Magic

Magic may be defined as the seeming control of natural forces or events by ritual invocation of supernatural beings. It includes the belief that men can coerce nature by the use of certain rites, formulas and actions. In Arabic the term sihr (magic) is defined as whatever is
caused by hidden or subtle forces. For example, the Prophet ( PBUH) was reported to have said,

“Verily, some forms of speech are magic (sihr).”

The speeches of an eloquent, charismatic speaker who makes right seem wrong and vice-versa, fall into this category. Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) referred to some aspects of speech as being magical. The pre-dawn meal taken before fasting is called sahoor or suhoor because
its time is in the darkness at the end of the night. The magician is called saahir and the one spellbound mas-hoor.

In addition to the above-mentioned terms, a bewitched person is described as matboob from the verb tubba meaning to become bewitched.

A magician is termed mu‘azzim, and a spell is called ‘azeemah.

According to Islâmic law, magic has been defined as “a contact or incantation, spoken or written, or something done which will affect the body, heart or mind of the one bewitched without actually coming in contact with him.” It has also been defined as “the occurrence of
extraordinary (khaariq) events when something prohibited in the divine law (shar‘) is said or done. Allaah, Most Glorious, has permitted this occurrence to take place spontaneously whenever such acts are said or done.”

Reality

Orthodox Islaam rejects the effects of charms and amulets with regards to the prevention of misfortune and the attraction of good fortune. However, most Sunnee recognize that there are other aspects of magic which are real and that they are not all cases of illusion. Al Qaraafee stated, “Magic is real. The bewitched person could die or his nature and habits could change even if it (i.e., the magic) did not touch him. This was the position of ash-Shaafi‘ee and Ibn Hanbal. The Hanafees held that if smoke or something similar reached the person’s body (i.e., magic) could have an effect, otherwise it could not. The Qadarees held that there was no reality to magic.”

Evidence for the Reality of Magic

The majority of Muslim scholars hold that magic is real because of its prohibitions in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. There are severe warnings for those who practice it and a practitioner can be punished, accordingly, in this life as well as the next. Allaah has also revealed how to
seek refuge from magic. According to these scholars, it is illogical for Islâmic law and the revealed texts to treat something (e.g., magic) is such a serious and severe manner if it is unreal. There is specific evidence used by the orthodox majority to prove that there is such a thing as magic.

The first proof is the following Qur’ânic verse:

“…[B]ut it was the devils who disbelieved by teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, in Babylon. However, the two would not teach anyone anything until after they had warned them, saying, ‘Surely, we are only a test and a trial, so do not disbelieve.’ But the people went ahead and learned from the two of them what would cause the separation of a man from his wife. However, they could not harm anyone except by Allaah’s permission. They learned what would harm their own souls and not benefit them.” Qur’aan, 2:102

If there is no reality to magic, what were the devils teaching and what were the people learning? The fact that the magician is referred to in the verse as being able to separate a man from his wife and to harm people [by Allaah’s permission] is sufficient evidence that magic is real.

Another Qur’ânic verse states as evidence:

“And [I seek refuge] from the evil of the witches who blow on knots.” Qur’aan, 113:4

Blowing on knotted material was a means by which spells were cast. The Qur’ânic command to seek refuge from this act indicates that there is a reality to magic. Also, al-Qaraafee used as proof the consensus (ijmaa‘) of Muslim scholars. He mentioned that since differences of opinion about the reality of magic occurred after the consensus of the Prophet’s companions, these later-day differences were of no consequence. In regard to the Mu‘tazilee opinion that all magic is deception, Ibn al-Qayyim said, “This [opinion] contradicts the numerous accounts related from the sahaabah and the early scholars, the agreement of scholars of jurisprudence, the scholars of Qur’ânic exegesis and hadeeth, and that which is known practically to scholars of law in general.”

Support for the reality of magic is also found in the hadeeths describing the time when the Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) was bewitched. In various authentic narrations it is related that a Jew, Labeeb ibn A’sam, cast a spell upon the Prophet (PBUH ). The Qur’ânic exegete, al-
Qurtubee, referred to the statement made by the Prophet after the breaking of the spell:

“Allaah cured me,”

as indicating that magic is real, because cure only follows an actual sickness or disease.

In addition, the following Qur’ânic verses indicate that magic is real:

“They bewitched the people’s eyes…” Qur’aan, 7:116

“Their magic caused it to appear to him that they were crawling.” Qur’aan, 20:66
Ibn al-Qayyim stated with regard to these two verses:

If it is possible for the magicians to bewitch all the people’s eyes, in spite of their large numbers, to such a degree that they all saw something in a way different from what it actually was – which is a change in their senses – then what prevents its (i.e., magic’s) effect from changing some of the nonessential characteristics (a‘raad) of humans [like] their abilities and their
temperament? And what is the difference between changing what is actually seen and changing the reality of some other characteristic of the body and soul?…For if the senses are changed to the degree that they perceive the stationary as moving, the connected as disconnected, and the dead as living, what, then, prevents the actual changing of characteristics whereby that which is loved becomes hated and the hated becomes loved, etc.?

Scholars also use the occurrence of magic as evidence for its being real. Ibn al-Qayyim stated, “Magic exists, for its effect cause illness to the dimwitted and the intelligent, love and hate, and even bleeding. It is known to the masses, and many know it from personal experience.” Ibn Qudaamah added, “So much information about magicians has been narrated that it is virtually impossible for all those who narrated them to conspire to convey such a lie.”

Evidence Against the Reality of Magic

There were a few early scholars and a number of more recent scholars who considered magic to be merely an illusion created by tricks. They consider that any effect it might have on humans was purely psychological. Among the early scholars who denied magic’s reality was
al-Jassaas. He defined magic in its linguistic meaning according to Islâmic law, saying, “The philologists mention that its (i.e., magic’s) basic linguistic meaning includes everything whose cause is hidden – anything which is imagined to be other that it is in reality and
anything which occurs by tricks and deception.” Ibn Hazm[24] and Fakhruddeen ar-Raazee were among the later scholars who accepted Jassaas’ view. Ar-Raazee quoted al-Jassaas’ definitions and arguments verbatim in his exegesis of the Qur’aan, and after mentioning the
eight different types of magic, he said, “The Mu‘tazilees unanimously reject all of these types [of magic] except the types caused by deception, and by sowing dissension and slander.” Among the more recent Muslim scholars, Sayyid Qutb echoed this view, stating
“Magic is deception of the senses and the nerves, and it is a suggestion to the mind and feelings. It neither changes the reality of things nor does it create any new realities for them. Rather, the senses and feelings imagine whatever the magician wishes.”

Following is some of the evidence brought by those who believed that magic is only deception. Concerning the Qur’ânic verses 7:116 and 20:66, al-Jassaas stated, “Whenever it (i.e., the word magic) is used unrestrictedly (mutlaq) it refers to something false – having no reality or stability. Almighty Allaah said, ‘They bewitched (saharoo) the people’s eyes.’ They deluded them into thinking that their ropes and staffs were crawling. And [Allaah also] said, ‘Their magic caused it to appear (yukhayyalu) to him that they were crawling.’ He informed us that that which they thought was crawling was actually not. It was only an illusion.”

Al-Jassaas logically argued:

If the magician and charmer (mu‘azzim) were actually able to cause benefit and harm in the way they claim – to fly, to know the unseen and information about [what is going on in] distant lands, to steal thing [without being seen], and to harm people

in other ways – it would be possible for them to seize property, extract treasures from the earth, and conquer countries by killing the rulers without any harm befalling them. They would be able to prevent anyone from hurting them, and they would have no need to seek the common people’s wealth. If this is not the case, they will [appear to] be in the worst condition, having the greatest desire and fanciest tricks to take people’s money, and they would be the most bviously poor and impoverished. Thus, [since the latter is the case], you can be certain that they are unable to do any of that [which they claim].

Some of these scholars also logically argued that if magicians were actually able to do as they claim, their magic would become indistinguishable from the miracles of the prophets.[33] Al-Jassaas said, “It is amazing to see those who combine belief in the prophets (may
peace be upon them) and their miracles with belief in similar acts by magicians when the Almighty has said: “The magician will never be successful, no matter what amount of skill he may attain.”[34] Belief in them [is belief in] those whom Allaah has declared liars, and [He
has] informed [us] that their claims are false.”

Many of those who denied the reality of magic claimed that the traditions about Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) being bewitched were false. Al- Jassaas said, “Such traditions are among the disbelievers’ fabrications in order to play, by interpolation, with [the minds of] common people and to drag them into falsifying the miracles of the prophets (peace be upon them).” Others held that the assertion of a spell being placed upon the Prophet (PBUH ) contradicted the Qur’aan. Fakhruddeen ar-Raazee quoted the argument, the disbelievers would not deserve the rebuke in the Almighty’s statement: ‘And the wrongdoers say, “You are only following a bewitched man.” ’ ” Yet others declared the traditions false on the basis that they all had chains of narration with individual reports (khabar aahaad) which they (i.e., those who denied the reality of magic) argued cannot be used as a basis for establishing articles of faith.

Analysis of the Arguments

The evidence used by the majority of scholars is more substantial, because it not only utilizes the Qur’aan, logic and human experience, but it also finds support from the Sunnah and the consensus of early scholars. The minority, who are mainly from the Mu‘tazilees (so-called
rationalist school of thought), follow their usual pattern of preferring human reason over revelation. Consequently, there evidence is only from three sources: the Qur’aan, logic and human experience. Their denial of the evidence from the traditions is not based upon criticism
according to the science of hadeeth, but upon their own logic. There is an established principle in the science of jurisprudence (usool alfiqh) to favor the view supported by a preponderance of evidence. It is therefore apparent that the view of the majority is the correct Islâmic view.

Refutation of the Evidence Against the Reality of Magic

The two Qur’ânic verses (7:116 and 20:66) address illusionary magic, and this form of magic is not denied by anyone. However, the Qur’aan’s description of some magic as being trickery does not exclude possible existence of real magic, as indicated by another verse (2:102) Furthermore, the discussion previously presented by Ibn al-Qayyim regarding these two verses supports the possibility of real magic. It could also be said that even real magic is illusionary from a particular point of view, for whatever magicians produce of real magic is not from their power but from the help of the jinn.

In respect to the powers of magicians, the logical argument assumes that they must be able to do all they claim in order for them to able to do any. However, their abilities are very limited, so they resort to trickery to capture customers, concentrating on the easily deceived, ignorant masses. Since magic is usually illusion and most magicians are tricksters, the majority of them will be impoverished and dependent upon people. However, there have been many instances in human history when magicians have held very high and powerful positions in society.

The other logical argument proposes that if magic is in fact real, miracles will become indistinguishable from it. This is not sufficient to deny the reality of some magic, because established Islâmic principles clearly distinguish between miracles and magic. The following are
four such principles:

Miracles are divine gifts and not skills which may be learned by anyone who studies them, as in the case of magic.
Miracles are events which go against the natural laws, while acts of magic stay within the abilities of humans and jinn.
Miracles are only performed by those close to Allaah, whereas magic is performed by the friends of the devil.
Magic may be counteracted by prayers, recitations or magic, but miracles cannot be counteracted.

The claim that the narrations of the Prophet’s bewitchment are fabricated is incorrect, because they were reported by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim (muttafaqun ‘alayh), which Muslim scholars unanimously agree to be the most authentic category of hadeeth.

The assertion that these hadeeths contradict the Qur’aan is false, and these hadeeths do not support the pagans’ ideas that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH ) was bewitched. The pagans claimed that whatever the Prophet (PBUH ) taught and recited from the Qur’aan was a result of
madness or bewitchment and not revelation from Allaah. The fact that on one occasion he was bewitched in a way which did not affect his prophethood does not confirm the pagans’ claim. It should also be noted that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was bewitched along with
the other people present and saw the rods and staffs of the magicians moving like snakes. Therefore, it is clear that anyone can be affected by magic.

Because the hadeeth of the Prophet’s bewitchment was a single report (khabar aahaad), it was rejected as a means of establishing a doctrine of faith. However, the vast majority of Muslim scholars and the companions of the Prophet (PBUH ) were known to have promulgated both doctrines of faith and religious rituals based upon single reports.

Relationship Between Magic and Possession

Real magic is the product of satanic intervention. Both the acts of the magic and the effects of spells on humans involve the agency of the jinn. Al-Aaloosee addressed this issue, saying, “What is meant by magic is an act which resembles a miracle but is not, because it (i.e.,
magic) is learned. And in order to perform it, the help of the devil is sought by pleasing him with abominable acts. [These acts may be in the form of] statements, like incantations containing phrases of shirk and praises of Satan; acts, like planet worship and an adherence to
crime and licentiousness; and beliefs, like the preference and love of whatever is necessary to please [the devil].” Al-Ghazzaalee was quoted as defining magic as follows, “Magic is something which is derived from knowledge of the special characteristics of elements (jawaahir) and mathematical calculations related to the time of the rising of celestial bodies. From these special characteristics a form is made resembling the bewitched person, and a particular time of the rising of celestial bodies is awaited. When the time arrives, words of disbelief and obscenity, which contravene divine law, are uttered to obtain access to devil’s assistance. The combination of these factors results in – according to normal procedure – strange conditions within the bewitched person.” During his discussion on the type of sihr in which the devil’s help is employed, ar-Raaghib said, “The second [type] is that in which the devil’s help is attracted by acts which will gain favor, as in the Almighty’s statement: ‘Shall I inform you about those upon whom the devils descend? They descend on every lying sinner.’ ”

Dr. ‘Umar al-Ashqar explicitly stated, “Real magic is that in which the magician relies upon the devil. Our Lord, whose knowledge encompasses all things, has informed us that it was the devils who taught mankind magic: ‘…Sulaymaan did not commit disbelief, but it was the devils who disbelieved and taught mankind magic.’ ”

A good example of the relationship of magic to possession can also be seen in the incident in which ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood found his wife wearing a knotted cord necklace and asked about its purpose. She informed him that it was given to her by a Jewish magician and that a
spell had been placed on it to stop her eye from discharging, which it did. Ibn Mas‘ood snatched it from her neck, told her it was an act of shirk and informed her that the discharge was caused by a jinnee, who desisted when the spell was placed on her.”

The Islamic Ruling on Magic and Magicians

The seventh kind of apostasy is magic, the practice of magicians. It is two types: genuine and illusionary.

The first type, genuine magic, consists of the magician blowing on tied knots, murmuring phrases and words over them, seeking assistance from the devils within these words, the hanging of charms, and writing the names of devils on talismans. This is what genuine
magic is, and it is something that has an effect on the targeted person, either by him being killed, becoming sick, or his mind being affected.

The second type, illusionary magic, is when things are manipulated in a way that causes someone to think that what he sees is actually that way, while it is not true. A man is made to think that the magician has done the following things:

* He turned a rock turned into an animal;

* He killed someone and then brought him back to life, by cutting his head off and then replacing it;

* He pulled a car along by his hair or teeth;

* A car ran him over and did not harm him;

* He entered into a fire;

* He ate fire;

* He stabbed himself with some piece of iron;

* He stabbed himself in the eye with an iron skewer;

* Or that he ate a piece of glass.

All of these are kinds of fake tricks that have no truth in them, and they are like the magic of Fir'awn's magicians. Allah, the Most High, has said:

"He (Moosaa) was made to believe from their magic that they (the magicians' sticks) were (snakes) moving about."

[4] And Allah, the Most High, has said:

"They put magic on the eyes of the people and sought to frighten them."

[5]This is illusionary magic

[6]. They call it al-qamrah, a trick that the magician does to the people's eyes. When the qamrah wears off, things return to their normal states.

Magic is disbelief, and the proof is the statement of Allah, the Most High:

"However, the devils disbelieved, teaching the people magic."

[7] Both learning and teaching magic are disbelief in Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is also one of the kinds of apostasy. The magician is an apostate. If he was first a believer and then practiced magic, then he has apostated from the Religion of Islam

[8]. He is to be killed without requesting him to repent according to some of the scholars, since if he repented openly, he is known as a person who deceives the people, and the knowledge of magic would still remain in his heart even after
he has repented.

Allah the Majestic and Exalted sent down two angels from the heavens, teaching the people magic, as a trial and a test for the people

[9]. When they came to those who desired to learn magic, they advised
them, saying to them:
"We are merely a tribulation, so do not disbelieve."

[7]Meaning: "Do not learn magic." So this proves that learning magic is disbelief.

Is epilepsy caused by the jinn?

Question:
Since epilepsy is caused by jinn, how do we explain the black woman who came to the Prophet (saaws) asking for him to invoke Allah for her cure of her illness of epilepsy and coming
uncovered, but there was no mention of jinn possession? Or is there a mistake in translation and it wasn't really epilepsy?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Epilepsy in most cases is caused by the jinn, and in some cases by some defect in the body, brain or nerves, or mood swings, or some weakness in the physical structure. All of these may cause loss of consciousness or unbalanced behaviour. The black woman's epilepsy may have been caused by the jinn, but there was no need to mention the cause, which is why the narrators only mentioned what needs to be done when epilepsy occurs, for whatever reason, of making du'aa' and performing ruqyah, or bearing it with patience and seeking the reward from Allaah.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

The hadeeth about the black woman is narrated in Saheeh al- Bukhaari (5652) and Saheeh Muslim (2576). In some versions of the hadeeth there is an indication that her epilepsy was caused by the jinn. For example, in a version narrated by al-Bazzaar, she said, "I am afraid that the evil one may cause me to become uncovered." Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: "It may be understood from some of the different versions of the hadeeth that what

Umm Zafar was suffering from was the kind of epilepsy caused by the jinn and not that which results from dysfunction in the brain."

Fath al-Baari, hadeeth no. 5652.

Witchcraft or Magic

Sihr (witchcraft or magic) is a word referring to something hidden. It is real and there are kinds of witchcraft that may affect people psychologically and physically, so that they become sick and die, or husbands and wives are separated. Its effects happen by the will of Allah. It is a devilish action, most of which is only achieved by means of shirk and drawing close to the jinn and
shayaateen (devils) by means of that which they love, and it is based on associating others with Allah (shirk).

There are doctors who are also practitioners of witchcraft, who treat people by means of seeking the help of the jinn. They claim to have knowledge of the sickness with no need to identify it, and they prescribe for the patient foods and drinks that bring him closer to his allies among the devils. He may tell them to slaughter a pig whilst saying “Bismillah” over it, or to slaughter a permissible animal without saying “Bismillah”, or when saying the name of one of the devils.

This is kufr or disbelief in Allah, and it is not permissible under any circumstances to go to people like these. The hadd punishment for these people is execution. It has been proven from three of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) that the practitioners of witchcraft are to be put to death.

The Standing Committee was asked a question about this matter, in which it was said:
Please note that in Zambia there is a Muslim man who claims that he has with him a jinn, and the people come to him and ask him to treat their sicknesses, and this jinn states what their treatment should be. Is that permissible?

They replied:
It is not permissible for that man to use the jinn, and it is not permissible for the people to go to him seeking treatment for sickness through his using the jinn, or to meet any other need by this means.

Seeking treatment through human medical doctors and using permissible medicines is sufficient and means that there is no need for that, and it keeps people safe from the sorcery of the magicians.

It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.”
Narrated by Muslim.

And it was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan and by al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.”

This man and his companions from among the jinn are regarded as being among the fortune-tellers and soothsayers, so it is not permissible to ask them anything or to believe them.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/408, 409

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said:

Given that there are so many charlatans lately, who claim to be doctors and to treat people by means of magic and witchcraft, and they have become widespread in some countries and they exploit the naïveté of the ignorant, I thought that in the spirit of sincerity towards Allah and His slaves, that I should explain the grave danger that this poses to Islam and the Muslims, because it involves dependence on something other than Allah and going against His command and the command of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so I say, seeking the help of Allah:

It is permissible to seek treatment according to scholarly consensus. The Muslim may go to a doctor to seek treatment for internal diseases, injuries, nervous complaints, etc, so that he can identify the disease and treat it in an appropriate manner, using medicines that are permissible according to sharee’ah, based on his knowledge of medicine, because this comes under the heading of using the ordinary means, and it is not contrary to the idea of putting one's trust in Allah.

Allah has sent down the disease but He has also sent down with it the cure; those who know it know it and those who do not do not. But Allah has not created the healing for His slaves in that which He has forbidden to them, so it is not permissible for the sick person to go to a soothsayer who claims to know the unseen, in order to find out from them what is wrong with him. And it is not permissible for him to believe what they tell him, because they speak of the
unseen without knowledge, or they summon the jinn and seek their help in doing what they want. The ruling on these people is that they are kaafirs and misguided, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen.

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” Narrated by Abu Dawood and by the four authors of al-Sunan; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” And it was narrated that ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “He does not belong to us who observes bird omens or has that done for him, or who seeks divination or who has that done for him, or who practices witchcraft or has that done for him. Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).”

Narrated by al-Bazzaar with a jayyid isnaad.

These ahaadeeth demonstrate that it is forbidden to go to soothsayers, fortunetellers, witches and the like, and ask them questions and believe them, and a warning is issued to those who do that. Community leaders and those in positions of power and authority must forbid going to fortune-tellers, soothsayers and the like, and not allow anyone who deals in such things to operate in the marketplaces or elsewhere. They should denounce them emphatically, and
denounce those who go to them. We should not be deceived by the fact that they may get things right sometimes, or by the fact that many people go to them, because they are ignorant and the people should not be deceived by them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade going to them, asking them questions and believing them, because that is a great evil, a serious danger and leads to bad consequences, and because they are immoral liars.
These ahaadeeth also indicate that soothsayers and witches are also kaafirs, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen, which is kufr, and because they only reach their goals by serving the jinn and worshipping them instead of Allah, which is kufr or disbelief in Him and associating others with Him (shirk).

The one who believes them and their claims to have knowledge of the unseen is like them. Everyone who goes to these people and deals with them, is disowned by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is not permissible for the Muslim to accept what they claim is a kind of treatment, such as their muttering mumbo-jumbo or pouring lead and other kinds of nonsense that they do. This is a kind of sorcery and deception of the people. Whoever accepts that is helping them in their falsehood and kufr.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 3/274-281.

Secondly:

With regard to witchcraft (sihr), it is real and is not an illusion, and it may have an effect by Allaah’s leave.

Al-Quraafi said: Sihr is real, and the person against whom it is done may die, or his nature or habits may be changed, even if he does not deal with it himself. This was the view of al-Shaafa’i and Ibn Hanbal…

Al-Furooq, 4/149.

The Mu’tazalis, Qadaris and some of the scholars held a different view, but no attention should be paid to that. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed that it is real before there appeared those who denied that.

The evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah concerning that is as follows:

1. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, “We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).” And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not”

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

This verse clearly indicates what we are trying to say, which is that sihr (witchcraft) is real, and that the practitioner of witchcraft may create a division between a man and his wife thereby, and that he may harm people by means of his witchcraft, but he cannot do any harm except by Allaah’s leave.

2. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots”

[al-Falaq 113:4]

“those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots” refers to female witches whose witchcraft involved tying knots then blowing into them. If witchcraft were not something real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it.

3. Further evidence is provided by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was bewitched by the Jew Labeed ibn al- A’sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: The witchcraft which can cause sickness, lethargy, mental sickness, love, hatred and delusions is something that does exist and is known by the masses. Many people know it from experience.

Al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571

Thirdly:

There are many kinds of witchcraft, including illusions and deceiving the eyes. But not all sihr is like that. Some of the scholars listed different kinds of witchcraft, and counted eight kinds, the most well known of which are:

1. Knots and incantations

i.e., reciting words and mumbo-jumbo by means of which the witch is able to use the devils to do what he wants of harming the person being bewitched. But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave”

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

2. Sleight of hand.

They become skilled in this by means of practice and training to do things quickly, and bring out something hidden.

For example, the magician may bring a dove and strange it in front of the audience, then he hits it with his hand and it gets up and flies.

But in fact there was a kind of anaesthetic in his hand and he made it smell it and made the audience think that he had strangled it and killed it, then when he hits it, he wakes it up from that stupor.

3. Bewitching the eyes.

This is very common among the liars; the magician does not really put a sword in his body, rather he bewitches the eyes of the audience, and puts the sword by his side, but the bewitched people think that he puts it through his middle.

These tricksters have become well known among us, because among the audience there are those who protected themselves with Qur’aan and dhikr, and remembered Allaah a great deal whilst sitting in the gathering watching the magician, so they saw what really happened, unlike what those who were bewitched saw.

4. Using chemicals

This is done well by those who know how substances react with one another, thus producing a substance that is not affected by some other substances, such as the Sufi Rifaa’iyyah who make people think that they are not affected by fire, when in fact they coat themselves with some fireproof substances. Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) challenged them to wash with hot water before entering the fire and they refused because this would have exposed their deceit.

And there are many other things that the practitioners of witchcraft do, which could not happen unless Allaah decreed it.

See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/146; Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen,
2/178; al-Sihr by Shaykh ‘Umar al-Ashqar.

Jinn Disturbance, Jinn Kidnapping Humans

Questions:
I have heard several stories about Jinn kidnapping humans. I have also read a story about a man from Al-Ansar (early Medina supporters and companions of the Prophet '). The man was on his way to the mosque for the night prayer when he was captured by the Jinn and was absent for a number of years.
Is it possible that the Jinn can kidnap humans?

Answer:
Yes, it is possible. It was well known that the Jinn killed Saad Ibn-Ubadah because he urinated in a hole they lived in. They said, " We have killed the chief of Al-Khazraj, Saad IbnUbadah; we
shot him with an arrow that did not miss his heart. Also, during the reign of Caliph Umar Ibn-Al-Khattab, a man was kidnapped by some Jinn, and remained their prisoner for four years. When he returned, he said that some Mushrik Jinn had kidnapped him and kept him a prisoner until they were invaded and defeated by Muslim Jinn, who returned him to his people. This incident is mentioned in Manar Assabeel and in other books.

The Effects of Jinn on Humans, and Seeking Protection From Them

Question:

Can jinn harm man? How do we protect ourselves from them?

Answer:
No doubt, jinn can do things to harm man, sometimes things that lead to his death. Both the Sunnah and observed phenomena support this. During a battle, the Messenger of Allaah Salallaahu alayhi wasallam gave permission to one of his Companions to return to his family; that Companion was young and recently married. When he returned to his home, he saw his wife standing at their door, and he reproached her for that. She told him to go inside, and when he entered, he saw a snake on their blanket. He had a spear with him, and he pierced it into the body of the snake until it died. However, the man died at the same time, so that no one knew who died first: He or the snake. When the news of the incident reached the Messenger of Allaah Salallaahu alayhi wasallam, he forbade the killing of small sankes found in the house, with the exception of the short tailed snake, and those with two black stripes on the back.
This proves that jinn may attack human beings. Sometimes a person will go into a secluded place, where he sees no one, but he will hear voices and sounds, or he will hear stones being thrown. When this happens, it can very possibly be jinn. Jinn can even enter the body of a human being - because they are in love with him, or for any other reason. Allaah Almighty says:

Translation:

Those who eat Riba (usury and interest) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan leading him to insanity [Al-Baqarah 2:275]

To protect ourselves from evil jinn, we should read those invocations that the Messenger of Allaah Salallaahu alayhi wasallam taught us to read, such as Ayat Al-Kursi, for when a person reads this verse during the night, he is protected, and Shaytaan does not come near him until the morning - and Allaah Almighty is the One who protects us.

Doing Good Deeds- Purity and Ostentation.

Question:
Many times a person thinks about doing a good deed and then Satan comes to him
and whispers to him, saying “You are only doing that ostentatiously, to be seen of
men and good reputation.” Therefore, he makes us go away from the good deed.
How can one remain free of such occurrences?

Answer:
One can remain free of such occurrences by seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed
Satan, as well as by continually performing good deeds. He should not pay attention to
such whisperings that make him stop doing such good deeds. If he turns away from such
whisperings and seeks refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, such whisperings will
stop by the Permission of Allah

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen

Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women - Darussalam Pg.-56

The Whispering (of Satan) during Ablution

Question:
Whenever I make ablution for prayer, during the ablution, I feel something coming
out from the penis, does this mean that I have become ritually impure, or not? And
I feel it coming out, and I pray, does this invalidate my prayer or not?

Answer:
The feeling of a worshipper that something has come out from his rectum or his penis
does not invalidate his ablution, and he should pay no attention to it, because it is the
whispering of Satan, and it has been authentically reported from the Prophet Sallallahu
alaihi wasallam that he was asked about something like this ,and he said:

He should not leave (the prayer) unless he hears a sound, or smells an odor.
However, if the worshipper is positive that an odor, or urine or the like has been emitted,
then his prayer will be invalid, due to the corruption of his state of purity, and he must
renew his ablution and pray again.

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

Fatawa Islamiyah Page 30 Vol 1

The cure for Satanic thoughts

Question:
Sometimes dangerous notions and ideas come into my mind and i fear that they
may remove me from the pale of my religion; what can i do about them?

Answer:
These notions and thoughts are from Shaytan, who whispers into the hearts of mankind
in order to cause confusion to the Muslims; so when you feel any such thing, seek refuge
in Allah and stop thinking about matters of the unseen, matters of (Allah's) Attributes and
creation, so that your conviction is not weakened.

The World of JINN and Devils

Many people do not know that other creatures share this world with us. Among which are Jinn and Devils. What about these creatures which are known to be living right here with us on the earth? They share our houses and they eat and drink with us. In fact, they are even capable of spoiling our thoughts and hearts. They drive us to destroy our own species. They can make us associate them (in worship) with Allah so that we will deserve our Lord's worth and anger.

Fortunately, texts of the Glorious Qur'an and the Sunnah reveal to us the secrets of the jinn's and devil's existence. Such texts provide us with enough information about the details of their lives. They also tell us about the enmity between them and mankind, a one that has been alive since Prophet Adam, alayhes salam, was created in heaven. Evidence is also found of the intriguing actions that they go through in order to mislead and destroy the children of Adam.

