Is it permissible to pray behind one who practices sorcery and charlatanism?
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good. Do you permit praying behind an imam who practices sorcery and charlatanism, and claims that he breaks sorcery with the Qur'an, and makes amulets that are distributed to be worn on the chests of the sick or afflicted, and they say that they contain verses from the Qur'an? Do you permit praying behind this person?
Answer:
One does not permit praying behind such an imam. He should repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The one who uses sorcery and claims that he does it to break the sorcery from the one who has been bewitched, this is not permissible. As is in the hadith, sorcery is not broken except by a sorcerer. And when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the left hand, he said it is from the knowledge of Satan. The left hand is the breaking of sorcery from the one who has been bewitched. If that is done with sorcery like it, if the breaking of the sorcery is with sorcery like it, then this is forbidden and not permissible.
And likewise the amulets, hanging amulets and talismans. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade talismans, and said that ruqyah, talismans, and divination are in shirk (associating partners with Allah). Talismans are those that are hung in the form of amulets to ward off the evil eye, or to lift or repel calamity. All of this is not permissible, because this is a means to shirk and seeking help from other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The permissible lifting is to recite directly upon the afflicted person, by reciting and blowing upon the afflicted person, or to recite for him in water and have him drink it. This is the permissible ruqyah. As for hanging talismans, this is not permissible, even if they are from the Qur'an, according to the correct view. If they are pure from the Qur'an or from the prescribed supplications, the correct view is that it is not permissible to hang them. But if they are from shirk, or from shirk supplications and satanic ruqyah, then this is definitely a distortion of faith, and it is shirk from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So such a person is not permitted to be followed in prayer until he repents to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and his creed is stripped of these matters.
May Allah reward you with good. Do you permit praying behind an imam who practices sorcery and charlatanism, and claims that he breaks sorcery with the Qur'an, and makes amulets that are distributed to be worn on the chests of the sick or afflicted, and they say that they contain verses from the Qur'an? Do you permit praying behind this person?
Answer:
One does not permit praying behind such an imam. He should repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The one who uses sorcery and claims that he does it to break the sorcery from the one who has been bewitched, this is not permissible. As is in the hadith, sorcery is not broken except by a sorcerer. And when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the left hand, he said it is from the knowledge of Satan. The left hand is the breaking of sorcery from the one who has been bewitched. If that is done with sorcery like it, if the breaking of the sorcery is with sorcery like it, then this is forbidden and not permissible.
And likewise the amulets, hanging amulets and talismans. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade talismans, and said that ruqyah, talismans, and divination are in shirk (associating partners with Allah). Talismans are those that are hung in the form of amulets to ward off the evil eye, or to lift or repel calamity. All of this is not permissible, because this is a means to shirk and seeking help from other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The permissible lifting is to recite directly upon the afflicted person, by reciting and blowing upon the afflicted person, or to recite for him in water and have him drink it. This is the permissible ruqyah. As for hanging talismans, this is not permissible, even if they are from the Qur'an, according to the correct view. If they are pure from the Qur'an or from the prescribed supplications, the correct view is that it is not permissible to hang them. But if they are from shirk, or from shirk supplications and satanic ruqyah, then this is definitely a distortion of faith, and it is shirk from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So such a person is not permitted to be followed in prayer until he repents to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and his creed is stripped of these matters.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز الصلاة خلف من يزاول أعمال السحر والدجل؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.