Jinn, witchcraft and the evil eye - , Sihr and its types

Is sihr (magic, witchcraft) real? Does it have any effect? What are its types?
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of
Allaah, and his family and companions and those who follow his
guidance.
Sihr is a serious crime and is one of the kinds of kufr. It is one of
things with which people have been tested, in the past and currently,
among the nations of the past, during the Jaahiliyyah and in this
ummah. The more ignorance increases, the less there is knowledge and
awareness of faith, the less attention the authorities pay to this
matter - the more the practitioners of sihr and trickery increase and
spread in the land, to take the people's wealthand confuse them and do
other things. When knowledge prevails and faith increases, and the
Islamic authorities are powerful, the number ofthese evil people
shrinksand they move from oneland to another, seeking a place where
their falsehood will be accepted and they will be able to engage in
their trickery and corruption.
The Qur'aan and Sunnah have described the kindsof sihr and the rulings
on these matters.
Sihr is so called because its means are hidden or secret, and because
the practitioners of sihr dealwith things in secret which enable them
to perform illusions to confuse the people and deceive their eyes, and
to cause them harm or steal their money, etc., ina secretive manner so
that in most cases nobody realizes what is happening. Hence the last
part of the night is called sahar, because at the end of the night
people are unaware andthey do not move about much. And the lungs are
also called sahr, because they are hidden inside the body.
According to sharee'ah, the meaning of sihr is what the magicians do
to delude and confuse people, so that the one who is watching thinks
that it is real when in fact it is not. As Allaah said concerning the
magicians of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
"They said: 'O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'
Moosa said: 'Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold!their ropes and
their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved
fast.
So Moosa conceived fearin himself.
We (Allaah) said: 'Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.
And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that
which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's
trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount
(of skill) he may attain.'"
[Ta-Ha 20:65-69]
Sihr may involve things that the magician does when tying knots on
which he blows, as is referred to in the Qur'aan (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in
the knots"[al-Falaq 113:4]
And it may involve other things which they manage to do through the
shayaateen (devils), so they do things that may affect a man's reason
or make him sick;they may cause division between a man and his wife,
resulting in her looking ugly to him, or by making her hate her
husband or be put off byhim. This is blatant kufr as the Qur'aan
states. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They followed what theShayaateen (devils) gaveout (falsely of the
magic)in the lifetime of Sulaymaan (Solomon). Sulaymaan did not
disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men
magic"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
Allaah informs us that they (the shayaateen) committed kufr by
teaching men magic. Then He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot
and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such
things) till they had said, 'We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by
learning this magic from us).'"[al-Baqarah 2:102]
Then Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And from these (angels) people learn that by which they
causeseparation between man and his wife, but they could not thus
harmanyone except by Allaah's Leave"[al-Baqarah 2:102]
i.e., this magic and any harm that results from it is subject to the
prior decree and will of Allaah, for our Lord cannot be overwhelmed
and nothing can happenin His Dominion against His Will. Nothing
happens in this world or in the hereafter except by His prior decree
and His great wisdom, as He wills. So some people may be tested by
sihr, and others may be tested by sickness, or by being killed...etc.
Allaah is All-Wise in all that He wills and decrees, and inall that He
prescribes for His slaves. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
i.e., by His universal (kawni) will and decree, not by His legislative
(shar'i) will [i.e., He wills that it should happen but He does not
enjoin itand He is not pleased by such actions]. For sharee'ah does
not allowsuch things, indeed it forbids them, but by His universal
leave He already knows and has already decreed that So and so will do
sihr, and that So and so will be affected by sihr, just as He already
knows and has already decreed thatSo and so will be killed, or
afflicted with a certain sickness, or will die in a certain land,
andwill receive such and such provision, or will berich or poor. All
of that happens by the will and decree of Allaah, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments
of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees
Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)[al-Qamar 54:49]
"No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is
inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz) before We bring
it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah"
[al-Hadeed 57:22]
The evils that come at the hands of the magicians or others do not
happen because our Lord is ignorant, for He knows all things and
nothing at all is hidden from Him, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, Allaah is the All-Knower of everything"[al-Anfaal 8:75]
"that you may know that Allaah has power over all things, and that
Allâh surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge"[al-Talaaq 65:12]
So Allaah knows all things, and nothing happens in His Dominionthat
He does not will, butHe has perfect wisdom and good aims in whatever
He decrees should happen to peopleof honour or humiliation, losing or
gaining power, sickness or health, magic and other things.