What are the JINN?

The jinn are a world of their own, different from that of the humans or the Angels. They do, however, possess some characteristics in common with human beings, such as the ability to think and reflect. Likewise, they have the ability to choose between good and evil. However, they substantially differ from humans in one very important characteristic or rather property: their origin.

They are called 'jinn' because they are obscured from human sight. Allah, sub hanahu wa ta'ala, said:“ Verily he (Satan) and Qabiluhu (his solders from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them”(7:27).

We are informed by Allah that the jinn was created from 'marijin min nar' (i.e., fire) as He says in the Glorious Qur'an:“ And the jinn, We have created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire”(55:27). And:“ And the jinn: He created from a smokeless flame of fire”(55:15).

According to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, AlHasan al-Basri and others; the meaning of marijin min nar is the extremity of the flame, and in one narration it is described as the purest and best (of fire) In his commentary on Sahih Muslim Imam An-Nawawi said; The smokeless flame of fire is that mixed with the blackness of the fire In a hadeeth recorded by Muslim on the authority of Aisha, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said:“ The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire and Adam was created from what has been described to you [by Allah in the Qur'an]”.

Where were they created?

It needs no special stressing that the jinn were created before mankind, as Allah says:“ And indeed, We created man out of clay of altered sound mud And the jinn, We created aforetime from a scorching flame of fire”[15:26-27].

The verse clearly states that the jinn were created before mankind. Some of the earlier Islamic scholars claimed that the jinn were created a thousand years before mankind, but they did not provide any evidence for their statement, either from the Qur'an or the Sunnah. There is no room for the denial of the existence of the jinn: Very few people still deny the existence of the world of the jinn.

Some of the pre-Islamic polytheists claimed that the word 'jinn' meant the souls of the planets. Some philosophers (both modern and contemporary) claim that the jinn refer to those evil inclinations in the souls of mankind while the angels refer to the good intentions planned by mankind.

A number of contemporary scientists, however, believe that the jinn are the microorganisms discovered every day by modern science. In his interpretation of Suratul Jinn (Chapter 72 in the Glorious Qur'an), Muhammad al-Bahi says that the jinn are the angels. To him, the jinn and angles are one entity; there are no distinguishing characteristics that can differentiate one species from the other. His evidence is that both are invisible to mankind. He concluded, though, that the jinn are more like humans as far as belief in Allah is concerned: some believe in Him, others do not.

Raving no concrete
Knowledge of them is not a proof that they do not exist

Those who deny the existence of the jinn have no proof to support their denial, but they say that they cannot believe in that of which they possess no tangible knowledge. Doing so, they seem to belittle the faculties of the human mind that can encompass things that are not felt to the human five senses. Allah, Subhanahu wa tatala, says:“ Nay, they have belied the knowledge whereof they could not comprehend and what has not been fulfilled”[10:39].

It is of course likely that someone who lived and died hundreds of years ago could have denied the fact that sounds travel through hearing the air. But not sounds that are being transmitted does not do not exist mean that they because the invention of the radio made it possible for everyone to hear them. The same can be said of the jinn. They constitute a species on their own, different from angles or humans. They are intelligent beings. They are also responsible for their own actions, and they have received ordainments from Allah to perform certain deeds and abstain from others. Although several eyewitness accounts are heard every now and then of people who are reported to have seen the jinn, we humans do not have the ability to see them. However, such animals as dogs and donkeys can see them. It is recorded in Musnad of Ahmed and Sunan of Abu-Dawud that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said:“ If you hear the barking of dogs or the braying of donkeys during the night, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, because they can see what you cannot”.

Satan And The Jinn

Satan, which is recurrently mentioned in the Qur'an, belongs to the world of the jinn. He lived among the angles and worshipped Allah. But ever since he refused to prostrate to Allah, out of vanity; pride, arrogance and envy, he was cast out of Heaven and out of Allah's mercy.

After Satan had lost hope of ever receiving mercy from Allah, he was named 'Iblees' which derives from the Arabic root 'alabalas' denoting one who has no good in ruin; and when transformed into past participle 'ublisa' it means 'despaired and lost.' Many of the early Islamic scholars believed that Satan's original name was 'Azaazeel'.

Was Satan the origin of the jinn or was he merely one of them

No textual evidence (that is text from the Qur'an or the Sunnah) can confirm that Satan was the origin of all the jinn; he was simply one of them as stated in the Qur'an:“ ….except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn”[l8:50]. However, Ibn Taymiyyah is of the opinion that Satan is the origin of all the jinn.

The jinn, including Satan, eat and drink, marry and reproduce. The first two characteristics, those of eating and drinking, can be inferred from the saying of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa salam:“ When one of you eats, he should eat with his right hand. And when one of you drinks he should drink with his right hand. Verily, Satan eats and drinks with his left hand”. As for the two other characteristics, they can be deducted from the Qur'an in that context where Allah describe the spouses of the believers in Paradise:“ Wherein both will be Qasirat-ut-Tarf [chaste females (wives) restraining their glances, desiring none except their husband, with whom no man or jinn has ever touched”[55:56].

Marriage between Jinn & humans

In many instances, stories are being told of some men marrying one of the jinn or of some woman being proposed to by one of the jinn. As-Suyooti mentioned a few reports from the early generations pointing to the occurrence of marriage between the jinn and humans. This was supported by Ibn Taymiyyah who said:" Humans and jinn have got married and have had children as a result of their marriage". However, and assuming that it is possible, Islamic scholars have expressed their disapproval of such copulation, deriving their evidence from the Qur'an where it is stated that Allah has created for mankind spouses of their own species:“ And among His Signs is this, that He created from you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflects”(30.21).

This means that if marriage between humans and jinn could occur, it would not be possible for either party to have the companionship and love described due to their different origins; and thus, the wisdom behind marriage would be fast.

However, what points to the possibility of marriage between the two species is the verse from the Qur'an mentioned above [6O;56]. And in any case, if such marriages occur toady or have occurred before, they are certainly rare and must be regarded as 'strange.' Besides, from an Islamic perspective, if one is said to be doing it, he is in a sense possessed' and has no way to control it.

Do Jinns & devils die?

Undoubtedly, all species (including the jinn and the devils) do die. This has been confirmed by the Qur'an:“ Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor will remain forever”(55:26-27).

In addition, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, is reported to have said:“ I seek refuge, by Your Glory, the One, Whom there is no other god but You, the One who dies not, and the jinn and mankind do die”.

Regarding the span of their lives, there is not certain knowledge except what Allah has said concerning the accused Satan who has been respite and life until the day of Resurrection:“ Satan said: Reprieve till the day they are Resurrected. (Allah) said: You are of those reprieved”(7:14-15).

The Residence Of Jinn

The jinn live on the earth as humans do, but most of them are found among the ruins and those places contaminated with ritual impurity such as bathrooms, cemeteries and animal yards. Many of them are also found in spots where money transaction (the root of the evil) take places. The following advice was given by the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, to his Companions:“ If you can, do not be the first one to enter the marketplace. And do not be the last to leave it For it is Satan's abode and therein he raises his banner”.

Specific animals accompanied by the devil

Some animals such as the camels are usually accompanied by the devils. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, said:“ Verily, the camel has been created from devils. And behind every camel there is a devil”. and also:“ Do not make salah in the pastures of the camels, for they are from the devils. But make salah in the field of the sheep, for they are blessed”.

The Ugliness of Satan

Satan is a repulsive-looking colossus of body. The branches of Zaggoom (a tree in Hell) is compared in the Qur'an to the heads of devils:“ Verily, it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire. The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils”(37.64-65).

