The Ruling on Sorcery, the Removal of Sorcery, and the Lawful Methods of Treatment

Question:
And may Allah bless you. Among the questions we received, this questioner says: O Shaykh, how does a person know that he is under the influence of sorcery or afflicted with a type of sorcery? What is the treatment for it? And what is your guidance regarding those who are paid to perform sorcery?

Answer:
That is known by the effects of the sorcery upon him. Sorcery has effects; may Allah protect us from its evil. The sorcery is treated with the lawful treatment: with permissible medicines, with the lawful ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation) from the Book and the Sunnah, and by searching for the sorcery, for it may be hidden in a place, so one searches for it. If it is found, it is destroyed and burned. By this, healing is achieved from the sorcery, by the permission of Allah. This is the removal of sorcery (al-nashrah). This is the removal of sorcery. So, if the removal of sorcery is done with lawful supplications, permissible medicines, Qur'anic verses, Prophetic hadiths, and sincere du'a' (supplications), then this is a permissible removal of sorcery. As for the removal of sorcery that involves matters of shirk (associating partners with Allah) or the work of sorcerers, where they say, "We will undo the sorcery by going to the sorcerers," this is not permissible. This is haram (forbidden). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with that which is haram." And sorcery is haram, and it is shirk, which is kufr (disbelief) against Allah the Exalted and Majestic. One does not seek treatment with it. Yes.