What is the difference between the fortune-teller and the sorcerer? And if one goes to one of them and orders him to do something, and he does it, but he does not believe him; does he fall under the hadith that says:
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The questioner : He says: O honorable Shaykh, what is the difference between the fortune-teller and the sorcerer? And if one goes to one of them and orders him to do something, and he does it, but he does not believe him; does he fall under the hadith that says: Musnad Ahmad 657, 658Lts isnad is Da'if because Abu Muwarri’ is unknown], lts isnad is Da\'if because Abu Muwarri\' is unknown and it is repeat of previous report] (Darussalam). And does he sin by this action?
The Shaykh : Yes. The sorcerer may be a fortune-teller. And the fortune-teller may be a sorcerer, meaning that these two despicable traits may be combined in one person: that he is a sorcerer and that he is a fortune-teller. But the difference between them—if we take the sorcerer alone and the fortune-teller alone—is this: The fortune-teller has devils who inform him about news from the heavens, about the future. So the fortune-teller does not speak except about the future. The sorcerer and the diviner: they may speak about something that has already happened, such as: informing you where a lost item is. If something is lost for you, he says it is in such-and-such a place. Who is this? This is the diviner and the sorcerer. But they do not inform about the future, because they do not have devils who inform them about what has occurred in the heavens. For this reason, we say: these three—the sorcerer, the diviner, and the fortune-teller—these three traits may all be combined in one person, or they may differ. But the fortune-teller is the one who informs about—did you finish?—about the future. He does not inform about something that has happened, no, about the future. Yes.
It was narrated that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was at a funeral and he said: `which of you will go to the city and not leave in it any idol but he will break it, or any grave but he will level it, or any image but he will spoil it?` A man said: “I will, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).` So he went, but he was afraid of the people of the city, so he came back, `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: I will go, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: “Go.` So he went then he came back and said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I did not leave in it any idol but I broke it, or any grave but i levelled it, or any image but I spoiled it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever goes back to doing any of that has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.` Then he said: `Do not be a cause of division or show off or be a merchant except a good one, for those are the ones who are lagging behind in good deeds.` It was narrated from Al-Hakam that A man from Basra whom the people of Basra called Abu Muwarri’ and the people of Koofah called Abu Muhammad, said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was at a funeral... and he mentioned a similar Hadeeth, but he did not say that ‘Ali said: `or any image but he will smear something over it.` And he said: I did not come to you, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), until I did not leave any image but i spoiled it.` And he said: `Do not be a cause of division or show off.`
من أتى كاهناً أو عرافاً فصدقه فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلمThe Shaykh : Yes. The sorcerer may be a fortune-teller. And the fortune-teller may be a sorcerer, meaning that these two despicable traits may be combined in one person: that he is a sorcerer and that he is a fortune-teller. But the difference between them—if we take the sorcerer alone and the fortune-teller alone—is this: The fortune-teller has devils who inform him about news from the heavens, about the future. So the fortune-teller does not speak except about the future. The sorcerer and the diviner: they may speak about something that has already happened, such as: informing you where a lost item is. If something is lost for you, he says it is in such-and-such a place. Who is this? This is the diviner and the sorcerer. But they do not inform about the future, because they do not have devils who inform them about what has occurred in the heavens. For this reason, we say: these three—the sorcerer, the diviner, and the fortune-teller—these three traits may all be combined in one person, or they may differ. But the fortune-teller is the one who informs about—did you finish?—about the future. He does not inform about something that has happened, no, about the future. Yes.