All power belongs to The Most Beneficent & Most Merciful
It is Not Magic in most cases?
We tend to put all the blame for any misfortune/problem on other people & most convieniently on magic.Instead of looking at our sins & other reasons we immediately accept any suggestion(from anybody at all), that someone has done something to us!.Islam does NOT permit us to make such assumptons about other people especially for muslims,momins & more so for ones own relatives.!In 99% of cases we only incorrectly assume that magic has affected us & it may be true in a very rare case.
What is magic& soothsaying
Magic generally includes:-
a)writing & reciting some special chants & spells, burning of particular objects
b)Making a picture, blowing ,tying knots, burying special objects in particular places so that the person for whom it is intended is affected eg;located, put to sleep, made ill etc
c)bringing about some un natural events by means of charms ,amulets or talisman or potions
Soothsaying is fortune telling, going to people(pir, babas etc) for predictions ,involving Jinn or spirits for non natural events..some scholars equate it with Magic
Islamic View
Magic is unconditionally & absolutely haram/prohibited .A gunahane Kabira (greater sin ) leading to Hell fire. A person who indulges in magic & does not repent is punishable by Death in an Islamic society, as it is equivalent to shirk & severly criticised in many many ahadith
It is haram to learn, teach, perform magic & indulge in soothsaying.(for any cause whatsoever). It is also haram to go to soothsayers (pirs & babas & magicians)& act on their advice. Earnings from magic & payments to magicians also come under haram category..
Magic is evil
The starting point of Magic involves physical disrespect to Quran in many cases!
The sorcerer discontinues all good actions & concentrates on performing satanic rituals, committing adultery, drinking blood etc.These acts bring the magician close to Satan so that he is helped in his magic. Obviously the closer to Satan a man is the further he is from any kind of truth & Islam.
A Muslim is one who submits to the All Powerful Allah swt.
If he goes near these things he demonstrates that he has no faith in Allah swt & Ahlul bayt(as).The Imam of our time will be saddened to see a believer relying on Magic or soothsaying as he has abandoned Allah swt,& HIS chosen people.
If someone wishes for something bad to happen to HIS creation especially another Muslim, Allah swt will also hate him for it. Such negative feelings arising out of pride ,jealousy need treatment by consulting knowledgeable people & reading books on Ethics like Greater sins, Self Building*
How to protect against Magic
-Have faith in Allah swt & rely on HIM & his chosen people
-Understand & realise that the Magicians power is evil & very limited
-Try to be with wuzoo all the time
-Regularly recite Sura Falaq & Sura Nass as much as possible.-
-Give sadqa/charity (alms)
-Invoke Allah swt thru duas (see Oddatul Daee book*)
-Consult an Alim for help in case of need
-Special dua for protection (to be written on deerskin & kept )
A person came to Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s.) and complained that a spell has been cast on him. Ali (a.s.) told him to write the following dua on the skin of deer and keep it with him so that the spell may not affect him:
BISMILLAAHI WA BILLAAHI BISMILLAAHI WA MAA SHAAA-ALLAAHU BISMILLAAHI WA LAA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAAH
QAALA MOOSAA MAA JI-TUM BIHIS SIH’R INNALLAAHA SAYUBT’ILUH INNALLAAHA LAA YUS’LIH’U A’MALAL MUFSIDEEN
FAWAQA-A’L H’AQQU WA BAT’ALA MAA KANOO YA’-MALOON FAGHULIBOO HUNAA LIKA WANQALABOO S’AAGHIREEN
In the Name of Allah and by Allah.(SYunus 81) In the Name of Allah and as Allah willed. In the Name of Allah. There is no power or might except by Allah. Musa (a.s.) said Allah shall soon falsify the magic of those who have come with magic. Indeed Allah does not improve the affairs of transgressors.(S Araf 118) Then the truth became manifested and falsified what they had done. The truth triumphed and they were disgraced.
Another important dua:
He also advised reciting the following dua (verse 35 of Sura al Qasas )seven times to safeguard against magic.It is better to recite it seven times after Namaz-e-Shab and before the morning prayers. It will protect one from the evils of magic
Recite
QAALA SANASHUDDU A’Z’UDAKA BI-AKHEEKA WA NAJ-A’LU LAKUMAA SULT’AANAN FALAA YAS’ILOONA ILAYKUMAA BI-AAYAATINAAA ANTUMAA WA MANIT TABA-A’KUMAL GHAALIBOON
… In the Name of Allah and by the help of Allah. Soon We shall strengthen your hand by your brother. And appoint for you a force. By which their mischief would not harm you. Move ahead with our signs. You and your followers shall triumph.
What about Numerology ,Astrology, Palmistry etc?
Numerology is supplementary to soothsaying. Astronomy is different from Astrology which predicts future events with a belief that only stars & heavenly bodies govern things. This is also haram.& a person who has such a belief is also an Unbeliever(Kafir)
We need to rely on powerful methods at our disposal to change our future for the better instead of such ways
Sadqa & observing ties of kinship(selah reham) result in long lives.
Dua’a especially with the medium of Ahlulbayt(as) changes fortunes & destiny.
An interesting incident
In the book Qasasul Ulama there is an anecdote of the period of Abbas the Safawid. A Christian king sent a messenger to Abbas with the message that he may be given a chance to debate with Muslim scholars and if he defeats the Muslim scholars they must all accept Christianity. Now the person sent by the Christian king had some powers by which he was able to guess accurately what others held in their fists. The scholars were invited to debate with him and they included Mulla Mohsin Faiz. When the debate began Mulla Mohsin remarked that the Christian king has sent an ordinary man instead of a religious scholar for debate. The envoy brushed the remark aside and told him to hide something in his fist so that he can prove his miraculous powers.
Mulla Mohsin kept the tasbih made of dust from Imam Husain (a.s.)’s grave in his fist and challenged him to guess. The man thought for sometime but kept quiet. When Mulla urged him to speak up he said, “According to my knowledge there is a piece of Paradise soil in your hand but I am astonished as to where it was and how it came into your hands.”
Mulla Mohsin said, “You are correct! It is the dust from the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) who was the grandson of our Prophet (s.a.w.s.). Your statement itself proves that the Imam of Muslims was on the right. Hence, you must accept Islam.”
The Christian followed his conscience and became a Muslim. He had acquired the power by acting in contradiction to all his wishes & desires for which he was being compensated in this world itself as he was not a believer.