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Fatwa CenterEssence of Magic
Question
I just want to know if ‘Sihr’exists scientifically and what Islam says about it? thank you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Magic –as defined by the scholars –is anything that happens and whose causes are unknown. In the Sharee’ah, magic is of two kinds:
In the first type, the magician uses knots and incantations reading unclear and ambiguous messages, which enable him to use the devils in order to harm the bewitched. However, Allah Says (what means): {But do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.} [Quran 2: 102]
In the second type, the magician uses some chemical products, drugs, and medication that have some effect on the bewitched person's mind, inclination, and will, and leaves him unable to make an independent decision. You notice that this person turns away from what was important for him/her and inclines to something less important or even bad for him/her. The magicians call this “the turning away and inclination”.
For example, they cause a man to become like a domestic animal ready to be led by his wife or another woman. This is inclination. As for "the turning away" they sometimes cause the opposite effect making the man turn away from his wife. These products affect the body of the bewitched, weakening him step by step till he dies. He might be disillusioned imagining things in a state that is different from their real state. He might also go mad. (May Allah protect us.)
Hence, the Sharee’ah gives two different rulings concerning magic:
The first type of magic in which the devils are used is pure polytheism, and whoever practices it, is considered a polytheist because he tries to get closer to devils and to use them for his bad aims.
The second type where the magician uses medication and chemical products is an aggression and a great dissipation.
To conclude, we say that magic is either pure disbelief or a great and major sin, which can lead to the Anger of Allah Almighty.
Actually, magic does not change the reality of things, but it rather affects the perceptive ability of the bewitched making him/her believe in seeing or perceiving something which is different from the reality. But these are only appearances. So, the trees do not actually change into stones but appear to the bewitched as such. But it does actually cause much harm to the bewitched leading sometimes to his death.
We ask Allah to protect us from magic and the evil of wicked and bad people.
Allah knows best.
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