Nasai

(1) This narration is brief. In Sahih al-Bukhari, this narration is reported from Aisha radi Allahu anha in detail. See: (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of the Beginning of Creation, Chapter: The Description of Iblis and His Troops, Hadith: 3268)

(2) This magic was performed by the infamous Jewish magician Labeed bin A'sam, the accursed, at the insistence of the Jews for three dinars. This took place in the month of Muharram, 7 AH. He obtained your comb and hair through a Jewish boy and used them for the magic. His aim (God forbid) was to destroy you, but he failed.

(3) "Remained ill for a few days" — The effect of this magic on you was imperceptible, meaning it was not noticeable to ordinary people, but its effects manifested in you such that you began to hesitate in certain matters, wondering whether you had done something or not, etc. This magic had absolutely no effect on your receiving revelation or conveying the Shariah, as is evident from examining various narrations. Moreover, you became somewhat perturbed. In reality, your spiritual strength was confronting the forces of magic, and in such a confrontation, the aforementioned effects were inevitable.

(4) "Sent some Companions" — In other narrations, it is explicitly stated that you yourself also went. The meaning is that first you sent some of your noble Companions radi Allahu anhum, and then you yourself also went. The items used for magic were taken out from that well, and you recited the Mu'awwidhatayn (Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-Falaq and Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-Nas) and untied the knots of the magic. There were eleven knots, and the verses of these two surahs are also eleven. You would recite one verse at a time, and the knots would be untied one by one. As soon as the knots were untied, you became completely healthy.

(5) "If the knee is untied" — then he stands up with great agility and runs here and there.

(6) You did not mention this to that Jew or to other Jews, nor was it made public among the common people, so that the Jews would think that even their most severe magic had no effect, and thus they would become hopeless and stop pursuing you. If you had publicized this matter, they would have realized that there was some effect on you, and therefore would have tried even harder to perform greater magic.

(7) The purpose of the chapter is that you did not punish the one who performed the magic. Some people have said: this is because he was not a Muslim but a Jew, and the hudud (prescribed punishments) are for Muslims. But this reasoning is not correct. The correct view is that if proof of the magician's magic is found and he has harmed someone, he will be punished, whether he is a disbeliever, i.e., a Jew, or anyone else.

(8) The reason for mentioning magic in the Book of Highway Robbery (Kitab al-Muharibah) is that magic is disbelief (kufr). If a Muslim performs it, he will be considered an apostate (murtadd), and the punishment for apostasy will be applied to him, i.e., if he does not repent, he will be killed. If a non-Muslim performs magic and kills someone through it, he will be killed in retaliation (qisas). And if he only causes harm to someone, compensation will be taken from him, and he will also be imprisoned, etc., so that society may be protected from its harmful effects and evils.

(9) Some individuals have rejected the narration of magic being performed on the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, even though this narration is absolutely established in the two Sahihs (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). No hadith scholar or jurist has found any flaw in its chain or text, nor has anyone considered it contrary to reason, the Qur'an, or the status of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Some theologians and arrogant people of hadith have been troubled by the thought that "this hadith is contrary to the dignity of Prophethood." However, physical weakness, etc., is in no way contrary to the dignity of Prophethood. You suffered from fever, headaches, and old age. If these physical ailments are not contrary to Prophethood, then why should the aforementioned effects be considered contrary? Some think that if it is accepted that magic had an effect on you, it would mean that the disbelievers gained dominance over you, whereas you were wounded at the hands of the disbelievers, and you were given poison. If this did not give the disbelievers dominance, then how could the above effects be considered as such? Dominance would only have occurred if the Jews had succeeded in their objective. Some have considered the magic performed on you to be contrary to the noble verse: "You follow none but a man bewitched" (Bani Isra'il 17:74), because this was the claim of the disbelievers that you were under the influence of magic. And by calling you bewitched, the disbelievers meant that the religion you were presenting was the effect of some magic, whereas the magic mentioned in this hadith was performed by a disbeliever and only had a physical effect on you, which was not even noticeable to ordinary people. It had no effect on your mind nor on your teachings. Such effects can also occur due to illness. If illness can befall someone, then what is the problem with these effects? In fact, the occurrence of magic's effect on you proves that you were not a magician, because magic does not affect a magician. Therefore, the disbelievers' accusation that you were a magician is refuted. The correct view is that the effect of magic can occur to anyone; however, magic is disbelief, and unless there is a particular benefit, the one who performs magic is deserving of death. This is the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah. And Allah knows best.