed by Umar IbnAl-Khattab, his daughter Hafsa and Jundub.
In the light of this, the witch you have mentioned must not be allowed to continue her witchcraft. If you have proof of her practice and the harm she has done, you have to report that to the authorities, so that she can be tried and get what she deserves. The head of her family has to do what is necessary to eliminate the harm she is causing, even if she is his mother, for her practice is Kufr, and it is harmful to people. Once punished, her punishment will be a deterrent to others who might think of doing such devilish works.
If her own family are pleased with her and are reluctant to do what is necessary to solve the problem, it becomes your responsibility to record and collect enough incriminating evidence and witnesses to have her prosecuted at the Legal Court. There, she will be tried and she will get her due penalty if found guilty. According to the Hadith, “The sorcerer’s penalty is a strike (death) with the sword. (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-Hudood (Book of Penalties), Hadith)
You must not resign yourself to a state of suffering from the evil of witchcraft. You are advised to do the following:
Firstly, you have to seek protection by remembering Allah a lot, reading the Qur’an and saying regular supplications, day and night. By doing so, Allah will protect you from the evil of devils and sorcerers.
Secondly, you must seek treatment with legal Ruqyas, which are to be performed by credible Raqis, who use Allah’s words, the established prayers of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and allowed medications. There are sufficient credible Raqis around, through whom Allah has benefited a lot of people. May Allah’s peace and prayers be upon His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,his kin and his companions? (Al-Jibreen’s Al-Kinz Aththameen (The Precious Treasure), Vol. 1 pp.224-227)
35. Is Sihr (Sorcery) Real?
Question:
Is Sihr real?
Answer:
Yes, it is real. It is a fact that sorcerers worship devils and obey them. In return, the latter assist the former in their sorcery. Allah has given devils the ability to perform unusual acts. (Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz, IbnUthaimeen and Ifta’ Permanent Committee, p.56 )
36. Insanity & the Jinn
Question:
This is to seek your help and advice concerning the disease known as insanity, from which my mother has been suffering. When she first got it, we took her to the Imam of one mosque. He was able to drive the possessor out, but she relapsed for a week. Every time we brought her the Imam, she was cured, but if he left, she relapsed. However, she kept well for a period of time, but that did not last long; she became possessed by a Jinni, and she kept suffering for the same period of time or a little longer. The Imam came and drove the Jinni out, but the Jinni came back. We asked another Imam for help; he drove the Jinni out, yet she came back. That pattern continued; every time she fell ill, we got someone to drive the Jinni out, but she always returned. The time before the last, my mother asked for the Imam who first treated her. He came and drove the Jinni out. He mentioned that the possessor Jinni told him the room was full of Jinn. Therefore, we moved her to another room. Unfortunately, there was no improvement. She then asked me to take her to one of the shrines, which I did, but it did not work. We took her to someone who gave her some amulets and drugs. He instructed her to wear some amulets, and soak the rest in water, then rub her body with the amulet water. He also instructed her to take the drugs. Nonetheless, the room is still full of Jinn.
I would like to know if what I have done is legal or illegal. Will you please guide me to what is good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may His prayers and peace be upon Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم ,his kindred and his Companions.
1. Consulting soothsayers or astronomers is forbidden, for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “If one consults a soothsayer, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days.” (Sahih Muslim, Book of Peace, Hadith No. 2230.) He also said, “If one wears an amulet, may Allah grant him no success, and if one wears a shell, may Allah grant him no peace.” (Musnad Ahmad, 4/154) Another version of that Hadith reads: “Whoever wears an amulet has committed an act of Shirk. (Musnad Ahmad, 4/156)
2. The right thing is that amulets must not be worn.
3. Visiting dead people’s shrines in order to invoke their blessings is forbidden. In fact, to believe that dead people can produce benefit, remove harm, or heal the ill or insane, etc., is considered major Kufr (disbelief).
Our advice to you is to have your mother treated with legal Ruqya and medications.
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم ,his kin and his Companions. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee’s Fatwas, Vol. 1, p. 415.)
37. This Is Not Prophet Yunus’s Way
Question:
What is the religious ruling regarding some man who uses figures (such as 21, 31, 137, 121, 25) to remove bewitchment? Even though he does not know how to remove magic, he claims to invoke spirits, and to be using figures the same way Prophet Yunus did – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. After being given the names of the patient and his mother, the man claims to identify the patient’s star – if the patient is not bewitched, he is said to have a zero star.
Is it legal to do that? Did Prophet Yunus really do that? Is it consistent with the Qur’an and the Sunnah? Did the Righteous Salaf and their followers do such a thing? What is the ruling concerning those who seek such treatment, while believing in its validity?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may His prayers and peace be upon Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم ,his Kin and his Companions.
In view of what you have mentioned, that man must be a soothsayer, and there is nothing to suggest Prophet Yunus – may His blessings be upon him – did such a thing. Also, that practice is illegal, and people must not seek treatment from soothsayers. In fact, people have to condemn it. In that regard, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“If one consults a soothsayer, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” (Op. Cit.)
“If one consults a soothsayer and believes him, he disbelieves what has been revealed to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم “.(Sunan At Tirmidhi, Book of Taharah (Purification), Hadith No. 135., Ibn-Majah, Book of Taharah, Hadith No. 936. Musnad Ahmad, 2/408/476.)
“Whoever consults a constellation of stars has committed an act of Sihr.” (Sunan Abu-Dawood, Book of Medicine, Hadith No. 3905.) & (Ifta’ Permanent Committee c Fatwas, Vol. 1, p. 416.)
38. This Practice Is Munkar (Reprehensible/Abominable)
Question:
There is a common practice whereby a mother makes — with a razor blade three wounds forming three juxtaposed parallel lines above her daughter’s knee. On the blood coming out of the wounds, the mother puts a piece of sugar, which the girl has to eat while saying some prayers. There are variations of this practice. It is claimed that such practice keeps the girl’s virginity, as it protects her from being raped.
What is the Islamic ruling regarding that practice?
Answer:
That practice is Munkar (reprehensible), and it is a myth, which has no base. Therefore, it must not be done, and people have to be warned against it. To suggest that it protects the girl’s virginity is a Satanic idea, which has nothing to do with the purified Shari’ah. Muslim scholars – being responsible for spreading Allah’s Message as delivered by His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم – ought to show how Munkar that is, and to warn against such abominable practice. (Ibn.Baz, Collection of Fatwas, Vol. 2, p. 925.)
It is Allah Whose help we seek.
By Khaled al-Jeraisy
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.