The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was affected by magic, as narrated from Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها:
سحر رسول اللہ ﷺ رجل من بنی زریق یقال لہ: لبید بن الأعصم، حتی کان رسول اللہ ﷺ یخیل الیہ أنہ یفعل الشیء وما فعلہ، حتی اذا کان ذات یوم أو ذات لیلۃ، وھو عندی، لکنہ دعا و دعا، ثم قال: یا عائشۃ! أشعرت أن اللہ أفتانی فیما استفتیتہ فیہ، أتانی رجلان فقعد أحدھما عند رأسی والآخر عند رجلی، فقال أحدھما لصاحبہ: ما وجع الرجل، فقال: مطبوب، قال: من طبہ؟ قال: لبید بن الأعصم، قال: فی أی شیء؟ قال: فی مشط و مشاطۃ وجف طلع نخلۃ ذکر، قال: وأین ھو؟ قال: فی بئر ذروان، فأتاھا رسول اللہ ﷺ فی ناس من أصحابہ، فجاء، فقال: یا عائشۃ! کأن ماء ھا نقاعۃ الحناء، أو کأن رؤوس نخلھا رؤوس الشیاطین، قلت: یا رسول اللہ! أفلا استخرجہ؟ قال: قد عافانی اللہ، فکرھت أن أثور علی الناس فیہ شرا، فأمربھا، فدفنت.
A man named Labid bin Al-A’sam from Banu Zuraiq cast a spell on the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. You would think you were doing something, but in reality, nothing was happening. Until one day or night when you ﷺ were with me, you repeatedly prayed, then said, “O Aisha! Do you know that Allah Almighty has informed me of what I was asking Him?” Two men came to me, one sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them asked the other, “What is wrong with this man?” He said, “He has been bewitched.” He asked, “Who did it?” He said, “Labid bin Al-A’sam.” He asked, “With what?” He said, “A comb, hair, and the flower of a male date palm.” He asked, “Where is it?” He said, “In the well of Zarwan.” You ﷺ went there with some of the companions, then returned and said, “O Aisha! The water of this well seemed as if it was mixed with henna, and its dates seemed like the heads of devils.” (Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates) I asked, “Did you remove it?” He said, “No, Allah Almighty has granted me health and healing. I feared that its evil would spread among the people.”
This unanimously agreed upon hadith is a decisive proof and a great argument that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was affected by magic. It should be noted that magic is a disease, and like other diseases, it could also afflict the Prophets. Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith is it mentioned that the Prophets, peace be upon them, cannot be affected by magic.
This hadith is “authentic” by consensus. However, the Mu’tazila sect denies it; they consider the Quran to be created and not only reject this hadith but also many other authentic hadiths.
As
states:
المعتزلۃ تردون ألفی حدیث من حدیث النبی ﷺ أو نحو ألفی حدیث.
“The Mu’tazila deny about two thousand or so hadiths of the Prophet.”
Some Mu’tazila of our time have raised rational and transmitted objections to this hadith. Let us examine these objections scientifically and investigatively:
Objection Number 1:
Its narrator Hisham ibn Urwah is a “Mudallis” (one who practices Tadlees).
Answer:
(1) There is consensus and agreement on Hisham bin Urwah being “trustworthy.” The narrator who criticized him, Ibn Khurash, is himself “weak,” therefore that criticism is rejected.
Although Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him among the first category of “mudallis” (those who practice tadlis), his being a “mudallis” is not proven. The statement
on which he was labeled as “mudallis” is not established, and the narrator of that story, Abdullah bin Ali bin al-Madini, is not proven to be reliable.
(2) Hisham bin Urwah bin Urwah bin Zubair has explicitly stated “hadathani” (he narrated to me) from his father in
. والحمد للہ علی ذلک!
(3) The narrations of “mudallis” in the Sahihayn are based on direct hearing (sama’).
Objection Number 2:
The famous Mu’tazili Habib ur Rahman Kandhlawi Hayati Deobandi Sahib writes: “No one except Hisham narrates this tradition, and Hisham’s mind failed in 132 AH. In fact, Hafiz Aqili writes: قد خرف فی آخر عمرہ. He went senile in his old age, so what proof is there that this tradition is from before the senility?”