Everything that happens to people happens by the will of Allaah and in
accordance with His prior decree. These magicians may perform their
illusions, as stated in the aayah quoted above (interpretation of the
meaning):
"They said: 'O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'
Moosa said: 'Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold!their ropes and
their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved
fast. [Ta-Ha 20:65-66]
It appeared to the onlooker as if these sticks and ropes were snakes,
moving fast in the valley. They were only sticks and ropes, but the
magicians, through what they had learned, made what theydemonstrated
before the people look different in their eyes to what it really was.
Allaah says (interpretation if the meaning):
"by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast"
[Ta-Ha 20:66]
And in Soorat al-A'raaf Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He [Moosa] said: 'Throw you (first).' So when they threw, they
bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and
they displayed a great magic" [al-A'raaf 7:116]
But in fact their sticks and ropes did not change; it was the
people's sight which changed because of the sihr, so they thought they
were snakes, because of the illusion brought about by the magicians.
Some people call this taqmeer, which is when the magician does things
to make a person not sense reality as it really is, so his eyes do not
see what is really there and things may be taken from his shop or his
home without him realizing it, i.e., he does not know what is really
happening. So he may see a rock as a chicken or as an egg, and so on,
because reality has beenchanged in his eyes because of the
confusionwrought by the magician, and because his eyes have been
bewitched. There are things that the magicians do with certain
substances to make people's eyes not see what is really happening.
This is the kind of magic which Allaah describes as "great" [i.e.
serious, powerful] in Soorat al-A'raaf (interpretation of the
meaning):
"... So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and
struckterror into them, and they displayed a great magic" [al-A'raaf
7:116]
From Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh
al-'Allaamah 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him),
p. 65

Jinn, witchcraft and the evil eye - , Should the one who hasbeen affected by witchcraft see the one who put the spell on himduring the ruqyah?

When someone is sick because of sahr (magic)and he does ruqueyah, is
it possible, when the man who readthe Coran, that the sick sees who
did the sahr to him and how it was done? Some people say that what the
sick sees during ruqueyah can be right but it can be also wrong.Those
people say that if someone accuse someone else then he has to do tawba
becausehe accuse someone who maybe didn't do anything.Are those people
right? Please answer my question because a lot of people have problems
because of this.
Praise be to Allaah.
What people have told you, that the one who has been affected by
witchcraft should see the one who put the evileye on him or put a
spellon him, may or may not be true. It is not correct to accuse an
innocent person of using witchcraft against the victim. What the
victim sees during the ruqyah cannot be taken as being correct for
sure, rather what usually happens is something imaginary from the
Shaytaan that is aimed at stirring up enmity andhatred among people.
So we should not pay any attention to it. But even though, according
to sharee'ah, such thingscannot be relied on, thatdoes not mean that
we should not take precautions against those whom it is feared may
cause harm throughwitchcraft or the evil eyeetc, without that implying
any accusation without proof or causing any feeling of enmity.
This accusation is very serious because it may be tantamount to an
accusation of kufr, and not just an accusation of causing harm. That
is because the practitioner of witchcraft is either a kaafir or an
evildoer. The ruling varies according to the way in which he practices
witchcraft.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said in his commentary on the hadeeth, "Avoid
the seven things which doom a person to Hell: associating others with
Allaah, witchcraft…":
The word sihr (witchcraft) is one of theactions that doom a person to
Hell. The apparent meaning of the words of the Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that it makes no difference if
that is done through the devils or by means of medicines and potions.
Because if it is done through the devils, that can only be done by
associating them in worship with Allaah, which comes under the heading
of shirk (associating others with Allaah). If it is other thanthat, it
is also a major sin, because witchcraft isone of the worst crimes that
can be committed against the sons of Adam. It adversely affects the
spiritual and worldly affairs of the victim, and causes him anxiety,
thus making him like an animal. Indeed it is even worse than that,
because animals were created like that, but if a human being is
diverted from his true, sound nature, this causes hardship and anxiety
to an extent which only Allaah knows. Hence witchcraft comes second
only to shirk in this list of grave sins.
Al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/287.

Jinn, witchcraft and the evil eye - , Is there any virtue or distinction for one who dies as the result of witchcraft?

I have a colleague whose grandmother died as the result of witchcraft,
after three years of being bewitched. They tried to treat her but to
no avail. My colleague is asking me whether her death isnormal or
whether thereis any virtue or anything that distinguishes a person who
dies as the result of witchcraft?.
Praise be to Allaah.
After researching the matter, we could not find any evidence or report
which indicates that there is any special virtue for one who dies as
the result of witchcraft, except that if the victim of witchcraft
bears this calamity with patience, he will have the reward of those
whoare patient, and what a great reward that is. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full,
without reckoning"
[al-Zumar 39:10]
"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss
of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As- Saabiroon
(the patient).
156. Who, when afflictedwith calamity, say: 'Truly,to Allaah we belong
and truly, to Him we shall return.'
157. They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed
andwill be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive
His Mercy, and it is they whoare the guided ones"
[al-Baqarah 2:155-157]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
greater reward comes with the greater trial. When Allaah loves a
people He tests them; whoever accepts that will earn divine
pleasureand whoever is discontent with that will earn divine wrath."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2396; Ibn Maajah, 4031; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Calamities
will continueto befall the believing man and woman in regard to
themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allaah
with no sins on them." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classedas saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Bukhaari (5653) and Muslim (2576) narrated that 'Ata' ibn Abi
Rabaah said: Ibn 'Abbaas said to me: Shall I show you a woman from
among the people of Paradise?" I said, "Yes." He said: "Thisblack
woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and said, 'I suffer from epilepsy and I become uncovered. Pray to
Allaah for me.' Hesaid, 'If you wish, you may bear it with patience
and Paradise will be yours, or if you wish I will pray to Allaah to
heal you.' She said, 'I will be patient.' Then shesaid, 'But I become
uncovered; pray to Allaah for me that I will not become uncovered.' So
he prayed for her."
It should be noted that witchcraft is something real, and it may lead
to the victim becoming sick, and may even kill him.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: In
sharee'ah, witchcraft is divided into two kinds:
1 - Spells and incantations, i.e., recitations and unclear words by
means of which the practitioner of witchcraft is able to use the
devils to do whathe wants of harming his victim. But Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
2 - Medicines and potions that affect the body, mind, will and
inclinations of the victim, so that he turns away from a person or
inclines towards him or her.
So they make a man incline towards his wife or towards another woman,
so that he becomes like a dumb beast that she can lead wherever she
wants. Or they make the opposite happen.
They affect the victims physically by weakening him little by little,
until he dies.
Or they make him imagine things to be other than they really are.
Their affect on his mind may go so far as to makehim insane - Allaah forbid.
End quote from Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/5.
The victim may attain the reward of the martyr, if the witchcraft
leads to him suffering a stomach disease, the plague or pleurisy, or
it leads to a woman dying in pregnancy. Ahmad (23804), Abu Dawood
(3111) and al-Nasaa'i (1846) narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "What do you think martyrdom
is?" They said: "Being killed for the sake of Allaah." The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Martyrdom
is seven things besides being killed for the sake of Allaah, The one
who diesof the plague is a martyr;the one who dies by drowning is a
martyr; the one who dies of pleurisy is a martyr; the one who dies of
a stomach disease is a martyr; the who dies by burning is a martyr;
the one who dies beneath a collapsed wall or building is a martyr; and
the woman who dies in pregnancy is a martyr." This hadeeth was
classedas saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
It says in 'Awn al-Ma'bood:
... "the one who dies by drowning" - if his journey was for a
permissible purpose. "The one who dies of pleurisy" - this refers to
ulcers or abscesses which a person gets in his side, then they open
and the pain ceases at the time of death; its signs include pain
beneath the ribs and difficulty in breathing accompanied by fever and
coughing. "The one who dies of a stomach disease" - this refers to
diarrhoea or dropsy, or pain in the stomach. ...
"the woman who dies inpregnancy" - al-Khattaabi said: this means, if
she dies with a child in her womb. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

Paradise and hell are in existence now in another dimension in the Sight of Allah 2

· Why did Allah, the Omniscient, create satan,earthly desires and Hell?
· How do satan, earthly desires and Hell bestow depth on a person?
· What is the wisdom behind the creation of difficulties?
