The incident of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being affected by magic is mentioned in authentic hadiths. It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها:
سحر رسول اللّٰہ صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم رجل من بنی زریق یقال لہ: لبید بن الأعصم، حتّی کان رسول اللّٰہ صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم یخیّل الیہ أنّہ یفعل الشّیء وما فعلہ، حتّی اذا کان ذات یوم أو ذات لیلۃ، وھو عندی، لکنّہ دعا ودعا، ثمّ قال: یا عائشۃ! أشعرت أنّ اللّٰہ أفتانی فیما استفتیتہ فیہ، أتانی رجلان فقعد أحدھما عند رأسی والآخر عند رجلیّ، فقال أحدھما لصاحبہ: ما وجع الرّجل؟ فقال: مطبوب، قال: من طبّہ؟ قال: لبید بن الأعصم، قال: فی أیّ شیء؟ قال: فی مشط ومشاطۃ وجفّ طلع نخلۃ ذکر، قال: وأین ھو؟ قال: فی بئر ذروان، فأتاھا رسول اللّٰہ صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم فی ناس من أصحابہ، فجاء، فقال: یا عائشۃ! کأنّ ماء ھا نقاعۃ الحنّاء، أو کأنّ رؤوس نخلھا رؤوس الشّیاطین، قلت: یا رسول اللّٰہ! أفلا أستخرجہ؟ قال: قد عافانی اللّٰہ، فکرھت أن أثوّر علی النّاس فیہ شرّا، فأمر بھا، فدفنت۔
A man named Labid bin Al-A’sam from Banu Zuraiq cast a spell on the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, which caused him to feel as if he was doing something, while in reality, he was not. One day or night, when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was with Lady Aisha, he repeatedly prayed and then said: “O Aisha! Do you know that Allah has informed me of what I was asking Him? Two individuals came to me, one sat near my head and the other near my feet. One asked the other: What is the problem with this person? The other replied: He has been bewitched. Asked: Who did it? Answered: Labid bin Al-A’sam. Asked: With what? Answered: A comb, hair, and the spathe of a male date palm. Then asked: Where is it? Answered: In the well of Zurwan.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, went there with the companions and upon returning said: “O Aisha! The water of this well was like the color of henna, and its dates looked like the heads of devils.” Lady Aisha asked: “Did you remove it?” He said: “No, Allah healed me; I did not want to spread its evil among the people.” Then the well was buried.
Possibility of Magic and Its Effect on the Prophet
This hadith, agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim, is a definitive proof and clear evidence that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was affected by magic. Magic is a disease, and like other diseases, it can affect the prophets. Nowhere in the Quran or Hadith is it mentioned that prophets cannot be affected by magic.
Authenticity of the Hadith and Denial by the Mu’tazila
This hadith is “Sahih” (authentic) by the consensus of all Muhaddithin (scholars of Hadith). However, the Mu’tazila sect, which considers the Quran to be created, denies this hadith. This sect not only denies this hadith but also rejects many other authentic hadiths. Imam Nu’aym ibn Hammad al-Khuza’i (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 228 AH) states:
“المعتزلۃ تردّون ألفی حدیث من حدیث النبی صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم أو نحو ألفی حدیث۔”
“The Mu’tazila deny about two thousand or so hadiths of the Prophet.”
Objections of Contemporary Mu’tazila
Some Mu’tazila of our time have raised rational and textual objections to this hadith. Let us examine these objections from a scholarly and research perspective:
Objection No. 1: The narrator Hisham ibn Urwah is a “Mudallis” (one who practices tadlis)
Answer 1: There is consensus on the reliability of Hisham ibn Urwah. The narrator who criticized Imam Malik, Ibn Kharash, is himself “weak,” so his statement is rejected. Although Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) has counted him among the first category of “Mudallis,” his being a “Mudallis” is not proven. On the contrary, the opinion
on which he was declared a “Mudallis” is itself unproven. The authentication of the narrator of this incident, Abdullah ibn Ali ibn al-Madini, is also unproven.
Answer 2: Hisham ibn Urwah explicitly stated “Haddathani” (he narrated to me) from his father in Sahih al-Bukhari
and Musnad Ahmad
. Praise be to Allah for that!
Answer 3: In Sahihayn, narrations of Mudallis are interpreted as based on direct hearing.
Objection No. 2: Other accusations against Hisham ibn Urwah
The famous Mu’tazili Habib ur-Rahman Kandhlawi Hayati Deobandi writes:
“This narration is not reported by anyone other than Hisham, and Hisham’s mind failed in 132 AH; rather Hafiz Aqili writes: He became senile in his old age.”
