Title of the Sermon: Sorcery
Elements of the Sermon:
The reality of sorcery.
The ruling on sorcery and visiting sorcerers.
The safe refuge from sorcery and Satan.
All praise is due to Allah, the Sovereign and the Judge, to Whom belongs all authority and power. Nothing escapes His knowledge, and no affair distracts Him from another. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner. He revealed His Book as guidance, healing, and security. I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him continuously throughout the ages.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, as He deserves to be feared, and be mindful of Him in private and public.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
”O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims. ” [Āl ʿImrān: 102]
O servants of Allah,
When the Muslims migrated to Madinah, their fiercest and most deceitful enemy was the Jews. They spared no opportunity to harm the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. Among their tactics was spreading rumors to weaken and demoralize the Muslims. One of the things they spread was the claim that they had bewitched the Muslims so that no children would be born to them.
Days passed, and indeed no children were born. Then came the day when the city of Madinah echoed with the sounds of takbīr. ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām (may Allah be pleased with them both) was born. His mother, Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both), said: “I brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, placed him in his lap, and he asked for a date. He chewed it, then rubbed it inside the baby's mouth. The first thing that entered his stomach was the saliva of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He then prayed for him and blessed him. He was the first child born to the Muslims in Islam, and they rejoiced greatly because they had been told that the Jews had bewitched them, preventing children from being born to them.”
The war between humankind and their greatest enemy, Satan, continues to rage. His ultimate goal is that people worship him instead of Allah.
Is it really possible for a human being to worship Satan?
Indeed, Allah said:
أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَابَنِي آدَمَ أَنْ لَا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ * وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ
“Did I not command you, O children of Adam, not to worship Satan, for he is truly your sworn enemy? And that you should worship Me alone—this is the straight path.” (Yā Sīn: 60-61)
There are many forms of worshiping Satan, but one of the most dangerous is when a person sells himself to Satan, seeking mutual benefit. They enjoy each other’s company and exchange favors. Did Allah not say:
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ قَدِ اسْتَكْثَرْتُمْ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمْ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
“And on the Day He gathers them all together, He will say: ‘O company of jinn! You have certainly misled many of mankind.’ And their human associates will say: ‘Our Lord! We benefited from each other and have now reached the end of the term You appointed for us.’ He will say: ‘The Fire is your home, to stay there forever, except as Allah wills. Surely your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.’” (al-Anʿām: 128)
Many have been led astray by Satan. The loser among mankind enjoys what Satan offers him in this world, while Satan takes pleasure in seeing mankind enslave themselves to him instead of their Creator.
One of the most wicked forms of this relationship is sorcery. It is a practice through which a human sorcerer seeks closeness to Satan to influence another person’s body, mind, or heart in indirect ways. Sorcery is real and can cause harm. It begins with committing major sins and evil acts, eventually leading to disbelief in Allah. This is because sorcery typically involves performing acts of kufr (disbelief) and rituals that glorify or worship Satan instead of Allah. For this reason, practicing, believing in, learning, or teaching witchcraft is an act of disbelief. Allah tells us about the Jews who abandoned the Torah and instead pursued sorcery:
وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And they followed what the devils falsely claimed was revealed to Sulaymān. But Sulaymān never disbelieved. Rather, it was the devils who disbelieved, teaching people sorcery and what was revealed to the two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, in Babylon. But they never taught anyone without warning, saying, ‘We are only a test, so do not disbelieve.’ Yet they learned from them that by which they could cause separation between a man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except by Allah’s permission. They learned what harms them, not what benefits them. They certainly knew that whoever deals in it would have no share in the Hereafter. How miserable was what they sold their souls for, if only they knew.” (al-Baqarah: 102)
The Prophet ﷺ counted sorcery among the deadly sins. He said: “Avoid the seven destructive sins.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what are they?” He said: “Associating partners with Allah, sorcery, killing a soul which Allah has made sacred except with legal right, consuming usury, consuming the wealth of the orphan, fleeing from the battlefield at the time of combat, and slandering chaste, believing, unsuspecting women.” (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ also informed us that the one who believes in sorcerers will not enter Paradise. He said: “Five kinds of people will not enter Paradise: the one addicted to alcohol, the one who believes in sorcery, the one who severs family ties, the fortune-teller, and the one who constantly reminds others of his favors.” (Narrated by Aḥmad)
And the one who goes to sorcerers is not counted among the believers, according to the clear statement of the trustworthy Prophet ﷺ who said: “Whoever practices or seeks omens, or has omens practiced for him, or practices soothsaying, or has soothsaying practiced for him, or performs sorcery, or has sorcery performed for him, is not one of us.” (Narrated by al-Bazzār)
Servants of Allah,
Sorcery has existed among humanity since ancient times. It has been used by people with corrupt hearts to achieve personal gain or to harm others, by seeking the assistance of devils.