As revealed in verse 30 of Surat al-Baqara, " When your Lord said to
the angels, 'I am putting a successive authority onthe earth,' they
said, 'Why put on it one who will cause corruption on it and shed
blood when we glorify You with praise and proclaim Yourpurity?' He
said, 'I know what you do not know'," Allah created conscious
entities, human beings, even though angels were already in existence
This is becauseAllah loves human beings according to their piety, who
harbor a fervent love and fear of Him, who know and praise His might,
who love and appreciate His creations, who know and are content with
all the beauties He creates and who delight in all these things, more
than He does the angels. The reason why Allah loves human beings more
than the angels is that angels simply obey Allah's commands, while
human beings strive against satan and earthly desires and believe in
the mysteries without seeing Him. It is because of these traits that
separate man from the angels that our Lord addresses our Prophet
(saas) as "beloved," thus indicating the love He feels for the
Messengers and devout believers. Rasulullah (saas) notes this love
that Allah feels for His servants in a hadith, " ALLAH said: "I have
created you from My own light, and other things from your light." (
Îmân Ahmed, Musnad IV-127; Hâkim, Mustadrak II-600/4175; Ibni Hibban,
Al- Ihsân XIV-312/6404; Ajlûnî, Keshfu' al-Hâfâ I-265/827 ).
" Who could have a better faith than someone who submits himself
completely to Allah and is a good-doer,and follows the religion of
Abraham, a man of pure natural belief? Allah took Abraham as an
intimate friend." (Surat an-Nisa, 125)
In verse 125 of Surat an-Nisa', our Lord expresses His love of those
who have faith by speaking of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) as an
"intimate friend."
Our Lord Created Satan, Earthly Desires and Hell for Human Beings to Compare
Allah loves all fine things, including virtuous people, pleasant views
and delightful scenes and places. And He wants human beings to
delightin them, too. For example, He has sent down the verses of the
Qur'an with a delightful, melodious and magnificent harmony. Had He
wished, He could have sent them down without that harmony. Had He
wished, He could have created man in Paradise, without creating the
Earth and Hell at all. But if human beings had been createddirectly in
Paradise, theycould never have knownthe deficiencies of this world and
the torments of Hell, and could never have compared them and attained
the fervor, depth and submission desired by Allah. As revealed in
verses of the Qur'an, Allah created the Prophet Adam (pbuh) and his
wife in Paradise. Despite being a prophet,Adam (pbuh) fell into error
because he knew nowhere else other thanParadise. Indeed, verses reveal
that the sorrow the prophet Adam (pbuh) felt when he descended to
earth stemmed from his comparing this world with that of Paradise.
This regret is described as follows in verses:
" But satan made them slip up by means of it, expelling them from
where they were. We said, 'Go down from here as enemies to each other!
You will have residence on the earth and enjoyment for a time.'
Then Adam received some words from his Lord and He turned towards
him. He is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful." (Surat al-Baqara,
36- 37)
The beauty of anything can only be appreciated in comparison with what
is unpleasant and ugly, and virtue can onlybe appreciated when
compared with vice. Onecan compare the glorious variety and beauty of
life by putting good and bad, attractiveand ugly side by side and thus
come to appreciate all the blessings one possesses. Otherwise, one
cannot give thanks for or appreciate the value of one's blessings, and
one would not wish to strive against one's earthly desires in order to
attainthe infinite delights of Paradise. One can only appreciate
delights in this world and enjoy Paradise in the Hereafterby making
comparisons. But in that event, by Allah's will, Paradise and all of
its delights becomea true blessing.
Striving against Satan and His Supporters Bestows a Feeling of Fervor and Depth
In the verse " Mankind! Eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And
do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He truly is an outright enemy
to you" ( Surat al-Baqara , 168) Allah reveals that satan is the enemy
of man and commands man to strive against him. Had our Lord not
created satan, there would be no struggle between him and his
supporters and Muslims, and no preaching of the word. Having a
profound faith,waging an intellectual struggle to bring about the
glorious reign of Islam, intending to be a follower of Hazrat
Mahdi(pbuh), being a strong and honorable believer and intellectually
annihilating superstitionand the way of the dajjalall bring great joy
and fervor to devout believers.
Indeed Allah in the past created Pharaoh against the Prophet Moses
(pbuh), Nimrod against the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), pagans and
hypocrites such as Abu Lahab and Abu Jahil against our Prophet (saas)
and the dajjal against Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), so that believers can
enjoy beauty and zeal. Allah sends the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) back to
earth for there to be beauty and so Muslims can delight in it,and
makes Hazrat KHidhir (pbuh) instrumental in many events.
