Surat Al-Baqara 101-103

Magic and Sorcery

�ذ� ف�ر�يق� • �ب �م�ا م�ع�ه�م� ن �ه� م�ص�د�ق� ل س�ول� م�ن� ع�ند� الل �م'ا ج�اءه�م� ر� و�ل � 'ه�م� ال ن

� �أ اء ظ�ه�ور�ه�م� ك �ه� و�ر� �اب� الل �ت �اب� ك �ت �ك � ال �وا �وت 'ذ�ين� أ م�ن� ال�م�ون� }البقرة/ �ع�ل {101ي

�ف�ر� �م�ان� و�م�ا ك �ي ل �اط�ين� ع�ل�ى م�ل�ك� س� ي � الش' �وا �ل �ت � م�ا ت �ع�وا 'ب و�اتح�ر� و�م�ا 'اس� الس� �م�ون� الن �ع�ل � ي وا �ف�ر� �اط�ين� ك ي �ك�ن' الش' �م�ان� و�ل �ي ل س��م�ان� م�ن� �ع�ل وت� و�م�ا ي وت� و�م�ار� �ل� ه�ار� �اب �ب �ن� ب �ي �ك �م�ل �نز�ل� ع�ل�ى ال أ�ه�م�ا م�ا 'م�ون� م�ن �ع�ل �ت �ف�ر� ف�ي �ك � ت �ة� ف�ال �ن �ح�ن� ف�ت 'م�ا ن �ن � إ �ق�وال 'ى ي �ح�دK ح�ت أ

' �ال �ح�دK إ �ه� م�ن� أ ين� ب �ض�آر� و�ج�ه� و�م�ا ه�م ب ء� و�ز� �م�ر� �ن� ال �ي �ه� ب ق�ون� ب �ف�ر� ي�م�ن� � ل �م�وا �ق�د� ع�ل �نف�ع�ه�م� و�ل � ي ه�م� و�ال Pض�ر� 'م�ون� م�ا ي �ع�ل �ت �ه� و�ي �ذ�ن� الل �إ ب

�ه� � ب و�ا ر� �س� م�ا ش� �ئ �ب �قK و�ل ة� م�ن� خ�ال �ه� ف�ي اآلخ�ر� اه� م�ا ل �ر� ت اش��م�ون� }البقرة/ �ع�ل � ي �وا �ان �و� ك ه�م� ل �نف�س� � {102أ �وا 'ه�م� آم�ن ن

� �و� أ و�ل�م�ون� �ع�ل � ي �وا �ان 'و� ك �ر� ل ي 'ه خ� �ة� م�ن� ع�ند� الل �وب �م�ث 'ق�و�ا ل وات

{ 103}البقرة/

Analytical Approach النبذ: • نبذ

• Nabatha: this term originally means to leave and throw. ظهورهم • وراء

• Behind their backs: this phrase is usually said about someone that ignores and leaves something.

يعلمون • ال كأنهم• As if they don’t know: comparing them to ignorance. • Final meaning: they leave the book of Allah, and leave implementing

it because of their ignorance and pride, as if they don’t know that it is the book of Allah.

تتلو•• Tatloo: in the Arabic language has two understanding.

– Follow, and trace something or someone. – Read, recite and study something. Therefore the meaning would be

they left the book of Allah and followed sorcery and magic and what the shayateen lead them to.

شياطين•• Shayateen: plural of shaytan. The word

shaytan’s root is shatana, which means to be far and away.

• Are they demons or humans? What kind of Shayateen are they?

سليمان • ملك على• During Sulaymans period or time.

السحر•• What does the word سحر mean?

– The word linguistically means anything subliminal. It originally means changing something from reality to falsehood. As if the magician or sorcerer had flipped reality to delusion.

– Al-Qurtubi said: it means delusion, by making tricks, which makes people see other than it’s reality. As someone seeing a mirage, seeing it as water.

– Al-aloosy said: hidden tricks, that may seem like miracles.

فتنة: •• Fitnah: originally means to test. Usually

said about gold when exposed to fire to test it’s quality.

• Aljassas: fitnah is to see thing’s reality during good and bad situations. Arabs say to put something in fitnah to mean expose something on fire to test it’s quality.

تكفر • فال• Don’t turn to kufr: in this ayah it giving a

euphemism about magic and sorcery.

