Sunday 13 September 2009

World of Magic, Sorcery and Unseen Creatures


Colour of Magic
(Extracted from: Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April, 2007)

No matter what is the colour you pick, you lose, because all kinds of magic are forbidden in Islam. White Magic is used for ‘good’ purposes such as uniting two people, of inducing a person to fall in love with another person. Brains of hyenas and hoopoes are often used in preparing the witchcraft. Red Magic is written with the blood of animals, and menstrual blood, and is used for evil purposes, such as separating husbands from their wives, or causing diseases. Black Magic uses tar, asphalt, black goat’s hair, monkey’s hair and more artifacts and potions. It is the most dangerous kind of magic. It is used to cause dispossession, death, catastrophe, etc.


Calumny
(Extracted from Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April 2007)

Calumny is a type of sorcery and slandering which is widespread among people. If a person comes and talks lies about another in a way that seems so truthful, one may fall into the trap, unless one seek refuge into a power superior to that person, that is, the Power of Allah. For instance, a woman wanted to separate a husband and his wife. She went to the wife and said: ”Your husband is thinking of divorcing you, but I can make him renounce his decision if you could bring me some hair from his beard that you cut yourself while he is sleeping.” Then she went to the husband and told him: "Your wife fell in love with another man, and has decided to kill you to free herself from you. I am warning you that she might do it soon, and cut your throat while you are asleep!” The husband went to bed and closed his eyes as if he were sleeping, and sure enough, here comes his wife with a sharp knife pointed toward his throat. He jumped up and killed her with the knife. He later got hanged as a punishment for his crime. Calumny is the root of many tragedies.


Diviners, Psychics and Fortune-tellers
(Excerpt from weekly Gulf Times dated 30th March 2007)

It is human nature to seek the knowledge of the future whether it concerns the fate of the individual, or of the entire humankind. This curiosity has been satisfied by the revelations that Allah has sent down through His Messengers. The Qur’an informed us about the Unseen; the world of the angels, and the world of the jinn, the signs of the Last Hour, the Day of Judgment, and other future events. However, some people are not satisfied, and seek to know more about the Unseen. This is where the Diviners, Psychics and Fortune-tellers come to play. But how can they know the future while Allah said:

”He (Allah) alone knows the Unseen, nor does He make anyone acquainted with His secrets,”(Surah Al-Jinn, 72:26)

”None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.”(Surah An-Naml, 27:65)

Obviously most of what they forecast is pure lies, but sometimes their predictions are accurate. Is it pure coincidence? To answer this question, let examine how these fortune-tellers arrive to their predictions.

There are two types of Diviners. The first are those who use a certain art they pretend that it helps them to unveil the secrets of the Unseen. Such arts include reading the palm of the hand, the tarot, crystal-ball gazing, casting bones or stones, and using astrology. The second type of Diviners seek the help of the jinn whom they befriend and who gather for them news from the heavens and the earth. The first type of Diviners, use their craft for the sole purpose to impress their audiences, and rely in reality on their common sense and intuition and most of the time do not give accurate predictions. It is the second type that, are the real Diviners because the devils from the jinn bring them knowledge about the Unseen. This was described in the Qur’an where the jinn said:

"And we pried into the secrets of heaven, but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. We used indeed to sit there in hidden stations, to steal a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.”(Surah Al-Jinn, 72:8,9)

Allah also said:

''And We have guarded them (the heavens) from every accursed Satan. But any that gains a hearing by stealth, is pursued by a fiery comet, bright to see.” (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:17,18 )

Although the heavens are guarded, the devils try nonetheless to steel the news and are sometimes successful. The Prophet, s.a.w. said:

”The angels in the clouds speak a command that is in the sky, and the devils hear it. They then coo it into the ears of the diviner, and he adds a hundred lies to it.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari)


Drawing Future Prediction through Bad Omens
(Source: Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April 2007)

Drawing bad omens (or superstition) is forbidden in Islam. The Prophet s.a.w. warned us against it, saying

”Drawing bad omens is Shirk (he said it three times) and none of us but is tempted by it, however, Allah removes it (the temptation) from those who trust Him.”(Related by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi)

It is advised not to act upon superstition if it occurs in the heart for it is from the whispering of Shaytan. Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakim r.a said to the Prophet s.a.w.

”O Messenger of Allah amongst us are men that draw bad omens.” He said, ”That is something which you find in yourselves, so do not let it hold your back.”(Reported by Muslim)

"He who acts upon his superstitions, has committed Shirk.” (Reported by Ahmad)

Of the forbidden superstitions are believing that the numbers 13 and 666 bring bad luck, or believing that a black cat that crosses the way brings evil things. There are three exceptions in drawing bad omens, which the Prophet s.a.w. mentioned, saying

”If there is superstition, then it would be in the house, the spouse and the horse.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet liked the drawing of good omens. He said,

”There will be no contagion, nor drawing bad omen, and the truest of these is the drawing of good omens.” People asked him; ”What is the drawing of good omens?” He said, ” A good word that a person hears” (reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)


Drawing Future Prediction through Signs of the Zodiac
(Excerpt from Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April 2007)

The word Zodiac may derive from Greek words meaning ‘Wheel of life’. The Zodiac is a branch of astrology based on the study of the sky. The 12 signs of the Zodiac mark the 12 compartments of the heavens. Believing that these signs can predict one’s character is kufr. So one should think twice about reading his sign in the newspapaer, and should not take this lightly.


Drawing Future Prediction through Fortune Cookies
(Excerpt from Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April 2007)

Fortune Cookies are a kind of divination, and if any prediction is realised it is by pure coincindence. Imagine a person opening a fortune cookie just for fun. Now imagine that he reads bad news in it, one can easily read the from his face expressions that the news has influence on him. That is the evil of Magic.


Drawing Future Prediction through Theory of Millennium
(Excerpt from Weekly Gulf Times dated 6th April 2007)

One of the evils that gained strength in recent times was the theory of the Millennium. At the end of every millennium diviners are busy predicting the end of the world. The same frenetic predictions were prophesied a thousand years ago when most of the diviners expected the world to end on the year 999, and guess what? It was all a big lie. The end of the world could not be known by others than Allah, because Allah said,

”Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone.”(Surah Luqman, 31:34)

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