On the authority of Jundub, traced back to the Prophet, who said: “The legal penalty for the sorcerer is that he be struck with the sword.” It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who added, “What is sound is that it is a Companion-level report.” (1)

In Sahih al-Bukhari, Bijalah ibn ʿUbada relates: “ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab wrote, ‘Execute every male and female sorcerer.’ So we put three female sorcerers to death.” (2)

It is authentically reported that Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) ordered that a slave-girl of hers who had bewitched her be killed, and she was executed. (3) The same ruling is also authentically reported from Jundub.

Ahmad said: “This comes from three of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

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ḥadd al-sāḥir (the sorcerer’s legal penalty): that is, his punishment.
ḍarbuhu bi’l-sayf (to strike him with the sword): meaning his execution; it has been transmitted as ḍarbahu (with the h-sound) and as ḍarbatuh (with the t-sound).
mawqūf: a statement of a Companion rather than of the Prophet ﷺ.
“The three Companions” are ʿUmar, Hafsah, and Jundub.

Relevance of these reports to the chapter: they specify that the sorcerer’s penalty is death, demonstrating the gravity of sorcery and that it is one of the major sins.

Points derived from the reports:
1- They establish that the sorcerer is to be executed without being offered repentance.
2- Sorcery was practiced among Muslims in the time of ʿUmar; how much more, then, in later generations.