PART 8 – WITCHCRAFT AND SOOTHSAYING
39. The Poison Pot
Question:
Some people keep a copper pot called Taasat Assum (poison pot). Whenever someone falls ill, he goes to the pot’s owner in order to fill it with water for him. He drinks the water believing it will cure his illness, particularly if it is in the stomach.
Engraved on the pot are some pictures of a scorpion, a horse, a cat, donkeys, a snake, a fox, an elephant, a lion, men, and some other unidentifiable pictures. Also written on the pot are some names and words such as ‘the martyr’, etc.
Will you direct us as to the legality of that matter, please?
Answer:
That pot belongs to the Munkar category, and what is engraved on it is Munkar. We know of no pot, be it iron, copper, gold, silver or any other material that cures stomach ache or any other disease. To suggest that means one of two things: a false claim made by the pot owner, or his contact with devils for sorcery purposes. In either case, the owner deceives people by claiming a healing power for the pot in order to make money by illegal means.
Such a pot has to be confiscated and destroyed by those in position of responsibility. Also, the owner has to be disciplined so as to stop that Munkar practice. As for those who know about it, they ought to report the matter to those responsible for combating such practices so that it can be properly dealt with. It must not be ignored. In fact, the enquirer himself, as well as those aware of that practice, has to report that matter so that their neighbourhood can – by Allah’s permission – get rid of such an abominable practice. (Ibn.Baz, Collection of Fatwas, Vol. 2, p. 697.)
40. Ayyub’s Well Is Untrue:
Question:
In Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, we have a well which is claimed to be the one that Allah ordered His Prophet Ayyub (Job) — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – to dig by striking the ground with his feet when he was ill, and whose water caused his recovery by His permission The problem is that a woman relative has fallen ill, and she wants to go to that well and do what Prophet Ayyub did. Can she wash with water from that well in order to be healed, or is it considered some type of Shirk, as invocation of someone other than Allah for help?
Answer:
The story of that well is untrue. Nobody knows where Prophet Ayyub – may His blessings be upon him – washed. Therefore, she must not go to that place. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee ‘s Fatwas, VoL 3, p. 66.)
41. Sihr Is to Be Treated Only with Legal Ruqyas
Question:
What is the Shar’i treatment of Sihr? Are tranquilizers allowed in treating psychological diseases even though they contain sedatives? What shall we do with our mother, whom we have advised that what she is doing is a kind of Shirk? Can she really be considered a polytheist though she gets fits of Waswash. If you saw her in her state of illness, you would think she is mad. However, she seems very wise when she is not ill.
Answer:
1. Sihr must not be treated by Sihr. Instead, it has to be treated by means of Ruqyas from the Qur’an, the Prophet’s established prayers, supplications and asking for healing from Allah. You can find a lot of relevant prayers in Ibn-Taymiya’s Al-Kalim Al Tayyib, Ibn-Al-Qayyim’s Al-Wabil Assayyib, Riyadh Assaliheen and Annawawi’ s Al-A thkar Annawawiyyah.
2. It is necessary to continue advising her and nicely pointing out to her what is wrong with her behaviour. Nonetheless, you ought to treat her as kindly as Allah demands in these verses: “(14) And We have enjoined upon man concerning his parents. His mother beareth him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Give thanks unto Me and unto thy parents. Unto Me is the journeying. (15) But if they strive with thee to make thee ascribe unto Me as partner that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Consort with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who repenteth unto Me ….” (Ifta’ Permanent Committee’s Fatwas, , p.374.)
3. If, as you have mentioned in your question, she suffers so much that she behaves insanely, she may qualify for Allah’s forgiveness for what she does in her illness.
Allah is the One Who heals and guides to the straight path. May His prayers and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ,his kin and his Companions. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee’s Fatwas, , p.374.)
42. No Consultation of Soothsayers at All
Question:
On the eighth of Dhul-Hijjah, 1403 H., I got married to my cousin (the daughter of my mother’s sister). On the first of Ramadan, 1405 H., she gave birth to a baby boy, whom we called Musa. In Sha’ban, 1406 H., she had a miscarriage when she was three months pregnant.
In Rabee’ Al-Awwal, 1407 H., Musa died. After Musa’s death, my aunt (my mother-in-law) told us that she had consulted; some scholar; he explained to her that my wife is possessed by a 1mm, who kills our kids out of envy. My aunt said that the scholar could get rid of that Jinni forever, but I refused.
On the third of last Sha’ban, 1407 H, my wife gave birth to a baby girl, whom we called Masturah, but she died the following day. As a result, my wife insisted that we go to that scholar to get rid of the alleged Jinni, and so did my father. I have asked them to give me time to think about it; maybe, Allah will guide me to the right thing. Thanks be to Him for having guided me to seek your advice. May He guide you to provide me with the right verdict on that problem, which is troubling me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may His prayers and peace be upon His Messenger, his kin and his Companions.
You have done the right thing by not going to that man who claims to have knowledge of the Book, for he is nothing but a soothsayer.
You have also done the right thing by seeking advice from the Ulama.
All you have to do is to perform legal Ruqyas on yourself, your wife and your babies. You can recite the Surah of AlFatihah, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, three times each. After each recitation, do Nafth into your palms and rub your face and your front body parts, saying these prayers: “I seek refuge for you in Allah’s perfect Words from every Satan, every harmful thing and every evil eye.” (Op. Cit.)
