Alchemy belongs to the same class as sīmiyā—magic that makes a thing appear to be other than it truly is. Allah Most High recounts that the magicians of Pharaoh’s people said to Moses:

“Either you throw, or we shall be the first to throw.” (65) He said, “No, you throw!” And suddenly, through their magic, their ropes and staffs appeared to him to be moving swiftly. [Tā Hā: 65]

It is said (1) that they contrived this by placing mercury inside them; when the heat grew intense, the mercury caused them to move. This resembles the deceptive displays and masūn (2) practiced by Christian monks—men (3) reputed to be righteous without truly being so. All of this is a form of lying, hypocrisy, fraud, deceit, and scheming. All such people deserve severe punishment because of the harm they cause to themselves and to others in their religious and worldly affairs.

As for acquiring knowledge of these things without perpetrating any fraud (4) against anyone, but rather to confront a purveyor of falsehood and expose (5) his fraud and deception, such knowledge may prove beneficial. Indeed, were these things not known among the people of