The Ruling on Breaking Sorcery with Sorcery

Question:
The questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, there has been much talk about the permissibility of removing sorcery with sorcery. Some people who claim affiliation with this country have issued a ruling that it is permissible to remove sorcery with sorcery, and many people are in a state of necessity regarding this. Is this a valid justification for the permissibility of this?

Answer:
Removing sorcery with sorcery is an acceptance of sorcery and a command to use sorcery, and this is not permissible. It is not permissible for a person to seek treatment with sorcery, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with what is forbidden.” And sorcery is the greatest of what is forbidden. Is it not permissible to seek treatment with what is forbidden? There is no necessity for sorcery, because Allah has provided us with medicines through the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the prescribed supplications, and permissible medicines. He has provided us with what suffices us from what is forbidden. So Allah has made His lawful sufficient for us in place of His forbidden. This is from one aspect. The second aspect is that necessity does not permit disbelief. Yes, necessity permits eating from carrion, and this is not disbelief; this is only for the preservation of the soul. As for sorcery, it is disbelief, and disbelief is not permissible in any case except in the case of compulsion . . As for the one who is not compelled, it is not permissible, and this is not a case of necessity nor of compulsion, because Allah has provided us with beneficial medicines, along with reliance upon Him and dependence upon Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), that suffice us from that. As for the fact that some students of knowledge have issued this ruling, that is ignorance on their part. This is ignorance on their part and an error; this is not permissible. And, praise be to Allah, many responses have been issued, even from outside the Kingdom, regarding this person’s error. The scholars in various countries have pointed out the error in this fatwa. Yes.