Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was bewitched to the extent that he would imagine he was doing a thing, while he was not doing it. One day, he said to her: "Do you know that Allah the Almighty has answered me regarding what I sought His judgment on? Two angels came to me; one sat by my head and the other by my feet. The one by my head said: 'What is the man's affliction?' The other replied: 'He is bewitched (matbub).' The first said: 'Who has bewitched him?' He replied: 'Labid ibn al-A'sam, in a comb and the combings (20), within the spathe of a male date palm, in [the well of Dhu Arwan] (21).'" This was recorded by al-Bukhari and others (22). The "spathe" (juff al-tal'ah) is its sheath. The "combings" (mushatah) are the hair that comes out from the hair of the head or elsewhere when it is combed. Thus, it established that magic was performed against them. It has become well-known among people that the existence of a man being tied (incapacitated) from his wife when he marries her is a reality, such that he is unable to have intercourse with her, and that the undoing of this knot enables him to approach her after his inability; it has reached the level of mass transmission (tawatur) that cannot be denied. Reports (23) have also been narrated regarding sorcerers that make it almost impossible to agree upon a lie. As for the invalidation of miracles, it does not necessarily follow from this; for [magic] does not reach what the prophets (peace be upon them) bring, nor is it required that it ends in making sticks and ropes move. If this is established, then learning and teaching magic is forbidden; we know of no disagreement among the scholars regarding this. Our companions said: The sorcerer becomes a disbeliever by learning and performing it, whether he believes it to be forbidden or permissible. It has been narrated from Ahmad that which indicates he does not become a disbeliever, for Hanbal narrated from him, saying: My uncle said regarding the fortune-teller (arraf), the soothsayer (kahin), and the sorcerer (sahir): "I am of the view that he should be asked to repent for all these actions, for in my view, he is in the position of an apostate; if he repents and returns [to the truth]—meaning—he is released (24)." I said to him: "Should he be executed?" He said: "No, he is imprisoned, perhaps he may return." I said to him: "Why do you not..."
(20) In Sahih al-Bukhari: "mashaqah". The "mashaqah" is what is extracted from flax. (21) In al-Bukhari: "bi'r Dharwan". Both are correct. It is a well in Medina in the orchard of the Banu Zurayq. See: al-Nawawi's Commentary on Sahih Muslim 14/177. (22) Recorded by al-Bukhari in: The Chapter on the Description of Iblis and his Soldiers, from the Book of the Beginning of Creation; and in: The Chapter on Magic, and The Chapter on Whether Magic Can Be Extracted, from the Book of Medicine; and in: The Chapter on His saying: {Indeed, Allah commands justice and excellence}, from the Book of Etiquette; and in: The Chapter on Repeating Supplication, from the Book of Supplications. Sahih al-Bukhari 4/148, 7/177, 178, 8/22, 23, 8/103. And by Muslim in: The Chapter on Magic, from the Book of Peace. Sahih Muslim 4/1719, 1720, 1721. And by Ibn Majah in: The Chapter on Magic, from the Book of Medicine. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1173. And by Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 6/57, 63, 96. (23) In M: "wa qad ruwiya" (and it has been reported). (24) In M: "yukhalla" (he is released).
