What is the ruling on practicing sorcery and learning it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on practicing sorcery and learning it?
The Shaykh : Sorcery is of two types:
One type constitutes disbelief (kufr), and the other constitutes open sinfulness (fisq). The sorcery that involves seeking the aid of Shayatins and evil spirits is disbelief, based on the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Al-Baqarah 2:102].
The second type constitutes open sinfulness (fisq), which is sorcery using herbs and the like that harms the person subjected to it. This is aggression and open sinfulness (fisq), but it does not bring its practitioner to the level of disbelief (kufr).
In any case, the sorcerer must be killed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1460Da'if (Darussalam).
This is because his aggression and harm are great upon the Muslim community (ummah). Then, if he is a disbeliever (kafir), meaning if his sorcery makes him a disbeliever, he is not washed, not shrouded, no funeral prayer is performed for him, and he is not buried with the Muslims. If he is not a disbeliever, he is washed, shrouded, a funeral prayer is performed for him, and he is buried with the Muslims.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Sorcery is of two types:
One type constitutes disbelief (kufr), and the other constitutes open sinfulness (fisq). The sorcery that involves seeking the aid of Shayatins and evil spirits is disbelief, based on the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve
وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلا تَكْفُرْThe second type constitutes open sinfulness (fisq), which is sorcery using herbs and the like that harms the person subjected to it. This is aggression and open sinfulness (fisq), but it does not bring its practitioner to the level of disbelief (kufr).
In any case, the sorcerer must be killed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The punishment of the Sahir is a strike of the sword.
حد الساحر ضربه بالسيفThis is because his aggression and harm are great upon the Muslim community (ummah). Then, if he is a disbeliever (kafir), meaning if his sorcery makes him a disbeliever, he is not washed, not shrouded, no funeral prayer is performed for him, and he is not buried with the Muslims. If he is not a disbeliever, he is washed, shrouded, a funeral prayer is performed for him, and he is buried with the Muslims.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.