Answer:
This is merely a fabricated accusation; Hafiz Aqili’s statement could not be found. None of the earlier Imams accused him of confusion. Secondly, all the narrations of confused narrators in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are attributed to the period before their confusion.
As Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes about a confused narrator:
وما کان فی الصحیحین عنہ محمول علی الأخذ عنہ قبل اختلاطہ.
“And whatever is transmitted from them in the two Sahihs is attributed to the period before their confusion.”
Warning:
called Hisham “mixed”
. In response to this, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: We have not seen any predecessor (Salaf) saying this about him.
Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
وھشام ، فلم یختلط قط، ھذا أمر مقطوع بہ.
“Hisham was never mixed; this is definite.”
He also states:
فقول ابن القطان : أنہ مختلط، قول مردود و مرذول.
“Ibn al-Qattan calling him mixed is rejected and not worthy of attention.”
Furthermore, he says:
ولا عبرۃ.
“It holds no credibility.”
After this clarification, it is understood that the statement of Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him, is not worthy of attention.
Objection Number 3:
Habib ur-Rahman Kandhlawi Deobandi Sahib writes:
“Among Hisham’s famous students, Imam Malik does not narrate this tradition, nor does any of the people of Medina narrate this tradition. All the narrators from Hisham are Iraqi, and coincidentally, a few days after reaching Iraq, Hisham lost his mind.”
Answer:
This is a false story. What is the evidence for “Hisham lost his mind”? You have observed the explanations of Hafiz Ibn Hajar ؒ. Secondly, two of Hisham’s students from Medina have also narrated from him:
1. Anas bin Iyad Al-Madani
2. Abdul Rahman bin Abi Al-Zinad Al-Madani (ثقہ عند الجمھور)
Therefore, Kandhlawi Sahib’s statement that “no one from the people of Medina narrates this tradition” is a gross false story. والحمد للہ!
Those who spread such fabricated destruction against the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ should remember the Day of Reckoning.
Objection Number 4:
The famous Hadith denier Shabbir Ahmad Azhar Meerthi Sahib 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 (RA).”
Answer:
1. When the narrator’s meeting with his teacher is established and the narrator is not a “mudallis” (one who conceals defects in the chain), then his narration with عن is considered connected and based on direct hearing by the scholars of hadith. Urwah’s meeting and hearing from Sayyida Aisha (RA) is established. See
Imam Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) is also not a mudallis, therefore the chain is connected.
Dear readers, this was the entire universe of the deniers of the hadith related to magic, whose end you have witnessed.
Some people consider this Hadith of Aisha (RA) to be against the Holy Quran. Our answer is that by consensus, an authentic Hadith is not against the Holy Quran. Which verse of the Quran indicates 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 therefore they described the Prophethood and Messengership of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as magic.
Secondly, the Quran has provided evidence of magic being performed on Musa (AS). The command of Allah Almighty is:
قَالَ بَلۡ اَلۡقُوۡا ۚ فَاِذَا حِبَالُہُمۡ وَ عِصِیُّہُمۡ یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیۡہِ مِنۡ سِحۡرِہِمۡ اَنَّہَا تَسۡعٰی
Regarding the magic of those magicians, the Quran has declared:
Translation: “And they brought a very great magic.”
The proof of magic on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been given by Hadith along with انہی قرآنی الفاظ یُخَیَّلُ اِلَیْہِ.
The answer that deniers of Hadith will give regarding this verse will be the same answer for our Hadith about magic.
Furthermore, the scholars of Hadith have understood from this Hadith of Aisha (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was affected by magic, which the Mu’tazila deny by considering it impossible.
The divine scholar Sheikh al-Islam Thani Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
وھذا الحدیث ثابت عند أھل العلم بالحدیث متلقی بالقبول بینھم، لایختلفون فی صحتہ، وقد اعتاض علی کثیر من أھل الکلام وغیرھم و أنکروا أشد الانکار و قابلو ہ بالتکذیب و صنف بعضھم مصنفا مفردا، حمل فیہ علیہ ھشام، وکان غایۃ ما أحسن القوم فیہ أنہ قال غلط و اشتبہ علیہ الأمر، ولم یکن من ھذا شیء ، قال: لأن النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم لا یجوز أن یسحر، فانہ یکون تصدیقا لقول الکفار: (اِنْ تَتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا رَجُلاً مَسْحُوْ رًا) (الاسراء : ۱۰۱)،وقال قوم صالح لہ : (الشعراء: ۱۸۵) قالو ا : فالانبیاء لایجوز علیھم آن یسحروا، فان ذلک ینافی حمایۃ اللہ لھم وعصمتھم من الشیاطین ، وھذا الذی قالہ ھؤلاء مردود عند أھل العلم، فان ھشام من أوثق الناس او أعلمھم، ولم یقدح فیہ أحد من الأءمۃ بما یوجب رد حدیثہ، فما للمتکلمین، وما لھذا الشأن، وقد رواہ غیر ھشام عن عائشۃ، وقد اتفق أصحاب الصحیحین علی تصحیح ھذا الحدیث، ولم یتکلم فیہ أحد من أھل الحدیث بکلمۃ واحدۃ، و القصۃ مشھورۃ عند أھل التفسیر و السنن و الحدیث و التاریخ و الفقھاء، وھؤلاء أعلم بأحوال رسول اللہ وأیّامہ من المتکلمین۔
According to those knowledgeable in Hadith, this Hadith is proven authentic, and they accept it without any disagreement regarding its authenticity. However, many theologians and others have objected to it and have strongly denied it, calling it false. Some of them have even written entire books on the matter, in which they have criticized Hisham ibn Urwah. The most significant argument made is that Hisham ibn Urwah erred and the matter became doubtful regarding him. They say this because it is impossible for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to be affected by magic, as saying so would be confirming the words of the disbelievers. They said to the Muslims: Translation: You follow a man who is bewitched.
The same was said by Pharaoh to Moses ﷺ: Translation: O Moses, I think you are bewitched.
The people of Saleh said to him: Translation: Surely you are among the bewitched.
And the people of Shu’ayb ﷺ said to him: Translation: Surely you are among the bewitched.
Furthermore, these (Hadith deniers) argue that it is impossible for the Prophets to be bewitched because that would contradict Allah’s support for them and His protection of them from the devils.
What they have said is rejected by the scholars, because Hisham ibn Urwah was more knowledgeable and trustworthy than all the people of his time. No Imam has said anything about him that would necessitate rejecting this hadith. The theologians have no relation to this field (hadith), meaning their criticism of Hisham is not valid. Moreover, other narrators besides Hisham have also narrated this hadith from Lady Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا). Imam Bukhari and Muslim (رضی اللہ عنہم) agreed on the authenticity of this hadith. None of the muhaddithin have said a single word about the weakness of this hadith. This incident is well-known among mufassireen, muhaddithin, historians, and jurists, and these people are more knowledgeable about the events and circumstances of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than the theologians.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمہ اللہ) quotes Allama Mazari:
أنکر بعض المبتدعۃ ھذا الحدیث، وزعموا انہ یحط منصب النبوۃ ویشکک فیھا، قالوا: وکل ماأدی الی ذالک فھو باطل، وزعموا أن تجویز ھذا یعدم الثقۃ بما شرعوہ من الشرائع، اذ یحتمل علی ھذا أن یخیل الیہ أنہ یری جبریئل، ولیس ھو ثم وأنہ یوحی الیہ بشیء، ولم یوح الیہ شیء، وھذا کلہ مردود، لأن الدلیل قد قام علی صدق النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم فیما یبلغہ عن اللہ تعالیٰ و علی عصمتہ فی التبلیغ، و المعجزات شاھدات بتصدیقہ، فتجویز ما قام الدلیل علی خلافہ باطل، و أمَا ما یتعلق ببعض أمور الدنیا التی لم یبعث لأجلھا، ولا کانت الرسالۃ من أجلھا، فھو فی ذالک عرضۃ لما یعترض البشر کالأ مراض، فغیر بعید أن یخیل الیہ الیہ من أمر من أمور الدنیا مالا حقیقۃ لہ مع عصمتہ عن مثل ذالک من أمور الدین، وقد قال بعض الناس: ان المراد بالحدیث أنہ کان صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم یخیل الیہ أنہ وطیء زوجاتہ، ولم یکن وطأھن ، وھذا کثیر ما یقع تخلیہ للانسان فی المنام، فلا یبعد أن یخیل الیہ فی الیقظۃ۔
‘‘Mazhari states that some innovators have denied this hadith and have assumed that this hadith undermines the status of prophethood and creates doubts and suspicions in it. According to them, anything that leads to this is false, and they have claimed that considering magic possible upon the prophets destroys the trust in the laws they have conveyed, because it is possible that they might mistake seeing Jibreel when he is not there, and also that revelation is given to him but he thinks no revelation has come to him.
All these doubts are rejected, because a proof has come from Allah Almighty that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is truthful in his preaching and free from error. Moreover, your miracles testify to this fact. Therefore, presenting possibilities against something that has already been proven is invalid. As for matters related to the worldly life, Allah Almighty did not send His Prophet for them, nor does prophethood concern them. Hence, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also experiences these matters like ordinary people, such as illnesses. Therefore, it is not unlikely for you to have an unfounded thought in worldly matters, while you ﷺ are completely protected from this in religious matters. Some people say that the meaning of the hadith is that you used to think that you had intercourse with your wives, whereas that did not happen. This is something that often happens to people even in dreams, so it is not unlikely for this situation to occur to you while awake…’’
This matter is also clarified by the words of the hadith:
حتیٰ کان یری أنہ یأتی النساء، ولا یأتیھن.
“Until you think that you are coming to your wives, while you were not coming.”
Also, Hafiz Ibn Hajar mentions from Mahlab:
صون النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم من الشیاطین لا یمنع ارادتھم کیدہ، فقد مضیٰ فی الصحیح أن شیطانا أراد أن یفسد علیہ صلاتہ، فأمکنہ اللہ منہ، فکذلک السحر، مانالہ من ضررہ مایدخل نقصا علی ما یتعلق بالتبلیغ، بل ہو من جنس ما کان ینالہ من ضرر سائر الأمراض من ضعف عن الکلام ، أو بحجز عن بعض الفعل، أو حدوث تخیل لا یستمر، بل یزول و یبطل اللہ کید الشیاطین۔
“The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being protected from devils does not negate the possibility of evil plots against him ﷺ. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari that a devil intended to disrupt the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer, but Allah granted him power over it. Similarly, in the matter of magic, the Prophet ﷺ did not suffer any harm that affected the propagation of religion; rather, he endured the same discomforts as from other illnesses, such as difficulty in speech, refraining from certain actions, or temporary distractions. Allah would nullify and remove the devils’ plots against him ﷺ.”
The Deobandi “Grand Mufti” Muhammad Shafi Deobandi Karachi Sahib writes: “It is possible for any prophet or messenger to be affected by magic, just as they can be affected by illness, because the prophets ﷺ are not exempt from human characteristics; they can get wounded, have fever and pain, and similarly, magic can also have an effect, because it also occurs through specific causes, natural elements, jinn, etc. And there is an authentic hadith that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was affected by magic. In the last verse, the disbelievers called him ‘bewitched,’ and the Quran refuted this. The conclusion, as indicated in the summary of the tafsir, is that their intention by calling him ‘bewitched’ was actually to call him insane, which the Quran denied. Therefore, the hadith about magic is neither against nor contradictory to this.”
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi Sahib writes: “The meaning that the disbelievers took from the word ‘possessed’ does not necessarily imply that no kind of magic (sorcery) could have any temporary effect on the Prophet in any degree. This verse is Makki. In Madinah, the incident of the Jews casting magic is mentioned in the Sahihs, the effect of which lasted for a few days to the extent that sometimes there was forgetfulness in some worldly matters.” (Tafseer Usmani)
Janab Muhammad Hussain Naeemi Deobandi Sahib writes: “A Jew also cast magic on you.”
Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi Sahib writes: “Magic and its effect are true; secondly, magic can have an effect on the body of the Prophet.”
