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Verse 102-103

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وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتۡلُوا۟ ٱلشَّیَـٰطِینُ عَلَىٰ مُلۡكِ سُلَیۡمَـٰنَۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَیۡمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّیَـٰطِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ یُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحۡرَ وَمَاۤ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلۡمَلَكَیۡنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـٰرُوتَ وَمَـٰرُوتَۚ وَمَا یُعَلِّمَانِ مِنۡ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ یَقُولَاۤ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ فِتۡنَةࣱ فَلَا تَكۡفُرۡۖ فَیَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنۡهُمَا مَا یُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَیۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَزَوۡجِهِۦۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَاۤرِّینَ بِهِۦ مِنۡ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَیَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا یَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا یَنفَعُهُمۡۚ وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشۡتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِی ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنۡ خَلَـٰقࣲۚ وَلَبِئۡسَ مَا شَرَوۡا۟ بِهِۦۤ أَنفُسَهُمۡۚ لَوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ. وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوۡا۟ لَمَثُوبَةࣱ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ خَیۡرࣱۚ لَّوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ

بابُ السِّحْرِ وحُكْمُ السّاحِرِ The Chapter of Magic and the Ruling on the Magician

قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿واتَّبَعُوا ما تَتْلُو الشَّياطِينُ عَلى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمانَ وما كَفَرَ سُلَيْمانُ﴾ إلى آخَرِ القِصَّةِ Allah the Exalted said: {And they followed [instead] what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. And it was not Solomon who disbelieved} to the end of the story.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: الواجِبُ أنْ نُقَدِّمَ القَوْلَ في السِّحْرِ لِخَفائِهِ عَلى كَثِيرٍ مِن أهْلِ العِلْمِ فَضْلًا عَنِ العامَّةِ، ثُمَّ نُعَقِّبُهُ بِالكَلامِ في حُكْمِهِ في مُقْتَضى الآيَةِ في المَعانِي والأحْكامِ، فَنَقُولُ: إنَّ أهْلَ اللُّغَةِ يَذْكُرُونَ أنَّ أصْلَهُ في اللُّغَةِ لِما لَطُفَ وخَفِيَ سَبَبُهُ، والسَّحْرُ عِنْدَهم بِالفَتْحِ وهو الغِذاءِ لِخَفائِهِ ولُطْفِ مَجارِيهِ. قالَ لَبِيدٌ: Abu Bakr said: It is necessary that we present the discourse on magic first, due to its obscurity to many of the people of knowledge, let alone the common people. Then, we will follow it with the discussion of its ruling according to the implication of the verse in its meanings and rulings. So we say: The people of the language mention that its origin in the language is for that which is subtle and its cause is hidden. And al-sahr (with a fathah) according to them is nourishment, due to its hiddenness and the subtlety of its passages. Labid said:

أرانا مَوْضِعَيْنِ لِأمْرِ غَيْبٍ ونُسْحِرُ بِالطَّعامِ وبِالشَّرابِ “He shows us two places for a matter of the unseen, and we are bewitched (nusharu) by food and by drink.”

قِيلِ: فِيهِ وجْهانِ: نُعَلَّلُ ونُخْدَعُ كالمَسْحُورِ والمَخْدُوعِ، والآخَرُ: نُغَذّى، وأيَّ الوَجْهَيْنِ كانَ فَمَعْناهُ الخَفاءُ وقالَ آخَرُ: It is said: There are two interpretations of this: we are diverted and deceived like one who is bewitched and deceived; and the other: we are nourished. And whichever of the two interpretations it is, its meaning is hiddenness. And another said:

فَإنْ تَسْألِينا فِيمَ نَحْنُ فَإنَّنا ∗∗∗ عَصافِيرُ مِن هَذا الأنامِ المُسَحَّرِ “So if you ask us what we are, indeed we are sparrows from this bewitched (musahhar) creation.”

وهَذا البَيْتُ يَحْتَمِلُ مِنَ المَعْنى ما احْتَمَلَهُ الأوَّلُ، ويَحْتَمِلُ أيْضًا أنَّهُ أرادَ بِالمُسَحَّرِ أنَّهُ ذُو سِحْرٍ والسَّحْرُ الرِّئَةُ وما يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالحُلْقُومِ، وهَذا يَرْجِعُ إلى مَعْنى الخَفاءِ، ومِنهُ قَوْلُ عائِشَةَ: " تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ سَحْرِي ونَحْرِي “، وقَوْلُهُ تَعالى ﴿إنَّما أنْتَ مِنَ المُسَحَّرِينَ﴾ [الشعراء: ١٥٣] يَعْنِي مِنَ المَخْلُوقِ الَّذِي يُطْعَمُ ويُسْقى، ويَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى ﴿وما أنْتَ إلا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنا﴾ [الشعراء: ١٨٦] وكَقَوْلِهِ تَعالى: ﴿مالِ هَذا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعامَ ويَمْشِي في الأسْواقِ﴾ [الفرقان: ٧] ويُحْتَمَلُ أنَّهُ ذُو سِحْرٍ مِثْلُنا وإنَّما يُذْكَرُ السِّحْرُ في مِثْلِ هَذِهِ المَواضِعِ لِضَعْفِ هَذِهِ الأجْسادِ ولَطافَتِها ورِقَّتِها وبِها مَعَ ذَلِكَ قَوامُ الإنْسانِ، فَمَن كانَ بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ فَهو ضَعِيفٌ مُحْتاجٌ. وهَذا هو مَعْنى السِّحْرِ في اللُّغَةِ، ثُمَّ نُقِلَ هَذا الِاسْمُ إلى كُلِّ أمْرٍ خَفِيَ سَبَبُهُ وتُخُيِّلَ عَلى غَيْرِ حَقِيقَتِهِ ويَجْرِي مَجْرى التَّمْوِيهِ والخِداعِ، This verse can carry the same meaning as the first one, and it can also be that he intended by al-musahhar one who has a sihr. And al-sihr is the lung and what is attached to the windpipe, and this goes back to the meaning of hiddenness. And from it is the statement of `A’ishah: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away between my sahr and my nahr (chest).” And His, the Exalted’s, statement {You are only of the bewitched (al-musahharin)} [Al-Shu’ara: 153] means of the creation that is fed and given drink. And indicating this is His, the Exalted’s, statement {You are not but a man like us} [Al-Shu’ara: 186] and like His, the Exalted’s, statement: {What is this messenger that eats food and walks in the markets?} [Al-Furqan: 7]. And it is possible that it means one who has a sihr (lung) like us. And the sihr is only mentioned in such contexts because of the weakness of these bodies, their subtlety, and their delicacy, and yet through them is the sustenance of man. So whoever is of this description is weak and needy. And this is the meaning of sihr in the language. Then this name was transferred to every matter whose cause is hidden and is imagined to be other than its reality, and it runs in the course of deception and trickery.

ومَتى أُطْلِقَ ولَمْ يُقَيَّدْ أفادَ ذَمَّ فاعِلِهِ وقَدْ أُجْرِيَ مُقَيَّدًا فِيما يُمْتَدَحُ ويُحْمَدُ كَما رُوِيَ: «إنَّ مِنَ البَيانِ لَسِحْرًا» . And whenever it is used absolutely and not restricted, it conveys censure of its doer. And it has been used in a restricted manner for what is praised and commended, as has been narrated: “Indeed, some eloquence is magic.”

حَدَّثَنا عَبْدُ الباقِي قالَ: حَدَّثَنا إبْراهِيمُ الحَرّانِيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا سُلَيْمانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا حَمّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قالَ: «قَدِمَ عَلى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الزِّبْرِقانُ بْنُ بَدْرٍ وعَمْرُو بْنُ الأهْتَمِ وقَيْسُ بْنُ عاصِمٍ، فَقالَ لِعَمْرٍو: خَبِّرْنِي عَنِ الزِّبْرِقانَ فَقالَ: مُطاعٌ في نادِيهِ، شَدِيدُ العارِضَةِ مانِعٌ لِما وراءَ ظَهْرِهِ فَقالَ الزِّبْرِقانُ: هو واللَّهِ يَعْلَمْ أنِّي أفْضَلُ مِنهُ فَقالَ عَمْرٌو: إنَّهُ زَمِرُ المُرُوءَةِ ضَيِّقُ العَطَنِ أحْمَقُ الأبِ لَئِيمُ الخالِ يا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَدَقْتَ فِيهِ لَمّا أرْضانِي فَقُلْتُ أحْسَنَ ما عَلِمْتُ، وأسْخَطَنِي فَقُلْتُ أسْوَأُ ما عَلِمْتُ فَقالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إنَّ مِنَ البَيانِ لَسِحْرًا» . Abd al-Baqi narrated to us, he said: Ibrahim al-Harrani narrated to us, he said: Sulayman ibn Harb narrated to us, he said: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us from Muhammad ibn al-Zubayr, he said: “Al-Zibriqan ibn Badr, Amr ibn al-Ahtam, and Qays ibn Asim came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So he said to Amr: 'Tell me about al-Zibriqan.' He said: 'He is obeyed in his assembly, strong in argument, protective of what is behind his back.' So al-Zibriqan said: 'By Allah, he knows that I am better than him.' So Amr said: ‘Indeed, he is of scant manliness, of narrow-mindedness, foolish of father, ignoble of maternal uncle. O Messenger of Allah, I spoke the truth about him. When he pleased me, I said the best I knew, and he angered me, so I said the worst I knew.’ So he, upon him be peace, said: ‘Indeed, some eloquence is magic.’”

وحَدَّثَنا إبْراهِيمُ الحَرّانِيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مالِكُ بْنُ أنَسٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أسْلَمَ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قالَ: «قَدِمَ رَجُلانِ فَخَطَبَ أحَدُهُما فَعَجِبَ النّاسُ لِذَلِكَ، فَقالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: إنَّ مِنَ البَيانِ لَسِحْرًا» . And Ibrahim al-Harrani narrated to us, he said: Mus’ab ibn Abd Allah narrated to us, he said: Malik ibn Anas narrated to us from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ibn `Umar, he said: “Two men came, and one of them gave a speech, and the people were amazed by it. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Indeed, some eloquence is magic.’”

قالَ: وحَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبُو داوُدَ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيى بْنِ فارِسٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبُو تُمَيْلَةَ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبُو جَعْفَرٍ النَّحْوِيُّ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ ثابِتٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنِي صَخْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «إنَّ مِنَ البَيانِ لَسِحْرًا، وإنَّ مِنَ العِلْمِ جَهْلًا، وإنَّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ حِكَمًا، وإنَّ مِنَ القَوْلِ عِيالًا» . He said: And Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, he said: Abu Dawud narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Faris narrated to us, he said: Sa’id ibn Muhammad narrated to us, he said: Abu Tumaylah narrated to us, he said: Abu Ja’far al-Nahwi Abd Allah ibn Thabit narrated to us, he said: Sakhr ibn Abd Allah ibn Buraydah narrated to me from his father from his grandfather, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Indeed, some eloquence is magic, and indeed, some knowledge is ignorance, and indeed, some poetry is wisdom, and indeed, some speech is a burden.”

قالَ صَعْصَعَةُ بْنُ صُوحانَ: صَدَقَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ أمّا قَوْلُهُ: " إنَّ مِنَ البَيانِ لَسِحْرًا " فالرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ الحَقُّ وهو ألْحَنُ بِالحُجَجِ مِن صاحِبِ الحَقِّ فَيَسْحَرُ القَوْمَ بِبَيانِهِ فَيَذْهَبُ بِالحَقِّ. Sa’sa’ah ibn Suhan said: The Prophet of Allah spoke the truth. As for his statement: “Indeed, some eloquence is magic,” it is when a man has the truth against him, yet he is more eloquent with arguments than the possessor of the truth, so he bewitches the people with his eloquence and takes away the truth.

وأمّا قَوْلُهُ: " مِنَ العِلْمِ جَهْلًا " فَيَتَكَلَّفُ العالِمُ إلى عِلْمِهِ ما لا يَعْلَمُ فَيُجَهِّلُهُ ذَلِكَ وأمّا قَوْلُهُ: " إنَّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ حِكَمًا " فَهي هَذِهِ الأمْثالُ والمَواعِظُ الَّتِي يَتَّعِظُ بِها النّاسُ وأمّا قَوْلُهُ: " إنَّ مِنَ القَوْلِ عِيالًا " فَعَرْضُكَ كَلامَكَ وحَدِيثَكَ عَلى مَن لَيْسَ مِن شَأْنِهِ ولا يُرِيدُهُ فَسَمّى النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ بَعْضَ البَيانِ سِحْرًا؛ لِأنَّ صاحِبَهُ بَيْنَ أنْ يُنْبِئَ عَنْ حَقٍّ فَيُوضِحَهُ ويُجَلِّيَهِ بِحُسْنِ بَيانِهِ بَعْدَ أنْ كانَ خَفِيّا؛ فَهَذا مِنَ السِّحْرِ الحَلالِ الَّذِي أقَرَّ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ عَمْرَو بْنَ الأهْتَمِ عَلَيْهِ ولَمْ يُسْخِطْهُ مِنهُ. And as for his statement: “[some] of knowledge is ignorance,” it is when the scholar burdens himself with, in addition to his knowledge, what he does not know, and that makes him ignorant. And as for his statement: “Indeed, some poetry is wisdom,” it is these proverbs and exhortations by which people are admonished. And as for his statement: “Indeed, some speech is a burden,” it is your presenting your words and your talk to one who is not concerned with it nor wants it. So the Prophet, upon him be peace, named some eloquence magic because its possessor is either informing of a truth, so he clarifies it and makes it manifest with his fine eloquence after it had been hidden—and this is from the lawful magic which the Prophet, upon him be peace, approved from `Amr ibn al-Ahtam and was not displeased with him for it.

ورُوِيَ أنَّ رَجُلًا تَكَلَّمَ بِكَلامٍ بَلِيغٍ عِنْدَ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ العَزِيزِ فَقالَ عُمَرُ: " هَذا واللَّهِ السِّحْرُ الحَلالُ " وبَيْنَ أنْ يُصَوِّرَ الباطِلَ في صُورَةِ الحَقِّ بِبَيانِهِ ويَخْدَعَ السّامِعِينَ بِتَمْوِيهِهِ ومَتى أُطْلِقَ فَهو اسْمٌ لِكُلِّ أمْرٍ مُمَوَّهٍ باطِلٍ لا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ ولا ثَباتَ، قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿سَحَرُوا أعْيُنَ النّاسِ﴾ [الأعراف: ١١٦] يَعْنِي مَوَّهُوا عَلَيْهِمْ حَتّى ظَنُّوا أنَّ حِبالَهم وعِصِيَّهم تَسْعى وقالَ: ﴿يُخَيَّلُ إلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أنَّها تَسْعى﴾ [طه: ٦٦] فَأخْبَرَ أنَّ ما ظَنُّوهُ سَعْيًا مِنها لَمْ يَكُنْ سَعْيًا وإنَّما كانَ تَخْيِيلًا وقَدْ قِيلَ: إنَّها كانَتْ عِصِيًّا مُجَوَّفَةً قَدْ مُلِئَتْ زِئْبَقًا، وكَذَلِكَ الحِبالُ كانَتْ مَعْمُولَةً مِن أدَمٍ مَحْشُوَّةً زِئْبَقًا، وقَدْ حَفَرُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ تَحْتَ المَواضِعِ أسْرابًا وجَعَلُوا آزاجًا ومَلَئُوها نارًا، فَلَمّا طُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ وحَمِيَ الزِّئْبَقُ حَرَّكَها؛ لِأنَّ مِن شَأْنِ الزِّئْبَقِ إذا أصابَتْهُ النّارُ أنْ يَطِيرَ، فَأخْبَرَ اللَّهُ أنَّ ذَلِكَ كانَ مُمَوَّهًا عَلى غَيْرِ حَقِيقَتِهِ والعَرَبُ تَقُولُ لِضَرْبٍ مِنَ الحُلِيِّ " مَسْحُورٌ " أيْ مُمَوَّهٌ عَلى مَن رَآهُ مَسْحُورٌ بِهِ عَيْنُهُ فَما كانَ مِنَ البَيانِ عَلى حَقٍّ ويُوَضِّحُهُ فَهو مِنَ السِّحْرِ الحَلالِ، وما كانَ مِنهُ مَقْصُودًا بِهِ إلى تَمْوِيهٍ وخَدِيعَةٍ وتَصْوِيرِ باطِلٍ في صُورَةِ الحَقِّ فَهو مِنَ السِّحْرِ المَذْمُومِ. And it was narrated that a man spoke with eloquent words in the presence of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, so Umar said: “This, by Allah, is the lawful magic.” Or he may portray falsehood in the image of truth with his eloquence and deceive the listeners with his illusion. And whenever it is used absolutely, it is a name for every deceptive, false matter that has no reality and no stability. Allah the Exalted said: {They bewitched the eyes of the people} [Al-A’raf: 116], meaning they deceived them until they thought that their ropes and their staffs were moving. And He said: {It was imagined to him from their magic that they were moving} [Taha: 66]. So He informed that what they thought was movement from them was not movement, but was only an illusion. And it has been said: they were hollowed-out staffs that had been filled with mercury, and likewise the ropes were made of leather stuffed with mercury. And they had dug before that, under the places, tunnels and made vaults and filled them with fire. So when they were thrown upon it and the mercury heated up, it moved them, because it is the nature of mercury, when fire touches it, to fly. So Allah informed that this was a deception not upon its reality. And the Arabs call a type of jewelry “bewitched” (mashur), meaning deceptive to whoever sees it, his eye being bewitched by it. So whatever eloquence is upon truth and clarifies it, it is from the lawful magic. And whatever of it is intended for deception, trickery, and portraying falsehood in the image of truth, it is from the blameworthy magic.

فَإنْ قِيلَ: إذا كانَ مَوْضُوعُ السِّحْرِ التَّمْوِيهَ والإخْفاءَ؛ فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ أنْ يُسَمّى ما يُوَضِّحُ الحَقَّ ويُنْبِئُ عَنْهُ سِحْرًا، وهو إنَّما أظْهَرَ بِذَلِكَ ما خَفِيَ ولَمْ يَقْصِدْ بِهِ إلى إخْفاءِ ما ظَهَرَ وإظْهارُهُ غَيْرُ حَقِيقَةٍ ؟ If it is said: If the subject of magic is deception and concealment, how is it permissible to call that which clarifies the truth and informs of it magic, when it only made manifest what was hidden and did not intend by it to conceal what was apparent and show it as other than its reality?

قِيلَ لَهُ: سُمِّيَ ذَلِكَ سِحْرًا مِن حَيْثُ كانَ الأغْلَبُ في ظَنِّ السّامِعِ أنَّهُ لَوْ ورَدَ عَلَيْهِ المَعْنى بِلَفْظٍ مُسْتَنْكَرٍ غَيْرِ مُبَيَّنٍ لَما صادَفَ مِنهُ قَبُولًا ولا أصْغى إلَيْهِ، ومَتى سَمِعَ المَعْنى بِعِبارَةٍ مَقْبُولَةٍ عَذْبَةٍ لا فَسادَ فِيها ولا اسْتِنْكارَ وقَدْ تَأتّى لَها بِلَفْظِهِ وحُسْنِ بَيانِهِ بِما لا يَتَأتّى لَهُ الغَبِيُّ الَّذِي لا بَيانَ لَهُ أصْغى إلَيْهِ وسَمِعَهُ وقَبِلَهُ، فَسَمّى اسْتِمالَتَهُ لِلْقُلُوبِ بِهَذا الضَّرْبِ مِنَ البَيانِ سِحْرًا كَما يَسْتَمِيلُ السّاحِرُ قُلُوبَ الحاضِرِينَ إلى ما مَوَّهَ بِهِ ولَبَّسَهُ، فَمِن هَذا الوَجْهِ سُمِّيَ البَيانُ سِحْرًا لا مِنَ الوَجْهِ الَّذِي ظَنَنْتَ ويَجُوزُ أنْ يَكُونَ إنَّما سَمّى البَيانَ سِحْرًا؛ لِأنَّ المُقْتَدِرَ عَلى البَيانِ رُبَّما قَبَّحَ بَيانُهُ بَعْضَ ما هو حَسَنٌ وحَسَّنَ عِنْدَهُ بَعْضَ ما هو قَبِيحٌ فَسَمّاهُ لِذَلِكَ سِحْرًا، كَما سَمّى ما مَوَّهَ بِهِ صاحِبُهُ وأُظْهِرَ عَلى غَيْرِ حَقِيقَةٍ سِحْرًا. It is said to him: It was called magic from the aspect that it is predominant in the listener’s mind that if the meaning came to him in a disagreeable, unclear wording, he would not find it acceptable nor listen to it. But when he hears the meaning in an acceptable, pleasant expression, with no corruption in it nor disagreeableness, and it has been achieved for it by his wording and fine eloquence in a way that is not achieved by the slow-witted who has no eloquence, he listens to it, hears it, and accepts it. So his winning over of hearts with this type of eloquence was called magic, just as the magician wins over the hearts of those present to what he has deceived and confused them with. So from this aspect, eloquence was called magic, not from the aspect that you thought. And it is possible that eloquence was only called magic because the one who is skilled in eloquence may, with his eloquence, make ugly some of what is beautiful and make beautiful to him some of what is ugly, so for that reason he called it magic, just as he called that with which its possessor deceived and showed as other than its reality, magic.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: واسْمُ السِّحْرِ إنَّما أُطْلِقَ عَلى البَيانِ مَجازًا لا حَقِيقَةً والحَقِيقَةُ ما وصَفْنا، ولِذَلِكَ صارَ عِنْدَ الإطْلاقِ إنَّما يَتَناوَلُ كُلَّ أمْرٍ مُمَوَّهٍ قَدْ قُصِدَ بِهِ الخَدِيعَةُ والتَّلْبِيسُ وإظْهارُ ما لا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ ولا ثَباتَ وإذْ قَدْ بَيَّنّا أصْلَ السِّحْرِ في اللُّغَةِ وحُكْمَهُ عِنْدَ الإطْلاقِ والتَّقْيِيدِ فَلْنَقُلْ في مَعْناهُ في التَّعارُفِ والضُّرُوبِ الَّذِي يَشْتَمِلُ عَلَيْها هَذا الِاسْمُ وما يَقْصِدُ بِهِ كُلُّ فَرِيقٍ مِن مُنْتَحِلِيهِ والغَرَضِ الَّذِي يَجْرِي إلَيْهِ مُدَّعُوهُ، فَنَقُولُ وبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ: إنَّ ذَلِكَ يَنْقَسِمُ إلى أنْحاءٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ: فَمِنها سِحْرُ أهْلِ بابِلِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعالى في قَوْلِهِ: ﴿يُعَلِّمُونَ النّاسَ السِّحْرَ وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ بِبابِلَ هارُوتَ ومارُوتَ﴾ وكانُوا قَوْمًا صابِئِينَ يَعْبُدُونَ الكَواكِبَ السَّبْعَةَ ويُسَمُّونَها آلِهَةً ويَعْتَقِدُونَ أنَّ حَوادِثَ العالَمِ كُلَّها مِن أفْعالِها وهم مُعَطِّلَةٌ لا يَعْتَرِفُونَ بِالصّانِعِ الواحِدِ المُبْدِعِ لِلْكَواكِبِ وجَمِيعِ أجْرامِ العالَمِ وهُمُ الَّذِينَ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ تَعالى إلَيْهِمْ إبْراهِيمَ خَلِيلَهُ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فَدَعاهم إلى اللَّهِ تَعالى وحاجَّهم بِالحِجاجِ الَّذِي بَهَرَهم بِهِ وأقامَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِهِ الحُجَّةَ مِن حَيْثُ لَمْ يُمْكِنْهم دَفْعُهُ ثُمَّ ألْقَوْهُ في النّارِ فَجَعَلَها اللَّهُ تَعالى بَرْدًا وسَلامًا، ثُمَّ أمَرَهُ اللَّهُ تَعالى بِالهِجْرَةِ إلى الشّامِ. Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The name of magic was only applied to eloquence metaphorically, not literally. The literal meaning is what we have described. For that reason, when used absolutely, it only encompasses every deceptive matter intended for trickery, confusion, and showing what has no reality or stability. And since we have explained the origin of magic in the language and its ruling when used absolutely and restrictedly, let us now speak of its meaning in common usage and the types which this name includes, and what each group of its practitioners intends by it, and the purpose to which its claimants proceed. So we say, and with Allah is success: It is divided into different kinds: Among them is the magic of the people of Babylon, whom Allah the Exalted mentioned in His statement: {teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut}. They were a Sabian people who worshipped the seven planets and called them gods, and they believed that all the events of the world were from their actions. They were deniers [of a creator] who did not acknowledge the One Maker, the Originator of the planets and all the bodies of the world. They are the ones to whom Allah the Exalted sent Ibrahim, His beloved friend, may the prayers of Allah be upon him. He called them to Allah the Exalted and argued with them with the argument that dazzled them and by which he established the proof against them from a way they could not refute it. Then they threw him into the fire, and Allah the Exalted made it cool and safe. Then Allah the Exalted commanded him to emigrate to Syria.