This problem has worsened in times when souls have become fragile and hearts have become empty. Many people hasten to seek solutions to their problems from these so-called sorcerers. For them, sorcery has become the go-to excuse for every problem. Many people now believe that sorcery is a quick and easy path to achieve wealth, attract a loved one, conceive a child, separate spouses, or destroy someone by damaging their mind or body.
Many have come to believe that sorcery is the root cause of every misfortune. If a woman is delayed in marriage, or she gets married but cannot conceive, or she seeks divorce, they immediately assume she has been bewitched. If someone starts a business and fails, struggles in their studies, or is afflicted by a physical or psychological illness, people quickly conclude that he or she must be under a spell. The list never ends, and the search begins from one charlatan to another, from one fortune-teller to the next—even to churches, seeking a quick cure.
Have these people not heard the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights”? (Narrated by Muslim)
Have they not heard that the Prophet ﷺ said about those who believe in soothsayers and sorcerers: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes him has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad”? (Narrated in authentic collections)
In Islam, the punishment for a practicing sorcerer is execution by the authority, to prevent their harm, because they spread corruption on earth.
The Commander of the Believers, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to his governors saying: “Execute every sorcerer.” (Narrated by Abū Dāwūd)
This is the ruling in Islam. Yet today, in modern media, sorcerers are celebrated and portrayed as heroes to our children in cartoons—as righteous people who control the universe, the wind, and the rain. What greater corruption of belief can there be than this?
May Allah bless me and you through the Noble Qur'an, and benefit us through its verses and wise reminders. I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you. So seek His forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow them. To proceed:
Servants of Allah, where is the safe refuge?
Indeed, most people who think they are afflicted by sorcery are actually living in a destructive illusion—an illusion exploited by deceptive fraudsters or ignorant corrupters. As a result, a person may go from one deceiver who ruins their faith and takes their wealth, to another ignorant person who ruins their soul and their life.
It is Allah who manages all affairs, and He has said about sorcery and sorcerers:
فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
“They learn from them what causes separation between a man and his wife, but they cannot harm anyone except by Allah’s permission.” [al-Baqarah: 102]
The schemes of the sorcerer and his works will always end in failure by the will of Allah. Allah says:
وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى
“The sorcerer will never succeed, wherever he may be.” [Ta Ha: 69]
And He says:
إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا
“Indeed, the plot of Satan is weak.”
The believer fears no one but Allah and places his trust in Him alone. He is certain that benefit and harm are in His hands alone. He knows that the devils are mere creations, under the full control of the One who created them. Allah says:
إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ مَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
“I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path.” [Hūd: 56]
How weak Satan is when the servant remembers his Lord and relies upon Him.
One of the clearest signs of his weakness is that he does not know the unseen. They remained under humiliating labor in the service of Sulayman (peace be upon him), unaware of his death, until a creature gnawed through his staff, causing his body to collapse. Allah says:
فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنْسَأَتَهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ
“When We decreed death for him, nothing indicated to them that he had died except a creature of the earth gnawing away at his staff. When he fell down, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating toil.” [Saba’: 14]
Another sign of his weakness is that he cannot open a closed door. The Prophet ﷺ said: “When night falls, or when you enter the evening, keep your children close, for the devils spread out at that time. After an hour passes, let them go. Close your doors and mention Allah’s name, for Satan does not open a closed door.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)
The believer who regularly remembers Allah and seeks refuge in Him from the evil of Satan is protected by the Lord of the Worlds, and his schemes are repelled. Remembering Allah with a present, believing heart is the strongest fortress. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I command you to remember Allah, for the example of that is like a man pursued by an enemy who quickly seeks refuge in a strong fortress. This is how the servant protects himself from Satan—by remembering Allah.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhī)
The state of the believer, when he is upright, trusting, and remembering his Lord, weakens his personal devil, just as the Prophet ﷺ said: “The believer wears out his devil, like one of you wears out his camel during travel.” (Reported by Aḥmad)
Allah has replaced the pagan incantations, filled with polytheism and seeking refuge in the accursed Satan, with legitimate supplications from the Qur’an and Sunnah—supplications that seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak from the evil of what He created and from the evil of sorceresses who blow on knots.
O Allah, protect us and all Muslims from Iblis and his soldiers, from their whispering, their arrogance, and their deceit.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims. Destroy the criminal Jews. O Allah, bring tranquility to the hearts of those striving in Your cause. Rescue Your oppressed servants. Raise high the banner of Islam by Your might, O All-Powerful, O Almighty.
O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands. Rectify our leaders and those in authority over us. Make leadership among those who fear You, seek Your pleasure, and follow Your guidance.
O our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