General Meaning

• Allah Almighty in this verse speaks about the Jews that had previously left the book of Allah (i.e. Torah), as the following generations had left the Quran, even though the prophet Mohammad was sent to confirm a foretold prophecy in their book. Yet, they left the book of Allah behind their backs, and followed delusions. They also followed what was taught by Harot and Marot, who never taught anything in magic until after they would say we are a trial do not use it for kufr/disbelief/mischief. Yet, those delusions were later used to create mischief, delusions and seperations between the husband and wife.

Reason for revelation

• Ibn Aljawzee narrated two different reasons for the revelation of these verses: – The Jews used to ask the prophet – عليه الله صلى

about the Torah. And for every question he – وسلمgave them an answer. So they asked him about magic سحر and debated with him about, and this verse was revealed

– When prophet Solomon was mentioned in the Quran, the Jews mocked at the prophet and said: don’t you see how strange Mohammad is?! He claims that the son of David was a prophet, by God he was only a magician. So this verse was revealed to reply to them.

Other recitations

• “ الشياطين�” ونصب النون، بتشديد ، كفروا الشياطين ولكن• Others recited it

• “ رفع ” و لكن من النون بتخفيف ، الشياطين� ولكن�الشياطين�

الملكين، • على أنزل ومام�ل�ك • مثنى والالم الكاف بفتح الملكين، الجمهور قرأ

– . م�ل�ك ” مثنى م�ل�كين، جبير بن وسعيد عباس ابن وقرأ

• “ والزهري” الحسن وقرأ التاء، بفتح الجمهور قرأ وماروت� هاروت�“ وماروت� ” هاروت� برفعها

التفسير لطائفHidden wisdoms in the verse

• Abu Hayyan pointed out a wisdom in the verses, that is using the two methods of cautioning and bringing glad tidings. The ayat cautioned those that do magic, wrong doing, and brought glad tidings to those that do the opposite in taqwa and belief.

• The verses connect between shayateen and magic, which is what people usually believe in shayteen, as if they have super powers. These verses are to confirm that they do not have super powers. And magic is delusion and not under their powers.

• In one of the verses the word Kufr is used to mean magic.

Rulings in the verses

• Is سحر a delusion or reality?– Majority of the scholars said that it is reality and that it

has effect on people. – Yet, other scholars from the Mu’tazilites said that it is

mere delusion. They considered magic as in different ways:

• Delusion and tricks• Future telling • Through spreading out rumors or backbiting or even using

lies to change relations. • tricks by using things that have effect on certain things, such

as using certain poisons to cause certain hallucinations

Mu’tazalite’s Evidences

.1 ” : �س�ع�ى ت 'ه�ا ن� أ ح�ر�ه�م� س� م�ن �ه� �ي �ل إ 'ل� �خ�ي ي تعالى قوله

/ {“66طه}.2 ” : �وه�م� ه�ب �ر� ت و�اس� 'اس� الن �ن� �ع�ي أ � وا ح�ر� س� تعالى قوله

/ األعراف } K ع�ظ�يم Kح�ر �س� ب ” {116و�ج�اءوا.3 ” : اح�ر� الس' �ح� �ف�ل ي و�ال� Kاح�ر س� �د� �ي ك �ع�وا ص�ن 'م�ا �ن إ تعالى قوله

/ طه } �ى �ت أ �ث� {“69ح�ي• They said these verses say that there is

delusion. Which is evident in the words يخيل which means imagine, الناس أعين they سحرواdeluded peoples eyes, and the last verse is saying that magicians are never successors no matter what

Discussing the evidences of both parties

• Majority of the scholars depended on a group of evidences in considering سحر having reality:

• ” : K ع�ظ�يم Kح�ر �س� ب و�ج�اءوا �وه�م� ه�ب �ر� ت و�اس� 'اس� الن �ن� �ع�ي أ � وا ح�ر� س� تعالى قوله/ {“116األعراف}

• ” : ه�م و�م�ا و�ج�ه� و�ز� ء� �م�ر� ال �ن� �ي ب �ه� ب ق�ون� �ف�ر� ي م�ا �ه�م�ا م�ن 'م�ون� �ع�ل �ت ف�ي تعالى قوله/ البقرة .... } �ه� الل �ذ�ن� �إ ب ' �ال إ Kح�د� أ م�ن� �ه� ب ين� �ض�آر� {“ 102ب

•/ الفلق{ } �ع�ق�د� ال ف�ي �ات� 'ف'اث الن ر� ش� { 4و�م�ن

• They said the first verse said that they have come with great magic, and the second ayah says that they came with great magic to the point that they were actually capable of changing the relationship between the husband and wife, which is why it’s saying that magic will not have an effect till God Almighty wills to have so, and the fourth verse is teaching us how to seek refuge in Allah Almighty in those that blow in knots in witchcraft.

