As I sit here this morning, I find myself reflecting on how quickly some of the struggles people face are attributed to supernatural causes and how easily these beliefs are reinforced by those around them. I often wonder why another human being would be willing to risk their religion and their Hereafter by associating partners with Allah simply to harm another soul. Why would someone knowingly involve themselves in something Allah has warned us against just because they want to see another person suffer? This is something we hear about quite commonly in the Maldives, and it is certainly no secret to anyone living here. People talk about black magic, sihr, jinn, the evil eye, spells, objects being buried or hidden, strange things being found, relationships suddenly falling apart, illnesses being attributed to supernatural causes, and many other stories. Sometimes these stories are spoken about with such certainty that people accept them as facts without questioning where these beliefs actually come from. I often wonder when stronger laws and greater awareness will address both those who deliberately engage in these practices and those who knowingly seek them out. There is a person on both sides of such an act: one who is willing to cause harm and another who is willing to seek it. Beyond the legal consequences, however, there is a much deeper spiritual question: what happens to our relationship with Allah when jealousy, hatred, or the desire for revenge becomes strong enough for us to cross boundaries He has forbidden?
Before discussing what people today call “black magic,” we need to understand what the Qur’an actually says about sihr. There is a great deal of information surrounding this subject, but not everything people commonly say about magic comes directly from the Qur’an. The Qur’an uses the word sihr, generally translated as magic or sorcery, and discusses it in several places, including the account of Prophet Sulayman ﷺ, the story of Prophet Musa ﷺ and Pharaoh’s magicians, and Surah Al-Falaq. When discussing a subject connected to the unseen, I believe we have a responsibility to distinguish revelation from cultural beliefs, assumptions, and stories that have developed over time.
One of the clearest Qur’anic references is found in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 102. Allah tells us about what the devils taught people concerning magic and makes it clear that Sulayman ﷺ did not disbelieve; rather, it was the devils who disbelieved because they taught people magic. This is an important clarification because people had associated magic with the kingdom of Sulayman, yet the Qur’an explicitly rejects the idea that Prophet Sulayman himself was a magician. The verse then mentions Harut and Marut in Babylon. They warned people that what they were being exposed to was a test and told them not to disbelieve, yet people learned from them that which could be used to cause separation between a husband and wife. The verse then gives a serious warning about those who pursued this knowledge and says that they knew that whoever chose it would have no share in the Hereafter.
The passage is striking because it connects sihr not simply with an unusual practice, but with a serious spiritual choice. The Qur’an describes people pursuing knowledge that could be used to damage relationships and then warns about the consequences of that choice. The example of separating a husband and wife is particularly significant because it shows that the harm associated with sihr is not presented merely as something abstract. It can be directed towards human relationships and can be used with the intention of creating division between people.
The same verse also establishes an important principle: those who learned magic could not harm anyone through it except by Allah’s permission. This places the matter within Allah’s ultimate authority. It is important because belief in sihr should never become a belief that another human being possesses independent control over our lives. Allah remains the One with ultimate power over His creation.
The story of Prophet Musa ﷺ and Pharaoh’s magicians gives us another perspective. Pharaoh gathered his magicians, and the Qur’an tells us that they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them. In Surah Taha, their ropes and staffs appeared to Musa ﷺ as though they were moving. Musa ﷺ experienced fear, but Allah told him not to fear and instructed him to throw what was in his right hand. What he threw swallowed what the magicians had produced, and Allah declared that what they had done was the craft of a magician who would not ultimately succeed.
This story also demonstrates the difference between what appears to human beings and what ultimately has power. Pharaoh's magicians created an effect that influenced what people saw, but their actions did not place them beyond Allah's authority. The Qur’an repeatedly brings the story back to the distinction between the claims of the magicians and the power of Allah.
Surah Al-Falaq provides another important reference. Allah teaches believers to seek refuge in Him from the evil of al-naffathati fi al-'uqad, commonly translated as those who blow upon knots. The phrase is understood in Qur’anic interpretation as referring to a practice associated with sorcery. The response taught in the Qur’an is not to seek another form of magic, but to seek refuge in Allah. This establishes an important religious principle: a forbidden practice is not made acceptable simply because someone claims to use it for a good purpose.
This brings us to an issue that is particularly relevant in our communities. There are people who claim that they can identify who performed magic, what was done, where it was placed and how it can be removed. Some may ask for money, personal information, photographs or other objects. Others may claim to know hidden details about a person's family, marriage or personal circumstances. We should be extremely cautious about such claims. Belief in the unseen does not give human beings unlimited knowledge of the unseen. The fact that someone speaks confidently does not make their claim true.
This is also why not every difficulty in life should automatically be attributed to sihr. A marriage can struggle because of betrayal, poor communication, incompatibility or unresolved conflict. A person can become physically unwell because of an illness. Someone can experience anxiety because of prolonged stress or difficult circumstances. A business can fail because of financial decisions or circumstances beyond someone's control. Families can experience conflict because of longstanding interpersonal problems. These are real causes that deserve attention. A Muslim can pray, make dua and seek Allah's help while also seeing a doctor, seeking counselling, speaking with a qualified mental-health professional, or taking practical steps to address a problem.
