The Reality of Soothsayers and Sorcerers and the Ruling on Visiting Them

Here is a letter from Hawtat Banu Tamim, sent by our brother Abdullah Rashid Talib. Our brother says: I ask that you present this letter to His Eminence Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz. My question is: We hear a lot about soothsayers and astrologers, so what is the validity of the religion of one who goes to them and believes their claims? That is because they come with what proves to be true. For example, they tell a person the name of one of his relatives and describe his house, and perhaps they describe what he has in terms of wealth and children... He continues to list what those people say, His Eminence the Shaykh, and asks for guidance?
The Shaykh: This existed in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), before him, and after him. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade visiting soothsayers and asking them questions. He said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. He also said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: So people say: He told the truth on such-and-such a day, and they believe him because of that word which was heard from the sky, and it becomes a means to believing him in his many lies.
Soothsayers have companions among the devils of the jinn. A soothsayer is one who has a companion, meaning: a companion from the jinn who informs him about some of the unseen and about some of what happens in the lands. This is known in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and in Islam, and this is the soothsayer. He is the one who has a companion from the jinn who alerts him and informs him about what he receives from his devils and brothers. He says: Such-and-such happened, and such-and-such occurred in such-and-such a land; because the jinn pass news among themselves, and the devils pass news among themselves. Some of them inform others with great speed, from Sham to Yemen, from Yemen to Sham, to Egypt, to Najd, to America, to any place. There is an exchange of news among them. For this reason, one who hears that they told the truth in some matters may be deceived by them.
Likewise, the devil may know the relative of this afflicted person; his brother... his uncle among the devils that are among them. Every person has a devil with him. Every one of us has a devil with him. He has a companion from the humans and a companion from the jinn. Every one of the children of Adam is like this. So the devils inform each other and point out the private matters of each other. They may inform about what they have in terms of wealth, what they have in terms of children, what they have in terms of furniture. All of this happens among people.
They may also eavesdrop on the hearing and hear some of what happens in the sky among the angels, from what Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) speaks of regarding the affairs of the people of the earth and what happens on earth. They overhear that word. When they hear it, they drop it into the ear of their companions among the soothsayers, sorcerers, and astrologers. So the astrologer, the sorcerer, and the soothsayer say: Such-and-such will happen, such-and-such will happen, regarding that word which was heard from the sky. And they do not stop there, but they lie with many lies along with it, so that their merchandise is promoted and so that they take the money of people by falsehood. So because of this speech that they convey to them, such-and-such will happen, such-and-such will happen. If they tell the truth in one place, people attribute this truth to them, which matched the news that occurred in the sky, or matched the events that occurred in some lands. At this point, people are mostly inclined to believe them because of these events. They say: He told the truth on such-and-such a day, he told the truth in such-and-such, he told the truth in such-and-such. And the sick cling to a spider’s web and hold on to everything. For this reason, they go to the soothsayers, they go to the astrologers, and they go to the sorcerers because of what they may hear about them, that they told the truth in such-and-such and told the truth in such-and-such.
It is obligatory not to visit them, not to ask them questions, and not to believe them, even if it happens that they tell the truth in some matter. It is obligatory to leave them entirely; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade visiting them, forbade asking them questions, and forbade believing them. So it is obligatory for the Muslims not to believe them, not to ask them questions, and not to visit them at all. This is the obligation for everyone. And they should follow what Allah has prescribed in treating the sick, such as recitation and permissible medicine, and the like of what doctors know. Between the doctors and the reciters who perform ruqyah on the sick and are known for their Islam and religion, these are the lawful means and the lawful methods. As for visiting soothsayers, astrologers, palm readers, and diviners and asking them questions, this is an abomination and is not permissible. We ask Allah for well-being and safety. Yes.