Answer: This is merely an unfounded allegation. There is no such statement by Hafiz Aqili. None of the earlier scholars accused Hisham ibn Urwah of being “Mukhtalit” (mixed). Secondly, in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, all the narrations of the Mukhtalit narrators are considered to have been taken before the mixing, as Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned about a Mukhtalit narrator:
“وما کان فی الصّحیحین عنہ محمول علی الأخذ عنہ قبل اختلاطہ۔”
“And whatever is transmitted from them in the two Sahihs is understood to have been taken from them before the mixing.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 628 AH) called Hisham “Mukhtalit”
. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in refutation:
“ولم نر لہ فی ذلک سلفا۔”
“We have not seen any predecessor (someone before him) saying this about him.”
Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) further states:
“Hisham was never Mukhtalit, this is certain.”
Objection Number 3: Urwah is not mentioned in the chains of narration
The famous Hadith denier Shabbir Ahmad Azhar Meerthi writes:
“None of the chains of narration in the traditions narrated by Hisham mention that Urwah heard this hadith from Hazrat Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).”
Answer: When it is established that the narrator met his teacher and he is not a “mudallis” (one who conceals a defect in the chain), then his narration with “an” is considered connected. It is established that Urwah met and heard from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). See
. Imam Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) is also not a mudallis, therefore the chain is connected.
Relation of the Hadith with the Quran
Some people consider this hadith to be against the Holy Quran. Our answer regarding this is that it is agreed upon that no authentic hadith can be against the Quran. Which verse proves that the Prophet cannot be affected by magic? It was the belief of the disbelievers that the Prophet could not be affected by magic, and for this reason, they described the prophethood and mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as magic.
Mention of Magic in the Quran
The mention of magic on Prophet Musa (Moses) عليه السلام is present in the Holy Quran. Allah Almighty says:
(قَالَ بَلْ اَلْقُوْا فَاِذَا حِبَالُھُمْ وَعِصِیُّھُمْ یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیْہِ مِنْ سِحْرِھِمْ اَنَّھَا تَسْعٰی)
“Because of their magic, he (Musa عليه السلام) thought that the ropes were moving like snakes. So Musa عليه السلام felt fear within himself.”
Regarding the magicians of Pharaoh, the Quran states:
(وَجَاءُ ْوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِیْمٍ)
“And they brought a great magic.”
The mention of magic on the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم also appears in the hadith with the same Quranic words “یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیْہِ”. Whatever the answer is regarding the Quran, the same will apply to the hadith.
The stance of the Muhaddithin regarding magic on the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
From this hadith narrated by Aisha رضي الله عنها, the Muhaddithin have understood that magic was performed on the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, which the Mu’tazilah deny.
The stance of the divine scholar Sheikh al-Islam Thani Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله
Allama Ibn Qayyim رحمه الله writes:
“This hadith is considered authentic and acceptable by scholars knowledgeable in hadith. There is no disagreement among them regarding its authenticity. However, theologians and others have objected to it, strongly denying it, calling it false, and some have written entire books criticizing Hisham ibn Urwah on this subject. Their main objection is that Hisham ibn Urwah made a mistake and the matter became doubtful for him. They claim that it is not possible for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to have been bewitched because this would confirm the statement of the disbelievers: (اِنْ تَتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا رَجُلاً مَسْحُوْرًا)
meaning ‘You follow a man possessed by magic.’ Pharaoh also said this to Moses (peace be upon him): (وَاِنِّی لَأَظُنُّکَ یَا مُوْسٰی مَسْحُوْرًا)
and the people of Saleh and the people of Shu’ayb also said to their prophets: (اِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِیْنَ)
and (الشعراء: 185).
They say that the idea of prophets being affected by magic contradicts Allah’s support for them and protection from devils. This stance is rejected by scholars because Hisham ibn Urwah was among the most reliable and knowledgeable individuals of his time, and no Imam has criticized him in a way that would invalidate his hadith. Moreover, other narrators besides Hisham have also reported this hadith from Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her. Imam Bukhari and Muslim agreed on the authenticity of this hadith, and none of the hadith scholars have declared it weak. This incident is well-known among exegetes, hadith scholars, historians, and jurists, who are more familiar with the events and circumstances of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, than the theologians.
Explanation narrated by Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from Allama Mazari:
Some innovators denied this hadith and assumed that this hadith diminishes the status of prophethood and creates doubts and suspicions. According to them, anything that causes a reduction in the status of prophethood is false. They also claimed that if it is accepted that prophets could be affected by magic, then trust in the laws revealed by them would be lost, because in that case it is possible that a prophet might think he is seeing Gabriel when he is not actually present, or that revelation is being sent down to him while he believes nothing has been revealed.
All these objections are invalid because there is evidence of truthfulness and innocence in the preaching of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and His miracles testify to this. Therefore, it is false to present possibilities against what is proven by evidence. As far as worldly matters are concerned, the Prophet ﷺ was not sent for them, nor does prophethood relate to them. That is why the Holy Prophet ﷺ could face difficulties in worldly matters like ordinary people, such as illness. Hence, it is not surprising if any unfounded thought comes to you regarding worldly matters, while in religious matters, the Prophet ﷺ is completely protected.
