Magic and Divination
These are devilish prohibited acts, which contradicts or nullifies Islamic doctrine because it occurs only via polytheist means.
1. Magic, is a hidden act with an impalpable reason:
It is called so because it happens with invisible aspects. It is incantations and some pronounced words in addition to some medicines.
Some of this magic affects hearts and bodies, it may cause sickness, death, hatred between a husband and his wife; however, its effect never occurs unless Allah allowed.
It is a devilish act, which could never be achieved unless polytheism is committed, and sacrifices are offered to malicious spirits. This is the reason why Allah coupled this act with polytheism, where the Prophet (saw) said, meaning- “Be aware of the seven destroying sins” and when they (the companions) said, “what are they”, he said, -meaning- “Shirk (Polytheism) and Magic etc.” Therefore, it is included in polytheism in two aspects:
The first one is the fact that it includes the use of devils and calling them for help and being attached to them passionately to the extent that one would do whatever these malicious spirits want. In this case, they will help this magician for he has learnt this magic from the devils, Allah (swt) -meaning- {But the Shayatin (Devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic} (2:102) Al-Baqara
The second aspect is the claim that they know the Ghaib (the invisible world, including the unseen and the pre-occurring incidents) and the claim that they share Allah with this knowledge, where this is certainly a disbelief and going astray. Allah (swt) said, -meaning- {And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter} (2:102) Al-Baqara
If it is as such, so no doubt that it is disbelief and polytheist whose perpetrator must be killed. This was reported about many of the Prophet’s companions.
Unfortunately, people have become lenient with the danger of magic and magicians, and even considered magic as a sort of art, for which they used to make encouraging prizes, and organize parties and competitions for magicians. Thousands of audiences attend these parties and encourage this sort of competitions. Obviously, this is the result of ignorance and slighting due to Islamic legislation.
2. Divination: is the claim of Knowing the Ghaib (the unseen world) and the pretending of perceiving incidents before they take place, in addition to the claim that they can find missed or stolen objects. All of these acts are done surely using the aid of devils who used to steal a hearing at the heaven, as Allah (swt) said, -meaning- {Shall I inform you (O people!) upon whom the shayatin (devils) descend? They descend on every lying, sinful person.} (26:221,222) Ash-Shu’ara
As a matter of fact , devils used to steal a hearing of a word said by one of the Angels and then report it to the predictor. Then the predictor reports the word to people and tells a hundred lies with it.
Allah alone has the knowledge of Ghaib (unseen world) and no one else does. So if anybody ever claims the possession of this knowledge or even believes those who do that, is in fact making a partner for Allah in what He is only qualified with.
Divination is not at all far-off polytheism because it is an approach to the devils by doing what they desire, so it is polytheism in the Divinity of Allah by pretending the share of His Knowledge. And it is polytheism in worship in an aspect that it is an approach to someone other than Allah in worship. Abu Hurairah said, ‘the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, -meaning- He who goes to a sorcerer or magician and believed in him then is an act of disbelief.
Other magicians disguise in the form of a patron to Allah who can do extraordinary acts and charisma like penetrating into a fire without being hurt. They usually do many other activities, which are actually magic deeds done by the devils. Other activities, however, are just imaginations with no real existence but rather some sight illusions exactly as pharaoh’s magicians did with ropes and sticks.
Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taimiah said about his debate to the Rifa’iah Ahmadiah Bata’ihiah magicians, “their (Rifa’iah) leader said loudly, ‘we can do such and such things’, and claimed to have extraordinary power like resisting fire and so on. Then I told him loudly with anger, ‘I am speaking now to every single member of your party in the universe, I can do what you can do, and whoever is burnt should be the looser, so let Allah curse him. However, we should wash our bodies first with vinegar and hot water’. Some people asked me about that, and I told them that they have some tricks in case they have to enter fire, in fact they anoint their bodies with some frog sebum and bitter orange peel’.
People then clamored for that and their leader tried to show the ability to do that. Then he said, ‘you and me should enter the fire now after we anoint ourselves with some sulfur’, ‘let’s do it!’, I replied repeatedly, and he just put his hand as if he was going to take off his shirt. Hereupon, I told him, ‘no way! Until we wash ourselves with vinegar and hot water’, then he pretended to be confused as usual and said, ‘whoever loves his leader must go and gather some firewood or some chump!’. I then said, ‘this is for retardation and spreading the gathering, a small lamp is quite enough, we extend our hands into the fire after we wash them and whoever is burnt loses or let Allah curse him’. And when I said that he was scared and became low”. The evidence from this is that all of these liars try to deceive people with such tricks and illusions.