During the Middle Ages, Satan was depicted as black man with a pointed beard, raised eyebrows, and a mouth that emits blazing fire. His legs were hoofed like goats and he had a tail with a pointed arrow.

The Devils Abilities & Strengths

The Qur'an tells us that the jinn have been given such power and ability to which human no access. Of these great speed is the most significant. We have been told that a stalwart of the jinn promised King Solomon that it would only take him a shorter time than that taken by someone standing from his sitting place to bring the throne of Sheba to Jerusalem. Another one, yet, said that he could do within the twinkling of an eye:“ A 'I frit (strong one) from the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trust-worthy for such work.. One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said:I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eve! Then when he [Sulaiman (Solomon)1 saw it placed before him, he said: this is by the Grace of my Lord”(27:39-40).

The jinn also used to go to the lowest heaven in order to eavesdrop on the inhabitants of the heavens and so would be able to find out what was happening therein. When this was detected, the number of guards (including meteors and comets) were increased, blazing down fire on dropping jinn. Allah says in the Glorious Qur'an:“ And we have sought to reach the heaven, but found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush”(72:8-9).

The jinn have the ability to take on the shapes of humans and animals. On the day of the battle of Badr, Satan approached the Prophet's enemies in the form of a man called 'Suraqa Ibn Malik' and promised them aid and triumph. On that occasion Allah has revealed the following verse:“ And remember when Shaitan (Satan) made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said: No one of mankind can overcome you this day (of the battle of Badr) and verily, I am your neighbor (for each and every help). But when the two armies met and Satan saw the angels descending from the sky to support the Muslims side, he fled. [the above verse continues]. But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he ran away and said: Verily, I have nothing to do with you. Verily, I see what you see not. Verily! I fear Allah for Allah is severe in punishment”(8:48).

The devils may also take on the appearance of certain animals, such as camels, donkeys, cows, dogs, or cats. But a black dog is their favorite attire.

Snakes that appear in front of Muslims in their houses may be jinn that have embraced Islam; and therefore the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, has forbidden us to kill them before the name of Allah has been mentioned three times to them as a warning and a protection. If they continue to be present, they are devils and hence should be killed.

Satan is able to flow within the human body as does blood in vessels: This fact has been asserted (in various versions) by the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam. The sayings are recorded in the two big compilations of authentic Ahadeeth: Bukhari and Muslim.

However, the devils have no power over the pious and loyal worshippers of Allah. This means that the power granted by Allah to Satan and his tribe is not without limits. Allah says in the Glorious Qur'an:“ Verily, My slaves you have no authority over them. And All-sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian”(17:65). “ And indeed Iblees (Satan) did prove true his thought about them: and they followed him, all except a group of true believers (in the Oneness of Allah). And he (Iblees-Satan) had no authority over them except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt about it”(34:20-2l).

And as can be inferred from the following verse, Satan him-self recognizes that fact and he acts in accordance with that knowledge:“ [Iblees (Satan)] said:0 my Lord! Because you mislead me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them”(15:39-40).

This mean that the sinful and wrongdoers among the believers may also be misled by Satan. We have been told in the Qur'an about that slave of Allah who was granted divine signs, but then turned his back to them. Satan took advantage of the man's disobedience, and seduced him. Allah says:“ And recite (0 Mohammed) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away; so Shaitan (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray”(7:175).

Like humans, the jinn cannot go beyond the limits set to them by Allah, for He says in the Glorious Qur'an:“ 0 assembly of jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah!)”(55:33).

Also, they are not able to open closed doors that have had the name of Allah mentioned over them. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, said:“ Close your doors and cover your vessels and tie up your water skins and put out your lamps, for Satan (and the jinn) do not open a closed door, nor do they take off a cover or untie water skins”.

The Jinn are Responsible for Their actions

Both the jinn and mankind were created for the same purpose; to worship Allah, in the fullest sense of the word worship:“ And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they worship Me (Alone)”(50:56).

Therefore, the jinn are responsible for their own actions. They have been ordered to perform certain acts and to abstain from performing others. And on the day of Resurrection the jinn and mankind will be addressed by Allah with the following words:“ 0 you assembly of jinn and mankind! Did not there come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They will say: We bear witness against ourselves. It was the life of this world that deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers”(6:130).

But according to Ibn Taymiyyah, what the jinn are ordered to do or prohibited from is not necessarily identical to what humans are ordered to do or prohibited from. His discussion is based on the nature of each of the two species. As the two species are fundamentally different, at least in the substance they have been created from, the responsibilities charged upon each must be different as well.

As the jinn were created with the ultimate purpose of worshipping Allah (alone), the claim that there is some sort of lineage or affinity between them and the Almighty Allah must be a sheer fabrication. The Jews and the pre-Islamic polytheists believed that Allah took wives from among the jinn, and that the offspring resulting from that relationship consisted of the angels. This has been stated in the Glorious Qur'an as follow:“ And they have invented a kinship between Him and the jinn, but the jinn know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e., they will be called to account). Glorified is Allah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him)!”(37:158-139).

Since the jinn are responsible for their own actions, there is no doubt that Allah's Word must have reached them, but how? Did they have messengers from among themselves? Or were human messengers sent to them? The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, was sent to both the jinn and mankind. This is because the Glorious Qur'an posed to both of collectively, the challenge of composing a work similar to that of the Qur'an:“ Say: 1f the mankind and the jinn were to come together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another”(27:88).

This verse is also supported by the following verse from the Qur'an:“ Say (0 Muhammad): It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinn listened (to this Qur'an). They said: Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur'an)! If guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allah)”[72:1-2].

Those who listen to the Qur'an and believed in it returned to their follow jinn asking them to follow the Right Path:“ And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad) a group of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur'an. When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: Listen in silence! And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners. They said: O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book (this Qur'an) sent down after Muosa (Moses), confirming what come before it; it guides to the truth and to the Straight Path (i.e., Islam)”[46:29-30].

The incident suggests that the jinn listened to the Qur'an as though the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, being aware of their presence. Later, however, a delegation of the jinn met with the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, to gain knowledge from him. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, taught them what Allah prescribed for them. This latter incident took place in Makkah before the Prophet's migration to Madinah. A full account of it is found in Sahib Muslim. It says that on that night the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, missed the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam. No trace of him was found in Makkah. They thought he was kidnapped by the jinn, or got killed. As dawn approached, they saw him towards them. He explained that he was invited by a group of jinn to recite the Qur'an and answer their questions.

The jinn are of different ranks in terms of piety or impiety. Some are fully devoted to righteous deeds; others are less so. Some are heedless; others are disbelieves. They speak of themselves in the Qur'anL:“ There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups having different ways (religions sects)”[72:11].

The Nature Of Satan

Satan used to worship Allah along with the angels before he became an ingrate. Only then did he become evil and sought it even though he was well aware that it would be the cause of his punishment in the hereafter. Is it possible for a devil to embrace Islam?

According to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, it is possible for a devil to embrace Islam. The hadeeth was interpreted in many different ways. However, there is evidence that the devil encountered by the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa salam, embraced Islam. There are some who believe that the word Shaitan (devil) is only used to describe a disbeliever of the jinn. But this does not mean that a devil cannot be converted to Islam This is a brief summary about the jinn and their nature and characteristics. Allah is the Best of protectors and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon Mohammad, His last messenger.

The purpose of this hand-out is to correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith. Some people have a wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high ranking scholars or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice or other authorities. It is also thought that the act of accepting Islam, should, as a condition, have a certificate issued by the authorities, as evidence to that effect.