وكانَ أهْلُ بابِلَ وإقْلِيمِ العِراقِ والشّامِ ومِصْرَ والرُّومِ عَلى هَذِهِ المَقالَةِ إلى أيّامِ بُيُوراسِبَ الَّذِي تُسَمِّيهِ العَرَبُ " الضَّحّاكَ " وإنَّ أفْرِيدُونَ وكانَ مِن أهْلِ دِنَباوِنْدَ اسْتَجاشَ عَلَيْهِ بِلادَهُ وكاتَبَ سائِرَ مَن يُطِيعُهُ ولَهُ قِصَصٌ طَوِيلَةٌ حَتّى أزالَ مُلْكَهُ وأسَرَهُ، وجُهّالُ العامَّةِ والنِّساءِ عِنْدَنا يَزْعُمُونَ أنَّ أفْرِيدُونَ حَبَسَ بُيُوراسِبَ في جَبَلِ دِنْباوِنْدَ العالِي عَلى الجِبالِ، وأنَّهُ حَيٌّ هُناكَ مُقَيَّدٌ، وأنَّ السَّحَرَةَ يَأْتُونَهُ هُناكَ فَيَأْخُذُونَ عَنْهُ السِّحْرَ، وأنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فَيَغْلِبُ عَلى الأرْضِ، وأنَّهُ هو الدَّجّالُ الَّذِي أخْبَرَ بِهِ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وحَذَّرَناهُ، وأحْسَبُهم أخَذُوا ذَلِكَ عَنِ المَجُوسِ وصارَتْ مَمْلَكَةُ إقْلِيمِ بابِلَ لِلْفُرْسِ فانْتَقَلَ بَعْضُ مُلُوكِهِمْ إلَيْها في بَعْضِ الأزْمانِ فاسْتَوْطَنُوها. The people of Babylon and the region of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and the Romans were upon this creed until the days of Biyurasib, whom the Arabs call “al-Dahhak.” And Afridun, who was from the people of Dinbawand, roused his country against him and corresponded with all who obeyed him—and he has long stories—until he removed his kingdom and captured him. The ignorant common people and women among us claim that Afridun imprisoned Biyurasib in the mountain of Dinbawand, which is high above the mountains, and that he is alive there, chained, and that the magicians come to him there and take magic from him, and that he will emerge and conquer the earth, and that he is the Dajjal (Antichrist) about whom the Prophet, upon him be peace, informed and warned us. I think they took that from the Magians. And the kingdom of the region of Babylon came to belong to the Persians, and some of their kings moved to it at certain times and settled there.

ولَمْ يَكُونُوا عَبَدَةَ أوْثانٍ بَلْ كانُوا مُوَحِّدِينَ مُقِرِّينَ بِاللَّهِ وحْدَهُ، إلّا أنَّهم مَعَ ذَلِكَ يُعَظِّمُونَ العَناصِرَ الأرْبَعَةَ: الماءَ، والنّارَ، والأرْضَ، والهَواءَ؛ لِما فِيها مِن مَنافِعِ الخَلْقِ وأنَّ بِها قِوامَ الحَيَوانِ وإنَّما حَدَثَتِ المَجُوسِيَّةُ فِيهِمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ في زَمانِ ( كَشْتاسِبَ ) حِينَ دَعاهُ ( زَرادُشْتُ ) فاسْتَجابَ لَهُ عَلى شَرائِطَ وأُمُورٍ يَطُولُ شَرْحُها، وإنَّما غَرَضُنا في هَذا المَوْضِعِ الإبانَةُ عَمّا كانَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَحَرَةُ بابِلَ. They were not idol worshippers; rather, they were monotheists, affirming Allah alone. However, despite that, they venerated the four elements: water, fire, earth, and air, because of the benefits for creation within them and that through them is the sustenance of living beings. Magianism only arose among them after that in the time of (Kashtasib) when (Zaradusht) called him, and he responded to him upon conditions and matters whose explanation would be lengthy. Our purpose in this place is only to clarify what the magicians of Babylon were upon.

ولَمّا ظَهَرَتِ الفُرْسُ عَلى هَذا الإقْلِيمِ كانَتْ تَتَدَيَّنُ بِقَتْلِ السَّحَرَةِ وإبادَتِها، ولَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ فِيهِمْ ومِن دِينِهِمْ بَعْدَ حُدُوثِ المَجُوسِيَّةِ فِيهِمْ وقَبْلَهُ إلى أنْ زالَ عَنْهُمُ المُلْكُ وكانَتْ عُلُومُ أهْلِ بابِلَ قَبْلَ ظُهُورِ الفُرْسِ عَلَيْهِمُ الحِيَلَ والنَّيْرَنْجِياتِ وأحْكامِ النُّجُومِ، وكانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ أوْثانًا قَدْ عَمِلُوها عَلى أسْماءِ الكَواكِبِ السَّبْعَةِ وجَعَلُوا لِكُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنها هَيْكَلًا فِيهِ صَنَمُهُ ويَتَقَرَّبُونَ إلَيْها بِضُرُوبٍ مِنَ الأفْعالِ عَلى حَسَبِ اعْتِقاداتِهِمْ مِن مُوافَقَةِ ذَلِكَ لِلْكَوْكَبِ الَّذِي يَطْلُبُونَ مِنهُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ فِعْلَ خَيْرٍ أوْ شَرٍّ، فَمَن أرادَ شَيْئًا مِنَ الخَيْرِ والصَّلاحِ بِزَعْمِهِ يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيْهِ بِما يُوافِقُ المُشْتَرى مِنَ الدَّخَنِ والرُّقى والعَقْدِ والنَّفْثِ عَلَيْها، ومَن طَلَبَ شَيْئًا مِنَ الشَّرِّ والحَرْبِ والمَوْتِ والبَوارِ لِغَيْرِهِ تَقَرَّبَ بِزَعْمِهِ إلى زُحَلَ بِما يُوافِقُهُ مِن ذَلِكَ، ومَن أرادَ البَرْقَ والحَرْقَ والطّاعُونَ تَقَرَّبَ بِزَعْمِهِ إلى المِرِّيخِ بِما يُوافِقُهُ مِن ذَلِكَ مِن ذَبْحِ بَعْضِ الحَيَواناتِ وجَمِيعُ تِلْكَ الرُّقى بِالنَّبَطِيَّةِ تَشْتَمِلُ عَلى تَعْظِيمِ تِلْكَ الكَواكِبِ إلى ما يُرِيدُونَ مِن خَيْرٍ أوْ شَرٍّ ومَحَبَّةٍ وبُغْضٍ، فَيُعْطِيهِمْ ما شاءُوا مِن ذَلِكَ، فَيَزْعُمُونَ أنَّهم عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ما شاءُوا في غَيْرِهِمْ مِن غَيْرِ مُماسَّةٍ ولا مُلامَسَةٍ سِوى ما قَدَّمُوهُ مِنَ القُرُباتِ لِلْكَوْكَبِ الَّذِي طَلَبُوا ذَلِكَ مِنهُ؛ فَمِنَ العامَّةِ مَن يَزْعُمُ أنَّهُ يَقْلِبُ الإنْسانَ حِمارًا أوْ كَلْبًا ثُمَّ إذا شاءَ أعادَهُ، ويَرْكَبُ البَيْضَةَ والمِكْنَسَةَ والخابِيَةَ، ويَطِيرُ في الهَواءِ فَيَمْضِي مِنَ العِراقِ إلى الهِنْدِ وإلى ما شاءَ مِنَ البُلْدانِ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ مِن لَيْلَتِهِ. And when the Persians appeared over this region, they held as a religious duty the killing of magicians and their extermination. And that remained among them and from their religion after the emergence of Magianism among them and before it, until the kingdom was removed from them. The sciences of the people of Babylon before the appearance of the Persians over them were tricks, illusions, and the rulings of the stars. They used to worship idols that they had made in the names of the seven planets, and they made for each one of them a temple in which was its idol. They would draw near to them with various types of actions according to their beliefs of that being in accordance with the planet from which they sought, according to their claim, an act of good or evil. So whoever wanted something of good and righteousness, according to his claim, would draw near to it with what corresponds to Jupiter of incense, incantations, knots, and blowing on them. And whoever sought something of evil, war, death, and ruin for another, would draw near, according to his claim, to Saturn with what corresponds to it of that. And whoever wanted lightning, burning, and plague, would draw near, according to his claim, to Mars with what corresponds to it of that, such as slaughtering some animals. And all of those incantations in Nabataean include the veneration of those planets for what they want of good or evil, love or hate, so it gives them what they wish of that. They claim that they then do what they wish to others without touching or contact, other than the offerings they presented to the planet from which they sought that. And among the common people are those who claim that he turns a person into a donkey or a dog, then when he wishes, he returns him, and he rides an egg, a broom, and a large jar, and flies in the air, so he goes from Iraq to India and to whichever lands he wishes, then returns in his night.

وكانَتْ عَوامُّهم تَعْتَقِدُ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأنَّهم كانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ الكَواكِبَ، وكُلُّ ما دَعا إلى تَعْظِيمِها اعْتَقَدُوهُ وكانَتِ السَّحَرَةُ تَحْتالُ في خِلالِ ذَلِكَ بِحِيَلٍ تُمَوِّهُ بِها عَلى العامَّةِ إلى اعْتِقادِ صِحَّتِهِ بِأنْ يَزْعُمَ أنَّ ذَلِكَ لا يَنْفُذُ ولا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ أحَدٌ ولا يَبْلُغُ ما يُرِيدُ إلّا مَنِ اعْتَقَدَ صِحَّةَ قَوْلِهِمْ وتَصْدِيقَهم فِيما يَقُولُونَ ولَمْ تَكُنْ مُلُوكُهم تَعْتَرِضُ عَلَيْهِمْ في ذَلِكَ، بَلْ كانَتِ السَّحَرَةُ عِنْدَها بِالمَحَلِّ الأجَلِّ؛ لِما كانَ لَها في نُفُوسِ العامَّةِ مِن مَحَلِّ التَّعْظِيمِ والإجْلالِ، ولِأنَّ المُلُوكَ في ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ كانَتْ تَعْتَقِدُ ما تَدَّعِيهِ السَّحَرَةُ لِلْكَواكِبِ، إلى أنْ زالَتْ تِلْكَ المَمالِكُ ألا تَرى أنَّ النّاسَ في زَمَنِ فِرْعَوْنَ كانُوا يَتَبارَوْنَ بِالعِلْمِ والسِّحْرِ والحِيَلِ والمَخارِيقِ ولِذَلِكَ بُعِثَ إلَيْهِمْ مُوسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ بِالعَصا والآياتِ الَّتِي عَلِمَتِ السَّحَرَةُ أنَّها لَيْسَتْ مِنَ السِّحْرِ في شَيْءٍ وأنَّها لا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْها غَيْرُ اللَّهِ تَعالى ؟ فَلَمّا زالَتْ تِلْكَ المَمالِكُ وكانَ مَن مُلْكِهِمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ المُوَحِّدِينَ يَطْلُبُونَهم ويَتَقَرَّبُونَ إلى اللَّهِ تَعالى بِقَتْلِهِمْ، وكانُوا يَدْعُونَ عَوامَّ النّاسِ وجُهّالَهم سِرًّا كَما يَفْعَلُهُ السّاعَةَ كَثِيرٌ مِمَّنْ يَدَّعِي ذَلِكَ مَعَ النِّساءِ والأحْداثِ والأغْمارِ والجُهّالِ الحَشْوِ وكانُوا يَدْعُونَ مَن يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ إلى تَصْدِيقِ قَوْلِهِمْ والِاعْتِرافِ بِصِحَّتِهِ والمُصَدِّقُ لَهم بِذَلِكَ يَكْفُرُ مِن وُجُوهٍ: Their common folk used to believe that because they used to worship the planets, and everything that called to their veneration, they believed it. And the magicians, during that, would contrive with tricks by which they would deceive the common people into believing its correctness, by claiming that it does not take effect and no one benefits from it, nor does he achieve what he wants, except for one who believes in the correctness of their statement and affirms what they say. And their kings did not object to them in that; rather, the magicians held the most glorious position with them, because of the position of veneration and reverence they held in the souls of the common people, and because the kings at that time used to believe what the magicians claimed for the planets, until those kingdoms ceased to exist. Do you not see that the people in the time of Pharaoh used to compete in knowledge, magic, tricks, and deceptions? And for that reason, Musa, upon him be peace, was sent to them with the staff and the signs which the magicians knew were not from magic in any way and that none has power over them except Allah the Exalted. So when those kingdoms ceased, and those of their kings after that were monotheists, they would seek them out and draw near to Allah the Exalted by killing them. And they used to call the common people and their ignorant ones in secret, just as many of those who claim that do at this hour with women, youths, the inexperienced, and the ignorant riffraff. And they used to call those for whom they did that to affirm their statement and acknowledge its correctness. And the one who affirms them in that disbelieves from several aspects:

أحَدُها: التَّصْدِيقُ بِوُجُوبِ تَعْظِيمِهِ الكَواكِبَ وتَسْمِيَتِها آلِهَةً. One of them: Affirming the obligation of his venerating the planets and calling them gods.

والثّانِي: اعْتِرافُهُ بِأنَّ الكَواكِبَ تَقْدِرُ عَلى ضَرِّهِ ونَفْعِهِ. The second: His acknowledgement that the planets have power over his harm and his benefit.

والثّالِثُ: أنَّ السَّحَرَةَ تَقْدِرُ عَلى مِثْلِ مُعْجِزاتِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ إلَيْهِمْ مَلَكَيْنِ يُبَيِّنانِ لِلنّاسِ حَقِيقَةَ ما يَدَّعُونَ وبُطْلانَ ما يَذْكُرُونَ، ويَكْشِفانِ لَهم ما بِهِ يُمَوِّهُونَ، ويُخْبِرانِهِمْ بِمَعانِي تِلْكَ الرُّقى وأنَّها شِرْكٌ وكُفْرٌ وبِحِيَلِهِمُ الَّتِي كانُوا يَتَوَصَّلُونَ بِها إلى التَّمْوِيهِ عَلى العامَّةِ ويُظْهِرُونَ لَهم حَقائِقَها ويَنْهَوْنَهم عَنْ قَبُولِها والعَمَلِ بِها بِقَوْلِهِ: ﴿إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلا تَكْفُرْ﴾ فَهَذا أصْلُ سِحْرِ بابِلَ، ومَعَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ كانُوا يَسْتَعْمِلُونَ سائِرَ وُجُوهِ السِّحْرِ والحِيَلِ الَّتِي نَذْكُرُها ويُمَوِّهُونَ بِها عَلى العامَّةِ ويَعْزُونَها إلى فِعْلِ الكَواكِبِ لِئَلّا يَبْحَثَ عَنْها ويُسَلِّمَها لَهم فَمِن ضُرُوبِ السِّحْرِ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ التَّخْيِيلاتِ الَّتِي مَظْهَرُها عَلى خِلافِ حَقائِقِها فَمِنها ما يَعْرِفُهُ النّاسُ بِجَرَيانِ العادَةِ بِها وظُهُورِها ومِنها ما يَخْفى ويَلْطُفُ ولا يَعْرِفُ حَقِيقَتَهُ ومَعْنى باطِنِهِ إلّا مَن تَعاطى مَعْرِفَةَ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأنَّ كُلَّ عِلْمٍ لا بُدَّ أنْ يَشْتَمِلَ عَلى جَلِيٍّ وخَفِيٍّ وظاهِرٍ وغامِضٍ. The third: That the magicians have power over the like of the miracles of the prophets, upon them be peace. So Allah sent to them two angels to explain to the people the reality of what they claim and the falsehood of what they mention, and to uncover for them that with which they deceive, and to inform them of the meanings of those incantations and that they are polytheism and disbelief, and of their tricks by which they used to arrive at deceiving the common people, and to show them their realities and forbid them from accepting them and acting upon them with His statement: {We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve}. So this is the origin of the magic of Babylon. And despite that, they used to employ all other forms of magic and tricks which we will mention, and they would deceive the common people with them and attribute them to the action of the planets so that one would not investigate it and would submit it to them. Among the types of magic are many of the illusions whose appearance is contrary to their realities. Among them is what people know by its common occurrence and appearance, and among them is what is hidden and subtle, and no one knows its reality and the meaning of its inner nature except one who has undertaken the knowledge of that, because every science must include the clear and the hidden, the apparent and the obscure.

فالجَلِيُّ مِنهُ يَعْرِفُهُ كُلُّ مَن رَآهُ وسَمِعَهُ مِنَ العُقَلاءِ، والغامِضُ الخَفِيُّ لا يَعْرِفُهُ إلّا أهْلُهُ ومَن تَعاطى مَعْرِفَتَهُ وتَكَلَّفْ فِعْلَهُ والبَحْثَ عَنْهُ، وذَلِكَ نَحْوُ ما يَتَخَيَّلُ راكِبُ السَّفِينَةِ إذا سارَتْ في النَّهْرِ فَيَرى أنَّ الشَّطَّ بِما عَلَيْهِ مِنَ النَّخْلِ والبُنْيانِ سائِرٌ مَعَهُ، وكَما يَرى القَمَرَ في مَهَبِّ الشَّمالِ يَسِيرُ لِلْغَيْمِ في مَهَبِّ الجَنُوبِ، وكَدَوَرانِ الدَّوّامَةِ فِيها الشّامَةُ فَيَراها كالطَّوْقِ المُسْتَدِيرِ في أرْجائِها، وكَذَلِكَ يَرى هَذا في الرَّحى إذا كانَتْ سَرِيعَةَ الدَّوْرانِ، وكالعُودِ في طَرَفِهِ الجَمْرَةُ إذا أدارَهُ مُدِيرُهُ رَأى إذًا تِلْكَ النّارَ الَّتِي في طَرَفِهِ كالطَّوْقِ المُسْتَدِيرِ، وكالعِنَبَةِ الَّتِي يَراها في قَدَحٍ فِيهِ ماءٌ كالخَوْخَةِ والإجّاصَةِ عِظَمًا، وكالشَّخْصِ الصَّغِيرِ يَراهُ في الضَّبابِ عَظِيمًا جَسِيمًا، وكَبُخارِ الأرْضِ الَّذِي يُرِيكَ قُرْصَ الشَّمْسِ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِها عَظِيمًا فَإذا فارَقَتْهُ وارْتَفَعَتْ صَغُرَتْ، وكَما يُرى المُرَدّى في الماءِ مُنْكَسِرًا أوْ مُعْوَجًّا، وكَما يُرى الخاتَمُ إذا قَرَّبْتَهُ مِن عَيْنِكَ في سَعَةِ حَلْقَةِ السِّوارِ، ونَظائِرُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ مِنَ الأشْياءِ الَّتِي تُتَخَيَّلُ عَلى غَيْرِ حَقائِقِها فَيَعْرِفُها عامَّةُ النّاسِ ومِنها ما يَلْطُفُ فَلا يَعْرِفُهُ إلّا مَن تَعاطاهُ وتَأمَّلَهُ كَخَيْطِ السَّحّارَةِ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ مَرَّةً أحْمَرَ ومَرَّةً أصْفَرَ ومَرَّةً أسْوَدَ، ومِن لَطِيفِ ذَلِكَ ودَقِيقِهِ ما يَفْعَلُهُ المُشَعْوِذُونَ مِن جِهَةِ الحَرَكاتِ وإظْهارِ التَّخْيِيلاتِ الَّتِي تَخْرُجُ عَلى غَيْرِ حَقائِقِها حَتّى يُرِيَكَ عُصْفُورًا مَعَهُ أنَّهُ قَدْ ذَبَحَهُ ثُمَّ يُرِيكَهُ وقَدْ طارَ بَعْدَ ذَبْحِهِ وإبانَةِ رَأْسِهِ، وذَلِكَ لِخِفَّةِ حَرَكَتِهِ، والمَذْبُوحُ غَيْرُ الَّذِي طارَ؛ لِأنَّهُ يَكُونُ مَعَهُ اثْنانِ قَدْ خَبَّأ أحَدَهُما وأظْهَرَ الآخَرَ، ويُخَبِّئُ لِخِفَّةِ الحَرَكَةِ المَذْبُوحَ ويُظْهِرُ الَّذِي نَظِيرُهُ. The clear of it is known by everyone who sees it and hears it among the intelligent. The obscure and hidden is not known except by its people and whoever has undertaken its knowledge and tasked himself with its practice and research. That is like what the rider of a ship imagines when it sails in the river, so he sees that the shore with its date palms and buildings is moving with him. And as one sees the moon in the direction of the north wind moving with the clouds in the direction of the south wind. And like the spinning of a top with a spot on it, so he sees it like a continuous ring around its sides. And likewise one sees this in a millstone when it is spinning rapidly. And like a stick with an ember on its end, when its spinner spins it, he then sees that fire on its end like a continuous ring. And like a grape that one sees in a cup with water in it as large as a peach or a plum. And like a small person one sees in the fog as great and massive. And like the vapor of the earth which shows you the disk of the sun at its rising as great, then when it separates from it and rises, it becomes small. And as a spear is seen in water as broken or crooked. And as a ring is seen, when you bring it close to your eye, with the width of a bracelet’s loop. And the likes of that are many, of things that are imagined to be other than their realities, so the common people know them. And among them is that which is subtle, so none knows it except one who has undertaken it and contemplated it, like the magician’s thread which comes out once red, once yellow, and once black. And from the subtle and intricate of that is what the illusionists do by way of movements and showing illusions that appear other than their realities, until he shows you a sparrow with him that he has slaughtered, then he shows it to you having flown after its slaughter and the severing of its head. And that is due to the quickness of his movement, and the slaughtered one is other than the one that flew, because he has two with him, having hidden one of them and shown the other. And due to the quickness of movement, he hides the slaughtered one and shows its look-alike.

ويُظْهِرُ أنَّهُ قَدْ ذَبَحَ إنْسانًا وأنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَعَ سَيْفًا وأدْخَلَهُ في جَوْفِهِ، ولَيْسَ لِشَيْءٍ مِنهُ حَقِيقَةٌ ومِن نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ ما يَفْعَلُهُ أصْحابُ الحَرَكاتِ لِلصُّوَرِ المَعْمُولَةِ مِن صُفْرٍ أوْ غَيْرِهِ فَيَرى فارِسَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلانِ فَيَقْتُلُ أحَدُهُما الآخَرَ، ويَنْصَرِفُ بِحِيَلٍ قَدْ أُعِدَّتْ لِذَلِكَ وكَفارِسٍ مِن صُفْرٍ عَلى فَرَسٍ في يَدِهِ بُوقٌ كُلَّما مَضَتْ ساعَةٌ مِنَ النَّهارِ ضَرَبَ بِالبُوقِ مِن غَيْرِ أنْ يَمَسَّهُ أحَدٌ ولا يَتَقَدَّمَ إلَيْهِ وقَدْ ذَكَرَ الكَلْبِيُّ أنَّ رَجُلًا مِنَ الجُنْدِ خَرَجَ بِبَعْضِ نَواحِي الشّامِ مُتَصَيِّدًا ومَعَهُ كَلْبٌ لَهُ وغُلامٌ فَرَأى ثَعْلَبًا فَأغْرى بِهِ الكَلْبَ فَدَخَلَ الثَّعْلَبُ ثُقْبًا في تَلٍّ هُناكَ ودَخَلَ الكَلْبُ خَلْفَهُ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ، فَأمَرَ الغُلامَ أنْ يَدْخُلَ فَدَخَلَ وانْتَظَرَهُ صاحِبُهُ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ، فَوَقَفَ مُتَهَيِّئًا لِلدُّخُولِ، فَمَرَّ بِهِ رَجُلٌ فَأخْبَرَهُ بِشَأْنِ الثَّعْلَبِ والكَلْبِ والغُلامِ وأنَّ واحِدًا مِنهم لَمْ يَخْرُجْ وأنَّهُ مُتَأهِّبٌ لِلدُّخُولِ، فَأخَذَ الرَّجُلُ بِيَدِهِ فَأدْخَلَهُ إلى هُناكَ، فَمَضَيا إلى سِرْبٍ طَوِيلٍ حَتّى أفْضى بِهِما إلى بَيْتٍ قَدْ فُتِحَ لَهُ ضَوْءٌ مِن مَوْضِعٍ يُنْزَلُ إلَيْهِ بِمِرْقاتَيْنِ، فَوَقَفَ بِهِ عَلى المِرْقاةِ الأُولى حَتّى أضاءَ البَيْتَ حِينًا ثُمَّ قالَ لَهُ: اُنْظُرْ فَنَظَرَ فَإذا الكَلْبُ والرَّجُلُ والثَّعْلَبُ قَتْلى، وإذا في صَدْرِ البَيْتِ رَجُلٌ واقِفٌ مُقَنَّعٌ في الحَدِيدِ وفي يَدِهِ سَيْفٌ، فَقالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ: أتَرى هَذا لَوْ دَخَلَ إلَيْهِ هَذا المَدْخَلَ ألْفُ رِجْلٍ لَقَتَلَهم كُلَّهم فَقالَ: وكَيْفَ ؟ قالَ: لِأنَّهُ قَدْ رُتِّبَ وهُنْدِمَ عَلى هَيْئَةٍ مَتى وضَعَ الإنْسانُ رِجْلَهُ عَلى المِرْقاةِ الثّانِيَةِ لِلنُّزُولِ تَقَدَّمَ الرَّجُلُ المَعْمُولُ في الصَّدْرِ فَضَرَبَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ الَّذِي في يَدِهِ، فَإيّاكَ أنْ تَنْزِلْ إلَيْهِ فَقالَ: فَكَيْفَ الحِيلَةُ في هَذا ؟ And he shows that he has slaughtered a person, and that he has swallowed a sword and inserted it into his belly, and none of it has any reality. And of the like of that is what the masters of movements do with figures made of brass or other things, so one sees two horsemen fighting, and one of them kills the other, and it concludes with tricks that have been prepared for that. And like a horseman of brass on a horse with a trumpet in his hand; whenever an hour of the day passes, he strikes the trumpet without anyone touching him or approaching him. And al-Kalbi mentioned that a man from the army went out in some region of Syria hunting, and with him was his dog and a boy. He saw a fox and set the dog upon it. The fox entered a hole in a hill there, and the dog entered after it but did not come out. So he ordered the boy to enter, and he entered, and his master waited for him, but he did not come out. So he stood ready to enter. A man passed by him, and he told him about the matter of the fox, the dog, and the boy, and that none of them had come out, and that he was preparing to enter. So the man took his hand and led him in there. They proceeded into a long tunnel until it brought them to a chamber into which light entered from a place one descends to by two steps. He made him stand on the first step until the chamber was lit for a while, then he said to him: “Look.” He looked and there were the dog, the man, and the fox, all dead. And there, at the head of the chamber, was a man standing, clad in iron, with a sword in his hand. The man said to him: “Do you see this? If a thousand men were to enter this entrance to him, he would kill them all.” He said: “And how?” He said: “Because it has been arranged and engineered in such a way that whenever a person places his foot on the second step to descend, the constructed man at the head of the chamber advances and strikes him with the sword that is in his hand. So beware of descending to it.” He said: “So what is the trick for this?”

قالَ: يَنْبَغِي أنْ تَحْفِرْ مِن خَلْفِهِ سَرَبًا يُفْضِي بِكَ إلَيْهِ، فَإنْ وصَلْتَ إلَيْهِ مِن تِلْكَ النّاحِيَةِ لَمْ يَتَحَرَّكْ فاسْتَأْجَرَ الجُنْدِيُّ أُجَراءَ وصُنّاعًا حَتّى حَفَرُوا سَرَبًا مِن خَلْفِ التَّلِّ فَأفْضَوْا إلَيْهِ، فَلَمْ يَتَحَرَّكْ، وإذا رَجُلٌ مَعْمُولٌ مِن صُفْرٍ أوْ غَيْرِهِ قَدْ أُلْبِسَ السِّلاحَ وأُعْطِيَ السَّيْفَ فَقَلَعَهُ، ورَأى بابًا آخَرَ في ذَلِكَ البَيْتِ فَفَتَحَهُ فَإذا هو قَبْرٌ لِبَعْضِ المُلُوكِ مَيِّتٍ عَلى سَرِيرِ هُناكَ وأمْثالُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ جِدًّا ومِنها الصُّوَرُ الَّتِي يُصَوِّرُها مُصَوِّرُو الرُّومِ والهِنْدِ حَتّى لا يُفَرِّقَ النّاظِرُ بَيْنَ الإنْسانِ وبَيْنَها، ومَن لَمْ يَتَقَدَّمْ لَهُ عِلْمٌ أنَّها صُورَةٌ لا يَشُكُّ في أنَّها إنْسانٌ، وحَتّى تَصَوُّرُها ضاحِكَةً أوْ باكِيَةً، وحَتّى يُفَرَّقَ فِيها بَيْنَ الضَّحِكِ مِنَ الخَجَلِ والسُّرُورِ وضَحِكِ الشّامِتِ فَهَذِهِ الوُجُوهُ مِن لَطِيفِ أُمُورِ التَّخايِيلِ وخَفِيِّها وما ذَكَرْناهُ قَبْلُ مِن جَلِيِّها وكانَ سِحْرُ سَحَرَةِ فِرْعَوْنَ مِن هَذا الضَّرْبِ عَلى النَّحْوِ الَّذِي بَيَّنّا مِن حِيَلِهِمْ في العِصِيِّ والحِبالِ والَّذِي ذَكَرْناهُ مِن مَذاهِبِ أهْلِ بابِلَ في القَدِيمِ وسِحْرِهِمْ ووُجُوهِ حِيَلِهِمْ بَعْضُهُ سَمِعْناهُ مِن أهْلِ المَعْرِفَةِ بِذَلِكَ وبَعْضُهُ وجَدْناهُ في الكُتُبِ قَدْ نُقِلَتْ حَدِيثًا مِنَ النَّبَطِيَّةِ إلى العَرَبِيَّةِ، مِنها كِتابٌ في ذِكْرِ سِحْرِهِمْ وأصْنافِهِ ووُجُوهِهِ، وكُلُّها مَبْنِيَّةٌ عَلى الأصْلِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْناهُ مِن قُرْباناتِ الكَواكِبِ وتَعْظِيمِها وخُرافاتٍ مَعَها لا تُساوِي ذِكْرَها ولا فائِدَةَ فِيها وضَرْبٌ آخَرُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ: وهو ما يَدَّعُونَهُ مِن حَدِيثِ الجِنِّ والشَّياطِينِ وطاعاتِهِمْ لَهم بِالرُّقى والعَزائِمِ. He said: “You should dig a tunnel from behind it that leads you to it. If you reach it from that side, it will not move.” So the soldier hired workers and craftsmen until they dug a tunnel from behind the hill and reached it, and it did not move. And there was a man made of brass or something else, who had been dressed in armor and given the sword. So he removed it. And he saw another door in that chamber, so he opened it, and it was a tomb of one of the kings, dead on a bed there. And the likes of that are very many. And among them are the images that the artists of the Romans and India depict, such that the viewer cannot distinguish between a human and them. And whoever does not have prior knowledge that it is an image does not doubt that it is a human. And even depicting them laughing or crying, and even distinguishing in them between the laugh of shyness and joy and the laugh of one gloating. So these forms are from the subtle and hidden matters of illusions, and what we mentioned before are from the clear of them. And the magic of Pharaoh’s magicians was of this type, in the manner we have explained of their tricks with the staffs and ropes. And what we mentioned of the doctrines of the people of Babylon in ancient times, their magic, and the forms of their tricks, some of it we heard from the people of knowledge of that, and some of it we found in books that were recently translated from Nabataean to Arabic, among them a book mentioning their magic, its types, and its forms. And all of it is built upon the principle we mentioned of offerings to the planets and their veneration, and myths with them that are not worth mentioning and have no benefit. And another type of magic: it is what they claim of communication with jinn and devils and their obedience to them through incantations and charms.

ويَتَوَصَّلُونَ إلى ما يُرِيدُونَ مِن ذَلِكَ بِتَقْدِمَةِ أُمُورٍ ومُواطَأةِ قَوْمٍ قَدْ أعَدُّوهم لِذَلِكَ، وعَلى ذَلِكَ كانَ يَجْرِي أمْرُ الكُهّانِ مِنَ العَرَبِ في الجاهِلِيَّةِ، وكانَتْ أكْثَرُ مَخارِيقِ الحَلّاجِ مِن بابِ المُواطَآتِ ولَوْلا أنَّ هَذا الكِتابَ لا يَحْتَمِلُ اسْتِقْصاءَ ذَلِكَ لَذَكَرْتُ مِنها ما يُوقِفُ عَلى كَثِيرٍ مِن مَخارِيقِهِ ومَخارِيقِ أمْثالِهِ. And they arrive at what they want of that by presenting matters and collusion with a people they have prepared for that. And upon that ran the affair of the soothsayers of the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era. And most of the deceptions of al-Hallaj were from the category of collusions. And were it not that this book cannot accommodate a thorough investigation of that, I would have mentioned from it what would inform one of many of his deceptions and the deceptions of his likes.

وضَرَرُ أصْحابِ العَزائِمِ وفِتْنَتُهم عَلى النّاسِ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ، وذَلِكَ أنَّهم يَدْخُلُونَ عَلى النّاسِ مِن بابِ أنَّ الجِنَّ إنَّما تُطِيعُهم بِالرُّقى الَّتِي هي أسْماءُ اللَّهِ تَعالى، فَإنَّهم يُجِيبُونَ بِذَلِكَ مَن شاءُوا ويُخْرِجُونَ الجِنَّ لِمَن شاءُوا فَتُصَدِّقُهُمُ العامَّةُ عَلى اغْتِرارٍ بِما يُظْهِرُونَ مِنِ انْقِيادِ الجِنِّ لَهم بِأسْماءِ اللَّهِ تَعالى الَّتِي كانَتْ تُطِيعُ بِها سُلَيْمانَ بْنَ داوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وأنَّهم يُخْبِرُونَهم بِالخَبايا وبِالسُّرُقِ وقَدْ كانَ المُعْتَضِدُ بِاللَّهِ مَعَ جَلالَتِهِ وشَهامَتِهِ ووُفُورِ عَقْلِهِ اغْتَرَّ بِقَوْلِ هَؤُلاءِ، وقَدْ ذَكَرَهُ أصْحابُ التَّوارِيخِ، وذَلِكَ أنَّهُ كانَ يَظْهَرُ في دارِهِ الَّتِي كانَ يَخْلُو فِيها بِنِسائِهِ وأهْلِهِ شَخْصٌ في يَدِهِ سَيْفٌ في أوْقاتٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ، وأكْثَرُهُ وقْتُ الظُّهْرِ، فَإذا طُلِبَ لَمْ يُوجَدْ ولَمْ يُقْدَرْ عَلَيْهِ ولَمْ يُوقَفْ لَهُ عَلى أثَرٍ مَعَ كَثْرَةِ التَّفْتِيشِ وقَدْ رَآهُ هو بِعَيْنِهِ مِرارًا، فَأهَمَّتْهُ نَفْسُهُ ودَعا بِالمُعَزِّمِينَ فَحَضَرُوا وأحْضَرُوا مَعَهم رِجالًا ونِساءً وزَعَمُوا أنَّ فِيهِمْ مَجانِينَ وأصِحّاءَ، فَأمَرَ بَعْضَ رُؤَسائِهِمْ بِالعَزِيمَةِ، فَعَزَّمَ عَلى رَجُلٍ مِنهم زَعَمَ أنَّهُ كانَ صَحِيحًا فَجُنَّ وتَخَبَّطَ وهو يَنْظُرُ إلَيْهِ. The harm of the masters of charms and their trial upon the people is not slight. That is because they approach people from the angle that the jinn only obey them through incantations which are the names of Allah the Exalted. For they answer with that whomever they wish and they bring out the jinn for whomever they wish. So the common people believe them, being deceived by what they show of the jinn’s submission to them by the names of Allah the Exalted, by which they used to obey Sulayman ibn Dawud, upon him be peace, and that they inform them of hidden things and of thefts. And al-Mu’tadid billah, despite his majesty, his valor, and his abundant intellect, was deceived by the statement of these people, and the historians have mentioned it. And that is because there would appear in his residence, where he would be in private with his women and his family, a person with a sword in his hand at different times, most often at noon. When he was sought, he was not found, nor could he be apprehended, nor could any trace of him be found despite much searching. And he himself saw him with his own eyes several times. So his soul was troubled, and he summoned the exorcists. They came and brought with them men and women, and they claimed that among them were possessed and sane people. He ordered one of their leaders to perform the charm. He performed the charm on a man from among them who he claimed was sane, and he became possessed and convulsed while he was looking at him.

وذَكَرُوا لَهُ أنَّ هَذا غايَةُ الحِذْقِ بِهَذِهِ الصِّناعَةِ؛ إذْ أطاعَتْهُ الجِنُّ في تَخْبِيطِ الصَّحِيحِ وإنَّما كانَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ المُعَزِّمِ بِمُواطَأةٍ مِنهُ لِذَلِكَ الصَّحِيحِ عَلى أنَّهُ مَتى عَزَّمَ عَلَيْهِ جَنَّنَ نَفْسَهُ وخَبَّطَ فَجازَ ذَلِكَ عَلى المُعْتَضِدِ، فَقامَتْ نَفْسُهُ مِنهُ وكَرِهَهُ، إلّا أنَّهُ سَألَهم عَنْ أمْرِ الشَّخْصِ الَّذِي يَظْهَرُ في دارِهِ، فَخَرَقُوا عَلَيْهِ بِأشْياءَ عَلَّقُوا قَلْبَهُ بِها مِن غَيْرِ تَحْصِيلٍ لِشَيْءِ مِن أمْرِ ما سَألَهم عَنْهُ، فَأمَرَهم بِالِانْصِرافِ وأمَرَ لِكُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنهم مِمَّنْ حَضَرَ بِخَمْسَةِ دَراهِمَ ثُمَّ تَحَرَّزَ المُعْتَضِدُ بِغايَةِ ما أمْكَنَهُ وأمَرَ بِالِاسْتِيثاقِ مِن سُورِ الدّارِ حَيْثُ لا يُمْكِنُ فِيهِ حِيلَةٌ مِن تَسَلُّقٍ ونَحْوِهِ، وبُطِحَتْ في أعْلى السُّورِ خَوابٍ لِئَلّا يَحْتالَ بِإلْقاءِ المَعالِيقِ الَّتِي يَحْتالُ بِها اللُّصُوصُ؛ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُوقَفْ لِذَلِكَ الشَّخْصِ عَلى خَبَرٍ إلّا ظُهُورُهُ لَهُ الوَقْتَ بَعْدَ الوَقْتَ، إلى أنْ تُوُفِّيَ المُعْتَضِدُ وهَذِهِ الخَوابِي المَبْطُوحَةُ عَلى السُّورِ وقَدْ رَأيْتُها عَلى سُوَرِ الثُّرَيّا الَّتِي بَناها المُعْتَضِدُ فَسَألْتُ صَدِيقًا لِي كانَ قَدْ حَجَبَ لِلْمُقْتَدِرِ بِاللَّهِ عَنْ أمْرِ هَذا الشَّخْصِ، وهَلْ تَبَيَّنَ أمْرُهُ ؟ فَذَكَرَ لِي أنَّهُ لَمْ يُوقَفْ عَلى حَقِيقَةِ هَذا الأمْرِ إلّا في أيّامِ المُقْتَدِرِ، وأنَّ ذَلِكَ الشَّخْصَ كانَ خادِمًا أبْيَضَ يُسَمّى يَقَقَ، وكانَ يَمِيلُ إلى بَعْضِ الجَوارِي اللّاتِي في داخِلِ دُورِ الحَرَمِ، وكانَ قَدِ اتَّخَذَ لِحًى عَلى ألْوانٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ، وكانَ إذا لَبِسَ بَعْضَ تِلْكَ اللِّحى لا يَشُكُّ مَن رَآهُ أنَّها لِحْيَتُهُ، وكانَ يَلْبَسُ في الوَقْتِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُهُ لِحْيَةً مِنها ويَظْهَرُ في ذَلِكَ المَوْضِعِ وفي يَدِهِ سَيْفٌ أوْ غَيْرُهُ مِنَ السِّلاحِ حَيْثُ يَقَعُ نَظَرُ المُعْتَضِدِ. And they mentioned to him that this was the height of skill in this craft, as the jinn obeyed him in making the sane man convulse. But that was from the exorcist by collusion with that sane man, that whenever he performed the charm on him, he would act possessed and convulse. And that passed over al-Mu’tadid. His soul rose against him and he disliked him, but he asked them about the matter of the person who appeared in his residence. They fabricated things for him with which they attached his heart, without achieving anything of the matter he asked them about. So he ordered them to depart and ordered for each one of them who was present five dirhams. Then al-Mu’tadid took the utmost precautions he could and ordered the wall of the residence to be secured such that no trick of climbing or the like was possible in it. And large jars were laid flat on top of the wall so that one could not contrive by throwing the grappling hooks that thieves contrive with. Then no news was found of that person except his appearance to him time after time, until al-Mu’tadid passed away with these jars laid flat on the wall. And I have seen them on the walls of al-Thurayya which al-Mu’tadid built. So I asked a friend of mine who had been a chamberlain for al-Muqtadir billah about the matter of this person, and whether his affair was clarified. He mentioned to me that the reality of this matter was not known until the days of al-Muqtadir, and that this person was a white servant named Yaqaq. He was inclined towards one of the slave girls who were inside the harem quarters. He had made beards of different colors, and when he wore one of those beards, whoever saw him would not doubt that it was his beard. And he would wear one of those beards at the time he wanted and appear in that place with a sword or other weapon in his hand where the gaze of al-Mu’tadid would fall.

فَإذا طُلِبَ دَخَلَ بَيْنَ الشَّجَرِ الَّذِي في البُسْتانِ أوْ في بَعْضِ تِلْكَ المَمَرّاتِ أوِ العَطَفاتِ، فَإذا غابَ عَنْ أبْصارِ طالِبِيهِ نَزَعَ اللِّحْيَةَ وجَعَلَها في كُمِّهِ أوْ حَزَّتِهِ ويَبْقى السِّلاحُ مَعَهُ كَأنَّهُ بَعْضُ الخَدَمِ الطّالِبِينَ لِلشَّخْصِ، ولا يَرْتابُونَ بِهِ ويَسْألُونَهُ هَلْ رَأيْتَ في هَذِهِ النّاحِيَةِ أحَدًا فَإنّا قَدْ رَأيْناهُ صارَ إلَيْها ؟ فَيَقُولُ: ما رَأيْتُ أحَدًا وكانَ إذا وقَعَ مِثْلُ هَذا الفَزَعِ في الدّارِ خَرَجَتِ الجَوارِي مِن داخِلِ الدُّورِ إلى هَذا المَوْضِعِ فَيَرى هو تِلْكَ الجارِيَةَ ويُخاطِبُها بِما يُرِيدُ، وإنَّما كانَ غَرَضُهُ مُشاهَدَةَ الجارِيةِ، وكَلامَها، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ دَأْبَهُ إلى أيّامِ المُقْتَدِرِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إلى البُلْدانِ وصارَ إلى طَرَسُوسَ وأقامَ بِها إلى أنْ ماتَ، وتَحَدَّثَتِ الجارِيَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِحَدِيثِهِ ووُقِفَ عَلى احْتِيالِهِ فَهَذا خادِمٌ قَدِ احْتالَ بِمِثْلِ هَذِهِ الحِيلَةِ الخَفِيَّةِ الَّتِي لَمْ يَهْتَدِ لَها أحَدٌ مَعَ شِدَّةِ عِنايَةِ المُعْتَضِدِ، وأعْياهُ مَعْرِفَتُها والوُقُوفُ عَلَيْها ولَمْ تَكُنْ صِناعَتُهُ الحِيَلَ والمَخارِيقَ، فَما ظَنُّكَ بِمَن قَدْ جَعَلَ هَذا صِناعَةً ومَعاشًا ؟ وضَرْبٌ آخَرُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ وهو السَّعْيُ بِالنَّمِيمَةِ والوِشايَةِ بِها والبَلاغاتِ، والإفْسادِ والتَّضْرِيبِ مِن وُجُوهٍ خَفِيَّةٍ لَطِيفَةٍ، وذَلِكَ عامٌّ شائِعٌ في كَثِيرٍ مِنَ النّاسِ. So when he was sought, he would enter among the trees in the garden or in some of those passages or turns. When he disappeared from the sight of his pursuers, he would remove the beard and put it in his sleeve or his belt, and the weapon would remain with him as if he were one of the servants searching for the person. They would not be suspicious of him and would ask him, “Have you seen anyone in this direction? For we saw him go there.” He would say, “I have not seen anyone.” And whenever such an alarm occurred in the residence, the slave girls would come out from inside the quarters to this place, and he would see that slave girl and speak to her as he wished. His purpose was only to see the slave girl and speak to her. This remained his habit until the days of al-Muqtadir. Then he went out to the cities and went to Tarsus and stayed there until he died. And the slave girl later spoke of his story, and his contrivance was discovered. So this is a servant who contrived with such a hidden trick that no one discovered despite the intense care of al-Mu’tadid, and knowing it and discovering it exhausted him, and his craft was not tricks and deceptions. So what is your opinion of one who has made this a craft and a livelihood? And another type of magic, which is striving with slander, tale-bearing with it, and reports, and causing corruption and discord in hidden, subtle ways. And that is general and widespread among many people.

وقَدْ حُكِيَ أنَّ امْرَأةً أرادَتْ إفْسادَ ما بَيْنَ زَوْجَيْنِ فَصارَتْ إلى الزَّوْجَةِ فَقالَتْ لَها: إنَّ زَوْجَكِ مُعْرِضٌ وقَدْ سُحِرَ وهو مَأْخُوذٌ عَنْكِ وسَأسْحَرُهُ لَكِ حَتّى لا يُرِيدَ غَيْرَكِ ولا يَنْظُرَ إلى سِواكِ، ولَكِنْ لا بُدَّ أنْ تَأْخُذِي مِن شَعْرٍ حَلَقَهُ بِالمُوسى ثَلاثَ شَعَراتٍ إذا نامَ وتُعْطِينِيها، فَإنَّ بِها يَتِمُّ الأمْرُ فاغْتَرَّتِ المَرْأةُ بِقَوْلِها وصَدَّقَتْها ثُمَّ ذَهَبَتْ إلى الرَّجُلِ وقالَتْ لَهُ: إنَّ امْرَأتَكَ قَدْ عَلِقَتْ رَجُلًا وقَدْ عَزَمَتْ عَلى قَتْلِكَ وقَدْ وقَفْتُ عَلى ذَلِكَ مِن أمْرِها فَأشْفَقْتُ عَلَيْكَ ولَزِمَنِي نُصْحُكَ، فَتَيَقَّظْ ولا تَغْتَرَّ فَإنَّها عَزَمَتْ عَلى ذَلِكَ بِالمُوسى، وسَتَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنها، فَما في أمْرِها شَكٌّ فَتَناوَمَ الرَّجُلُ في بَيْتِهِ، فَلَمّا ظَنَّتِ امْرَأتُهُ أنَّهُ قَدْ نامَ عَمَدَتْ إلى مُوسى حادٍّ وهَوَتْ بِهِ لِتَحْلِقَ مِن حَلْقِهِ ثَلاثَ شَعَراتٍ، فَفَتَحَ الرَّجُلُ عَيْنَهُ فَرَآها وقَدْ أهْوَتْ بِالمُوسى إلى حَلْقِهِ فَلَمْ يَشُكَّ في أنَّها أرادَتْ قَتْلَهُ، فَقامَ إلَيْها فَقَتَلَها وقُتِلَ وهَذا كَثِيرٌ لا يُحْصى وضَرْبٌ آخَرُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ، وهو الِاحْتِيالُ في إطْعامِهِ بَعْضَ الأدْوِيَةِ المُبَلِّدَةِ المُؤَثِّرَةِ في العَقْلِ والدَّخَنِ المُسَدِّرَةِ المُسْكِرَةِ، نَحْوُ دِماغِ الحِمارِ إذا طَعِمَهُ إنْسانٌ تَبَلَّدَ عَقْلُهُ وقَلَّتْ فِطْنَتُهُ مَعَ أدْوِيَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ هي مَذْكُورَةٌ في كُتُبِ الطِّبِّ، ويَتَوَصَّلُونَ إلى أنْ يَجْعَلُوهُ في طَعامٍ حَتّى يَأْكُلَهُ فَتَذْهَبَ فِطْنَتُهُ ويَجُوزَ عَلَيْهِ أشْياءُ مِمّا لَوْ كانَ تامَّ الفِطْنَةِ لَأنْكَرَها، فَيَقُولُ النّاسُ: إنَّهُ مَسْحُورٌ. And it has been narrated that a woman wanted to corrupt what was between a married couple. She went to the wife and said to her: “Your husband is turning away and has been bewitched, and he is taken from you. I will bewitch him for you so that he will not want anyone other than you nor look at anyone besides you. But you must take from his throat hair three hairs with a razor when he is asleep and give them to me, for with them the matter will be completed.” The woman was deceived by her statement and believed her. Then she went to the man and said to him: “Your wife has become attached to a man and has resolved to kill you. I have come to know of that from her affair, so I feared for you and felt it necessary to advise you. Be vigilant and do not be deceived, for she has resolved to do that with a razor, and you will know that from her. There is no doubt in her affair.” So the man feigned sleep in his house. When his wife thought that he was asleep, she took a sharp razor and brought it down to shave three hairs from his throat. The man opened his eyes and saw her having brought the razor down to his throat, so he did not doubt that she wanted to kill him. He rose up to her and killed her, and he was killed. And this is numerous and cannot be counted. And another type of magic, which is the contrivance of feeding him some stupefying medicines that affect the intellect and dizzying, intoxicating fumes, such as the brain of a donkey; if a person eats it, his intellect becomes dull and his intelligence decreases, along with many medicines that are mentioned in the books of medicine. And they manage to put it in food so that he eats it, and his intelligence goes away and things become plausible to him which, if he were of full intelligence, he would have denied. So people say: “He is bewitched.”

وحِكْمَةٌ كافِيَةٌ تُبَيِّنُ لَكَ أنَّ هَذا كُلَّهُ مَخارِيقُ وحِيَلٌ لا حَقِيقَةَ لِما يَدَّعُونَ لَها أنَّ السّاحِرَ والمُعَزِّمَ لَوْ قَدَرا عَلى ما ادَّعَيانِهِ مِنَ النَّفْعِ والضَّرَرِ مِنَ الوُجُوهِ الَّتِي يَدَّعُونَ وأمْكَنَهُما الطَّيَرانُ والعِلْمُ بِالغُيُوبِ وأخْبارِ البُلْدانِ النّائِيَةِ والخَبِيئاتِ والسُّرُقِ والإضْرارِ بِالنّاسِ مِن غَيْرِ الوُجُوهِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنا، لَقَدَرُوا عَلى إزالَةِ المَمالِكِ واسْتِخْراجِ الكُنُوزِ والغَلَبَةِ عَلى البُلْدانِ بِقَتْلِ المُلُوكِ بِحَيْثُ لا يَبْدَأُهم مَكْرُوهٌ، ولَما مَسَّهُمُ السُّوءُ ولا امْتَنَعُوا عَمَّنْ قَصَدَهم بِمَكْرُوهٍ، ولاسْتَغْنَوْا عَنِ الطَّلَبِ لِما في أيْدِي النّاسِ فَإذا لَمْ يَكُنْ كَذَلِكَ وكانَ المُدَّعُونَ لِذَلِكَ أسْوَأ النّاسِ حالًا وأكْثَرَهم طَمَعًا واحْتِيالًا وتَوَصُّلًا لِأخْذِ دَراهِمِ النّاسِ وأظْهَرَهم فَقْرًا وإمْلاقًا عَلِمْتَ أنَّهم لا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلى شَيْءٍ مِن ذَلِكَ ورُؤَساءُ الحَشْوِنِ والجُهّالُ مِنَ العامَّةِ مِن أسْرَعِ النّاسِ إلى التَّصْدِيقِ بِدَعاوى السَّحَرَةِ والمُعَزِّمِينَ وأشَدِّهِمْ نَكِيرًا عَلى مَن جَحَدَها، ويَرْوُونَ في ذَلِكَ أخْبارًا مُفْتَعَلَةً مُتَخَرِّصَةً يَعْتَقِدُونَ صِحَّتَها، كالحَدِيثِ الَّذِي يَرْوُونَ أنَّ امْرَأةً أتَتْ عائِشَةَ فَقالَتْ: إنِّي ساحِرَةٌ فَهَلْ لِي تَوْبَةٌ ؟ فَقالَتْ: وما سِحْرُكِ ؟ قالَتْ: سِرْتُ إلى المَوْضِعِ الَّذِي فِيهِ هارُوتُ ومارُوتُ بِبابِلَ لِطَلَبِ عِلْمِ السِّحْرِ فَقالا لِي: يا أمَةَ اللَّهِ لا تَخْتارِي عَذابَ الآخِرَةِ بِأمْرِ الدُّنْيا فَأبَيْتُ، فَقالا لِي: اذْهَبِي فَبُولِي عَلى ذَلِكَ الرَّمادِ فَذَهَبْتُ لِأبُولَ عَلَيْهِ فَفَكَّرْتُ في نَفْسِي فَقُلْتُ لا فَعَلْتُ وجِئْتُ إلَيْهِما فَقُلْتُ: قَدْ فَعَلْتُ، فَقالا: ما رَأيْتِ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: ما رَأيْتُ شَيْئًا؛ فَقالا: اذْهَبِي فَبُولِي عَلَيْهِ فَذَهَبْتُ وفَعَلْتُ فَرَأيْتُ كَأنَّ فارِسًا قَدْ خَرَجَ مِن فَرْجِي مُقَنَّعًا بِالحَدِيدِ حَتّى صَعِدَ إلى السَّماءِ، فَجِئْتُهُما فَأخْبَرْتُهُما فَقالا: ذَلِكَ إيمانُكِ خَرَجَ عَنْكِ وقَدْ أحْسَنْتِ السِّحْرَ فَقُلْتُ: وما هو ؟ فَقالا: لا تُرِيدِينَ شَيْئًا فَتُصَوِّرِينَهُ في وهْمِكِ إلّا كانَ فَصَوَّرْتُ في نَفْسِي حَبًّا مِن حِنْطَةٍ، فَإذا أنا بِالحَبِّ. And a sufficient wisdom that shows you that all of this is deceptions and tricks, and there is no reality to what they claim for it, is that if the magician and the exorcist were able to do what they both claim of benefit and harm in the ways they claim, and if they were able to fly and know the unseen, the news of distant lands, hidden things, and thefts, and to harm people in ways other than those we have mentioned, they would be able to remove kingdoms, extract treasures, and conquer lands by killing kings such that no harm would befall them first. And evil would not touch them, nor would they be protected from one who intended them harm. And they would be free from seeking what is in the hands of people. So if it is not so, and the claimants of that are the worst of people in condition, the most greedy and deceitful, and the most conniving to take the dirhams of people, and the most apparent in poverty and destitution, you would know that they are not capable of any of that. The leaders of the Hashwiyyah and the ignorant among the common people are the quickest of people to believe the claims of magicians and exorcists and the most severe in their denunciation of whoever denies them. And they narrate in that fabricated, conjectured reports which they believe to be authentic, like the hadith they narrate that a woman came to `A’ishah and said: “I am a sorceress, so is there repentance for me?” She said: “And what is your magic?” She said: “I went to the place where Harut and Marut are in Babylon to seek the knowledge of magic. They said to me: ‘O female slave of Allah, do not choose the punishment of the Hereafter for a matter of this world.’ But I refused. They said to me: ‘Go and urinate on those ashes.’ I went to urinate on it, but I thought to myself and said, ‘I will not do it.’ I came to them and said: ‘I have done it.’ They said: ‘What did you see?’ I said: ‘I saw nothing.’ They said: ‘Go and urinate on it.’ I went and did it, and I saw as if a horseman had come out of my private part, clad in iron, until he ascended to the sky. I came to them and informed them, and they said: ‘That was your faith that left you. You have perfected magic.’ I said: ‘And what is it?’ They said: ‘You do not want anything and picture it in your imagination except that it comes to be.’ So I pictured in my mind a grain of wheat, and there I was with the grain.”

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: انْزَرِعْ فانْزَرَعَ وخَرَجَ مِن ساعَتِهِ سُنْبُلًا، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: انْطَحِنْ وانْخَبِزْ إلى آخَرِ الأمْرِ حَتّى صارَ خُبْزًا وإنِّي كُنْتُ لا أُصَوِّرُ في نَفْسِي شَيْئًا إلّا كانَ فَقالَتْ لَها عائِشَةُ: لَيْسَتْ لَكَ تَوْبَةٌ فَيَرْوِي القُصّاصُ والمُحَدِّثُونَ الجُهّالُ مِثْلَ هَذا لِلْعامَّةِ، فَتُصَدِّقُهُ وتَسْتَعِيدُهُ وتَسْألُهُ أنْ يُحَدِّثَها بِحَدِيثِ ساحِرَةِ ابْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ، فَيَقُولُ لَها: إنَّ ابْنَ هُبَيْرَةَ أخَذَ ساحِرَةً فَأقَرَّتْ لَهُ بِالسِّحْرِ، فَدَعا الفُقَهاءَ فَسَألَهم عَنْ حُكْمِها، فَقالُوا: القَتْلُ فَقالَ ابْنُ هُبَيْرَةَ: لَسْتُ أقْتُلُها إلّا تَغْرِيقًا قالَ: فَأخَذَ رَحى البَذْرِ فَشَدَّها في رِجْلِها وقَذَفَها في الفُراتِ، فَقامَتْ فَوْقَ الماءِ مَعَ الحَجَرِ، فَجَعَلَتْ تَنْحَدِرُ مَعَ الماءِ، فَخافُوا أنْ تَفُوتَهم، فَقالَ ابْنُ هُبَيْرَةَ: مَن يُمْسِكُها ولَهُ كَذا وكَذا ؟ فَرَغِبَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ السَّحَرَةِ كانَ حاضِرًا فِيما بَذَلَهُ فَقالَ: أعْطَوْنِي قَدَحَ زُجاجٍ فِيهِ ماءٌ فَجاءُوهُ بِهِ، فَقَعَدَ عَلى القَدَحِ ومَضى إلى الحَجَرِ فَشَقَّ الحَجَرَ بِالقَدَحِ فَتَقَطَّعَ الحَجَرُ قِطْعَةً قِطْعَةً، فَغَرِقَتِ السّاحِرَةُ فَيُصَدِّقُونَهُ ومَن صَدَّقَ هَذا فَلَيْسَ يَعْرِفُ النُّبُوَّةَ ولا يُؤْمِنُ أنْ تَكُونَ مُعْجِزاتُ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ مِن هَذا النَّوْعِ وأنَّهم كانُوا سَحَرَةً. “I said to it: ‘Be planted,’ and it was planted and immediately came out as an ear of grain. I said to it: ‘Be ground’ and ‘Be baked,’ to the end of the matter, until it became bread. And I was such that I would not picture anything in my mind except that it came to be.” So `A’ishah said to her: “There is no repentance for you.” So the storytellers and the ignorant narrators of hadith narrate the like of this to the common people, and they believe it and ask for it to be repeated, and ask him to narrate to them the story of the sorceress of Ibn Hubayrah. He says to them: “Ibn Hubayrah seized a sorceress, and she confessed to him of magic. He summoned the jurists and asked them about her ruling. They said: ‘Execution.’ Ibn Hubayrah said: ‘I will not kill her except by drowning.’ He said: So he took a seed millstone, tied it to her leg, and threw her into the Euphrates. She stood on top of the water with the stone. She began to descend with the water, and they feared she would escape them. Ibn Hubayrah said: ‘Who will catch her, and he will have such-and-such?’ A man from among the magicians who was present desired what he offered and said: ‘Give me a glass cup with water in it.’ They brought it to him. He sat on the cup and went to the stone. He split the stone with the cup, and the stone broke into piece after piece, and the sorceress drowned.” And they believe him. And whoever believes this does not know prophethood, nor is he safe from believing that the miracles of the prophets, upon them be peace, were of this type and that they were magicians.

وقالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى ﴿ولا يُفْلِحُ السّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أتى﴾ [طه: ٦٩] وقَدْ أجازُوا مِن فِعْلِ السّاحِرِ ما هو أطَمُّ مِن هَذا وأفْظَعُ، وذَلِكَ أنَّهم زَعَمُوا أنَّ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ سُحِرَ، وأنَّ السِّحْرَ عَمِلَ فِيهِ حَتّى قالَ فِيهِ: «إنَّهُ يُتَخَيَّلُ لِي أنِّي أقُولُ الشَّيْءَ وأفْعَلُهُ ولَمْ أقُلْهُ ولَمْ أفْعَلْهُ» وأنَّ امْرَأةً يَهُودِيَّةً سَحَرَتْهُ في جُفِّ طَلْعَةٍ ومُشْطٍ ومُشاقَةٍ، حَتّى أتاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَأخْبَرَهُ أنَّها سَحَرَتْهُ في جُفِّ طَلْعَةٍ وهو تَحْتَ راعُوفَةِ البِئْرِ، فاسْتُخْرِجَ وزالَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ذَلِكَ العارِضُ وقَدْ قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى مُكَذِّبًا لِلْكُفّارِ فِيما ادَّعَوْهُ مِن ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَقالَ جَلَّ مِن قائِلٍ: ﴿وقالَ الظّالِمُونَ إنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إلا رَجُلا مَسْحُورًا﴾ [الفرقان: ٨] ومِثْلُ هَذِهِ الأخْبارِ مِن وضْعِ المُلْحِدِينَ تَلَعُّبًا بِالحَشْوِ الطِّغامِ واسْتِجْرارًا لَهم إلى القَوْلِ بِإبْطالِ مُعْجِزاتِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ والقَدْحِ فِيها، وأنَّهُ لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ مُعْجِزاتِ الأنْبِياءِ وفِعْلِ السَّحَرَةِ، وأنَّ جَمِيعَهُ مِن نَوْعٍ واحِدٍ والعَجَبُ مِمَّنْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ تَصْدِيقِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ وإثْباتِ مُعْجِزاتِهِمْ وبَيْنَ التَّصْدِيقِ بِمِثْلِ هَذا مِن فِعْلِ السَّحَرَةِ مَعَ قَوْلِهِ تَعالى: ﴿ولا يُفْلِحُ السّاحِرُ حَيْثُ أتى﴾ [طه: ٦٩] فَصَدَّقَ هَؤُلاءِ مَن كَذَّبَهُ اللَّهُ وأخْبَرَ بِبُطْلانِ دَعْواهُ وانْتِحالِهِ وجائِزٌ أنْ تَكُونَ المَرْأةُ اليَهُودِيَّةُ بِجَهْلِها فَعَلَتْ ذَلِكَ ظَنًّا مِنها بِأنَّ ذَلِكَ يَعْمَلُ في الأجْسادِ. And Allah the Exalted said: {And the magician does not succeed wherever he comes from} [Taha: 69]. And they have permitted from the act of the magician what is more calamitous and more heinous than this. And that is that they claimed that the Prophet, upon him be peace, was bewitched, and that the magic worked on him until he said about it: “It is imagined to me that I say a thing and do it, while I have not said it and not done it.” And that a Jewish woman bewitched him in the spathe of a date palm, a comb, and combed-out hair, until Jibril, upon him be peace, came to him and informed him that she had bewitched him in the spathe of a date palm, and it was under a stone at the edge of the well. It was extracted, and that affliction was removed from the Prophet, upon him be peace. And Allah the Exalted has said, belying the disbelievers in what they claimed of that for the Prophet ﷺ, so He, the Majestic of speakers, said: {And the wrongdoers say, “You follow not but a man bewitched”} [Al-Furqan: 8]. And the like of these reports are from the fabrications of the heretics, playing with the vulgar literalists and drawing them to the statement of invalidating the miracles of the prophets, upon them be peace, and disparaging them, and that there is no difference between the miracles of the prophets and the act of the magicians, and that all of it is of one type. And it is a wonder that one combines belief in the prophets, upon them be peace, and affirmation of their miracles, with belief in the like of this from the act of the magicians, despite His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And the magician does not succeed wherever he comes from} [Taha: 69]. So these people have believed one whom Allah has belied and informed of the falsehood of his claim and his pretense. And it is possible that the Jewish woman, out of her ignorance, did that, thinking that it works on bodies.

وقَصَدَتْ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ؛ فَأطْلَعَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ عَلى مَوْضِعِ سِرِّها وأظْهَرَ جَهْلَها فِيما ارْتَكَبَتْ وظَنَّتْ لِيَكُونَ ذَلِكَ مِن دَلائِلِ نُبُوَّتِهِ؛ لِأنَّ ذَلِكَ ضَرَّهُ وخَلَطَ عَلَيْهِ أمْرَهُ ولَمْ يَقُلْ كُلُّ الرُّواةِ إنَّهُ اخْتَلَطَ عَلَيْهِ أمْرُهُ، وإنَّما هَذا اللَّفْظُ زِيدَ في الحَدِيثِ ولا أصْلَ لَهُ والفَرْقُ بَيْنَ مُعْجِزاتِ الأنْبِياءِ وبَيْنَ ما ذَكَرْنا مِن وُجُوهِ التَّخْيِيلاتِ، أنَّ مُعْجِزاتِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ هي عَلى حَقائِقِها، وبَواطِنُها كَظَواهِرِها، وكُلَّما تَأمَّلْتَها ازْدَدْتَ بَصِيرَةً في صِحَّتِها، ولَوْ جَهَدَ الخَلْقُ كُلُّهم عَلى مُضاهاتِها ومُقابَلَتِها بِأمْثالِها ظَهَرَ عَجْزُهم عَنْها؛ ومَخارِيقُ السَّحَرَةِ وتَخْيِيلاتُهم إنَّما هي ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الحِيلَةِ والتَّلَطُّفِ لِإظْهارِ أُمُورٍ لا حَقِيقَةَ لَها، وما يَظْهَرُ مِنها عَلى غَيْرِ حَقِيقَتِها، يُعْرَفُ ذَلِكَ بِالتَّأمُّلِ والبَحْثِ ومَتى شاءَ أنْ يَتَعَلَّمَ ذَلِكَ بَلَغَ فِيهِ مَبْلَغَ غَيْرِهِ ويَأْتِي بِمِثْلِ ما أظْهَرَهُ سِواهُ. And she intended the Prophet, upon him be peace, with it. So Allah informed His Prophet of the location of her secret and exposed her ignorance in what she committed and thought, so that this would be one of the signs of his prophethood; because that harmed him and confused his affair. And not all the narrators said that his affair was confused for him; rather, this wording was added to the hadith and has no basis. The difference between the miracles of the prophets and what we have mentioned of the forms of illusions is that the miracles of the prophets, upon them be peace, are upon their realities, and their inner aspects are like their outer aspects. And the more you contemplate them, the more insight you gain into their authenticity. And if all of creation were to strive to imitate them and counter them with their likes, their inability to do so would become apparent. And the deceptions of the magicians and their illusions are but a type of trickery and subtlety to show things that have no reality, and what appears from them as other than its reality is known through contemplation and investigation. And whenever one wishes to learn that, he can reach in it the level of another and can produce the like of what another has shown.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: قَدْ ذَكَرْنا في مَعْنى السِّحْرِ وحَقِيقَتِهِ ما يَقِفُ النّاظِرُ عَلى جُمْلَتِهِ وطَرِيقَتِهِ، ولَوِ اسْتَقْصَيْنا ذَلِكَ مِن وُجُوهِ الحِيَلِ لَطالَ واحْتَجْنا إلى اسْتِئْنافِ كِتابٍ لِذَلِكَ، وإنَّما الغَرَضُ فِي هَذا المَوْضِعِ بَيانُ مَعْنى السِّحْرِ وحُكْمِهِ والآنَ حَيْثُ انْتَهى بِنا القَوْلُ إلى ذِكْرِ قَوْلِ الفُقَهاءِ فِيهِ وما تَضَمَّنَتْهُ الآيَةُ مِن حُكْمِهِ وما يَجْرِي عَلى مُدَّعِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ العُقُوباتِ عَلى حَسَبِ مَنازِلِهِمْ في عِظَمِ المَأْثَمِ وكَثْرَةِ الفَسادِ، واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ بِالصَّوابِ. Abu Bakr said: We have mentioned regarding the meaning of magic and its reality that which allows the observer to understand its entirety and its method. And if we were to investigate that thoroughly from the aspects of tricks, it would be lengthy and we would need to start a new book for that. The purpose in this place is only to explain the meaning of magic and its ruling. And now that our discourse has reached the mention of the jurists’ statement on it, and what the verse contains of its ruling, and what befalls the claimant of that of punishments according to their levels in the greatness of the sin and the abundance of corruption. And Allah knows best what is correct.

بابٌ اخْتِلافُ الفُقَهاءِ في حُكْمِ السّاحِرِ وقَوْلُ السَّلَفِ فِيهِ حَدَّثَنا عَبْدُ الباقِي، حَدَّثَنا عُثْمانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الضَّبِّيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ رَجاءٍ قالَ: أخْبَرَنا إسْرائِيلُ عَنْ أبِي إسْحاقَ عَنْ هُبَيْرَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قالَ: " مَن أتى كاهِنًا أوْ عَرّافًا أوْ ساحِرًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِما يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِما أُنْزِلَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ " . Chapter: The Difference of the Jurists Regarding the Ruling on the Magician and the Statement of the Salaf on It. Abd al-Baqi narrated to us, Uthman ibn Umar al-Dabbi narrated to us, he said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Raja’ narrated to us, he said: Isra’il informed us from Abu Ishaq from Hubayrah from `Abd Allah, he said: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer, a diviner, or a magician and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad, upon him be peace.”

ورَوى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نافِعٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: أنَّ جارِيَةً لِحَفْصَةَ سَحَرَتْها فَوَجَدُوا سِحْرَها واعْتَرَفَتْ بِذَلِكَ، فَأمَرَتْ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ زَيْدٍ فَقَتَلَها، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عُثْمانَ فَأنْكَرَهُ، فَأتاهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ فَأخْبَرَهُ أمْرَها؛ وكانَ عُثْمانُ إنَّما أنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأنَّها قُتِلَتْ بِغَيْرِ إذْنِهِ وذَكَرَ ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينارٍ، أنَّهُ سَمِعَ بَجالَةَ يَقُولُ: كُنْتُ كاتِبًا لِجُزَيِّ بْنِ مُعاوِيَةَ فَأتى كِتابُ عُمَرَ أنِ: اقْتُلُوا كُلَّ ساحِرٍ وساحِرَةٍ فَقَتَلْنا ثَلاثَ سَواحِرَ. Abd Allah narrated from Nafi from Ibn Umar: that a slave girl of Hafsah bewitched her, so they found her magic and she confessed to it. So she ordered Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd, and he killed her. That reached Uthman and he disapproved of it. Ibn Umar came to him and informed him of her matter. And Uthman only disapproved of that because she was killed without his permission. And Ibn Uyaynah mentioned from Amr ibn Dinar that he heard Bajalah say: I was a scribe for Juzayy ibn Muawiyah, and a letter came from `Umar: “Kill every male magician and female magician.” So we killed three female magicians.

ورَوى أبُو عاصِمٍ عَنِ الأشْعَثِ عَنِ الحَسَنِ قالَ: " يُقْتَلُ السّاحِرُ ولا يُسْتَتابُ " ورَوى المُثَنّى بْنُ الصَّبّاحِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ: " أنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الخَطّابِ أخَذَ ساحِرًا فَدَفَنَهُ إلى صَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ تَرَكَهُ حَتّى ماتَ " . Abu Asim narrated from al-Ashath from al-Hasan, he said: “The magician is to be killed and not asked to repent.” And al-Muthanna ibn al-Sabbah narrated from Amr ibn Shuayb: “that `Umar ibn al-Khattab seized a magician and buried him up to his chest, then left him until he died.”

ورَوى سُفْيانُ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ سالِمِ بْنِ أبِي الجَعْدِ قالَ: كانَ قَيْسُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ أمِيرًا عَلى مِصْرَ فَجَعَلَ يَفْشُو سِرُّهُ، فَقالَ: مَن هَذا الَّذِي يُفْشِي سِرِّي ؟ فَقالُوا: ساحِرٌ هَهُنا فَدَعاهُ، فَقالَ لَهُ: إذا نَشَرْتَ الكِتابَ عَلِمْنا ما فِيهِ، فَأمّا ما دامَ مَخْتُومًا فَلَيْسَ نَعْلَمُهُ؛ فَأمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ورَوى أبُو إسْحاقَ الشَّيْبانِيُّ عَنْ جامِعِ بْنِ شَدّادٍ عَنِ الأسْوَدِ بْنِ هِلالٍ قالَ: قالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أبِي طالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: " إنَّ هَؤُلاءِ العَرّافِينَ كُهّانُ العَجَمِ، فَمَن أتى كاهِنًا يُؤْمِنُ لَهُ بِما يَقُولُ فَهو بَرِيءٌ مِمّا أُنْزِلَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ " . Sufyan narrated from Amr from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, he said: Qays ibn Sad was an amir over Egypt, and his secret began to be divulged. So he said: "Who is this who divulges my secret?" They said: "A magician is here." So he summoned him. He said to him: "When you open the letter, we know what is in it, but as long as it is sealed, we do not know it." So he ordered him to be killed. And Abu Ishaq al-Shaybani narrated from Jami ibn Shaddad from al-Aswad ibn Hilal, he said: `Ali ibn Abi Talib, upon him be peace, said: “Indeed, these diviners are the soothsayers of the non-Arabs. So whoever goes to a soothsayer believing what he says is disassociated from what was revealed to Muhammad, upon him be prayer and peace.”

ورَوى مُبارَكٌ عَنِ الحَسَنِ أنَّ جُنْدُبًا قَتَلَ ساحِرًا ورَوى يُونُسُ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ قالَ: " يُقْتَلُ ساحِرُ المُسْلِمِينَ ولا يُقْتَلُ ساحِرُ أهْلِ الكِتابِ؛ لِأنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ سَحَرَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ اليَهُودِ يُقالُ لَهُ ابْنُ أعْصَمَ وامْرَأةٌ مِن يَهُودِ خَيْبَرَ يُقالُ لَها زَيْنَبُ فَلَمْ يَقْتُلْهُما " . وعَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ العَزِيزِ قالَ: " يُقْتَلُ السّاحِرُ " . Mubarak narrated from al-Hasan that Jundub killed a magician. And Yunus narrated from al-Zuhri, he said: “The magician of the Muslims is to be killed, and the magician of the People of the Book is not to be killed, because the Prophet ﷺ was bewitched by a man from the Jews called Ibn Asam and a woman from the Jews of Khaybar called Zaynab, and he did not kill them." And from Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, he said: “The magician is to be killed.”

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: اتَّفَقَ هَؤُلاءِ السَّلَفُ عَلى وُجُوبِ قَتْلِ السّاحِرِ، ونَصَّ بَعْضُهم عَلى كُفْرِهِ واخْتَلَفَ فُقَهاءُ الأمْصارِ في حُكْمِهِ عَلى ما نَذْكُرُهُ؛ فَرَوى ابْنُ شُجاعٍ عَنِ الحَسَنِ بْنِ زِيادٍ عَنْ أبِي حَنِيفَةَ أنَّهُ قالَ في السّاحِرِ: " يُقْتَلُ إذا عُلِمَ أنَّهُ ساحِرٌ ولا يُسْتَتابُ ولا يُقْبَلُ قَوْلُهُ: إنِّي أتْرُكُ السِّحْرَ وأتُوبُ مِنهُ، فَإذا أقَرَّ أنَّهُ ساحِرٌ فَقَدْ حَلَّ دَمُهُ، وإنْ شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِ شاهِدانِ أنَّهُ ساحِرٌ فَوَصَفُوا ذَلِكَ بِصِفَةٍ يُعْلَمُ أنَّهُ سِحْرٌ قُتِلَ ولا يُسْتَتابُ. Abu Bakr said: These Salaf agreed on the obligation of killing the magician, and some of them stipulated his disbelief. The jurists of the cities differed in his ruling, as we will mention. Ibn Shuja` narrated from al-Hasan ibn Ziyad from Abu Hanifah that he said regarding the magician: “He is to be killed if it is known that he is a magician, and he is not asked to repent, nor is his statement accepted: ‘I am leaving magic and I repent from it.’ So if he confesses that he is a magician, his blood has become lawful. And if two witnesses testify against him that he is a magician and they describe that with a description by which it is known that it is magic, he is killed and not asked to repent.

وإنَّ أقَرَّ فَقالَ: كُنْتَ أسْحَرُ وقَدْ تَرَكْتُ مُنْذُ زَمانٍ قُبِلَ مِنهُ ولَمْ يُقْتَلْ، وكَذَلِكَ لَوْ شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِ أنَّهُ كانَ مَرَّةً ساحِرًا وأنَّهُ تَرَكَ مُنْذُ زَمانٍ لَمْ يُقْتَلْ إلّا أنْ يَشْهَدُوا أنَّهُ السّاعَةَ ساحِرٌ وأقَرَّ بِذَلِكَ فَيُقْتَلُ، وكَذَلِكَ العَبْدُ المُسْلِمُ والذِّمِّيُّ والحُرُّ الذِّمِّيُّ مَن أقَرَّ مِنهم أنَّهُ ساحِرٌ فَقَدْ حَلَّ دَمُهُ فَيُقْتَلُ ولا يُقْبَلُ تَوْبَتُهُ، وكَذَلِكَ لَوْ شُهِدَ عَلى عَبْدٍ أوْ ذِمِّيٍّ أنَّهُ ساحِرٌ ووَصَفُوا ذَلِكَ بِصِفَةٍ يُعْلَمُ أنَّهُ سَحَرَ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ تَوْبَتُهُ ويُقْتَلُ، وإنْ أقَرَّ العَبْدُ أوِ الذِّمِّيُّ أنَّهُ كانَ ساحِرًا وتَرَكَ ذَلِكَ مُنْذُ زَمانٍ قُبِلَ ذَلِكَ، وكَذَلِكَ لَوْ شَهِدُوا عَلَيْهِ أنَّهُ كانَ مَرَّةً ساحِرًا ولَمْ يَشْهَدُوا أنَّهُ السّاعَةَ ساحِرٌ لَمْ يُقْتَلْ، وأمّا المَرْأةُ فَإذا شَهِدُوا عَلَيْها أنَّها ساحِرَةٌ أوْ أقَرَّتْ بِذَلِكَ لَمْ تُقْتَلْ وحُبِسَتْ وضُرِبَتْ حَتّى يَسْتَيْقِنَ لَهم تَرْكُها لِلسِّحْرِ، وكَذَلِكَ الأمَةُ والذِّمِّيَّةُ إذا شَهِدُوا أنَّها ساحِرَةٌ أوْ أقَرَّتْ بِذَلِكَ لَمْ تُقْتَلْ وحُبِسَتْ حَتّى يُعْلَمَ مِنها تَرْكُ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ " وهَذا كُلُّهُ قَوْلُ أبِي حَنِيفَةَ قالَ ابْنُ شُجاعٍ: فَحَكَمَ في السّاحِرِ والسّاحِرَةِ حُكْمَ المُرْتَدِّ والمُرْتَدَّةِ؛ إلّا أنْ يَجِيءَ فَيُقِرَّ بِالسِّحْرِ أوْ يُشْهَدَ عَلَيْهِ بِذَلِكَ أنَّهُ عَمِلَهُ، فَإنَّهُ جَعَلَ ذَلِكَ بِمَنزِلَةِ الثَّباتِ عَلى الرِّدَّةِ وحَكى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُجاعٍ عَنْ أبِي عَلِيٍّ الرّازِيِّ قالَ: سَألْتُ أبا يُوسُفَ عَنْ قَوْلِ أبِي حَنِيفَةَ في السّاحِرِ " يُقْتَلُ ولا يُسْتَتابُ " لِمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ بِمَنزِلَةِ المُرْتَدِّ ؟ فَقالَ: السّاحِرُ قَدْ جَمَعَ مَعَ كُفْرِهِ السَّعْيَ في الأرْضِ بِالفَسادِ. And if he confessed and said: ‘I used to practice magic, and I have left it for some time,’ it is accepted from him and he is not killed. And likewise if it is testified against him that he was once a magician and that he left it for some time, he is not killed, unless they testify that he is a magician at this hour and he confesses to that, then he is killed. And likewise the Muslim slave, the dhimmi, and the free dhimmi; whoever among them confesses that he is a magician, his blood has become lawful, so he is killed and his repentance is not accepted. And likewise if it is testified against a slave or a dhimmi that he is a magician and they describe that with a description by which it is known that he practiced magic, his repentance is not accepted and he is killed. And if the slave or the dhimmi confesses that he was a magician and left that for some time, that is accepted. And likewise if they testified against him that he was once a magician and did not testify that he is a magician at this hour, he is not killed. As for the woman, if they testify against her that she is a sorceress or she confesses to that, she is not killed, but is imprisoned and beaten until they are certain of her leaving magic. And likewise the female slave and the dhimmiyyah, if they testify that she is a sorceress or she confesses to that, she is not killed but is imprisoned until it is known from her that she has left all of that.” And all of this is the statement of Abu Hanifah. Ibn Shuja said: So he ruled on the male magician and the female magician with the ruling of the male apostate and the female apostate, except that if he comes and confesses to magic or it is testified against him that he did it, for he made that like persistence in apostasy. And Muhammad ibn Shuja narrated from Abu `Ali al-Razi, he said: I asked Abu Yusuf about Abu Hanifah’s statement on the magician, “He is killed and not asked to repent,” why is that not like the apostate? He said: The magician has combined with his disbelief striving in the land with corruption.

والسّاعِي بِالفَسادِ إذا قَتَلَ قُتِلَ. قالَ: فَقُلْتُ لِأبِي يُوسُفَ: ما السّاحِرُ ؟ قالَ: الَّذِي يُقْتَصُّ لَهُ مِنَ العَمَلِ مِثْلُ ما فَعَلَتِ اليَهُودُ بِالنَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ وبِما جاءَتْ بِهِ الأخْبارُ إذا أصابَ بِهِ قَتْلًا، فَإذا لَمْ يُصِبْ بِهِ قَتْلًا لَمْ يُقْتَلْ؛ لِأنَّ لَبِيدَ بْنَ الأعْصَمِ سَحَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَقْتُلْهُ؛ إذْ كانَ لَمْ يُصِبْ بِهِ قَتْلًا And the one who strives with corruption, if he kills, he is killed. He said: So I said to Abu Yusuf: “What is the magician?” He said: “The one for whom retribution is taken for the act, like what the Jews did to the Prophet, upon him be prayer and peace, and with what the reports have come with, if he causes death by it. If he does not cause death by it, he is not killed, because Labid ibn al-A`sam bewitched the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he did not kill him, as he did not cause death by it.”

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: لَيْسَ فِيما ذَكَرَ بَيانُ مَعْنى السِّحْرِ الَّذِي يَسْتَحِقُّ فاعِلُهُ القَتْلَ، ولا يَجُوزُ أنْ يُظَنَّ بِأبِي يُوسُفَ أنَّهُ اعْتَقَدَ في السِّحْرِ ما يَعْتَقِدُهُ الحَشْوُ مِن إيصالِهِمُ الضَّرَرَ إلى المَسْحُورِ مِن غَيْرِ مُماسَّةٍ ولا سَقْيِ دَواءٍ؛ وجائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ سِحْرُ اليَهُودِ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَلى جِهَةِ إرادَتِهِمُ التَّوَصُّلَ إلى قَتْلِهِ بِإطْعامِهِ، وأطْلَعَهُ اللَّهُ عَلى ما أرادُوا، كَما سَمَّتْهُ زَيْنَبُ اليَهُودِيَّةُ في الشّاةِ المَسْمُومَةِ فَأخْبَرَتْهُ الشّاةُ بِذَلِكَ، فَقالَ: «إنَّ هَذِهِ الشّاةَ لَتُخْبِرُنِي أنَّها مَسْمُومَةٌ». قالَ أبُو مُصْعَبٍ عَنْ مالِكٍ في المُسْلِمِ إذا تَوَلّى عَمَلَ السِّحْرِ قُتِلَ ولا يُسْتَتابُ؛ لِأنَّ المُسْلِمَ إذا ارْتَدَّ باطِنًا لَمْ تُعْرَفْ تَوْبَتُهُ بِإظْهارِهِ الإسْلامَ قالَ إسْماعِيلُ بْنُ إسْحاقَ: فَأمّا ساحِرُ أهْلِ الكِتابِ فَإنَّهُ لا يُقْتَلُ عِنْدَ مالِكٍ، إلّا أنْ يَضُرَّ المُسْلِمِينَ فَيُقْتَلُ لِنَقْضِ العَهْدِ وقالَ الشّافِعِيُّ: إذا قالَ السّاحِرُ: أنا أعْمَلُ عَمَلًا لِأقْتُلَ فَأُخْطِئُ وأُصِيبُ وقَدْ ماتَ هَذا الرَّجُلُ مِن عَمَلِي؛ فَفِيهِ الدِّيَةُ وإنْ قالَ: عَمَلِي يَقْتُلُ المَعْمُولَ بِهِ وقَدْ تَعَمَّدْتُ قَتْلَهُ؛ قُتِلَ بِهِ قَوَدًا، وإنْ قالَ: مَرِضَ مِنهُ ولَمْ يَمُتْ أقْسَمَ أوْلِياؤُهُ لَماتَ مِنهُ ثُمَّ تَكُونُ الدِّيَةُ. Abu Bakr said: There is no explanation in what he mentioned of the meaning of magic for which its practitioner deserves to be killed. And it is not permissible to think of Abu Yusuf that he believed about magic what the Hashwiyyah believe of their causing harm to the bewitched without contact or giving of medicine. It is possible that the magic of the Jews against the Prophet ﷺ was by way of their wanting to achieve his killing by feeding him, and Allah informed him of what they wanted, just as Zaynab the Jewess poisoned him in the poisoned sheep, and the sheep informed him of that, so he said: “Indeed, this sheep is informing me that it is poisoned.” Abu Musab said from Malik regarding the Muslim who undertakes the practice of magic: he is killed and not asked to repent, because if a Muslim apostatizes inwardly, his repentance is not known by his outward display of Islam. Ismail ibn Ishaq said: As for the magician of the People of the Book, he is not killed according to Malik, unless he harms the Muslims, then he is killed for breaking the covenant. And al-Shafi`i said: If the magician says: “I perform an act to kill, and I sometimes miss and sometimes hit, and this man has died from my act,” then blood money (diyah) is due for it. And if he says: “My act kills the one it is performed on, and I have intentionally killed him,” he is killed for it in retribution (qawad). And if he says: “He fell ill from it but did not die,” his guardians swear an oath that he died from it, then there is blood money.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: فَلَمْ يَجْعَلِ الشّافِعِيُّ السّاحِرَ كافِرًا بِسِحْرِهِ وإنَّما جَعَلَهُ جانِيًا كَسائِرِ الجُناةِ وما قَدَّمْنا مِن قَوْلِ السَّلَفِ يُوجِبُ أنْ يَكُونَ مُسْتَحِقًّا لِلْقَتْلِ بِاسْتِحْقاقِ سِمَةِ السِّحْرِ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلى أنَّهم رَأوْهُ كافِرًا، وقَوْلُ الشّافِعِيِّ في ذَلِكَ خارِجٌ عَنْ قَوْلِ جَمِيعِهِمْ؛ يَعْتَبِرُ أحَدٌ مِنهم قَتْلَهُ لِغَيْرِهِ بِعَمَلِهِ السِّحْرَ في إيجابِ قَتْلِهِ Abu Bakr said: So al-Shafii did not consider the magician a disbeliever because of his magic, but rather considered him a criminal like other criminals. And what we have presented of the statement of the Salaf necessitates that he be deserving of being killed by deserving the label of magic. This indicates that they viewed him as a disbeliever. And the statement of al-Shafii in that is outside the statement of all of them; none of them considers his killing of another with his act of magic in obligating his execution.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: وقَدْ بَيَّنّا فِيما سَلَفَ مَعانِيَ السِّحْرِ وضُرُوبَهُ؛ وأمّا الضَّرْبُ الأوَّلُ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنا مِن سِحْرِ أهْلِ بابِلَ في القَدِيمِ ومَذاهِبِ الصّابِئِينَ فِيهِ، وهو الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ تَعالى في قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ﴾ فِيما يُرى واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ، فَإنَّ القائِلَ بِهِ والمُصَدِّقَ بِهِ والعامِلَ بِهِ كافِرٌ؛ وهو الَّذِي قالَ أصْحابُنا فِيهِ عِنْدِي إنَّهُ لا يُسْتَتابُ، والدَّلِيلُ عَلى أنَّ المُرادَ بِالآيَةِ هَذا الضَّرْبُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ، ما حَدَّثَنا عَبْدُ الباقِي بْنُ قانِعٍ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا نُطَيْرٌ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أبِي شَيْبَةَ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا يَحْيى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ القَطّانُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الأخْنَسِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا الوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ ماهَكَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ قالَ: قالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنِ اقْتَبَسَ عِلْمًا مِنَ النُّجُومِ اقْتَبَسَ شُعْبَةً مِنَ السِّحْرِ» . Abu Bakr said: And we have explained previously the meanings of magic and its types. As for the first type which we mentioned of the magic of the people of Babylon in ancient times and the doctrines of the Sabians in it, which is what Allah the Exalted mentioned in His statement: {and what was revealed to the two angels}, as it appears, and Allah knows best, then the one who says it, believes in it, and acts upon it is a disbeliever. And it is about this that our companions said, in my view, that he is not asked to repent. The proof that what is intended by the verse is this type of magic is what Abd al-Baqi ibn Qani narrated to us, he said: Nutayr narrated to us, he said: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, he said: Yahya ibn Said al-Qattan narrated to us from Abd Allah ibn al-Akhnas, he said: al-Walid ibn Abd Allah narrated to us from Yusuf ibn Mahak from Ibn Abbas, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever acquires a branch of knowledge from the stars has acquired a branch of magic.”

وهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى مَعْنَيَيْنِ: This indicates two meanings:

أحَدُهُما: أنَّ المُرادَ بِالآيَةِ هو السِّحْرُ الَّذِي نَسَبَهُ عامِلُوهُ إلى النُّجُومِ، وهو الَّذِي ذَكَرْناهُ مِن سِحْرِ أهْلِ بابِلَ والصّابِئِينَ؛ لِأنَّ سائِرَ ضُرُوبِ السِّحْرِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنا لَيْسَ لَها تَعَلُّقٌ بِالنُّجُومِ عِنْدَ أصْحابِها. والثّانِي: أنَّ إطْلاقَ لَفْظِ السِّحْرِ المَذْمُومِ يَتَناوَلُ هَذا الضَّرْبَ مِنهُ؛ وهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ المُتَعارَفَ عِنْدَ السَّلَفِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ هو هَذا الضَّرْبُ مِنهُ ومِمّا يَدَّعِي فِيهِ أصْحابُها المُعْجِزاتِ، وإنْ لَمْ يُعَلِّقُوا ذَلِكَ بِفِعْلِ النُّجُومِ دُونَ غَيْرِها مِنَ الوُجُوهِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنا؛ وأنَّهُ هو المَقْصُودُ بِقَتْلِ فاعِلِهِ؛ إذْ لَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا فِيهِ بَيْنَ عامِلِ السِّحْرِ بِالأدْوِيَةِ والنَّمِيمَةِ والسِّعايَةِ والشَّعْوَذَةِ وبَيْنَ غَيْرِهِ ومَعْلُومٌ عِنْدَ الجَمِيعِ أنَّ هَذِهِ الضُّرُوبَ مِنَ السَّحَرِ لا تُوجِبُ قَتْلَ فاعِلَها إذا لَمْ يَدَّعِ فِيهِ مُعْجِزَةً لا يُمْكِنُ العِبادَ فِعْلُها؛ فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلى أنَّ إيجابَهم قَتْلَ السّاحِرِ إنَّما كانَ لِمَنِ ادَّعى بِسِحْرِهِ مُعْجِزاتٍ لا يَجُوزُ وُجُودُ مِثْلِها إلّا مِنَ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ دَلالَةً عَلى صِدْقِهِمْ وذَلِكَ يَنْقَسِمُ إلى مَعْنَيَيْنِ: One of them: That what is intended by the verse is the magic which its practitioners attributed to the stars, which is what we mentioned of the magic of the people of Babylon and the Sabians, because all the other types of magic that we mentioned have no connection to the stars according to their practitioners. The second: That the absolute use of the term ‘blameworthy magic’ includes this type of it. This indicates that what was commonly known as magic among the Salaf was this type of it and that in which its practitioners claim miracles, even if they did not connect that to the action of the stars over the other forms we mentioned; and that this is what is intended by the killing of its practitioner, as they did not differentiate in it between the practitioner of magic with medicines, slander, tale-bearing, and illusionism, and others. And it is known to all that these types of magic do not necessitate the killing of their practitioner if he does not claim a miracle in it that servants [of God] are unable to perform. This indicates that their obligating the killing of the magician was only for one who claimed with his magic miracles the like of which are not permissible to exist except from the prophets, upon them be peace, as a sign of their truthfulness. And that is divided into two meanings:

أحَدُهُما: ما بَدَأْنا بِذِكْرِهِ مِن سِحْرِ أهْلِ بابِلَ؛ والآخَرُ: ما يَدَّعِيهِ المُعَزِّمُونَ وأصْحابُ النَّيْرَنْجِيّاتِ مِن خِدْمَةِ الشَّياطِينِ لَهم والفَرِيقانِ جَمِيعًا كافِرانِ؛ أمّا الفَرِيقُ الأوَّلُ فَلِأنَّ في سِحْرِهِ تَعْظِيمَ الكَواكِبِ واعْتِقادَها آلِهَةً، وأمّا الفَرِيقُ الثّانِي فَلِأنَّها وإنْ كانَتْ مُعْتَرِفَةً بِاللَّهِ ورَسُولِهِ ﷺ فَإنَّها حَيْثُ أجازَتْ أنْ تُخْبِرَها الجِنُّ بِالغُيُوبِ وتَقْدِرُ عَلى تَغْيِيرِ فُنُونِ الحَيَوانِ والطَّيَرانِ في الهَواءِ والمَشْيِ عَلى الماءِ وما جَرى مَجْرى ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ جَوَّزَتْ وُجُودَ مِثْلِ أعْلامِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ مَعَ الكَذّابِينَ المُتَخَرِّصَيْنِ. One of them: What we began by mentioning of the magic of the people of Babylon. The other: What the exorcists and the masters of illusions claim of the service of the devils to them. And both groups are disbelievers. As for the first group, it is because in its magic is the veneration of the planets and believing them to be gods. As for the second group, it is because even if they acknowledge Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, since they have permitted that the jinn inform them of the unseen and have power over changing the forms of animals, flying in the air, walking on water, and what runs in that course, they have permitted the existence of the like of the signs of the prophets, upon them be peace, with the lying conjecturers.

ومَن كانَ كَذَلِكَ فَإنَّهُ لا يَعْلَمُ صِدْقَ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ لِتَجْوِيزِهِ كَوْنَ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ الأعْلامِ مَعَ غَيْرِهِمْ، فَلا يَأْمَنُ أنْ يَكُونَ جَمِيعُ مَن ظَهَرَتْ عَلى يَدِهِ مُتَخَرِّصًا كَذّابًا فَإنَّما كُفْرُ هَذِهِ الطّائِفَةِ مِن هَذا الوَجْهِ، وهو جَهْلُهُ بِصِدْقِ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ والأظْهَرُ مِن أمْرِ السّاحِرِ الَّذِي رَأتِ الصَّحابَةُ قَتْلَهُ مِن غَيْرِ بَحْثٍ مِنهم عَنْ حالِهِ ولا بَيانٍ لِمَعانِي سِحْرِهِ أنَّهُ السّاحِرُ المَذْكُورُ في قَوْلِهِ تَعالى: ﴿يُعَلِّمُونَ النّاسَ السِّحْرَ وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ﴾ وهو السّاحِرُ الَّذِي بَدَأْنا بِذِكْرِهِ عِنْدَ ذِكْرِنا ضُرُوبَ السِّحْرِ، وهو سِحْرُ أهْلِ بابِلَ في القَدِيمِ، وعَسى أنْ يَكُونَ هو الأغْلَبَ الأعَمَّ في ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ؛ ولا يَبْعُدُ أنْ يَكُونَ في ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ مَن يَتَعاطى سائِرَ ضُرُوبِ السِّحْرِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنا وكانُوا يَجْرُونَ في دَعْواهُمُ الإخْبارَ بِالغُيُوبِ وتَغْيِيرِ صُوَرِ الحَيَوانِ عَلى مِنهاجِ سَحَرَةِ بابِلَ، وكَذَلِكَ كُهّانُ العَرَبِ، يَشْمَلُ الجَمِيعَ اسْمُ الكُفْرِ لِظُهُورِ هَذِهِ الدَّعاوى مِنهم وتَجْوِيزِهِمْ مُضاهاةِ الأنْبِياءِ في مُعْجِزاتِهِمْ وعَلى أيِّ وجْهٍ كانَ مَعْنى السِّحْرِ عِنْدَ السَّلَفِ فَإنَّهُ لَمْ يُحْكَ عَنْ أحَدٍ إيجابُ قَتْلِ السّاحِرِ مِن طَرِيقِ الجِنايَةِ عَلى النُّفُوسِ، بَلْ إيجابُ قَتْلِهِ بِاعْتِقادِهِ عَمَلَ السِّحْرِ مِن غَيْرِ اعْتِبارٍ مِنهم لِجِنايَتِهِ عَلى غَيْرِهِ، فَأمّا ما يَفْعَلُهُ المُشَعْوِذُونَ وأصْحابُ الحَرَكاتِ والخِفَّةِ بِالأيْدِي، وما يَفْعَلُهُ مَن يَتَعاطى ذَلِكَ بِسَقْيِ الأدْوِيَةِ المُبَلِّدَةِ لِلْعَقْلِ أوِ السُّمُومِ القاتِلَةِ. And whoever is like that, he does not know the truthfulness of the prophets, upon them be peace, because of his permitting the existence of such signs with others. So he is not safe from believing that everyone at whose hand they appeared was a lying conjecturer. So the disbelief of this sect is from this aspect, which is its ignorance of the truthfulness of the prophets, upon them be peace. And what is most apparent from the matter of the magician whom the Companions saw fit to kill without investigation from them of his condition nor explanation of the meanings of his magic, is that he is the magician mentioned in His, the Exalted’s, statement: {teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two angels}. And he is the magician whom we began by mentioning when we mentioned the types of magic, which is the magic of the people of Babylon in ancient times. And perhaps it was the most prevalent and general at that time. And it is not improbable that there were at that time those who practiced all the other types of magic we mentioned, and they proceeded in their claim of informing of the unseen and changing the forms of animals according to the methodology of the magicians of Babylon. And likewise the soothsayers of the Arabs. The name of disbelief encompasses all of them due to the appearance of these claims from them and their permitting the imitation of the prophets in their miracles. And in whatever way the meaning of magic was with the Salaf, it has not been narrated from anyone that they obligated the killing of the magician by way of a crime against souls, but rather the obligation of his killing for his belief in the practice of magic, without consideration from them of his crime against another. As for what the illusionists and masters of movements and sleight of hand do, and what those who practice that by giving stupefying medicines for the intellect or lethal poisons do,

ومَن يَتَعاطى ذَلِكَ بِطَرِيقِ السَّعْيِ بِالنَّمائِمِ والوِشايَةِ والتَّضْرِيبِ والإفْسادِ؛ فَإنَّهم إذا اعْتَرَفُوا بِأنَّ ذَلِكَ حِيَلٌ ومَخارِيقُ، حُكْمُ مَن يَتَعاطى مِثْلَها مِنَ النّاسِ لَمْ يَكُنْ كافِرًا ويَنْبَغِي أنْ يُؤَدَّبَ ويُزْجَرَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ والدَّلِيلُ عَلى أنَّ السّاحِرَ المَذْكُورَ في الآيَةِ مُسْتَحِقٌّ لِاسْمِ الكُفْرِ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿واتَّبَعُوا ما تَتْلُو الشَّياطِينُ عَلى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمانَ وما كَفَرَ سُلَيْمانُ﴾ أيْ عَلى عَهْدِ سُلَيْمانَ، رُوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنِ المُفَسِّرِينَ وقَوْلُهُ ﴿تَتْلُو﴾ مَعْناهُ تُخْبِرُ وتَقْرَأُ ثُمَّ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى ﴿وما كَفَرَ سُلَيْمانُ ولَكِنَّ الشَّياطِينَ كَفَرُوا﴾ يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ ما أخْبَرَتْ بِهِ الشَّياطِينُ وادَّعَتْهُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ عَلى سُلَيْمانَ كانَ كُفْرًا، فَنَفاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ سُلَيْمانَ وحَكَمَ بِكُفْرِ الشَّياطِينِ الَّذِينَ تَعاطَوْهُ وعَمِلُوهُ، ثُمَّ عَطَفَ عَلى ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ بِبابِلَ هارُوتَ ومارُوتَ وما يُعَلِّمانِ مِن أحَدٍ حَتّى يَقُولا إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلا تَكْفُرْ﴾ فَأخْبَرَ عَنِ المَلَكَيْنِ أنَّهُما يَقُولانِ لِمَن يُعَلِّمانِهِ ذَلِكَ: لا تَكْفُرْ بِعَمَلِ هَذا السِّحْرِ واعْتِقادِهِ فَثَبَتَ أنَّ ذَلِكَ كُفْرٌ إذا عُمِلَ بِهِ واعْتُقِدَ ثُمَّ قالَ: ﴿ولَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَراهُ ما لَهُ في الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ﴾ يَعْنِي، واللَّهُ أعْلَمْ: مِنَ اسْتَبْدَلَ السِّحْرَ بِدِينِ اللَّهِ ما لَهُ في الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ، يَعْنِي مِن نَصِيبٍ ثُمَّ قالَ: ﴿ولَبِئْسَ ما شَرَوْا بِهِ أنْفُسَهم لَوْ كانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ ﴿ولَوْ أنَّهم آمَنُوا واتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِن عِنْدِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَوْ كانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ فَجَعَلَ ضِدَّ هَذا الإيمانِ فِعْلَ السِّحْرِ؛ لِأنَّهُ جَعَلَ الإيمانَ في مُقابَلَةِ فِعْلِ السِّحْرِ وهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ السّاحِرَ كافِرٌ. and those who practice that by way of striving with slander, tale-bearing, causing discord, and corruption; if they confess that these are tricks and deceptions, the ruling of one who practices their like among the people is that he is not a disbeliever, and he should be disciplined and rebuked for that. The proof that the magician mentioned in the verse is deserving of the name of disbelief is His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And they followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. And Solomon did not disbelieve}, meaning, during the era of Solomon. This was narrated from the commentators. And His statement {recited} means they informed and read. Then His, the Exalted’s, statement {And Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved} indicates that what the devils informed of and claimed of magic against Solomon was disbelief. So Allah negated it from Solomon and ruled with the disbelief of the devils who practiced and did it. Then He followed that with His, the Exalted’s, statement: {and what was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. And they did not teach anyone until they said, “We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.”} So He informed about the two angels that they say to whomever they teach that: “Do not disbelieve by practicing this magic and believing in it.” So it is established that that is disbelief if it is practiced and believed. Then He said: {And they certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter}, meaning, and Allah knows best: whoever exchanges magic for the religion of Allah has no share in the Hereafter, meaning no portion. Then He said: {And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.} {And if they had believed and feared Allah, then the reward from Allah would have been better, if they only knew.} So He made the opposite of this faith the act of magic, because He placed faith in opposition to the act of magic. And this indicates that the magician is a disbeliever.

وإذا ثَبَتَ كُفْرُهُ فَإنْ كانَ مُسْلِمًا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ أوْ قَدْ ظَهَرَ مِنهُ الإسْلامُ في وقْتِ كُفْرِهِ بِفِعْلِ السِّحْرِ فاسْتَحَقَّ القَتْلَ بِقَوْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: «مَن بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فاقْتُلُوهُ» وإنَّما قالَ أبُو حَنِيفَةَ ولا نَعْلَمُ أحَدًا مِن أصْحابِنا خالَفَهُ فِيما ذَكَرَهُ الحَسَنُ عَنْهُ: " إنَّهُ يُقْتَلُ ولا يُسْتَتابُ " فَأمّا ما رُوِيَ عَنْ أبِي يُوسُفَ في فَرْقِ أبِي حَنِيفَةَ بَيْنَ السّاحِرِ وبَيْنَ المُرْتَدِّينَ، فَإنَّ السّاحِرَ قَدْ جَمَعَ إلى كُفْرِهِ السَّعْيَ بِالفَسادِ في الأرْضِ فَإنْ قالَ قائِلُ: فَأنْتَ لا تَقْتُلُ الخُنّاقَ والمُحارِبِينَ إلّا إذا قَتَلُوا، فَهَلّا قُلْتَ مِثْلَهُ في السّاحِرِ قِيلَ لَهُ: يَفْتَرِقانِ مِن جِهَةِ أنَّ الخَنّاقَ والمُحارِبَ لَمْ يَكْفُرا قَبْلَ القَتْلِ ولا بَعْدَهُ فَلَمْ يَسْتَحِقّا القَتْلَ؛ إذْ لَمْ يَتَقَدَّمْ مِنهُما سَبَبٌ يَسْتَحِقّانِ بِهِ القَتْلَ، وأمّا السّاحِرُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِسِحْرِهِ قَتَلَ بِهِ أوْ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ، فاسْتَحَقَّ القَتْلَ بِكُفْرِهِ ثُمَّ لَمّا كانَ مَعَ كُفْرِهِ ساعِيًا في الأرْضِ بِالفَسادِ كانَ وُجُوبُ قَتْلِهِ حَدًّا فَلَمْ يَسْقُطْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ كالمُحارِبِ إذا اسْتَحَقَّ القَتْلَ لَمْ يَسْقُطْ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ بِالتَّوْبَةِ؛ فَهو مُشْبِهٌ لِلْمُحارِبِ الَّذِي قَتَلَ في أنَّ قَتْلَهُ حَدًّا لا تُزِيلُهُ عَنْهُ التَّوْبَةُ، ويُفارِقَ المُرْتَدَّ مِن جِهَةِ أنَّ المُرْتَدَّ يَسْتَحِقُّ القَتْلَ بِإقامَتِهِ عَلى الكُفْرِ فَحَسْبُ فَمَتى انْتَقَلَ عَنْهُ زالَ عَنْهُ الكُفْرُ والقَتْلُ. And if his disbelief is established, then if he was a Muslim before that or Islam had appeared from him at the time of his disbelief by practicing magic, he deserves to be killed by his, upon him be peace, statement: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.” And Abu Hanifah only said—and we do not know any of our companions who differed with him in what al-Hasan mentioned from him—: “He is killed and not asked to repent.” As for what was narrated from Abu Yusuf regarding Abu Hanifah’s distinction between the magician and the apostates, it is that the magician has combined with his disbelief striving with corruption in the land. If a questioner says: “But you do not kill stranglers and highway robbers unless they kill, so why did you not say the same for the magician?” It is said to him: They differ in that the strangler and the highway robber did not disbelieve before the killing nor after it, so they did not deserve to be killed, as no cause preceded from them by which they would deserve to be killed. As for the magician, he has disbelieved by his magic, whether he killed with it or not. So he deserved to be killed for his disbelief. Then, since he was, along with his disbelief, striving in the land with corruption, the obligation of his killing was a prescribed punishment (hadd), so it is not waived by repentance, like the highway robber; if he deserves to be killed, that is not waived from him by repentance. So he is similar to the highway robber who killed, in that his killing is a hadd which repentance does not remove from him. And he differs from the apostate in that the apostate deserves to be killed for his persistence in disbelief only, so whenever he moves away from it, the disbelief and the killing are removed from him.

ولِما وصَفْنا مِن ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ السّاحِرِ مِن أهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ ومِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ، كَما لا يَخْتَلِفُ حُكْمُ المُحارِبِ مِن أهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ والإسْلامِ فِيما يَسْتَحِقُّونَهُ بِالمُحارَبَةِ؛ ولِذَلِكَ لَمْ تُقْتَلِ المَرْأةُ السّاحِرَةُ؛ لِأنَّ المَرْأةَ مِنَ المُحارِبِينَ عِنْدَهم لا تُقْتَلُ حَدًّا وإنَّما تُقْتَلُ قَوَدًا ووَجْهٌ آخَرُ لِقَوْلِ أبِي حَنِيفَةَ في تَرْكِ اسْتِتابَةِ السّاحِرِ، وهو ما ذَكَرَهُ الطَّحاوِيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا سُلَيْمانُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ أبِي يُوسُفَ في نَوادِرَ ذَكَرَها عَنْهُ أدْخَلَها في أمالِيهِ عَلَيْهِمْ قالَ: قالَ أبُو حَنِيفَةَ: " اُقْتُلُوا الزِّنْدِيقَ سِرًّا فَإنَّ تَوْبَتَهُ لا تُعْرَفُ " . And because of what we have described of that, they did not differentiate between the magician from the People of the Covenant (Ahl al-Dhimmah) and from the Muslims, just as the ruling of the highway robber from the People of the Covenant and Islam does not differ in what they deserve for highway robbery. And for that reason, the female magician is not killed, because a woman from the highway robbers, according to them, is not killed as a hadd, but is only killed in retribution (qawad). And another reason for Abu Hanifah’s statement on not asking the magician to repent is what al-Tahawi mentioned. He said: Sulayman ibn Shu`ayb narrated to us from his father from Abu Yusuf in rare reports he mentioned from him which he included in his dictations to them, he said: Abu Hanifah said: “Kill the heretic (zindiq) secretly, for his repentance is not known.”

ولَمْ يَحْكِ أبُو يُوسُفَ خِلافَهُ ويَصِحُّ بِناءُ مَسْألَةِ السّاحِرِ عَلَيْهِ؛ لِأنَّ السّاحِرَ يَكْفُرُ سِرًّا فَهو بِمَنزِلَةِ الزِّنْدِيقِ فالواجِبُ أنْ لا تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُ. And Abu Yusuf did not narrate a differing opinion. And it is correct to base the issue of the magician on it, because the magician disbelieves secretly, so he is in the position of the zindiq. So it is necessary that his repentance not be accepted.

فَإنْ قِيلَ: فَعَلى هَذا يَنْبَغِي أنْ لا يُقْتَلَ السّاحِرُ مِن أهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ؛ لِأنَّ كُفْرَهُ ظاهِرٌ وهو غَيْرُ مُسْتَحِقٍّ لِلْقَتْلِ لِأجْلِ الكُفْرِ قِيلَ لَهُ: الكُفْرُ الَّذِي أقْرَرْناهُ عَلَيْهِ هو ما أظْهَرَهُ لَنا، وأمّا الكُفْرُ الَّذِي صارَ إلَيْهِ بِسِحْرِهِ فَإنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُقَرٍّ عَلَيْهِ ولَمْ نُعْطِهِ الذِّمَّةَ عَلى إقْرارِهِ عَلَيْهِ، ألا تَرى أنَّهُ لَوْ سَألَنا إقْرارَهُ عَلى السِّحْرِ بِالجِزْيَةِ لَمْ نُجِبْهُ إلَيْهِ ولَمْ نُجِزْ إقْرارَهُ عَلَيْهِ ؟ ولا فَرْقَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ السّاحِرِ مِن أهْلِ المِلَّةِ وأيْضًا، فَلَوْ أنَّ الذِّمِّيَّ السّاحِرَ لَمْ يَسْتَحِقَّ القَتْلَ بِكُفْرِهِ لاسْتَحَقَّهُ بِسَعْيِهِ في الأرْضِ بِالفَسادِ كالمُحارِبِينَ عَلى النَّحْوِ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنا، وقَوْلُهم في تَرْكِ قَبُولِ تَوْبَةِ الزِّنْدِيقِ، يُوجِبُ أنْ لا يُسْتَتابَ الإسْماعِيلِيَّةُ وسائِرُ المُلْحِدِينَ الَّذِينَ قَدْ عُلِمَ مِنهُمُ اعْتِقادُ الكُفْرِ كَسائِرِ الزَّنادِقَةِ وأنْ يُقْتَلُوا مَعَ إظْهارِهِمُ التَّوْبَةَ ويَدُلُّ عَلى وُجُوبِ قَتْلِ السّاحِرِ ما حَدَّثَنا بِهِ ابْنُ قانِعٍ: حَدَّثَنا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُوسى قالَ: حَدَّثَنا ابْنُ الأصْبَهانِيِّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبُو مُعاوِيَةَ عَنْ إسْماعِيلَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ الحَسَنِ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ أنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قالَ: «حَدُّ السّاحِرِ ضَرْبُهُ بِالسَّيْفِ» . وقِصَّةُ جُنْدُبٍ في قَتْلِهِ السّاحِرَ بِالكُوفَةِ عِنْدَ الوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ مَشْهُورَةٌ وقَوْلُهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: «حَدُّ السّاحِرِ ضَرْبُهُ بِالسَّيْفِ» قَدْ دَلَّ عَلى مَعْنَيَيْنِ: If it is said: Then based on this, the magician from the People of the Covenant should not be killed, because his disbelief is apparent and he is not deserving of being killed for the sake of disbelief. It is said to him: The disbelief upon which we have granted him status is what he has shown us. As for the disbelief he has reached through his magic, he is not granted status upon it, and we did not give him the covenant based on his acknowledgement of it. Do you not see that if he asked us to grant him status upon magic in exchange for the jizyah, we would not answer him and we would not permit granting him status upon it? And there is no difference between him and the magician from the people of the [Islamic] nation. Also, if the dhimmi magician did not deserve to be killed for his disbelief, he would deserve it for his striving in the land with corruption, like the highway robbers, in the manner we have mentioned. And their statement on not accepting the repentance of the zindiq necessitates that the Ismailis and all other heretics from whom the belief of disbelief is known, like all other zanadiqah, should not be asked to repent, and that they should be killed despite their showing of repentance. And indicating the obligation of killing the magician is what Ibn Qani narrated to us: Bishr ibn Musa narrated to us, he said: Ibn al-Asbahani narrated to us, he said: Abu Muawiyah narrated to us from Ismail ibn Muslim from al-Hasan from Jundub that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The hadd of the magician is a strike with the sword.” And the story of Jundub in his killing of the magician in Kufah in the presence of al-Walid ibn `Uqbah is well-known. And his, upon him be peace, statement: “The hadd of the magician is a strike with the sword” has indicated two meanings:

أحَدُهُما: وُجُوبُ قَتْلِهِ؛ والثّانِي: أنَّهُ حَدٌّ لا يُزِيلُهُ التَّوْبَةُ كَسائِرِ الحُدُودِ إذا وجَبَتْ، ولَمّا ذَكَرْنا مِن قَتْلِهِ عَلى وجْهِ قَتْلِ المُحارِبِ قالُوا فِيما حَدَّثَنا الحَسَنُ بْنُ زِيادٍ: إنَّهُ إذا قالَ " كُنْتُ ساحِرًا وقَدْ تُبْتُ " أنَّهُ لا يُقْتَلُ، كَمَن أقَرَّ أنَّهُ كانَ مُحارِبًا وجاءَ تائِبًا أنَّهُ لا يُقْتَلُ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعالى في شَأْنِ المُحارِبِينَ: ﴿إلا الَّذِينَ تابُوا مِن قَبْلِ أنْ تَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فاعْلَمُوا أنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ [المائدة: ٣٤] فاسْتَثْنى التّائِبَ قَبْلَ القُدْرَةِ عَلَيْهِ مِن جُمْلَةِ مَن أوْجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الحَدَّ المَذْكُورَ في الآيَةِ ويُسْتَدَلُّ بِظاهِرِ قَوْلِهِ تَعالى: ﴿إنَّما جَزاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحارِبُونَ اللَّهَ ورَسُولَهُ ويَسْعَوْنَ في الأرْضِ فَسادًا﴾ [المائدة: ٣٣] إلى آخِرِ الآيَةِ، عَلى وُجُوبِ قَتْلِ السّاحِرِ حَدًّا؛ لِأنَّهُ مِن أهْلِ السَّعْيِ في الأرْضِ بِالفَسادِ لِعَمَلِهِ السِّحْرَ واسْتِدْعائِهِ النّاسَ إلَيْهِ وإفْسادِهِ إيّاهم مَعَ ما صارَ إلَيْهِ مِنَ الكُفْرِ، وأمّا مالِكُ بْنُ أنَسٍ فَإنَّهُ أجْرى السّاحِرَ مَجْرى الزِّنْدِيقِ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ تَوْبَتَهُ كَما لا يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الزِّنْدِيقِ، ولَمْ يَقْتُلْ ساحِرَ أهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ؛ لِأنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُسْتَحِقٍّ لِلْقَتْلِ بِكُفْرِهِ وقَدْ أقْرَرْناهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلا يُقْتَلُ إلّا أنْ يَضُرَّ بِالمُسْلِمِينَ فَيَكُونَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَهُ نَقْضًا لِلْعَهْدِ. One of them: The obligation of killing him. The second: That it is a hadd which repentance does not remove, like all other hudud when they become obligatory. And when we mentioned his being killed in the manner of killing a highway robber, they said, in what al-Hasan ibn Ziyad narrated to us: that if he says, “I was a magician and I have repented,” he is not killed, like one who confesses that he was a highway robber and comes repenting, he is not killed, because of His, the Exalted’s, statement regarding highway robbers: {Except for those who repent before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful} [Al-Ma’idah: 34]. So He exempted the one who repents before being apprehended from the group of those upon whom He obligated the hadd mentioned in the verse. And evidence is drawn from the apparent meaning of His, the Exalted’s, statement: {Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption} [Al-Ma’idah: 33] to the end of the verse, for the obligation of killing the magician as a hadd, because he is from the people who strive in the land with corruption due to his practice of magic, his calling people to it, and his corrupting them, along with the disbelief he has reached. As for Malik ibn Anas, he treated the magician in the same way as the zindiq, so he did not accept his repentance just as he does not accept the repentance of the zindiq. And he did not kill the magician of the People of the Covenant because he is not deserving of being killed for his disbelief, upon which we have granted him status. So he is not killed unless he harms the Muslims, and that, according to him, would be a breaking of the covenant.

فَيُقْتَلُ كَما يُقْتَلُ الحَرْبِيُّ وقَدْ بَيَّنّا مُوافَقَةَ السّاحِرِ الذِّمِّيِّ لِلزِّنْدِيقِ مِن قِبَلِ أنَّهُ اسْتَحْدَثَ كُفْرًا سِرًّا، لا يَجُوزُ إقْرارُهُ عَلَيْهِ بِجِزْيَةِ ولا غَيْرِها، فَلا فَرْقَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ السّاحِرِ مِمَّنْ يَنْتَحِلُ مِلَّةَ الإسْلامِ؛ ومِن جِهَةٍ أُخْرى أنَّهُ في مَعْنى المُحارِبِ فَلا يَخْتَلِفُ حُكْمُ أهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ ومُنْتَحِلِي الذِّمَّةِ، وأمّا مَذْهَبُ الشّافِعِيِّ فَقَدْ بَيَّنّا خُرُوجَهُ عَنْ أقاوِيلِ السَّلَفِ؛ لِأنَّ أحَدًا مِنهم لَمْ يَعْتَبِرْ قَتْلَهُ بِسِحْرِهِ وأوْجَبُوا قَتْلَهُ عَلى الإطْلاقِ بِحُصُولِ الِاسْمِ لَهُ، وهو مَعَ ذَلِكَ لا يَخْلُو مِن أحَدِ وجْهَيْنِ في ذِكْرِهِ قَتْلَ السّاحِرِ بِغَيْرِهِ: إمّا أنْ يُجِيزَ عَلى السّاحِرِ قَتْلَ غَيْرِهِ مِن غَيْرِ مُباشَرَةٍ ولا اتِّصالِ سَبَبٍ إلَيْهِ عَلى حَسَبِ ما يَدَّعِيهِ السَّحَرَةُ، وذَلِكَ فَظِيعٌ شَنِيعٌ ولا يُجِيزُهُ أحَدٌ مِن أهْلِ العِلْمِ بِاللَّهِ ورَسُولِهِ مِن فِعْلِ السَّحَرَةِ لِما وصَفْنا مِن مُضاهاتِهِ أعْلامَ الأنْبِياءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلامُ أوْ أنْ يَكُونَ إنَّما أجازَ ذَلِكَ مِن جِهَةِ سَقْيِ الأدْوِيَةِ ونَحْوِها، فَإنْ كانَ هَذا أرادَ فَإنَّ مِنَ احْتالَ في إيصالِ دَواءٍ إلى إنْسانٍ حَتّى شَرِبَهُ فَإنَّهُ لا يَلْزَمُهُ دِيَةٌ؛ إذْ كانَ هو الشّارِبَ لَهُ والجانِيَ عَلى نَفْسِهِ، كَمَن دَفَعَ إلى إنْسانٍ سَيْفًا فَقَتَلَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ، وإنْ كانَ إنَّما أوْجَرَهُ إيّاهُ مِن غَيْرِ اخْتِيارٍ لِشُرْبِهِ، فَإنَّ هَذا لا يَكادُ يَقَعُ إلّا في حالِ الإكْراهِ والنَّوْمِ ونَحْوِهِ فَإنْ كانَ أرادَ ذَلِكَ فَإنَّ هَذا يَسْتَوِي فِيهِ السّاحِرُ وغَيْرُهُ ثُمَّ قَوْلُهُ: " إذا قالَ السّاحِرُ قَدْ أُخْطِئُ وأُصِيبُ وقَدْ ماتَ هَذا الرَّجُلُ مِن عَمَلِي فَفِيهِ الدِّيَةُ " فَإنَّهُ لا مَعْنى لَهُ؛ لِأنَّ رَجُلًا لَوْ جَرَحَ رَجُلًا بِحَدِيدَةِ قَدْ يَمُوتُ المَجْرُوحُ مِن مِثْلِهِ وقَدْ لا يَمُوتُ، لَكانَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ القِصاصُ؛ فَكانَ الواجِبُ عَلى قَوْلِهِ إيجابَ القِصاصِ كَما يَجِبُ في الحَدِيدَةِ وقَوْلُهُ: " قَدْ يَمُوتُ وقَدْ لا يَمُوتُ " لَيْسَ بِعِلَّةٍ في زَوالِ القِصاصِ لِوُجُودِها في الجارِحِ بِحَدِيدَةٍ بَعْدَ أنْ يُقِرَّ السّاحِرُ أنَّهُ قَدْ ماتَ مِن عَمَلِهِ. So he is killed as a combatant (harbi) is killed. And we have explained the agreement of the dhimmi magician with the zindiq from the aspect that he has newly adopted a secret disbelief, upon which it is not permissible to grant him status with jizyah or anything else. So there is no difference between him and the magician from among those who profess the religion of Islam. And from another aspect, he is in the meaning of a highway robber, so the ruling of the People of the Covenant and those who profess the covenant does not differ. As for the madhhab of al-Shafi`i, we have explained its departure from the sayings of the Salaf, because none of them considered his killing for his magic, but rather they obligated his killing absolutely upon his acquiring the name. And despite that, his mention of killing the magician for [killing] another is not devoid of one of two aspects: either he permits for the magician the killing of another without direct action or connection of a cause to it, according to what the magicians claim—and that is atrocious and heinous, and no one from the people of knowledge of Allah and His Messenger permits it from the act of magicians, because of what we described of its resemblance to the signs of the prophets, upon them be peace—or that he only permitted that by way of giving medicines and the like. If this is what he intended, then whoever contrives to deliver a medicine to a person until he drinks it, blood money is not incumbent upon him, as he was the one who drank it and the one who committed the crime against himself, like one who gives a sword to a person and he kills himself with it. And if he only administered it to him without his choice to drink it, then this hardly occurs except in a state of coercion, sleep, and the like. If he intended that, then in this the magician and others are equal. Then his statement: “If the magician says, ‘I sometimes miss and sometimes hit, and this man has died from my act,’ then blood money is due for it,” is meaningless, because if a man were to wound a man with a piece of iron, from the like of which the wounded person may or may not die, retribution (qisas) would be upon him for it. So the obligation, according to his statement, should have been to obligate qisas as is obligatory for the piece of iron. And his statement, “he may die and he may not die,” is not a reason for the removal of qisas, due to its existence in the one who wounds with a piece of iron, after the magician confesses that he died from his act.

فَإنْ قِيلَ فَقَدْ جَعَلَهُ بِمَنزِلَةِ شِبْهِ العَمْدِ والضَّرْبِ بِالعَصا واللَّطْمَةِ الَّتِي قَدْ تَقْتُلُ وقَدْ لا تَقْتُلُ قِيلَ لَهُ: ولِمَ صارَ بِالقَتْلِ بِالعَصا واللَّطْمَةِ أشْبَهَ مِنهُ بِالحَدِيدَةِ ؟ . If it is said: He has made it like quasi-intentional homicide, and striking with a stick and a slap which may kill and may not kill. It is said to him: And why did it become more similar to killing with a stick and a slap than with a piece of iron?

فَإنْ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُما مِن جِهَةِ أنَّ هَذا سِلاحٌ وذاكَ لَيْسَ بِسِلاحِ، لَزِمَهُ في كُلِّ ما لَيْسَ بِسِلاحِ أنْ لا يُقْتَصَّ مِنهُ، ويَلْزَمُهُ حِينَئِذٍ اعْتِبارُ السِّلاحِ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ في إيجابِ القَوَدِ. وقَوْلُ الشّافِعِيِّ: " وإنْ قالَ مَرِضَ مِنهُ ولَمْ يَمُتْ أقْسَمَ أوْلِياؤُهُ لَماتَ مِنهُ " مُخالِفٌ في النَّظَرِ لِأحْكامِ الجِناياتِ؛ لِأنَّ مَن جَرَحَ رَجُلًا فَلَمْ يَزَلْ صاحِبَ فِراشٍ حَتّى ماتَ، لَزِمَهُ حُكْمُ جِنايَتِهِ وكانَ مَحْكُومًا بِحُدُوثِ المَوْتِ عِنْدَ الجِراحَةِ ولا يُحْتاجُ إلى أيْمانِ الأوْلِياءِ في مَوْتِهِ مِنها، فَكَذَلِكَ يَلْزَمُهُ مِثْلُهُ في السّاحِرِ إذا أقَرَّ أنَّ المَسْحُورَ مَرِضَ مِن سِحْرِهِ. If he differentiates between them from the aspect that this is a weapon and that is not a weapon, it would be necessary for him in everything that is not a weapon that retribution not be taken from him, and it would then be necessary for him to consider the weapon over other things in obligating retribution (qawad). And the statement of al-Shafi`i: “And if he says he fell ill from it but did not die, his guardians swear an oath that he died from it,” is contrary in consideration to the rulings of crimes, because whoever wounds a man and he remains bedridden until he dies, the ruling of his crime is incumbent upon him, and it is ruled that the death occurred from the wound, and the oaths of the guardians are not needed regarding his death from it. So likewise, the same is incumbent upon him regarding the magician if he confesses that the bewitched person fell ill from his magic.

فَإنْ قِيلَ: كَذَلِكَ نَقُولُ في المَرِيضِ مِنَ الجِراحَةِ إذا لَمْ يَزَلْ صاحِبَ فِراشٍ حَتّى ماتَ أنَّهم إذا اخْتَلَفُوا لَمْ يُحْكَمْ بِالقَتْلِ حَتّى يُقْسِمَ أوْلِياءُ المَجْرُوحِ قِيلَ لَهُ: فَيَنْبَغِي أنْ تَقُولَ مِثْلَهُ لَوْ ضَرَبَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ ووالى بَيْنَ الضَّرْبِ حَتّى قَتَلَهُ مِن ساعَتِهِ، فَقالَ الجارِحُ: ماتَ مِن عِلَّةٍ كانَتْ بِهِ قَبْلَ الضَّرْبَةِ الثّانِيَةِ، أوْ قالَ: اخْتَرَمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعالى ولَمْ يَمُتْ مِن ضَرْبَتِي؛ أنْ تُقْسِمَ الأوْلِياءُ وهَذا لا يَقُولُهُ أحَدٌ؛ وكَذَلِكَ ما وصَفْنا. If it is said: Likewise we say regarding the one who is ill from a wound, if he remains bedridden until he dies, that if they differ, it is not ruled as murder until the guardians of the wounded person swear an oath. It is said to him: Then you should say the same if he struck him with the sword and continued striking until he killed him on the spot, and the one who wounded him said: “He died from an illness he had before the second strike,” or he said: “Allah the Exalted took his life and he did not die from my strike,” that the guardians must swear an oath. And no one says this. And likewise is what we have described.

قالَ أبُو بَكْرٍ: قَدْ تَكَلَّمْنا في مَعْنى السِّحْرِ واخْتِلافِ الفُقَهاءِ بِما فِيهِ الكِفايَةُ في حُكْمِ السّاحِرِ، ونَتَكَلَّمُ الآنَ في مَعانِي الآيَةِ ومُقْتَضاها، فَنَقُولُ: إنَّ قَوْلَهُ تَعالى: ﴿واتَّبَعُوا ما تَتْلُو الشَّياطِينُ عَلى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمانَ﴾ فَقَدْ رُوِيَ فِيهِ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ أنَّ المُرادَ بِهِ اليَهُودُ الَّذِينَ كانُوا في زَمَنِ سُلَيْمانَ بْنِ داوُدَ عَلَيْهِما السَّلامُ وفي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ورُوِيَ مِثْلُهُ عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ وابْنِ إسْحاقَ وقالَ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ أنَسٍ والسُّدِّيُّ: " المُرادُ بِهِ اليَهُودُ الَّذِينَ كانُوا في زَمَنِ سُلَيْمانَ " . Abu Bakr said: We have spoken on the meaning of magic and the difference of the jurists with what is sufficient regarding the ruling on the magician. And we will now speak on the meanings of the verse and its implications. So we say: Indeed, His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And they followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon}, it has been narrated regarding it from Ibn Abbas that what is intended by it are the Jews who were in the time of Sulayman ibn Dawud, upon them both be peace, and in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. And the like of it was narrated from Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Ishaq. And al-Rabi ibn Anas and al-Suddi said: “What is intended by it are the Jews who were in the time of Solomon.”

وقالَ بَعْضُهم: " أرادَ الجَمِيعَ، مَن كانَ مِنهم في زَمَنِ سُلَيْمانَ ومَن كانَ مِنهم في عَصْرِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ؛ لِأنَّ مُتَّبِعِي السِّحْرِ مِن اليَهُودِ لَمْ يَزالُوا مُنْذُ عَهْدِ سُلَيْمانَ إلى أنْ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ فَوَصَفَ اللَّهُ هَؤُلاءِ اليَهُودَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَقْبَلُوا القُرْآنَ ونَبَذُوهُ وراءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ مَعَ كُفْرِهِمْ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِأنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا ما تَتْلُو الشَّياطِينُ عَلى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمانَ وهو يُرِيدُ شَياطِينَ الجِنِّ والإنْسِ " . And some of them said: “He intended all of them, those who were among them in the time of Solomon and those who were among them in the era of the Prophet ﷺ, because the followers of magic from among the Jews did not cease from the era of Solomon until Allah sent His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. So Allah described these Jews who did not accept the Qur’an and cast it behind their backs, along with their disbelief in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as having followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon, and He means the devils of the jinn and mankind.”

ومَعْنى تَتْلُو: تُخْبِرُ وتَقْرَأُ، وقِيلَ: تَتْبَعُ؛ لِأنَّ التّالِيَ تابِعٌ وقَوْلُهُ: ﴿عَلى مُلْكِ سُلَيْمانَ﴾ قِيلَ فِيهِ: عَلى عَهْدِهِ، وقِيلَ فِيهِ: عَلى مُلْكِهِ، وقِيلَ فِيهِ: تَكْذِبُ عَلَيْهِ؛ لِأنَّهُ إذا كانَ الخَبَرُ كَذِبًا قِيلَ تَلا عَلَيْهِ. And the meaning of tatlu (recite) is: they inform and read. And it was said: they follow, because the one who follows is a follower. And His statement: {during the reign of Solomon} (lit. upon the reign of Solomon), it was said about it: during his era. And it was said about it: upon his kingdom. And it was said about it: they lie against him, because if the report is a lie, it is said tala `alayhi (recited against him).

وإذا كانَ صِدْقًا قِيلَ: تَلا عَنْهُ، وإذا أُبْهِمَ جازَ فِيهِ الأمْرانِ جَمِيعًا؛ قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿أمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلى اللَّهِ ما لا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٨٠] وكانَتْ اليَهُودُ تُضِيفُ السِّحْرَ إلى سُلَيْمانَ وتَزْعُمُ أنَّ مُلْكَهُ كانَ بِهِ، فَبَرَّأهُ اللَّهُ تَعالى مِن ذَلِكَ؛ ذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ وسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ وقَتادَةَ، وقالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إسْحاقَ: قالَ بَعْضُ أحْبارِ اليَهُودِ: ألا تَعْجَبُونَ مِن مُحَمَّدٍ يَزْعُمُ أنَّ سُلَيْمانَ كانَ نَبِيًّا ؟ واللَّهِ ما كانَ إلّا ساحِرًا فَأنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿وما كَفَرَ سُلَيْمانُ﴾ And if it is true, it is said: *tala anhu* (recited from him). And if it is ambiguous, both matters are permissible in it. Allah the Exalted said: {Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?} [Al-Baqarah: 80]. And the Jews used to attribute magic to Solomon and claim that his kingdom was by it, so Allah the Exalted exonerated him from that. That was mentioned from Ibn Abbas, Sa`id ibn Jubayr, and Qatadah. And Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Some of the Jewish rabbis said: “Are you not amazed at Muhammad, who claims that Solomon was a prophet? By Allah, he was nothing but a magician.” So Allah the Exalted revealed: {And Solomon did not disbelieve}.

وقِيلَ: إنَّ اليَهُودَ إنَّما أضافَتِ السِّحْرَ إلى سُلَيْمانَ تَوَصُّلًا مِنهم إلى قَبُولِ النّاسِ ذَلِكَ مِنهم ولِتُجَوِّزَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وكَذَبُوا عَلَيْهِ في ذَلِكَ وقِيلَ: إنَّ سُلَيْمانَ جَمَعَ كُتُبَ السِّحْرِ ودَفَنَها تَحْتَ كُرْسِيِّهِ أوْ في خِزانَتِهِ لِئَلّا يَعْمَلَ بِهِ النّاسُ، فَلَمّا ماتَ ظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقالَتِ الشَّياطِينُ: بِهَذا كانَ يَتِمُّ مُلْكُهُ؛ وشاعَ ذَلِكَ في اليَهُودِ وقَبِلَتْهُ وأضافَتْهُ إلَيْهِ وجائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ المُرادُ شَياطِينَ الإنْسِ، وجائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ الشَّياطِينُ دَفَنُوا السِّحْرَ تَحْتَ كُرْسِيِّ سُلَيْمانَ في حَياتِهِ مِن غَيْرِ عِلْمِهِ، فَلَمّا ماتَ وظَهَرَ نَسَبُوهُ إلى سُلَيْمانَ، وجائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ الفاعِلُونَ لِذَلِكَ شَياطِينَ الإنْسِ اسْتَخْرَجُوهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ وأوْهَمُوا النّاسَ أنَّ سُلَيْمانَ كانَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِيُوهِمُوهم ويَخْدَعُوهم بِهِ. And it was said: The Jews only attributed magic to Solomon as a means for them to have people accept that from them and to make it plausible to them, and they lied against him in that. And it was said: Solomon collected the books of magic and buried them under his throne or in his treasury so that people would not practice it. When he died, it was discovered, and the devils said: “By this his kingdom was perfected.” And that spread among the Jews, and they accepted it and attributed it to him. And it is possible that what is meant are the devils of mankind. And it is possible that the devils buried the magic under Solomon’s throne during his life without his knowledge, so when he died and it appeared, they attributed it to Solomon. And it is possible that the doers of that were the devils of mankind who extracted it after his death and deluded the people that Solomon had done that to delude them and deceive them with it.

قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ بِبابِلَ هارُوتَ ومارُوتَ﴾ قَدْ قُرِئَ بِنَصْبِ اللّامِ وخَفْضِها؛ فَمَن قَرَأها بِنَصْبِها جَعَلَهُما مِنَ المَلائِكَةِ، ومَن قَرَأها بِخَفْضِها جَعَلَهُما مِن غَيْرِ المَلائِكَةِ. His, the Exalted’s, statement: {and what was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut}. It has been recited with the lam having a fathah and with a kasrah. Whoever recites it with a fathah (al-malakayn) makes them from the angels, and whoever recites it with a kasrah (al-malikayn) makes them from other than the angels.

وقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ الضَّحّاكِ أنَّهُما كانا عِلْجَيْنِ مِن أهْلِ بابِلَ والقِراءَتانِ صَحِيحَتانِ غَيْرُ مُتَنافِيَتَيْنِ؛ لِأنَّهُ جائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ أنْزَلَ مَلَكَيْنِ في زَمَنِ هَذَيْنِ المَلَكَيْنِ لِاسْتِيلاءِ السِّحْرِ عَلَيْهِما واغْتِرارِهِما وسائِرِ النّاسِ بِقَوْلِهِما وقَبُولِهِمْ مِنهُما، فَإذا كانَ المَلَكانِ مَأْمُورَيْنِ بِإبْلاغِهِما وتَعْرِيفِهِما وسائِرِ النّاسِ مَعْنى السِّحْرِ ومَخارِيقِ السَّحَرَةِ وكُفْرِها جازَ أنْ نَقُولَ في إحْدى القِراءَتَيْنِ: ﴿وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ﴾ اللَّذَيْنِ هُما مِنَ المَلائِكَةِ، بِأنْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِما ذَلِكَ. And it has been narrated from al-Dahhak that they were two stout men from the people of Babylon. And the two readings are authentic and not contradictory, because it is possible that Allah sent down two angels in the time of these two kings (malikayn) due to the prevalence of magic over them and their being deceived, and all the people, by their statement and their acceptance from them. So if the two angels (malakayn) were commanded to convey to them and inform them and all the people of the meaning of magic, the deceptions of the magicians, and its disbelief, it is permissible for us to say in one of the readings: {and what was revealed to the two angels (al-malakayn)} who are from the angels, that that was revealed to them.

ونَقُولُ في القِراءَةِ الأُخْرى: وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ مِنَ النّاسِ؛ لِأنَّ المَلَكَيْنِ كانا مَأْمُورَيْنِ بِإبْلاغِهِما وتَعْرِيفِهِما، كَما قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى في خِطابِ رَسُولِهِ: ﴿ونَزَّلْنا عَلَيْكَ الكِتابَ تِبْيانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ﴾ [النحل: ٨٩] And we say in the other reading: and what was revealed to the two kings (al-malikayn) from mankind, because the two angels were commanded to convey to them and inform them, as Allah the Exalted said in His address to His Messenger: {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things} [An-Nahl: 89].

وقالَ في مَوْضِعٍ آخَرَ: ﴿قُولُوا آمَنّا بِاللَّهِ وما أُنْزِلَ إلَيْنا﴾ [البقرة: ١٣٦] فَأضافَ الإنْزالَ تارَةً إلى الرَّسُولِ ﷺ وتارَةً إلى المُرْسَلِ إلَيْهِمْ وإنَّما خَصَّ المَلَكَيْنِ بِالذِّكْرِ وإنْ كانا مَأْمُورَيْنِ بِتَعْرِيفِ الكافَّةِ؛ لِأنَّ العامَّةَ كانَتْ تَبَعًا لِلْمَلَكَيْنِ، فَكانَ أبْلَغُ الأشْياءِ في تَقْرِيرِ مَعانِي السِّحْرِ والدَّلالَةِ عَلى بُطْلانِهِ تَخْصِيصَ المَلَكَيْنِ بِهِ لِيَتْبَعَهُما النّاسُ. And He said in another place: {Say, [O believers], “We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us”} [Al-Baqarah: 136]. So He attributed the revelation sometimes to the Messenger ﷺ and sometimes to those to whom it was sent. And He only specified the two kings in the mention, even though they [the angels] were commanded to inform everyone, because the common people were followers of the two kings. So the most eloquent of things in establishing the meanings of magic and indicating its falsehood was to specify the two kings with it so that the people would follow them.

كَما قالَ لِمُوسى وهارُونَ: ﴿اذْهَبا إلى فِرْعَوْنَ إنَّهُ طَغى﴾ [طه: 43] ﴿فَقُولا لَهُ قَوْلا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أوْ يَخْشى﴾ [طه: 44] وقَدْ كانا عَلَيْهِما السَّلامُ رَسُولَيْنِ إلى رَعاياهُ كَما أُرْسِلا إلَيْهِ، ولَكِنَّهُ خَصَّهُ بِالمُخاطَبَةِ؛ لِأنَّ ذَلِكَ أنْفَعُ في اسْتِدْعائِهِ واسْتِدْعاءِ رَعِيَّتِهِ إلى الإسْلامِ وكَذَلِكَ كَتَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إلى كِسْرى وقَيْصَرَ وخَصَّهُما بِالذِّكْرِ دُونَ رَعاياهُما وإنْ كانَ رَسُولًا إلى كافَّةِ النّاسِ، لِما وصَفْناهُ مِن أنَّ الرَّعِيَّةَ تَبَعٌ لِلرّاعِي. As He said to Musa and Harun: {Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.} [Taha: 43] {And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah].} [Taha: 44]. And they, upon them be peace, were messengers to his subjects as they were sent to him, but He specified him in the address because that is more beneficial in calling him and calling his subjects to Islam. And likewise the Prophet ﷺ wrote to Kisra and Qaysar and specified them in the mention, without their subjects, even though he was a messenger to all people, because of what we described of the subjects being followers of the ruler.

وكَذَلِكَ قالَ ﷺ في كِتابِهِ لِكِسْرى: «أمّا بَعْدُ فَأسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وإلّا فَعَلَيْكَ إثْمُ المَجُوسِ وقالَ لِقَيْصَرَ أسْلِمْ تَسْلَمْ وإلّا فَعَلَيْكَ إثْمُ الأرِيسِيِّينَ» يَعْنِي أنَّكَ إذا آمَنتَ تَبِعَتْكَ الرَّعِيَّةُ، وإنْ أبَيْتَ لَمْ تَسْتَجِبِ الرَّعِيَّةُ إلى الإسْلامِ خَوْفًا مِنكَ فَهم تَبَعٌ لَكَ في الإسْلامِ والكُفْرِ فَلِذَلِكَ واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ خَصَّ المَلَكَيْنِ مِن أهْلِ بابِلَ بِإرْسالِ المَلَكَيْنِ إلَيْهِما كَما قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ المَلائِكَةِ رُسُلا ومِنَ النّاسِ﴾ [الحج: ٧٥] And likewise the Prophet ﷺ said in his letter to Kisra: “As for what follows, accept Islam and you will be safe, otherwise upon you is the sin of the Magians.” And he said to Qaysar: “Accept Islam and you will be safe, otherwise upon you is the sin of the Arians,” meaning that if you believe, the subjects will follow you, and if you refuse, the subjects will not respond to Islam for fear of you, so they are followers of you in Islam and disbelief. For that reason, and Allah knows best, He specified the two kings from the people of Babylon with the sending of the two angels to them, as Allah the Exalted said: {Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people} [Al-Hajj: 75].

فَإنْ قِيلَ: فَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ المَلائِكَةُ مُرْسَلًا إلَيْهِمْ ومُنَزَّلًا عَلَيْهِمْ ؟ قِيلَ لَهُ: هَذا جائِزٌ شائِعٌ؛ لِأنَّ اللَّهَ تَعالى قَدْ يُرْسِلُ المَلائِكَةَ بَعْضَهم إلى بَعْضٍ كَما يُرْسِلُهم إلى الأنْبِياءِ، كَثَّفَ أجْسامَهم وجَعَلَهم كَهَيْئَةِ بَنِي آدَمَ لِئَلّا يَنْفِرُوا مِنهم، قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالى: ﴿ولَوْ جَعَلْناهُ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْناهُ رَجُلا﴾ [الأنعام: ٩] يَعْنِي هَيْئَةَ الرَّجُلِ. If it is said: So how can angels be sent to and have things revealed upon them? It is said to him: This is permissible and common, because Allah the Exalted may send angels, some of them to others, just as He sends them to the prophets. He made their bodies dense and made them in the form of the children of Adam so that they would not be repulsed by them. Allah the Exalted said: {And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him a man} [Al-An`am: 9], meaning the form of a man.

وقَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿يُعَلِّمُونَ النّاسَ السِّحْرَ وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ﴾ مَعْناهُ واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ أنَّ اللَّهَ أرْسَلَ المَلَكَيْنِ لِيُبَيِّنا لِلنّاسِ مَعانِيَ السِّحْرِ ويَعْلَمُوهم أنَّهُ كُفْرٌ وكَذِبٌ وتَمْوِيهٌ لا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ حَتّى يَجْتَنِبُوهُ، كَما بَيَّنَ اللَّهُ عَلى ألْسِنَةِ رُسُلِهِ سائِرَ المَحْظُوراتِ والمُحَرَّماتِ لِيَجْتَنِبُوهُ ولا يَأْتُوهُ؛ فَلَمّا كانَ السِّحْرُ كُفْرًا وتَمْوِيهًا وخِداعًا وكانَ أهْلُ ذَلِكَ الزَّمانِ قَدِ اغْتَرُّوا بِهِ وصَدَّقُوا السَّحَرَةَ فِيما ادَّعَوْهُ لِأنْفُسِهِمْ بِهِ، بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ لِلنّاسِ عَلى لِسانِ هَذَيْنِ المَلَكَيْنِ لِيَكْشِفا عَنْهم غُمَّةَ الجَهْلِ ويَزْجُراهم عَنِ الِاغْتِرارِ بِهِ، كَما قالَ تَعالى ﴿وهَدَيْناهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ﴾ [البلد: ١٠] يَعْنِي، واللَّهُ أعْلَمُ: بَيَّنّا سَبِيلَ الخَيْرِ والشَّرِّ لِيَجْتَبِيَ الخَيْرَ ويَجْتَنِبَ الشَّرَّ وكَما قِيلَ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ الخَطّابِ: فُلانٌ لا يَعْرِفُ الشَّرَّ. قالَ: " أجْدَرُ أنْ يَقَعَ فِيهِ " . And His, the Exalted’s, statement: {teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two angels}, its meaning, and Allah knows best, is that Allah sent the two angels to explain to the people the meanings of magic and to teach them that it is disbelief, a lie, and a deception with no reality, so that they would avoid it, just as Allah explained on the tongues of His messengers all other prohibitions and forbidden things so that they would avoid them and not commit them. So when magic was disbelief, deception, and trickery, and the people of that time had been deceived by it and believed the magicians in what they claimed for themselves with it, He explained that to the people on the tongue of these two angels to remove from them the affliction of ignorance and to rebuke them from being deceived by it, as He the Exalted said: {And have shown him the two ways} [Al-Balad: 10], meaning, and Allah knows best: We have shown the path of good and evil so that he may choose the good and avoid the evil. And as it was said to `Umar ibn al-Khattab: “So-and-so does not know evil.” He said: “He is more likely to fall into it.”

ولا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ بَيانِ مَعانِي السِّحْرِ والزَّجْرِ عَنْهُ، وبَيْنَ بَيانِ سائِرِ ضُرُوبِ الكُفْرِ وتَحْرِيمِ الأُمَّهاتِ والأخَواتِ وتَحْرِيمِ الزِّنا والرِّبا وشُرْبِ الخَمْرِ ونَحْوِهِ؛ لِأنَّ الغَرَضَ لِما بَيَّنّا في اجْتِنابِ المَحْظُوراتِ والمُقَبَّحاتِ كَهو في بَيانِ الخَيْرِ؛ إذْ لا يَصِلُ إلى فِعْلِهِ إلّا بَعْدَ العِلْمِ بِهِ؛ كَذَلِكَ اجْتِباءُ الطّاعاتِ والواجِباتِ، فَمِن حَيْثُ وجَبَتْ وجَبَ بَيانُ الشَّرِّ لِيَجْتَنِبَهُ؛ إذْ لا يَصِلُ إلى تَرْكِهِ واجْتِنابِهِ إلّا بَعْدَ العِلْمِ بِهِ ومِنَ النّاسِ مَن يَزْعُمُ أنَّ قَوْلَهُ: ﴿وما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ﴾ مَعْناهُ أنَّ الشَّياطِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلى ما أُنْزِلَ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ كَما كَذَبُوا عَلى سُلَيْمانَ، وأنَّ السِّحْرَ الَّذِي يَتْلُوهُ هَؤُلاءِ لَمْ يَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِما. And there is no difference between explaining the meanings of magic and rebuking from it, and explaining all other types of disbelief, the prohibition of mothers and sisters, the prohibition of adultery, usury, drinking alcohol, and the like. Because the purpose, as we have explained, in avoiding the prohibited and the abominable is the same as in explaining the good, as one cannot reach its practice except after knowing it. Likewise is the choosing of acts of obedience and obligations; from the aspect that they became obligatory, it became obligatory to explain evil so that one may avoid it, as one cannot reach leaving it and avoiding it except after knowing it. And among the people are those who claim that His statement: {and what was revealed to the two angels} means that the devils lied about what was revealed to the two angels just as they lied about Solomon, and that the magic which these people recite was not revealed to them.

وزَعَمَ أنَّ قَوْلَهُ تَعالى: ﴿فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنهُما﴾ مَعْناهُ: مِنَ السِّحْرِ والكُفْرِ؛ لِأنَّ قَوْلَهُ: ﴿ولَكِنَّ الشَّياطِينَ كَفَرُوا﴾ يَتَضَمَّنُ الكُفْرَ فَرَجَعَ الضَّمِيرُ إلَيْهِما، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعالى: ﴿سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشى﴾ [الأعلى: ١٠] ﴿ويَتَجَنَّبُها الأشْقى﴾ [الأعلى: ١١] أيْ يَتَجَنَّبُ الأشْقى الذِّكْرى قالَ: وقَوْلُهُ ﴿وما يُعَلِّمانِ مِن أحَدٍ﴾ مَعْناهُ أنَّ المَلَكَيْنِ لا يُعَلِّمانِ ذَلِكَ أحَدًا ومَعَ ذَلِكَ لا يَقْتَصِرانِ عَلى أنْ لا يُعَلِّماهُ حَتّى يُبالِغا في نَهْيِهِ فَيَقُولا: ﴿إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلا تَكْفُرْ﴾ And he claimed that His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And they learn from them both} means: from magic and disbelief, because His statement: {but the devils disbelieved} implies disbelief, so the pronoun refers back to them both, like His, the Exalted’s, statement: {He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.} [Al-A’la: 10] {But the most wretched one will avoid it,} [Al-A’la: 11] i.e., the most wretched one will avoid the reminder. He said: And His statement {And they did not teach anyone} means that the two angels do not teach that to anyone, and despite that, they do not limit themselves to not teaching it, but they go to great lengths in forbidding it, so they say: {We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve}.

والَّذِي حَمَلَهُ عَلى هَذا التَّأْوِيلِ اسْتِنْكارُهُ أنْ يُنْزِلَ اللَّهُ عَلى المَلَكَيْنِ السِّحْرَ مَعَ ذَمِّهِ السِّحْرَ والسّاحِرَ؛ وهَذا الَّذِي ذَهَبَ إلَيْهِ لا يُوجَبُ؛ لِأنَّ المَذْمُومَ مَن يَعْمَلُ بِالسِّحْرِ لا مَن يُبَيِّنُهُ لِلنّاسِ ويَزْجُرُهم عَنْهُ، كَما أنَّ عَلى كُلِّ مَن عَلِمَ مِنَ النّاسِ مَعْنى السِّحْرِ أنْ يُبَيِّنَهُ لِمَن لا يَعْلَمُ ويَنْهاهُ عَنْهُ لِيَجْتَنِبَهُ؛ وهَذا مِنَ الفُرُوضِ الَّتِي ألْزَمَنا إيّاها اللَّهُ تَعالى إذا رَأيْنا مِنَ اخْتُدِعَ بِهِ وتَمَوَّهَ عَلَيْهِ أمْرُهُ. And what led him to this interpretation is his finding it objectionable that Allah would reveal magic to the two angels while He condemns magic and the magician. And this to which he has gone is not necessary, because the one who is condemned is the one who practices magic, not the one who explains it to the people and rebukes them from it, just as it is upon everyone among the people who knows the meaning of magic to explain it to one who does not know and to forbid him from it so that he may avoid it. And this is one of the obligations that Allah the Exalted has imposed upon us if we see one who has been deceived by it and his affair has been made obscure to him.

قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلا تَكْفُرْ﴾ فَإنَّ الفِتْنَةَ ما يَظْهَرُ بِهِ حالُ الشَّيْءِ في الخَيْرِ والشَّرِّ، تَقُولُ العَرَبُ: " فَتَنْتُ الذَّهَبَ " إذا عَرَضْتَهُ عَلى النّارِ لِتَعْرِفَ سَلامَتَهُ أوْ غِشَّهُ والِاخْتِبارُ كَذَلِكَ أيْضًا؛ لِأنَّ الحالَ تَظْهَرُ فَتَصِيرُ كالمُخْبِرَةِ عَنْ نَفْسِها. والفِتْنَةُ: العَذابُ، في غَيْرِ هَذا المَوْضِعِ، ومِنهُ قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿ذُوقُوا فِتْنَتَكُمْ﴾ [الذاريات: ١٤] فَلَمّا كانَ المَلَكانِ يُظْهِرانِ حَقِيقَةَ السِّحْرِ ومَعْناهُ قالا ﴿إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ﴾ وقالَ قَتادَةُ: ﴿إنَّما نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ﴾ بَلاءٌ وهَذا سائِغٌ أيْضًا؛ لِأنَّ أنْبِياءَ اللَّهِ تَعالى ورُسُلَهُ فِتْنَةٌ لِمَن أُرْسِلُوا إلَيْهِمْ لِيَبْلُوهم أيُّهم أحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ويَجُوزُ أنْ يُرِيدَ: إنّا فِتْنَةٌ وبَلاءٌ؛ لِأنَّ مَن يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ مِنهُما يُمْكِنُهُ اسْتِعْمالُ ذَلِكَ في الشَّرِّ ولا يُؤْمَنُ وُقُوعُهُ فِيهِ، فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ مِحْنَةً كَسائِرِ العِباداتِ، وقَوْلُهُما: ﴿فَلا تَكْفُرْ﴾ يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ عَمَلَ السِّحْرِ كُفْرٌ؛ لِأنَّهُما يُعَلِّمانِهِ إيّاهُ لِئَلّا يَعْمَلَ بِهِ؛ لِأنَّهُما عَلَّماهُ ما السِّحْرُ وكَيْفَ الِاحْتِيالُ لِيَتَجَنَّبَهُ، ولِئَلّا يُتِمُّوهُ عَلى النّاسِ أنَّهُ مِن جِنْسِ آياتِ الأنْبِياءِ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَبْطُلُ الِاسْتِدْلالُ بِها. His, the Exalted’s, statement: {We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve}. For fitnah (trial) is that by which the state of a thing in good and evil becomes apparent. The Arabs say: “fatantu al-dhahab” (I tested the gold) when you expose it to fire to know its purity or its adulteration. And testing is likewise, because the state becomes apparent and becomes as if it is informing about itself. And fitnah is punishment, in other than this place. And from it is His, the Exalted’s, statement: {Taste your fitnah} [Adh-Dhariyat: 14]. So since the two angels were showing the reality of magic and its meaning, they said: {We are only a trial}. And Qatadah said: {We are only a trial} means a tribulation. And this is also permissible, because the prophets of Allah the Exalted and His messengers are a trial for those to whom they were sent, to test them as to which of them is best in deed. And it is possible that He means: We are a trial and a tribulation, because whoever learns that from them both is able to use that for evil, and it is not safe from his falling into it, so that would be a test like all other acts of worship. And their statement: {so do not disbelieve} indicates that the practice of magic is disbelief, because they teach it to him so that he will not practice it, because they taught him what magic is and how to contrive so that he may avoid it, and so that they do not complete it upon the people that it is of the same kind as the signs of the prophets, may the prayers of Allah be upon them, and thus the use of them as proof is nullified.

وقَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنهُما ما يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ المَرْءِ وزَوْجِهِ﴾ يَحْتَمِلُ التَّفْرِيقَ مِن وجْهَيْنِ: And His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife} can mean separation in two ways:

أحَدُهُما: أنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ السّامِعُ فَيَكْفُرُ فَيَقَعُ بِهِ الفُرْقَةُ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ زَوْجَتِهِ إذا كانَتْ مُسْلِمَةً بِالرِّدَّةِ، والوَجهُ الآخَرُ: أنْ يَسْعى بَيْنَهُما بِالنَّمِيمَةِ والوِشايَةِ والبَلاغاتِ الكاذِبَةِ والإغْراءِ والإفْسادِ وتَمْوِيهِ الباطِلِ حَتّى يَظُنَّ أنَّهُ حَقٌّ فَيُفارِقَها. One of them: That the listener acts upon it and thus disbelieves, and by it separation occurs between him and his wife if she is a Muslim, due to apostasy. The other way: That he strives between them with slander, tale-bearing, false reports, incitement, corruption, and deception with falsehood until he thinks that it is truth, and so he separates from her.

قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿وما هم بِضارِّينَ بِهِ مِن أحَدٍ إلا بِإذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾؛ الإذْنُ هُنا العِلْمُ فَيَكُونُ اسْمًا إذا كانَ مُخَفَّفًا، وإذا كانَ مُحَرَّكًا كانَ مَصْدَرًا، كَما يَقُولُ: حَذِرَ الرَّجُلُ حَذَرًا فَهو حَذِرٌ؛ فالحَذِرُ الِاسْمُ؛ والحَذَرُ المَصْدَرُ، ويَجُوزُ أيْضًا أنْ يَكُونَ مِمّا يُقالُ عَلى وجْهَيْنِ كَشَبَهٍ وشِبْهٍ ومَثَلٍ ومِثْلٍ، وقِيلَ فِيهِ ﴿إلا بِإذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾ أيْ: بِتَخْلِيَتِهِ، وقالَ الحَسَنُ: " مَن شاءَ اللَّهُ مَنعَهُ فَلَمْ يَضُرَّهُ السِّحْرُ ومَن شاءَ خَلّى بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَهُ فَضَرَّهُ " . His, the Exalted’s, statement: {But they do not harm anyone with it except by permission of Allah}. The idhn (permission) here is knowledge, so it is a noun if it is unvocalized (idhn), and if it is vocalized (adhan), it is a verbal noun, just as one says: hadhira al-rajulu hadharan fa-huwa hadhirun. So hadhirun is the noun, and hadharun is the verbal noun. And it is also permissible that it be one of what is said in two ways, like shabah and shibh, and mathal and mithl. And it was said about {except by permission of Allah}: i.e., by His allowing it. And al-Hasan said: “Whomever Allah wills, He prevents it, so magic does not harm him, and whomever He wills, He leaves him to it, so it harms him.”

قَوْلُهُ تَعالى: ﴿ولَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَراهُ ما لَهُ في الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ﴾ قِيلَ مَعْناهُ: مَنِ اسْتَبْدَلَ السِّحْرَ بِدِينِ اللَّهِ ما لَهُ في الآخِرَةِ مِن خَلاقٍ، وهو النَّصِيبُ مِنَ الخَيْرِ، وقالَ الحَسَنُ: " ما لَهُ مِن دِينٍ " وهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ العَمَلَ بِالسِّحْرِ وقَبُولَهُ كُفْرٌ. His, the Exalted’s, statement: {And they certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter}. It was said its meaning is: whoever exchanges magic for the religion of Allah has no khalaq in the Hereafter, which is a portion of good. And al-Hasan said: “He has no religion.” And this indicates that practicing magic and accepting it is disbelief.

وقَوْلُهُ: ﴿ولَبِئْسَ ما شَرَوْا بِهِ أنْفُسَهُمْ﴾ قِيلَ: باعُوا بِهِ أنْفُسَهم، كَقَوْلِ الشّاعِرِ: And His statement: {And wretched is that for which they sold themselves}. It was said: they sold themselves for it, like the statement of the poet:

وشَرَيْتُ بُرْدًا لَيْتَنِي مِن بَعْدِ بُرْدٍ كُنْتُ هامَهْ “And I sold (sharaitu) a cloak, would that I, after the cloak, were an owl.”

يَعْنِي: بِعْتُهُ، وهَذا أيْضًا يُؤَكِّدُ أنَّ قَبُولَهُ والعَمَلَ بِهِ كُفْرٌ، وكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: ﴿ولَوْ أنَّهم آمَنُوا واتَّقَوْا﴾ يَقْتَضِي ذَلِكَ أيْضًا. Meaning: I sold it. And this also confirms that accepting it and practicing it is disbelief. And likewise His statement: {And if they had believed and feared Allah} necessitates that as well.

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