HAMDAN RASID- A RESPONSE  

Sorcery - Just an illusion!

IT was interesting to read Syed Akbar Ali's "Practising sorcery is un-Islamic" in the first issue of 'Signs' in which he compares the power of sorcery to that of Allah, but what he failed to show from the Quran is that sorcery can create psychological and physical harm to mankind as proven by these verses in the Quran:

1. Surah 2 Baqarah verse 102:
    They follow what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men magic, and such things as came down at Babylon to the Angel Harut and Marut.
    But neither of these taught anyone (such things) without saying:
"We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme."
    They learned from then the means to show discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm them, not what profited them.
    And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would not share in the happiness of the hereafter.
And vile was the price for which they did sell their soul, if they but knew!

2. Surah 7 A'raf verse 116:
    Said Moses: "Throw you (first) so when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them for they showed a great (feat of magic).

3. Surah 38 Saad verse 41:
    Commemorate Our Servant Job. Behold he cried to His Lord: "The evil one has afflicted me with distress and suffering!"

We can see now based on Quranic truth, the very same feats can happen in modern times by the Modern sorcerer.

If affected by one of the above forms of black magic how is one to consult the doctors/medical experts who do not subscribe to these beliefs if such cases happen.

That is why the quickest option the affected person will have is to go to the bomohs and the religious anchorites who they think can help them.

It is worth noting that if the Quran tells us about the menace of sorcery surely it will tell us about how to overcome it but of course when you encroach into an area such as Quranic studies you will see the familiar sign "Trespassers will be prosecuted".

Nevertheless for Quranic enthusiasts who like to be adventurous there is an ocean of knowledge waiting for you to explore and you will be amazed to find that contrary to the traditional belief that the Quran gives general concepts, it provides guidance to detailed situations as shown by the following verses: Love your parents - Surah 17 verse 24:
"My Lord bestow on them Thy mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."
Childless - Surah 21 verse 89:
"O my Lord leave me not without offspring, through Thou art the best of inheritors."

Driving - Surah 43 verse 13 and 14: "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use) for we could never have accomplished this (ourselves), "And our Lord, surely, to You must we turn."

Similarly if one is to deal with the sorcerer one has to find those verses that deal direct with it. To start with, here are some tips if you or your families are affected by black magic.

The items you need are only a glass of water (to drink as shown in Job's story) and a stick (as shown in Moses story) Surah 2 verse 149:

You start by standing to face the Qiblat
Surah 2 verse 256: Then praise the Lord by reading the whole of this verse, Surah 10 verses 81 and 82: Recitation starts from "What you brought is sorcery: God will surely make it of no effect... however much the sinners may hate it." The whole of Surah 113: Start with "I seek refuge with The Lord of the Dawn... and from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy."

The whole of Surah 114: Start with "I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherishre of Mankind... among jinns and among men." Drink the water and hit slowly the affected part with the stick while you do your recitation. Insha Allah if you believe in God's guidance from the Quran it won't cost you a single cent.      

  SYED AKBAR ALI : SORCERY TENDS TO AWE, BUT IT DOES NOT EXIST

Hamdan Rasid in his response (page six) to my article attempts to prove, by using the Quran, that black magic does exist.

Hamdan says that black magic can cause psychological and physical harm.
I fully agree with Hamdan that the Quran is fully detailed and it has complete guidance for Muslims.

Following from this, I seek to reply to some of Hamdan's points referring only to the Quran.

Hamdan suggests that we can "fight black magic" by "drinking a glass of water" (drawing on the story of Job) and "tapping the affected part with a stick" (drawing on the story of Moses).

One wonders if the "black magic" has caused psychological harm, does one use a stick to tap on the brain?
Now, there can be no contradictions in the Quran (Suura 4:82).

Keeping this in mind, let us refer again Sura 2:102 which Hamdan quoted partly, wherein God also says that "They can never harm anyone against the will of God".

Therefore, when Hamdan says families can be harmed by "black magic" is he implying that this must be God's will?
    The question is, "Will the Compassionate and Merciful God make it His will to allow black magic to harm families".
    And if Hamdan answers yes, then how can you "fight black magic the Islamic way" when it is God who wills that you are afflicted by it?
    It is also interesting that Hamdan suggests a glass of water and a stick to "fight black magic". But there is no evidence in the Quran to support this. Also, how come Moses only "uses" a stick and no glass of water (assuming Job came before Moses) and Job "uses" only water and no stick?

    It would appear that Moses and Job did quite well with only half of Hamdan's prescription.
Referring to Moses and the Pharoh`s "magicians" in the Quran, there was no real sorcery involved at all.
    Pharaoh' s sorcerers were liars and tricksters because Moses told them, "Woe to you. Do you fabricate lies to fight God." Sura 20:61. They only made their ropes and sticks appear to move like
serpents because the Quran says, "Moses then threw his stick whereupon it swallowed what they fabricated." Sura 26:45.
    It was only a fabrication. And in the next verse the magicians themselves conceded defeat. "The magicians fell prostrate". They said, We believe in the Lord of the Universe" (Sura 26:4647)

    We also learn that Moses throwing his stick was not "black magic" but a miracle (ayat) from God.
In referring to this event God says, "We thus show you some of our great miracles" (Sura 20:23)
    Therefore neither Moses nor the "magicians" of Pharaoh performed any real sorcery. The Quran states that the devils whisper into the hearts of Jinns and men (Sura 114)
    Humans, on the other hand (with the exception of the Prophet Solomon) cannot even see devils and spirits (Sura 7:27).

    Hamdan relies on Sura 38:41 to connect Job and sorcery. I fail to see this connection because the word "sorcery" (sihir) does not appear at all in that verse. Job is recorded as merely being "afflicted" by a devil. Hence not only was Job's affliction not the work of any human (sorcerer or not) but there was no sorcery involved at all.

We may have a tendency to be awed by sorcery, but in truth it does not exist.