We wish to clarify that the whole matter is very easy and that none of these conditions or obligations are required. For Allah, Almighty, is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all hearts. Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion are advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned governmental agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them many matters including the possibility of performing Hadj (Pilgrimage) and Umrah.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is explicit on this regard as Allah states:

"The Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Qur'an 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah states:

"If unyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah), Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the hell fire)."(Qur'an 3:85

In addition, Islam is the only religion prevailing over all other religions. Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:

"To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety:..." (Qur'an 5:48)

Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), said:

"The superstructure of Islam is raised on five (pillars): testifying that there is no God (none truely to be worshiped) but Allah, and that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayer, paying the Zakah (poor-due), fasting the month of Ramadan, and performing Hadj".

The Shahada can be declared as follows:

"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".

The English translation is:

"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truely to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah",

However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony oraly either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith. If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born person.

This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.

What would be next after declaring oneself a Muslim? One should then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or does.

What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory be to Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah, Who alone is worthy of worship.

The second part of the Shahada (i.e., Wa ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah alone according to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.

What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit.

Worship fall into two categories:

1. Visible (manifest or outward)
2. Invisible (concealed or inward)

Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.

This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the human body.

Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgement (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone).

This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently affects one's way of life.

It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.

The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the equisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.

Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:

"... whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never breaks..." (Qur'an 2:256).

We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah", it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah" to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah.

This is the firmest anchor of belief which materialise the meaning of "AL WALA" and "AL BARA". It means that a Muslim should love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice, dissociate himself completely from the unbelievers and refuse to be influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.

We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.

This is an ammended copy of "HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM" originally prepared & published by Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance - Riyadh.

For more detailed information about Islam, please contact the nearest Islamic center in your area.

Peoples around the world accpeting Islam , [Allahdad incident]

In the 1839 Allahdad incident, the Jews of Mashhad, Iran, now known as the Mashhadi Jews, were coerced into converting to Islam.

Mashhad's ruler^{[clarification needed]} had ordered his men to enter the Jewish homes and the mobs attacked the Jewish Community, burning down the synagogue, looting homes abducting girls and killing between 30 and 40 people. With knives held to their throats, the Jewish patriarchs were forced to vocally proclaim their "allegiance" to Islam as it was agreed upon by the leaders of the community that in order to save the remaining 2,400 Jews, everyone must convert. Most converted and stayed in Mashhad, taking in Muslim names, while some left for other Iranian Jewish communities and to Afghanistan. That day became known as the Allahdad ("God’s Justice") and the Jews perceived it as a punishment for their sins.^[1]

The Jews who remained in Mashhad then began living a double life as Crypto-Jews. On the outside, they acted as Muslims; their clothes, names, and lifestyles resembled those of their Iranian neighbors. At home, however, they secretly taught their children to read Hebrew, lit candles, and welcomed the Shabbat.^[2]

Nearly a century passed before the Jews started practicing their faith openly with the coming of the more liberal Pahlavi dynasty (1925-1979). After World War II, most of them settled in Teheran or in Israel, with 4000 moving to the United States, where they ran successful jewellery and carpet businesses. The commercial district in Great Neck, New York has been reshaped to serve the needs of Mashhadies and other Iranian Jews. Many businesses there cater to Iranian customs and taste.

Worldwide there are 15,000 Mashhadis, of which about 10,000 live in Israel. Of the Mashhadies in the United States, many of the young generation study in Haredi Yeshivas. The more observant group has formed its own congregation, "Shira Chadasha". The Mashhadis are susceptible to genetic disorders because of the high rate of in-marriage in their tightly-knit community.

Peoples around the world accpeting Islam , [Brandon Mayfield]

Brandon Mayfield (born July 15, 1966) is an American attorney in Washington County, Oregon. He is best known for being erroneously linked to the 2004 Madrid train bombings. On May 6, 2004, the FBI arrested Mayfield as a material witness in connection with the Madrid attacks, and held him for over two weeks. Mayfield was never charged, and an FBI internal review later acknowledged serious errors in their investigation. Ensuing lawsuits have resulted in a formal apology from the U.S. government, a $2 million settlement, and the overturning of provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act on constitutional grounds.

Mayfield's case has been referenced in numerous scientific, political, and social journals.

Mayfield was born in Coos Bay, Oregon and grew up in Halstead, Kansas. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1985 to 1989, and then as an officer in the Army in Bitburg, Germany from 1992 to 1994. He met his wife Mona, an Egyptian national and the daughter of a college professor, on a blind date in Olympia Washington in 1986, and converted to Islam shortly afterwards. They have lived in Beaverton, Oregon off and on since 1989.^[1] Although he was a regular worshiper at a Beaverton mosque prior to his arrest, his colleagues were unaware of his religious beliefs. The imam of the mosque has described Mayfield as "very patriotic". Mayfield has three children.^[1]

He studied law at Washburn University and Lewis and Clark College, receiving his law degree from Washburn in 1999, and practicing family law in Newport before moving to the Portland area. Mayfield performed work for the Modest Means Program of the Oregon State Bar, which matches attorneys who are willing to work at reduced rates for low-income clients. In 2003 he offered legal aid to Jeffrey Leon Battle, one of the Portland Seven, a group of people that was convicted of trying to travel to Afghanistan to help the Taliban. Battle at the time was involved in a child custody case.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Mayfield was concerned for the safety of his children and wife, and according to his father, he suspected that he was under surveillance by the federal authorities. In the weeks before his arrest, Mayfield's family was under the impression that their house had been broken into at least twice, although nothing was stolen. According to court documents, the FBI used National Security Letters in order to wiretap his phones, bug his house, and search his house several times.^[2]

A bag containing detonating devices, found by Spanish authorities following the Madrid commuter train bombings, had fingerprints that were initially identified by the FBI as belonging to Mayfield ("100% verified"). According to the court documents in judge Ann Aiken's decision, this information was largely "fabricated and concocted by the FBI and DOJ". When the FBI finally sent Brandon's fingerprints to the Spanish authorities, they contested the matching of the finger prints from Brandon Mayfield to the ones associated with the Madrid bombing. Further, the Spanish authorities informed the FBI that they had other suspects who were Moroccan immigrants in the case that were not linked to anyone in the USA. The FBI completely disregarded all of the information from the Spanish authorities, and proceeded to spy on Brandon and his family further.

As was discovered during the court case, even the FBI's own records show that this finger print, despite the sworn testimony of FBI and DOJ agents, was in all reality not an exact match but only one of 20 "similar" prints to the ones that were retrieved from Madrid. Based on that list of people with "similar prints" the FBI launched an extensive investigation in to all 20 individuals using Letters of National Security. The investigation included medical records, financial records, employment records, etc on all 20 people and their families. It was during this time that Brandon Mayfield's name rose to the top of the list.

The FBI arrested Mayfield at his offices in West Slope, an unincorporated suburb of Portland. The arrest was similar to the then-recent Mike Hawash case, under a material witness warrant rather than under charge; he was held with no access to family and limited access, if any, to legal counsel. The FBI initially refused to inform either Brandon or his family why he was being arrested or where he was being held.

Later, the FBI leaked the nature of the charges to the local media and the family discovered what the charges were by watching the local news. He was at first held at a Multnomah County jail under a false name; he was later transferred to an unidentified location. His family protested that Mayfield had no connection with the bombings, nor had he been off the continent in over 11 years.

Release

Following his arrest, Spanish authorities relayed their increasing doubts that the fingerprint on the bag was actually Mayfield's to the FBI, though these concerns were not communicated to Mayfield's attorneys. On May 19 the Spanish authorities announced that the fingerprints actually belonged to an Algerian national, Ouhnane Daoud; Brandon Mayfield was released from prison when the international press broke the story the next day — May 20, 2004.^[2] A gag order remained in force for the next few days. By May 25, the case was dismissed by the judge, who ordered the return of seized evidence and unsealing of documents pertaining to his arrest.