البخاري صحيح من السحر بابThe book of سحر from Al-Bukhari

• {       و�م�ا ح�ر� الس� 'اس� الن �م�ون� �ع�ل ي وا �ف�ر� ك �اط�ين� ي الش' �ك�ن' و�ل �ع�ال�ى ت 'ه� الل و�ق�و�ل� ح�ر� الس� باب�ة� �ن ف�ت �ح�ن� ن 'م�ا �ن إ � �ق�وال ي 'ى ت ح� Kح�د� أ م�ن� �م�ان� �ع�ل ي و�م�ا وت� و�م�ار� وت� ه�ار� �ل� �اب �ب ب �ن� �ي �ك �م�ل ال ع�ل�ى �ز�ل� ن

� أ ' �ال إ Kح�د� أ م�ن� �ه� ب ين� �ض�ار� ب ه�م� و�م�ا و�ج�ه� و�ز� ء� �م�ر� ال �ن� �ي ب �ه� ب ق�ون� �ف�ر� ي م�ا �ه�م�ا م�ن 'م�ون� �ع�ل �ت ف�ي �ف�ر� �ك ت � ف�الم�ن� ة� اآلخ�ر� ف�ي �ه� ل م�ا اه� �ر� ت اش� �م�ن� ل �م�وا ع�ل �ق�د� و�ل �ف�ع�ه�م� �ن ي � و�ال ه�م� Pض�ر� ي م�ا 'م�ون� �ع�ل �ت و�ي 'ه� الل �ذ�ن� �إ ب

{ .} �م�{. } �ت �ن و�أ ح�ر� الس� �ون� �ت �أ �ف�ت أ �ه� و�ق�و�ل �ى �ت أ �ث� ي ح� اح�ر� الس' �ح� �ف�ل ي � و�ال �ع�ال�ى ت �ه� و�ق�و�ل Kق� خ�ال { .} ف�ي{. } �ات� 'ف'اث الن ر� ش� و�م�ن� �ه� و�ق�و�ل ع�ى �س� ت 'ه�ا ن

� أ ح�ر�ه�م� س� م�ن� �ه� �ي �ل إ 'ل� ي �خ� ي �ه� و�ق�و�ل ون� �ص�ر� �ب ت . } { . �ع�م'و�ن�{ ت ون� ح�ر� �س� ت و�اح�ر� الس' �ات� 'ف'اث و�الن �ع�ق�د� ال

ع�ن� 5822• �يه�، ب� أ ع�ن� ،K ام ه�ش� ع�ن� �س�، �ون ي �ن� ب ع�يس�ى �ا ن �ر� ب خ�

� أ م�وس�ى، �ن� ب اه�يم� �ر� �ب إ �ا �ن د'ث ح� ـ�ن�ي ب م�ن� ج�ل� ر� وسلم عليه الله صلى 'ه� الل ول� س� ر� ح�ر� س� ق�ال�ت� ـ عنها الله رضى ـ ة� �ش� ع�ائ�ه� �ي �ل إ 'ل� ي �خ� ي وسلم عليه الله صلى 'ه� الل ول� س� ر� �ان� ك 'ى ت ح� ،� �ع�ص�م األ �ن� ب �يد� �ب ل �ه� ل �ق�ال� ي Kق� ي ر� ز�

و�د�ع�ا د�ع�ا 'ه� �ك�ن ل �د�ي ن ع� و�ه�و� Kة� �ل �ي ل ذ�ات� و�� أ K �و�م ي ذ�ات� �ان� ك �ذ�ا إ 'ى ت ح� �ه�، ف�ع�ل و�م�ا ء� ى� الش' �ف�ع�ل� ي 'ه� ن

� أف�ق�ع�د� " �ن� ج�ال ر� �ي �ان �ت أ ف�يه�، �ه� �ت �ي �ف�ت ت اس� ف�يم�ا �ي �ان �ف�ت أ 'ه� الل �ن' أ ت� ع�ر� �ش� أ ة�، �ش� ع�ائ �ا ي ق�ال� �م' ث

