7 Beliefs About Magic and Shirk-Based Amulets According to Qur’an and SunnahSource: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 205
❖ Question
Can shirk-based amulets or those containing words of disbelief—such as seeking help from devils or jinn—cause benefit or harm?
✦ The Response
Wa ʿalaykum al-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh.
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
❖ ① Core Islamic Belief: Only Allah Has Power Over Harm and Benefit
Every Muslim is required to firmly believe that:
Harm and benefit lie solely in the hands of Allah ﷻ.
Neither the wealthy nor the poor, nor the friends of Allah (awliyāʼ), nor His enemies—none can independently cause harm or benefit.
The entire universe functions under Allah’s will and decree.
❖ ② Prophetic Counsel to Ibn ʿAbbās (RA)
The Prophet ﷺ said to Ibn ʿAbbās (RA):
“If the entire nation gathers to harm you, they will not be able to harm you except with that which Allah has written for you. The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried.”
Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Zuhd❖ ③ Allah’s Will: A Condition for Harm and Benefit
Allah ﷻ has placed harm in some things (e.g., poison, fire),
and benefit in others (e.g., food, medicine)—
but none of these can affect anyone without Allah’s permission.
Even if something has an inherent property to cause an effect, it will not function independently.
❖ ④ Effect of Magic and Shirk-Based Amulets is Conditional
Yes — there is some effect found in magic (siḥr) and shirk-based amulets.
But:
Their effect is only possible by Allah’s permission and decree, never through their own power.This is clearly stated in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.
❖ ⑤ Allah Is the Creator of All Causes and Their Effects
Allah has placed specific effects within various causes:
◈ Food satisfies hunger
◈ Water quenches thirst
◈ Marriage leads to childbirth
Yet, Allah alone is the Creator of both the cause and the effect.
These are part of a system He established—not independent agents.
❖ ⑥ Allah’s Will ≠ Allah’s Pleasure
Islam distinguishes between two types of Divine Will:
➊ Irādah Kawniyyah (Universal Will):
What Allah decrees to occur in the universe—whether or not He loves it.
e.g., Magic, disbelief, and sin may exist—but Allah does not love them.
➋ Irādah Sharʿiyyah (Legislative Will):
What Allah loves and commands, such as faith, righteousness, and justice.
But He may not will them to occur for every individual, like a disbeliever’s acceptance of faith.
For detailed study, refer to: al-Furqān by Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله❖ ⑦ Final Summary
✦ Shirk-based and kufr-based amulets or magical practices may contain effects,
but these are neither inherent nor independent.
They function only by Allah’s permission.
✦ Such effects are limited, not absolute, and cannot override Allah’s decree.
A sound creed is that a believer should always understand that only Allah is the true Disposer of benefit and harm.ھٰذا ما عندي، واللّٰه أعلم بالصواب
This is what I hold; and Allah knows best what is correct.
