✿ The Incident of Prophet Sulayman (علیہ السلام) with Jinn and Magic ✿
Compiled by: Dr. Rida Abdullah Pasha حفظه الله
❀ The Question ❀
What was the incident of Prophet Sulayman (علیہ السلام) regarding jinn and magic?
✿ The Answer ✿
◈ Qur’anic Reference
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[Surah al-Baqarah: 102]
◈ Explanation of the Incident
- In the time of Sulayman (علیہ السلام), the devils (shayatin) would ascend towards the heavens and sit in places to eavesdrop on the angels.
- They would hear some words regarding matters of death, unseen, or events to occur on earth.
- Then they would convey these to soothsayers (kahin).
- At first, the soothsayers would pass these messages truthfully, and people’s trust in them increased.
- Later, when the angels blocked their eavesdropping, the soothsayers began adding lies, making up many false stories.
Sulayman (علیہ السلام) collected all these writings and buried them under his throne.
- No devil could approach the throne, fearing being burnt.
- He declared: “Whoever claims that devils have knowledge of the unseen, I will strike off his head.”
After the death of Sulayman (علیہ السلام):
- The devils dug under the throne, extracted those writings, and told people:
“Sulayman used to control humans, jinn, and birds through magic.” - Thus, it became widespread among people that Sulayman (علیہ السلام) was a sorcerer (نعوذ بالله).
- When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent, the heavens were blocked to shayatin, and they could no longer eavesdrop.
◈ Statement of Ibn ‘Abbas (RA)
- He said: “Asif” was the scribe of Sulayman (علیہ السلام).
- He knew Allah’s Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘zam) and would write everything Sulayman (علیہ السلام) ordered.
- He would then bury those writings beneath the throne.
- After Sulayman (علیہ السلام) passed away, the devils uncovered them.
- They inserted lines of magic and disbelief, claiming: “This was Sulayman’s knowledge.”
- Ignorant people began attributing kufr and sorcery to Sulayman (علیہ السلام).
- Scholars resisted, but the ignorant persisted until Allah revealed the Qur’an and clarified the truth.
Conclusion
- Sulayman (علیہ السلام) never practiced sorcery.
- Magic and teaching of it was the act of devils, not a Prophet of Allah.
- Allah vindicated Sulayman (علیہ السلام) in the Qur’an, declaring:
“Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic.” [al-Baqarah: 102]
