Black Magic

[Haneefah]

This is really not something that should merit one's fascination as it deals purely with the work of shaytaan. Nonetheless, it behooves us to learn about the nature of black magic, talismans, omens, astrology, and etc., in order to protect ourselves from falling into sin, or worse, shirk.

 

Here's a brief explanation with respect to Islamic stance on the topic (I apologize if it gets rather lengthy, I have a feeling it will ):

 

What you have witnessed is probably a Talisman and not so much black magic, as it was an object used for the purpose of protection against some type of perceived harm. (much like the blue eye Turks use to divert the evil eye). People have been known to use talismans to protect themselves, their children, animals, as a cure from sickness, bringing good luck, as well as breaking or increasing love between spouses. However, there are explicit ahaadith prohibiting their use and equating it to shirk. Omens also come under this category, with the exception of good omens (fa'al, like a good word which increases one's optimism or hope in Allah SWT). A prohibited omen would be for instance, seeing a black cat and believing it will bring a bad luck (prevalent in many cultures including western I think), or as in the case of the early jaahil arabs, thinking birds were a bad luck. It becomes shirk because one is ascribing Allah's right (to cause good or harm) to His creation (animals or created objects). This conflicts with the Tawheed of Allah in His Roboobiya & Asmaa wa sifaat as well as in His Uloohiya.

 

Now, with black magic and astrology, we step into the world of jinns. Indeed a dangerous world, as the nomads mentioned.

 

Short intro about jinns:

 

a) Creation of Allah (just like us)

b) Created of out of fire (thus, invisible to us, but can appear to us when they wish)

c) possess more physical power than us (supra-dimensional)

d) they can travel at a fast speed (due to their light makeup)

e) They are borne, live and die (just like us)

f) suffer from inferiority complex (they lack the knowledge and intellect Allah has bestowed upon man), thus, they crave for attention and love to be worshiped.

 

As such, what Black Magic facilitates is the collision of two worlds that are usually independent from one another (that of man and jinn). When this collision occurs, a symbiotic relationship can form between the jinn and the one who invokes them; jinn does something for man and man in return does something for jinn (veneration, worship!!). Therefore, the essence of black magic revolves around the worshiping of the jinn!

 

For the jinns, black magic is natural as they possess extra-dimensional abilities, but to man, it is supernatural. Thus, they can lure ignorant and faithless folks into their worlds pretending to have an access to 'ilm al-ghayb, when in fact, they're only exposing their unnatural world to humans. The truth is no one has the keys to the unknown except Allah SWT.

 

Its origin as we have learned in the Qur'an, is from the shayateen who have taught the people in Babylon of Harut and Marut sihr. The ayah (al-Baqarah: 102) was revealed when some people claimed that it was Prophet Sulayman (AS) who taught sihr, and clarifies that it existed before him and that it is attributed to the shayatin who have disbelieved. Therefore, these abnormal and abhorred practices were not recently discovered nor are they confined to certain geographical locations only. From a sharee'a perspective, it is obviously a blatant shirk , and its penalty is nothing less than death as someone who has left the fold of Islam (as mentioned earlier). Of the 7 grave sins the Rasul (saw) has mentioned, shirk came 1st and sihr (magic) came 2nd...

 

Other practices that fall under magic: Astrology such as zodiacal signs and any type of fortune telling as all aim to predict the future.

 

How these practices may seem like they work? The jinn ascends to near heaven, eavesdrop on the conversations between the angels on what will occur on earth and on matters that are unknown to us, then descend back to the sorcerers on earth and tell them what they've heard whilst adding 99 lies to it.

 

The Prophet (SAW) states regarding this: Whoever learns a branch of astrology has learned a branch of magic. The more he increases (in magic), the more he shall increase (in shirk).

 

Merely visiting magicians, fortune tellers etc. has been associated with evil and thus prohibited.

 

The prophet (SAW) said: Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks about anything (ie for the 'fun' of it or for curiosity) will have prayers rejected for 40 days (applies to the mere fact of visiting).

 

2nd hadeeth: Whoever goes to one and believes in them has disbelieved in what Muhammad (SAW) has brought down (ie has left the fold of Islam). Again, it's pure shirk for you're ascribing the attribute of knowledge about the unseen to them.

 

So next time anyone feels like reading those zodiac signs, or visiting a fortune teller b/c you just so happen to be in a festival they are present, or you want to participate in massive jinn-invoking sessions (such as Saar or istun? as certain Somali Southerners are aware of--very strange things I hear), or you just feel like reading that plain old fortune cookie given to you at the chinese restaurant you frequent, THINK AGAIN! Think again ya jamaaca!! Little actions we might render trivial or harmless can in fact cause us to infringe upon the sharee'a and contradict with our fundamental beliefs in the tawaheed of Allah (SWT). Not worth it by any means, so let us be cautious Insha'allah.

 

FYI, you can still eat your fortune cookie without attempting to read what's inside

 

PS: I've extracted some of the points and proofs from my lec notes taught by Shaikh Yasir Qadhi, May Allah bless him and all of our teachers of Islam.

[Ariadne]

I remember this little old lady telling me when I first moved in to my apartment.That onions and eggs take away evil spirits and that if you put an onion or an egg in the four corners of your house you are soaking away the evil spirits and they will never bother you if you bury the onion or the egg.

I thought she was cute, but crazy