Chapter: The Severe Prohibition of Sorcery
Allah the Exalted says, “Solomon did not disbelieve; rather, it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people sorcery” (2:102).
1793 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Avoid the seven deadly sins.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what are they?” He replied, “Associating partners with Allah; sorcery; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden except with right; consuming usury; devouring the property of an orphan; fleeing on the day of battle; and accusing chaste, unsuspecting, believing women of adultery.” Agreed upon.
Commentary
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) places here, in his Riyad al-Salihin, a chapter on the grave prohibition of sorcery. Sorcery consists of tying knots, uttering spells, and blowing into them so that the practitioner can harm the victim. Some forms kill, others cause illness, some rob a person of his sanity, some create obsessive attachment, and others produce absolute aversion. It comes in many guises—Allah’s protection is sought—but every one of them is forbidden. The Prophet ﷺ dissociated himself from both the sorcerer and the one for whom sorcery is performed.
Certain types even amount to disbelief: if a sorcerer relies on demonic spirits, courting and worshipping them until they obey him, this is unquestionably unbelief. When that element is absent, the act remains a grievous wrong, strictly forbidden, and a major sin.
The Muslim ruler is required to execute the sorcerer without staying the sentence for repentance; he is put to death whether or not he repents. His repentance is between him and Allah, but he is executed to protect society from his harm and corruption. If he does not repent and his sorcery entails disbelief, he will be among the inhabitants of the Fire.
Sorcery—Allah’s refuge is sought—is one of the greatest sources of corruption on earth and among its gravest evils, for it strikes a person when he least expects it. Yet there is something that, by Allah’s permission, will protect you from it.