عائشةُ رَضِىَ اللهُ عنها، أنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- سُحِرَ، حتى إنَّه ليُخَيَّلُ إليه أنَّه يَفْعَلُ الشَّيءَ وما يَفْعَلُه، وأنَّه قال لها ذاتَ يومٍ: "أَشَعَرْتِ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَفْتَانِى فِيمَا اسْتَفْتَيْتُهُ؟ أنَّه أَتَانِى مَلَكَان فَجَلَسَ أَحَدُهُمَا عِنْدَ رَأْسِى، والآخَرُ عِنْدَ رِجْلَىَّ، فَقَالَ: مَا وَجَعُ الرَّجُلِ؟ قَالَ: مَطْبُوبٌ. قَالَ: مَنْ طَبَّهُ؟ قال: لَبِيدُ بْنُ الأَعْصَم في مُشْطٍ ومُشَاطَةٍ (٢٠)، في جُفِّ طَلْعَةٍ ذَكَرٍ، فِي [بِئْرٍ ذِى أَرْوَانَ"] (٢١). ذكَره البُخارِىُّ، وغيرُه (٢٢). جُفِّ الطَّلْعَةِ: وعاؤُها. والْمُشَاطَةُ: الشَّعَرُ الذي يَخْرُجُ من شَعْرِ الرَّأْسِ أو غيرِه إذا مُشِطَ. فقد أثْبَتَ لهم سِحْرًا. وقد اشْتُهِرَ بينَ النَّاس وجودُ عَقْدِ الرَّجُلِ عن امرأتِه حينَ يَتزوَّجُها. فلا يَقْدِرُ على إتْيانِها، وحَلُّ عَقْدِه، فيَقْدِرُ عليها بعدَ عَجْزِه عنها، حتى صار مُتواتِرًا لا يُمْكِنُ جَحْدُه. ورُوِىَ (٢٣) من أخْبارِ السَّحَرَةِ ما لا يكادُ يُمْكِنُ التَّواطُؤ على الكَذِبِ فيه. وأمَّا إبطالُ المُعْجزاتِ، فلا يَلْزَمُ من هذا؛ لأنَّه لا يبْلُغُ ما يأْتِى به الأنبياءُ عليهم السَّلامُ، وليس يلزمُ أن يَنْتَهِىَ إلى أن تَسْعَى العِصِىُّ والحِبَالُ. إذا ثَبَتَ هذا، فإنَّ تَعَلُّمَ السِّحْرِ وتَعْلِيمَهُ حَرَامٌ لا نَعْلَمُ فيه خِلَافًا بينَ أهلِ العلمِ. قال أصحابُنا: ويَكْفُرُ السَّاحِرُ بتَعلُّمِه وفعلِه، سواءٌ اعْتَقدَ تَحْريمَهُ أو إباحَتَه. ورُوِىَ عن أحمدَ ما يَدُلُّ على أنَّه لا يَكْفُرُ، فإن حَنْبَلًا رَوَى عنه، قال: قال عَمِّى في العَرَّافِ والكاهِنِ والسَّاحِرِ: أَرَى أن يُسْتَتَابَ مِن هذه الأفاعيلِ كلِّها، فإنَّه عندى في معنى المُرْتَدِّ، فإن تابَ وراجعَ - يعني - خُلِّىَ (٢٤) سَبِيلُه. قلتُ له: يُقْتَلُ؟ قال: لا، يُحْبَسُ، لعلَّه يَرْجِعُ. قلتُ له: لمَ لا
(٢٠) في صحيح البخاري: "ومشاقة". والمشاقة: ما يستخرج من الكتان.(٢١) في البخاري: "بئر ذروان". وكلاهما صحيح. وهى بئر بالمدينة في بستان بنى زريق. انظر: شرح النووي لصحيح مسلم ١٤/ ١٧٧.(٢٢) أخرجه البخاري، في: باب صفة إبليس وجنوده، من كتاب بدء الخلق، وفى: باب السحر، وباب هل يستخرج السحر، من كتاب الطب، وفى: باب قوله تعالى: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ}، من كتاب الأدب، وفى: باب تكرير الدعاء، من كتاب الدعوات. صحيح البخاري ٤/ ١٤٨، ٧/ ١٧٧، ١٧٨، ٨/ ٢٢، ٢٣، ٨/ ١٠٣. ومسلم، في: باب السحر، من كتاب السلام. صحيح مسلم ٤/ ١٧١٩، ١٧٢٠، ١٧٢١. وابن ماجه، في: باب السحر، من كتاب الطب. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ١١٧٣. والإِمام أحمد، في.: المسند ٦/ ٥٧، ٦٣, ٩٦.(٢٣) في م: "وقد روى".(٢٤) في م: "يخلى".