The FBI conducted an internal review of Mayfield's arrest and detention, concluding that although he was not arrested solely due to his religious beliefs, they may have contributed to investigator's failure to take into account the Spanish concerns over fingerprint identification.^[3] The FBI issued a press release announcing the report's conclusion that they had not misused the USA PATRIOT Act in the investigation.^[4] Civil libertarians and the ACLU nonetheless consider Mayfield's detention a misuse of the material witness statute.^[5]

Although the FBI afterwards apologized for their acts, Mayfield filed several lawsuits over this invasion of his privacy. One sought to force the government to return or destroy copies of items seized from his home. Another, which was argued before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken on July 15, 2005, challenged the law which was used against him as unconstitutional. The Federal Government filed several motions to have Mayfield's case dismissed as a matter of national security, or national secrets, but these were denied by Judge Aiken.

Court's ruling and aftermath

The case was heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Among the issues on appeal was whether materials removed from Mayfield's house, including DNA samples taken from his family's personal toothbrushes, were to be destroyed or preserved. The Federal Government assumed the position that materials must be preserved so that they can be referred to, if more lawsuits are brought in the future.

On November 29, 2006, the U.S. government settled part of the lawsuit with Mayfield for a reported $2 million. The government issued a formal apology to Mayfield as part of the settlement. The settlement allowed Mayfield to pursue a legal challenge against the Patriot Act.^[6] The FBI was also cleared of wrongdoing in an earlier internal investigation.

On September 26, 2007, two provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act were declared unconstitutional. Finding in Mayfield's favor, Judge Aiken ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, "now permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment," which violates the Constitution of the United States.^[7] The Federal government has appealed that ruling, and Mayfield's attorney, Elden Rosenthal, argued in front of the Ninth Circuit court on February 5, 2009.

Peoples around the world accpeting Islam , [Jill Courtney]

Jill Courtney is a convert to Islam who is charged with planning to bomb public places within Sydney, Australia.^[1] She was arrested from her suburban home on Friday 25 March 2006, and is charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosives to be placed in or near a public place. She converted to Islam after becoming "besotted" with Kalache, a 28 year old drug dealer serving a 22-year jail sentence. He, angry over the 2005 Cronulla riots, agreed to marry her if she carried out a retaliatory bombing.

Peoples around the world accpeting Islam , [Hasan Akbar case]

The Hasan Akbar case covers an event in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, where US Army sergeant Hasan Karim Akbar (born Mark Fidel Kools in Watts, Los Angeles, California ^[1]) was convicted for the double-murder, or "fragging", of two officers of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.^[2]

The victims were Army Captain Christopher Seifert and Air Force Major Gregory Stone. Fourteen other soldiers were also wounded in the incident, which took place on March 23, 2003. The sentence, affirmed by the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps,^[3] is due to be heard by the Army Court of Criminal Appeals under an automatic appeal.

Persons involved

Mark Fidel Kools was renamed Hasan Karim Akbar by his mother after she remarried and converted to Islam.^[1]

He was admitted in 1988 under the name of Mark Fidel Kools to the University of California, Davis, graduating 9 years later with Bachelor's degrees in both Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering.^[4] After joining the United States Army, he was assigned to Alpha Company, 326th Engineer Battalion of the 101st Airborne, assigned as a Sapper and was eventually deployed to Kuwait.

Army Captain Christopher Seifert was also a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Air Force Major Gregory Stone, a member of the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron, Idaho Air National Guard, was attached to the 101st Airborne Division .

Killings and aftermath

Akbar was charged in a hand grenade and shooting attack that killed Army Captain Christopher Seifert and Air Force Major Gregory Stone, while wounding 14 other soldiers on March 23, 2003. The attack took place at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait, a rear base camp for the invasion where Akbar threw hand grenades into a tent during early morning when the majority of troops were sleeping and fired his rifle into the ensuing chaos. News reports at the time claimed that Akbar had been recently reprimanded for insubordination and was told he would not join his unit's push into Iraq.

Although Akbar confessed to the crimes, his lawyers claimed that he had a history of mental illness which was known to the military^[5]. During jury selection, the defense lawyers were said to favor jurors who have had experience dealing with mental illness^{[citation needed]}. During his trial Akbar smuggled a pair of scissors out of a conference room, then asked the Military Police Officer guarding him to remove his hand cuffs so that he might use the restroom. When the Officer did remove Akbar's restraints he then stabbed the officer in the shoulder and neck with the scissors before being wrestled to the ground by another Officer. This attack was not allowed to be admitted as evidence by the army judge, during sentencing.^[6][7][8]

He was tried in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in front of a military jury of nine officers, with ranks from major to colonel, and six senior sergeants. There were 13 men and two women on the jury.

Verdict and appeals

• On April 21, 2005 Akbar was found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder (of Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, 27, who was shot in the back, and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, struck by shrapnel) and three counts of attempted premeditated murder.^[9] He was sentenced to death on April 28, the jury deliberating for around 7 hours.^[10]

• On November 20, 2006 Lieutenant General John Vines, commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, affirmed the death sentence against Akbar.^[3] The case now goes to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals under an automatic appeal. If the appeal fails, the execution will take place by lethal injection.

Since the Vietnam War, Akbar is the first U.S. soldier to be charged with the murder of another soldier during wartime, and the third soldier since the Vietnam War to be sentenced to death for killing a fellow soldier, though William Kreutzer Jr.'s sentence was commuted to life. The last U.S. military execution was that of John A. Bennett in 1961.

Possible motives

Military officials for the most part did not believe his religious beliefs had anything to do with the attack,^{[citation needed]} and attributed Akbar's motive to resentment.^[11] In a diary entry dated February 4, 2003, Akbar referred to mistreatment by his fellow soldiers:

I suppose they want to punk me or just humiliate me. Perhaps they feel that I will not do anything about that. They are right about that. I am not going to do anything about it as long as I stay here. But as soon as I am in Iraq, I am going to try and kill as many of them as possible.

Akbar wrote prior to the attack "I may not have killed any Muslims, but being in the Army is the same thing. I may have to make a choice very soon on who to kill."^[12] As early as 1992 he had made threatening statements such as "I made a promise that if I am not able to achieve success because of some Caucasians, I will kill as many of them as possible." and 1996: "destroying America was my plan as a child, and as a juvenile and in college. Destroying America is my greatest goal."

Prosecutors alleged that his diary entries and his actions (stealing hand grenades and turning off the generator that lit the camp) showed that the attack was premeditated. One diary entry dated 1997 said "My life will not be complete unless America is destroyed."

Akbar's mother, Quran Bilal, did tell reporters that she believed intolerance for his race and his Muslim faith created tensions within his unit as it prepared to invade a Muslim country.^[1] Akbar's father has said that his son was the only African American and only Muslim in his company, the other members of which subjected him to constant harassment.^[13]

Akbar himself reportedly said, just moments after his arrest, "You guys are coming into our countries, and you're going to rape our women and kill our children."^[13][14]

Reaction

University of California Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said, “The circumstance is so very sad — devastating heartbreak for the families and friends of the soldiers, certainly, but a confusing, hurtful time for those who knew Mr. Kools/Akbar, as well. I hope and pray for the recovery of the wounded, and for healing comfort for the families of those killed."^[4]

The Portland, Oregon punk band "Riot Cop" wrote their song "Wog Hero" about Hasan Akbar.