You are also advised to acquire these books, for they contain beneficial prayers and legal Ruqyas: Annawawi’s AlAthkar Al Nawawiyyah, Ibn-Taymiya’s Al-Kalim Al Tayyib and Ibn-AlQayyim’ s Al- Wabil Assyyib.
May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , his kin and his Companions. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee ‘s Fatwas, VoL 1, p. 418.)
43. Al-Hajj Knot
Question:
One of my sisters performed Hajj with our father and some other people from our village. On the Arafah Day, an Iranian woman asked my sister and the other ladies to tie a knot each with a piece of thread the lady had if it was their first Hajj. The Iranian woman explained that the knots would help a man to get rid of his illness. At the advice of the oldest woman in the group who had performed Hajj before, they tied the knots. Being shy, they did not consult my father; he would have prevented that thing.
The question is: Is the Hajj of the ladies who tied the knots valid?
Answer:
Such an act is prohibited. If your sister did it in ignorance, she is excused. If she did it knowing it is prohibited, she committed a sin, and she needs to repent, ask Allah for forgiveness and resolve not to repeat it. As for her Hajj, it is valid, In-Sha Allah.
May Allah grant us success, and may His prayers and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ,his kin and his Companions.’ (Ifta’ Permanent Committee ‘s Fatwas, VoL 1, p. 379.)
44. A Wife Bewitching Her Husband
From: Abdul-Aziz Ibn-Abdullah Ibn-Baz
Dear Respected Brother,
I have received your letter (not dated) — may Allah grant you guidance. In your letter you mentioned what happened to you when you tried to have intercourse with your new wife. You consulting the Sheikh who explained to you that your old wife did some witchcraft that incapacitated you. You also asked about the ruling on that issue.
Answer:
If your old wife has admitted she did that Sihr, or if it has been proven beyond doubt that she did it, her action is a major Munkar. In fact, it is Kufr, for Sihr is forbidden and the Sahir (sorcerer) is a Kafir, as Allah says in the Qur’an: “(102) And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah’s leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficked therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.” (Al-Baqarah Surah, Ayah No. 102)
According to the above Ayah, Sihr is Kufr, and the Sahirs are Kafirs who learn what harms and what has no benefit. They are interested in destroying husband-wife relationships. Therefore, they will not be saved on Resurrection Day. Warning Muslims against such things, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Avoid the seven major sins.” He was then asked, “What are they?” He replied, “Shirk, Sihr, taking innocent lives without due rights, usury, squandering orphans’ wealth (by their guardians), desertion of the battlefield, and defamation of the reputation of innocent chaste women believers.” (Sahih Al-B uk.hari, Book of Wills, Hadith No. 2766., Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith No. 89.)
As for the Sheikh whom you have consulted about that matter, he seems to be, like that woman, a Sahir himself, for Sahirs are familiar with Sihr works. By claiming to know the unseen, he is a soothsayer as well. Muslims are commanded to guard against them, and not to believe their claim to know the unseen. In this regard, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “If one consults a soothsayer, and believes him, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” (Op. Cit.) He also said, “If one consults a soothsayer and believes him, he disbelieves what has been revealed to uhammad.” (Op. Cit.)
You have to repent of what you have done, refer the matter to the relevant authorities so that the necessary measures can be taken against your wife and that Sheikh to deter them from such practice. If you find yourself in such situations, consult the Shari’ah Ulama, who can give you appropriate legal advice.
However, if you have not been cured yet, let us know so that we can inform you of the appropriate Shar’i treatment. May Allah provide us and you with knowledge of His religion and with protection from disobeying Him. Indeed, He is the most generous Provider.
May His peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. (Ibn-Baz’s Collection of Fatwas, Vol. 2, p. 693.)
45. Husband-Wife Love/Hatred Amulets Are Sihr
Question:
There is an Imam who writes amulets to bring about love between husband and wife, and to give a wife control over her husband. He also makes amulets to separate one from the other. Is this Sihr (sorcery)? Please advise us, may you be rewarded.
Answer:
The person who writes such things to bring about love or dissention between husband and wife is a Sahir (sorcerer). With respect to those who teach Sihr and those who learn from them, Allah says, “… And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah’s leave. (Al-Baqarah Surah, Ayah No. 102)
Sihr is Kufr (disbelief in Allah), so the Sahir is a Kafir. This judgment about Sihr and Sahirs is made by Allah in the Qur’ an: “… Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah’s leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter. (Al-Baqarah Surah, Ayah No. 102)
According to the Hadith, the Sahir is to be struck by the sword, i.e. killed. This means he is to be punished for desertion of Islam. Therefore, Sahir cannot be an Imam (prayer leader), for prayers are not valid if led by a Kafir. In fact, those in charge of Muslim affairs must do something about that Sahir by bringing him to justice lest the society be harmed by his practice. If Sihr spreads in a society, it will disintegrate, suffer humiliation, be mythoriented and be controlled by such sorcerers – may Allah forbid. (Al-Muntaqa min Fatawa Ibn-Fawzan, VoL 1, p. 129.)
46. Both Atf and Sarf Are Prohibited
Question:
What is the legality of reconciling husband and wife by means of Sihr?
Answer: This is known as Atf, and it is prohibited, and so is Sarf, which is separating husband and wife by means of Sihr. Such practice can be Kufr or Shirk. Allah says, “… Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah’s leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter…. (Al-Baqarah Surah, Ayah No. 102) & (Ibn-Uthaimeen, The Precious Collection, Vol. 1, p. 156.)
By Khaled al-Jeraisy
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