The Danger of Learning Sorcery and the Ruling on Going to Sorcerers and Asking Them

Question:
Benefits of the explanation of the book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* by Ibn Taymiyyah. Some people are lax regarding sorcery, O Shaykh; they find it in some lands, so they are lax about going to ask a sorcerer?

Answer:
He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The people of the Sunan. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In its Sahih, it is not permissible to go to sorcerers or to ask them. Merely going to them is a major sin among the major sins, and it prevents the acceptance of prayer for forty days.
It is a punishment for him. If he believes them, he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); because he believed the fortune-tellers and those who claim knowledge of the unseen. The danger is great, and sorcery is a serious affliction. It was the affliction of previous nations. Allah warned this nation against it and made it clear that it is the trade of the Jews. Allah the Exalted said regarding the Jews: So this is the work of the Jews and the work of the devils: teaching sorcery and learning it is the work of the Jews and the work of the devils, and it is disbelief in Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For this reason, Islam came with the denial of sorcery and that the sorcerer is to be killed. A group of the Companions killed him, among them 'Umar and his daughter Hafsa, and Jundub ibn Kab (may Allah be pleased with them). Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is authentic that the sorcerer is to be killed, from three of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." And in the hadith: