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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Greater Sins Volume 2 The Thirty-First Greater Sin: Sorcery The thirty-first sin that is clearly stated to be a Greater Sin is sorcery. A tradition from the Holy Prophet (S) has been recorded in Wasa’il ul-Shia in which the Prophet (S) has mentioned that Magic is a Greater Sin.

The tradition of Abdul Azīm (r.a.) has also mentioned from Imam Jawad (a.s.) who has related through his fore-fathers from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said to the effect, “Sorcery is a Greater Sin because the Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “And they followed what the shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, Yet these two taught no man until they had said, ‘Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.’ Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it anyone except with Allah’s permission, and they learnt what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who brought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls; had they but known this.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:102) According to Tafsīr al-Mizan this ayat shows that sorcery was prevalent among the Jews for a long time; and they used to ascribe it to Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.).

They believed that Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) had mastered the techniques of controlling the angels, jinns and wild animals through magic, and some of these alleged methods had reached them. They also implicated the two angels Harut and Marut for other magical rites. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has denounced their belief regarding Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) because sorcery is the method of misusing the power of human spirit in order to perform extraordinary acts.

It is against the Divine law because it negates the supremacy of Allah (S.w.T.). Since Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) was a Prophet and undoubtedly infallible, he cannot be blamed for such a violation of Divine Command. Therefore to ascribe sorcery to Hazrat Sulaiman (a.s.) was absolutely wrong.