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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books 180 Questions Enquiries About Islam Volume Two: Various issues What is Magic and how does Islam view it? ============================================= There are numerous opinions regarding the question of 'what is magic' and 'when did it come into existence'?

Nevertheless, it is evident that magic has been prevalent amongst people since ancient times, but the exact date of its origin is unknown; in addition, it is also not known as to who was the first person to have brought it into existence. However, with respect to its meaning and essence, it can be said that magic is a kind of supernatural act which has an impact on men; at times it is a kind of jugglery and sleight of hand, while on other occasions it is just psychological and imaginary.

According to the dictionary, magic has two meanings: Deception, guile, sleight of hand and legerdemain; and according to the book Qamus al-Lughah , magic means 'to deceive'. کُلُّ ماَ لَطُفَ وَ دَقَّ. “All such things, the causes of which are invisible and mysterious.” In Raghib's book al-Mufradat , which is devoted to analysing words appearing in the Qur’an, three meanings have been mentioned for it: a. Deception and imaginations, which are devoid of reality - like sleight of hand. b.

Attracting the Satans by special means and seeking assistance from them. And there is another meaning that some have been given to imagine and that is: It is possible to transform the essence and form of people or entities by certain means; for example, transforming man by means of it, into an animal.

However, this kind is nothing more than mere fancy, and without an iota of reality.[^1] Studying the 51 instances of the usage of the word سحر (magic) and its derivatives in the chapters of the Noble Qur’an, such as Taha, Shu'ara, Yunus, A'raf, etc., in connection with the stories of the prophets Musa (a.s.), 'Isa (a.s.) and the Noble Prophet (S), we conclude that magic, according to the Qur’an, can be classified into two categories: Those instances wherein the objective is deception, jugglery, sleight of hand and legerdemain and possesses no reality, as we read: فَإِِذاَ حِبَالُهُمْ وَ عِصِيُّهُم يُخَيَّلُ إِِلَيهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَـى “Then lo!

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