Some people have said that the meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet ﷺ used to think that he had intercourse with his purified wives, whereas that was not the case. This condition often happens to people in dreams, so it is not unlikely that the Prophet ﷺ felt this while awake.
Explanation from the Words of the Hadith
This is also clarified by the words of the hadith:
“Until you think that you have come to your wives, whereas you did not come to them.”
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Being Protected from Devils
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from Mahlab:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being protected from devils does not negate the possibility of their ill intentions towards him ﷺ. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari that a devil tried to disrupt the prayer of the Prophet ﷺ, but Allah granted him power over it. Similarly, in the matter of magic, no harm was caused to him ﷺ that affected the propagation of religion. Rather, he endured the same kind of discomfort from it as he did from other ailments, such as difficulty in speech, refraining from certain actions, or temporarily having some thoughts. Allah protected the Prophet ﷺ from the schemes of devils and removed their evil.
Statement of Deobandi Scholar Muhammad Shafi Sahib
The “Grand Mufti” of the Deobandis, Muhammad Shafi Deobandi Sahib, writes:
“It is possible for a prophet or messenger to be affected by magic just as it is possible to be affected by illness, because prophets are not free from human characteristics. Just as they can get wounded, have fever and pain, similarly they can also be affected by magic, because magic also occurs due to the influence of jinn and others. It is also proven from a hadith that once the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was affected by magic. In the last verse where the disbelievers called him ‘bewitched’ and the Quran denied it, the actual meaning is that their intention by calling him ‘bewitched’ was to call him insane, which the Quran denied. Therefore, the hadith about magic is not against or contradictory to this.”
Statement of Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi Sahib states in Tafseer Usmani:
“The meaning that the disbelievers took from the word ‘possessed’ does not necessarily imply that no kind of magic could have any temporary effect on the Prophet in any degree. This verse is from Mecca, whereas in Medina the Jews presented an incident of magic on the Prophet ﷺ, which is mentioned in the Sahih collections. The effect of this magic lasted for a few days, due to which occasionally he would forget worldly matters.”
Statements of Other Scholars
Mr. Muhammad Hussain Naeemi Deobandi writes:
“An evil Jew had also performed magic on the Prophet ﷺ.”
Ahmed Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi writes in Tafseer Noor Al-Irfan:
“Magic and its effect are true; secondly, magic can have an effect on the body of the Prophet.”
Explanation of Allama Aini Hanafi
Allama Aini Hanafi’s commentary provides great clarification on this matter. He writes:
“Certainly, this magic did not harm the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ because there was no change in the revelation, nor was there any disruption in the Shariah. The Prophet ﷺ experienced some imagination and illusion, but Allah Almighty did not leave you in that state; rather, He protected you, informed you of the place of the magic, and also taught you the method to remove it. Allah Almighty removed the effect of the magic from you, just as He removed the poison of the goat from you. The third point is that the magic affected your outward appearance, not the heart, mind, or belief. Magic is one of the diseases, and like other illnesses, it can afflict the Prophet. Therefore, this does not create any defect in your prophethood. It could have an effect on you in worldly matters, just as other people face problems in worldly matters.”
Allama Ayni further writes:
Some atheists objected to the Hadith of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and said that how could the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) be affected by magic, as this is disbelief and a satanic act? How could harm come to the Prophet when Allah had protected him? The answer given is that this objection is invalid and based on enmity against the Quran. Allah taught His Prophet (peace be upon him) Surah Al-Falaq, in which ‘النَّفَّاثَاتِ‘ means ‘women who blow on knots to perform magic.’ There is nothing in accepting the effect of magic on the Prophet that proves this effect was permanent or that it caused any defect in his person or Shariah. The harm caused by the magic was like the discomfort a sick person feels due to fever or cold. Then this effect disappeared, and Allah removed the effect of the magic from him. It is agreed upon that the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace be upon him) remained protected (from this effect of magic).
Doubt: Single Report is Not Proof in Aqeedah
Some people express the doubt that a single report is not proof in aqeedah, therefore in this matter also a single report is not proof.
Answer:
The issue is not related to aqeedah: The effect of magic on the Prophet is not related to aqeedah, however, the reality and effect of magic is related to aqeedah.
Single report is also proof in aqeedah: Hafiz Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“The invalidity of this distinction is established by consensus (that a single report is proof in practice, not only in aqeedah).”
Effect of Magic on the Prophet Proven from the Quran
The effect of magic on the Prophet is also proven from the Quran, therefore unjustified objection on the hadith is unwarranted.
Summary
In conclusion, just as the Prophet could be afflicted by other illnesses, similarly a temporary worldly effect of magic is also possible. The prophethood and messengership of the Prophet (peace be upon him) remains protected from these effects.