The same care is needed when discussing jinn, the evil eye and other matters of the unseen. These subjects are sometimes placed together as though they are interchangeable explanations for every unexplained event. They are not. Islamic teachings contain distinctions between these concepts, and we should not allow cultural beliefs to become indistinguishable from revelation. If something happens and we do not know the cause, the honest answer is sometimes simply that we do not know. There is no need to create certainty where Allah has not given us certainty.
This is especially important when another person is blamed. Imagine being told that a neighbour, relative, colleague, friend, or former spouse has performed magic against you. If that accusation is accepted without evidence, it can destroy relationships and divide families. A person who has done nothing wrong can become the target of suspicion simply because someone offered an explanation for an unfortunate event. Islam places great importance on justice, and accusations should not be made simply because a situation is difficult to explain.
There is also a distinction that needs to be made when discussing Harut and Marut. Many detailed stories about them, Babylon, and the circumstances surrounding their teaching of magic circulate in popular discussions. However, not every detail in these stories is explicitly stated in the Qur’an. Some come from later interpretive traditions and narrations. When discussing the unseen, we should be precise about the source of what we are saying. If something comes directly from the Qur’an, we can say so. If something is an interpretation or comes from another source, it should be presented as such rather than being described as though Allah Himself stated every detail.
What concerns me most about sihr, however, is the intention behind deliberately trying to harm another person. Why would someone's jealousy become so strong that they want another person to lose what they have? Why would someone's resentment towards a former spouse, relative, colleague or friend become strong enough for them to seek forbidden means? Why would another person's marriage, success, happiness or peace become something that needs to be destroyed?
These questions take us beyond the subject of magic and into the human heart. Envy can make people focus so intensely on what another person has that they stop recognising the blessings in their own lives. Revenge can convince someone that causing pain will somehow heal their own pain. Hatred can make another person's suffering feel justified. Yet none of these emotions remove a person's accountability before Allah. We are responsible for the choices we make, including what we deliberately seek when we are angry, jealous, or hurt.
This is why the warning in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:102 is so powerful. Those who pursued magic were told that they were choosing something that would bring them no share in the Hereafter. They were effectively exchanging something eternal for something temporary. A person may believe they are gaining control over another human being, but the Qur’an directs our attention to the much greater cost of that choice.
There is also a wider social issue that deserves discussion. Those who deliberately perform forbidden practices to harm others and those who knowingly seek such services both contribute to the problem. Some individuals exploit vulnerable people by claiming supernatural abilities and charging money for their services. When religious concerns become a business built around unverified claims, people who are already struggling can be manipulated financially and emotionally. Greater awareness and responsible religious education can help people recognise the difference between genuine guidance and claims that have no reliable foundation.
Our communities also need to learn how to respond when someone believes they are experiencing something supernatural. We should not mock people for their beliefs or experiences, but we should also not confirm something simply because they are convinced of it. We can listen, encourage them towards Allah, support legitimate religious practices, and encourage appropriate medical, psychological, and practical assistance where necessary. Compassion means supporting a person without necessarily validating an explanation that has not been established.
The subject of magic should also not become entertainment. There is a difference between learning what the Qur’an teaches and becoming fascinated with stories about curses, possession, spells and supernatural experiences. The purpose of learning about sihr should be to understand Allah's guidance, recognise the seriousness of what He has prohibited, and strengthen our relationship with Him. It should not turn into an obsession with discovering hidden causes behind every difficulty in life.
The Qur’an gives us a beautiful reminder through Surah Al-Falaq, which begins by teaching us to seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak. The imagery itself is powerful: darkness gives way to light. The believer is reminded where refuge is found, regardless of what is happening beyond our understanding. We may not know everything happening around us, but Allah knows. We may not understand every circumstance, but Allah does. Our responsibility is to remain within the boundaries He has given us and place our ultimate trust in Him.
For me, this is the central message I take from the Qur’anic discussion of sihr. We should not deny what Allah has revealed, but we should also not add our own assumptions and cultural stories to revelation and then treat them as religious facts. We should be careful about what we claim to know, careful about accusing others, and absolutely careful about seeking forbidden means to interfere in another person's life. We should use the legitimate forms of worship and protection taught in our faith, take practical action when we face genuine problems, and leave the unseen to the One who knows it completely.
The question I keep coming back to is not only whether magic exists. The more important question is what we are willing to exchange our relationship with Allah for. Is another person's happiness worth risking our Hereafter? Is revenge worth compromising our faith? Is jealousy worth allowing our hearts to become consumed by hatred? Is the desire to control another human being worth forgetting that we ourselves will one day stand before our Creator?
And for those who are struggling with circumstances they cannot explain, there is another question worth asking: Where have I placed my trust? Human beings may make claims, rumours may spread, and circumstances may remain unexplained, but none of that changes who Allah is. He remains the Creator, the Knower of what is hidden and the One upon whom we ultimately depend.
Allah is greater than what we understand and greater than what we do not understand. He is greater than every human intention, every hidden matter, and every difficulty we encounter. This is why the Qur’an directs us towards the Lord of the daybreak. When the darkness comes, the believer does not need to know every detail of the night to know that Allah controls the dawn.
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