Allah gives Muslims the impression that the innocent are suffering
for the test. They appear to be suffering and dying. But they do not
suffer at all. Our Lord says this of martyred Muslims, " They are
alive and well provided for in the very presence of their Lord, "
(Surat al-'Imran, 169) thus making their condition in His Presence
perfectly clear. But by creating troubles and martyrdom in this way,
Allah increases Muslims' feelings of zeal and eliminates apathy and
monotony.
Striving against Earthly Desires and the Difficulties One Encounters
Bestow Depth on a Person
Striving against satan and earthly desires allowone to reflect very
deeply. Allah loves a servant who thanks Him deeply, finds him very
beautiful, and at the endof his life in this world He will reward the
believer with the eternal life of Paradise.
One who fails to see the marvels and details that Allah creates in
this world will also fail to seethem in Paradise. Someone who acts in
the light of earthly desires, who gives in to troubles and fails to
strive against them can take no pleasure fromPparadise if Allah places
him there. The glorious life of Paradise and all its delights will
mean nothing to him because he has not striven to earn Paradise, has
made no comparisonbetween deficiencies and beauties and has acquired
no spiritual depth. But in the face of satan, Hell, and earthly
desires one acquires a glorious depth and never forgets one's struggle
for all time. One's endeavors in the face of these tests created by
Allah give one a profound mind and soul. That is when Paradise becomes
delightful for the believer. As commanded in verses:
" O self at rest and at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleasing and
well-pleased! Enter among My slaves!
Enter My Garden.(Surat al-Fajr, 27- 30)
Mr. Adnan Oktar Describes How Allah Will Not Give One a Greater Burden
Than One Can Bear
I am 55, for example. I cannot remember any burdens I could not bear.
I entered a mental asylum. They put me in there with the worst madmen.
But I thought of that verse and was really not troubled at all.Allah,
Allah. I was really very comfortable. They put me in the lunatics'
ward in prison, and I was quite comfortable. The people put on that
ward had all killed people. They were walking around in front of me.
We became friends and talked. The colonel in charge of the prison
said, "I sent him there on purpose." . My ward was full of them, not
just one or two such people. "They became sothey would not hurt a fly.
They became full of love alongside Adnan Hodja," he said. You can ask
him, the colonel is still alive. "I sent him there on purpose. They
became so they would not hurt a fly, really pleasant-natured," he
said. He tells everyone that. You can ask him, the prison colonel.
Bayrampaşa Prison, he was known as the colonel at the time, though he
is retired now. Ask him. These things are part of the test. It is
Almighty Allah Who made them so mild and gentle. These peoplefight at
the drop of a hatin prison, anything couldhave happened, but nothing
did. The inmatesbroke down the door where I was and did all kinds of
things to each other. They killed seven people during my time there,
the mental patients. But nothing happened to me, alhamdulillah, and I
was not even uneasy. I was perfectly comfortable. I had a little tape
machineI took in there. I played Ceddin Deden and Turkish military
music. I made a chin-up bar, andthe inmates saw me and started making
them, too. There were iron bars there, and I coveredone with nylon and
made a chin-up bar. So Allah makes even difficult conditions bearable.
One characteristic of mine is that I enjoy boiled meat. There is a
herd of sheep in the mental hospital there, and they kill them every
day. They boil them up fresh, and the bones just melt away. I had my
own bowl, and they would ladle that meat into it. The mental hospital
also made greatbread, huge great loaves. We ate it like soldiers. Then
everyone started doing chin-ups. The inmates there thought I was a
doctor. They were amazed at mybeing there because they were all there
for murder. Most were unaware what was happening, they would fight one
another and shout and scream and were unable to take careof their
natural functions. But I was perfectly comfortable under those
conditions. But my mother's face was getting blanched when she came to
visit me. Her face was normally red but becamewhite during the visits.
She regarded them as a danger, but they were really inoffensive. They
would not harm anyone.But someone who did not know that, that would be
really alarmed.When the doctors and nurses came into the ward, they
fainted because of the terrifyingatmosphere there. You can look it up
in books. People could not even bear the sight of it. They would faint
within 10 minutes. But nothing happened to me, alhamdulillah. I was
quite comfortable. Why?.This was a test. You had to be brave. I had
alwaysexperienced difficult situations ever since I was a child. And
they strengthened and hardened me. Otherwise, who knows what might
have become of me? These difficulties are also the reason why I am so
zealous and full of love.