Magic and Fortune-Telling — Ruling and Dangers
🔮 Magic and Fortune-Telling — Ruling and Dangers
﴿ وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ﴾
"And they followed what the devils recited over Solomon's kingdom."
— [Al-Baqarah: 102]
📚 Definition of Magic
Linguistic meaning
As-Sihr (السحر): that whose cause is hidden and subtle.
Technical meaning
| Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Real magic | Incantations, formulas, and knots affecting hearts and bodies by Allah's permission |
| Illusory magic | Making the viewer believe what is not real |
📋 Types of Magic
1. Separation magic
| Description | Proof |
|---|---|
| Separation between spouses | ﴿ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ﴾ |
| Separation between relatives | Destroying relationships |
2. Love magic (At-Tiwalah)
| Description | Danger |
|---|---|
| Forcing a person to love another | Association with Allah |
| At-Tiwalah and At-Tawalah | Part of Shirk |
3. Blocking magic
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Blocking a man from his wife | Preventing intimacy |
| Blocking a woman | Preventing her enjoyment |
4. Madness and illness magic
| Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Epilepsy | Jinn possession |
| Illnesses | Causing physical pain |
⚖️ Ruling on Magic
Ruling on learning and teaching it
| Ruling | Proof |
|---|---|
| Disbelief | ﴿ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ﴾ |
| Major sin | "Avoid the seven destructive sins... and magic" |
Ruling on the magician
| School | Ruling |
|---|---|
| The majority | The magician is executed |
| Difference | Is he asked to repent or not? |
🔮 Fortune-Telling and Divination
Their definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| The soothsayer (Kâhin) | One who informs about the unseen through what Satan whispers |
| The fortune-teller ('Arrâf) | One who claims to know lost items and thefts |
Ruling on consulting soothsayers
| Ruling | Proof |
|---|---|
| Simply asking | Prayer not accepted for 40 days |
| Believing them | Disbelief in what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ |
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad."
— Ahmad, authenticated by Al-Albani
🛡️ Prevention and Treatment
Prevention against magic
| Method | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maintaining invocations | Morning and evening Adhkâr |
| Reading protective Surahs | Al-Falaq, An-Nâs, and Ayat al-Kursi |
| Relying on Allah | ﴿ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ﴾ |
| Avoiding sins | They weaken protection |
Treatment of magic
| Method | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Legitimate Ruqyah | Recommended |
| Extracting and nullifying magic | Permitted |
| An-Nushrah (nullifying magic with magic) | Prohibited |
🎯 Contemporary Cases
📱 Case 1: Tarot and astrology apps
Situation: Maryam downloaded a tarot app "just for fun" and checks its daily predictions.
❓ Is using these apps permissible?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Nature | Fortune-telling in digital form |
| Even if it's "for fun" | Prohibited, opens the door to shirk |
| Consequence | Prayer not accepted for 40 days (if consulting) |
💡 Rule: The medium changes (paper → app) but the ruling remains the same. Fortune-telling is prohibited in all its forms.
💍 Case 2: Consulting a râqi who uses jinn
Situation: Yusuf's family consults a "râqi" who claims to use Muslim jinn to heal people.
❓ Is this type of ruqyah permissible?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Using jinn | Form of magic and sorcery |
| Claims of "Muslim" jinn | Trick of charlatans |
| True ruqyah | Quran + prophetic supplications only |
💡 Rule: Whoever claims to use jinn for healing is either a liar or a sorcerer. Legitimate ruqyah uses only Quran and Sunnah.
🔑 Case 3: Paying for "curse removal"
Situation: After repeated problems, Khaled's family pays €500 to someone to "lift the curse" from their house.
❓ Is paying for curse removal permissible?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| If it's a sorcerer | Absolutely prohibited |
| If it's a legitimate râqi | Permissible to compensate the work |
| Signs of a charlatan | Asks for personal items, writes talismans, isolates with women |
💡 Rule: Distinguish the legitimate râqi (Quran, clear supplications) from the charlatan (obscure rituals, bizarre requests). Going to a sorcerer is prohibited even to undo magic.
📖 Case 4: Listening to ruqyah on YouTube
Situation: Asmaa listens to ruqyah videos on YouTube to treat an ailment she feels.
❓ Is ruqyah via YouTube effective and permissible?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Legality | Permissible, Quran benefits its listener |
| Effectiveness | Less effective than direct ruqyah |
| Best practice | Read ruqyah on yourself or have a râqi present |
💡 Rule: Listening to Quran is always beneficial. But ideal ruqyah is read directly with intention and breath.
🌿 Case 5: "Spiritual" medicines with pagan invocations
Situation: An herbalist sells products "energized" with mantras and invocations of "universal energy."
❓ Is using these products permissible?
📜 View the answer
📖 Analysis:
| Criterion | Application |
|---|---|
| Mantras and "energy" | Pagan concepts (Hinduism, Buddhism) |
| Even if the product is natural | The pagan invocation taints it |
| Alternative | Natural products + ruqyah with Quran |
💡 Rule: Treat with permissible means and legitimate ruqyah. Avoid anything "blessed" by non-Islamic rituals.
💭 Reflection
"Magic and fortune-telling are doors to shirk and perdition. The believer puts trust in Allah and heals with Quran and permissible means."
— Teaching of the scholars
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is magic reality or illusion?
Answer: Magic includes what is real and affects bodies, and what is illusory like the magic of Pharaoh's magicians.
Q2: What is the ruling on reading horoscopes?
Answer: Prohibited, as it claims knowledge of the unseen, which is fortune-telling.
Q3: Can one go to a magician to undo magic?
Answer: No, treatment is through legitimate Ruqyah and extracting the magic.
📚 Sources
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Kitâb at-Tawhîd | Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab |
| Ighâthat al-Lahfân | Ibn al-Qayyim |
| As-Sârim al-Battâr | Wahîd Abd as-Salâm |
والله أعلم — And Allah knows best