Finally, we present the statement of Allama Aini Hanafi, which removes all doubts and suspicions. Aini Hanafi writes:
ان ذالک السحر لم یضرہ، لأنہ لم یتغیر علیہ شیء من من الوحی ، ولا دخلت علیہ داخلۃ فی الشریعۃ، و انما اعتراہ شیء من التخیل و الوھم، ثم لم یترکہ اللہ علی ذالک، بل تدارکہ بعصمتہ و أعلمہ موضع السحر و أعلمہ استخراجہ و حلہ عنہ کما دفع اللہ عنہ السم بکلام الذراع الثالث أن ھذا السح انما تسلط علی ظاھرہ، لا علی قلبہ عقلہ و اعتقادہ و السحر مرض من الأمراض و عارض من العلل، یجوز علیہ کؤنواع الّأمراض، فلا یقدح فی نبوتہ، ویجوز طروہ علیہ فی أمر الدنیا، وھو فیھا عرضۃ للآفات کسائر البشر۔
‘‘Undoubtedly, this magic harmed the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, because nothing in the revelation changed, nor was there any interference in the Shariah. So, what affected the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was something from imagination and delusion. Then Allah Almighty did not leave you ﷺ in that state, but not only protected you from it, He also remedied it. He informed you of the place of the magic, taught you how to remove it, and you eliminated it, just as when the flesh on the goat’s horn spoke and removed its poison from you. The third point is that the magic affected your outward appearance, not your heart, mind, or belief. Magic is one of the diseases and one of the illnesses, and like other illnesses, it is possible for you to be afflicted by it. Therefore, this does not create any defect in your prophethood. In worldly matters, its effect on you is possible; like other humans, calamities can also befall you ﷺ in worldly affairs.’’
Also writes:
وقد اعترض بعض الملحدین علی حدیث عائشۃ وقالوا: کیف یجوز السحر علی رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم و السحر کفر و عمل من أعمال الشیاطین، فکیف یصل ضررہ الی النبی مع حیاطۃ اللہ لہ و تسدیدہ ایاہ بملاتکتہ و صون الوحی عن الشیاطین و أجیب بأن ھذا اعتراض فاسد و عناد للقرآن، لأن اللہ تعالیٰ قال لرسولہ: قل أعوذ برب الفلق الی قولہ: فی العقد، و النفاثات السواحر فی العقد کما ینفث الراقی فی الرقیۃ حین سحر، ولیس فی جواز ذلک علیہ ما یدل علی أن ذلک یلزمہ أبدا، أو یدخل علیہ داخلۃ فی شیء من ذاتہ أو شریعتہ، و انما کان لہ من ضرر السحر ماینال المریض من ضرر الحمی و البرسام من ضعف الکلام و سوء التخیل، ثم زال ذالک عنہ و أبطل اللہ کید السحر، وقد قام الجماع فی عصمتہ فی الرسالتہ۔۔۔ ‘‘
Some atheists (godless people) have objected to the hadith of Sayyida Aisha (RA) and said how could the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ be affected by magic, as this is disbelief and one of the acts of Satan? How could harm come to the Prophet when Allah had protected him, guided him through angels, and safeguarded the revelation from Satan? The answer given is that this objection is flawed and based on spite against the Quran, because Allah taught His Prophet ﷺ Surah Al-Falaq, in which “an-naffathat” means women who blow spells into knots, just as a magician performs magic. There is nothing wrong in saying that magic could affect the Prophet, which does not imply that it was always upon him or that there was any defect in his person or Shariah. The harm caused by the magic was like the harm a sick person suffers from fever, such as weakness in speech, corruption of thoughts, etc. Then this condition was removed from him, and Allah ended the harm of magic upon him. It is agreed upon that the Prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ remained protected from the effects of this magic.
Doubt:
Some people express the doubt that a solitary report (khabar-e-waahid) is not a proof in matters of belief, therefore in this issue as well, a solitary report is not a proof.
Refutation:
This issue does not pertain to belief; however, the reality and effect of magic do relate to belief.
Even in belief, a solitary report is a proof and evidence. Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
وھذا التفریق باطل باجماع الأمۃ۔ ‘‘
There is consensus on the invalidity of this distinction (that a solitary report is proof in practice, but not in belief).’’
That the Prophet was affected by magic is proven from the Qur’an, therefore objections on the basis of the hadith are baseless.
Conclusion:
Just as the Prophet could be afflicted by any disease other than madness, similarly magic can also affect worldly matters; there is consensus of the Ummah on this, and none among Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah denies it.
