that they have mastered and learned only because of their closeness to the devils. Ordinary people and the uninformed therefore imagine these feats to be saintly miracles and a sign of special favor with Allah. This is a mistake; they are nothing but works of the devils, performed because those practitioners submit to the devils and consent to polytheism. Sorcerers gain access to magic solely by bowing to the devils, and sorcery itself is a deed of Satan and an act of disbelief in Allah. Let no one be deceived by them. They claim, “This is a karāmah,” or “These are athletic drills,” or “just acrobatics.” They appear at festivals and clubs and are allowed to perform their magic before the public, insisting, “It is only sport,” so that they may mislead people and consume their money by means of sorcery. It is therefore necessary to warn against them, to detest them, and to treat them as enemies, for they are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger.

Sorcery is of two kinds:

1. Real sorcery: that which acts upon the victim’s body, causing illness, impairing the mind, or even bringing about death. This is a satanic act.

2. Illusory sorcery: Allah the Exalted says, “It appeared to him, because of their magic, that the ropes and staffs were moving” (Q 20:66). This is known as the qamrah—sleight-of-hand performed before people’s eyes with no true substance. The performer seems to strike himself with a sword, eat nails, fire, or glass, walk into flames, have a car drive over him, lie down on a bed of nails, or pull a vehicle