ف�ق�ال� ج�ل� الر' و�ج�ع� م�ا �ه� ب ل�ص�اح� �ح�د�ه�م�ا أ ف�ق�ال� ل�ى'، ر�ج� �د� ن ع� و�اآلخ�ر� �س�ي، أ ر� �د� ن ع� �ح�د�ه�م�ا أ . .Kط م�ش� ف�ي ق�ال� Kء ى� ش� ى�

� أ ف�ي ق�ال� � �ع�ص�م األ �ن� ب �يد� �ب ل ق�ال� 'ه� ط�ب م�ن� ق�ال� �وب� م�ط�ب ." . 'ه� الل ول� س� ر� �اه�ا �ت ف�أ و�ان� ذ�ر� �ر� �ئ ب ف�ي ق�ال� ه�و� �ن� �ي و�أ ق�ال� Kر� ذ�ك Kة� ل �خ� ن �ع� ط�ل و�ج�ف� ،Kاط�ة و�م�ش�

�ق�اع�ة� " ن م�اء�ه�ا ن'� �أ ك ة� �ش� ع�ائ �ا ي ف�ق�ال� ف�ج�اء� �ه� اب ص�ح�

� أ م�ن� Kاس� ن ف�ي وسلم عليه الله صلىق�ال� ". �خ�ر�ج�ه� ت س�

� أ � �ف�ال أ 'ه� الل ول� س� ر� �ا ي ق�ل�ت� �اط�ين� ي الش' ء�وس� ر� �ه�ا ل �خ� ن ء�وس� ر� ن'� �أ ك و�

� أ 'اء�، ن �ح� ال . �و" ". �ب أ �ع�ه� �اب ت �ت� ف�د�ف�ن �ه�ا ب م�ر�

� ف�أ ا uر ش� ف�يه� 'اس� الن ع�ل�ى �و�ر� ث� أ �ن� أ �ر�ه�ت� ف�ك 'ه�، الل �ي ع�اف�ان ق�د�

. ف�ي K ام ه�ش� ع�ن� �ة� �ن �ي ع�ي �ن� و�اب �ث� 'ي الل و�ق�ال� K ام ه�ش� ع�ن� �اد� ن الز� �ي ب� أ �ن� و�اب ة� ض�م�ر� �و �ب و�أ ام�ة� س�

� أ . اق�ة� م�ش� م�ن� اق�ة� �م�ش� و�ال م�ش�ط�، �ذ�ا إ ع�ر� الش' م�ن� ج� �خ�ر� ي م�ا اط�ة� �م�ش� ال �ق�ال� ي Kاق�ة و�م�ش� Kط م�ش�

. 'ان� �ت �ك ال

• Volume 7, Book 71, Number 658: Narrated 'Aisha: • A man called Labid bin al-A'sam from the tribe of Bani Zaraiq worked magic on

Allah's Apostle till Allah's Apostle started imagining that he had done a thing that he had not really done. One day or one night he was with us, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period, and then said, "O 'Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, "What is the disease of this man?" The other replied, "He is under the effect of magic.' The first one asked, 'Who has worked the magic on him?' The other replied, "Labid bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material did he use?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm.' The first one asked, 'Where is that?' The other replied, '(That is) in the well of Dharwan;' " So Allah's Apostle along with some of his companions went there and came back saying, "O 'Aisha, the color of its water is like the infusion of Henna leaves. The tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils." I asked. "O Allah's Apostle? Why did you not show it (to the people)?" He said, "Since Allah cured me, I disliked to let evil spread among the people." Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth.

What is the difference between magic and miracles

• Miracles break the rules of nature• Miracles are done by prophets and messengers as a sign

of their honesty.• Miracles are done by prophets with the challenge for

others to bring or imitate it. • Miracles are pious. And are a sign of piety. • Note: Miracles happening to prophets are معجزة,

miracles happening to pious people are called كرامة, they are to be kept between the pious one and Allah Almighty. – Magic does not break the rules of nature, but depends on it. – Magic are not done by prophets or even pious ones– Magic can be done by other magicians, the subliminal things in it

can be revealed by knowledge, or even experience. – Magic is evil, and a sign of mischief

Is learning سحر permissible? • Majority of scholars said that learning سحر is harram, for a number

of evidences: �وا " – �ب �ن ت اج� ق�ال� وسلم عليه الله صلى �ي� 'ب الن ع�ن� ـ عنه الله رضى ـ ة� �ر� ي ه�ر� �ي �ب ا ع�ن�

" ." ، ح�ر� و�الس� 'ه�، �الل ب ك� ر� الش� ق�ال� ه�ن' و�م�ا 'ه�، الل س�ول� ر� �ا ي �وا ق�ال �ق�ات� �م�وب ال �ع� ب الس'�و�م� ي 'و�ل�ي و�الت ،� �يم �ت �ي ال م�ال� �ل� �ك و�ا �ا، ب الر� �ل� �ك و�ا �ح�ق�، �ال ب ' �ال ا 'ه� الل م� ح�ر' �ي 'ت ال 'ف�س� الن �ل� و�ق�ت

�ت� ". �غ�اف�ال ال �ات� �م�ؤ�م�ن ال �ات� �م�ح�ص�ن ال و�ق�ذ�ف� ، ح�ف� الز'Al-Bukhari narrated: Volume 4, Book 51, Number 28: Narrated Abu

Huraira: – The Prophet said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people

enquire, "O Allah's Apostle! What are they? "He said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse, chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.

– The scholars holding this opinions said that magic is harram based on this hadith whether one was practicing it or learning it

• Other scholars said learning سحر in itself is allowed because learning in general is allowed, based on the verse

�وا • و�ل� أ 'ر� �ذ�ك �ت ي 'م�ا �ن إ �م�ون� �ع�ل ي ال� 'ذ�ين� و�ال �م�ون� �ع�ل ي 'ذ�ين� ال �و�ي ت �س� ي ه�ل�

/ الزمر } �اب� �ب �ل { 9األ�• Therefore this verse is differencing between those

ignorant and knowledgeable ones. And that without knowledge we wont be able to tell the difference between magic and miracles.

• Yet, the other scholars replied that we to tell the difference between magic and miracles is not by learning miracles, and that the hadith is clear to particularize different sciences.

The difference between shyateen and Jinn

الجان، • تتكاثر وكيف تلد؟ الشياطين وهل ؟ والشيطان الجن، بين الفرق ماوالشياطين؟

اإلنس، االجابـــة • يموت كما يموتون وأنهم ويتكاثرون، يتوالدون، الجن أن شك الولهذا ظاهرة؛ أجساد بدون أرواح وهم بعضهم، من يتزوجون ونساء رجال، فيهم وأنبها �لف ك التي بالعبادات م�كلفون وهم بهم، تختص أحكام ولهم يروننا، وهم نراهم، ال

: اآلخر، واليوم بالله، �فار ك أنهم حيث الجن؛ شياطين لهم �قال ي �هم د�ت وم�ر� اإلنس،�البسون ي الذين وهم الكفر، إلى ويدعونهم اإلنس، يضلون الذين هم أنهم وحيث

تعالى قال كما والنساء، الرجال، من اإلنسان جسد �داخلون وي : البشر،�م�س� ال م�ن� �ط�ان� ي الش' 'ط�ه� ب �خ� �ت ي 'ذ�ي ال �ق�وم� ي �م�ا ك �ال' إ �ق�وم�ون� ي كان ال� الذي إبليس ومنهم

خلق الله أن مع النار من خلقه الله بأن أخبر وقد ربه، أمر عن ففسق الجن، منـ الله لعنه ـ إبليس لكن الجن، مردة هم الشياطين أن على فدل النار، من الجن

بقوله النظرة �ظ�ر�ين� : سأل �م�ن ال م�ن� 'ك� �ن ف�إ ق�ال� �ون� �ع�ث �ب ي � �و�م ي �ى �ل إ �ي ن �ظ�ر� �ن ف�أ ب� ر� ق�ال� : من بالله يستعيذوا أن اإلنس وأمر واالمتحان، االبتالء هي لحكمة وأبقاه الله، فأخ'ره

: الجن شياطين شر من �عيذهم وي يحفظهم، الذي هو تعالى فإنه الرجيم، الشيطانأعلم. والله الجبرين، ] . واإلنس الرحمن عبد بن الله عبد انظر

http://ibn-jebreen.com/ftawa.php?view=vmasal&subid=1717&parent=786 ( • Ibn Jebreen gave a brief answer that clarifies the difference between Jinn

and Shayateen. He said: “With no doubt the Jinn increase in numbers through

Is there such a thing Jinn haunting ones body?

• What do these ayat tell us?

• What are the wisdoms behind such rulings