Question:
assalamu alaikum could you please enlighten me with regard to black magic is it permissible to learn for ruqyah purpose?
Country: Sri Lanka
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
In Sharh al-Muhadhdhab v. 1, p. 27, Imam Nawawi mentioned that learning magic [sihr] is from the unlawful types of knowledge. Likewise, in Rawdah v. 10, p. 225. In Fath al-Bari v. 10, p. 224, Hafiz Ibn Hajar related that,
قال النووي عمل السحر حرام وهو من الكبائر بالإجماع وقد عده النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم من السبع الموبقات ومنه ما يكون كفرا ومنه ما لا يكون كفرا بل معصية كبيرة فإن كان فيه قول أو فعل يقتضي الكفر فهو كفر وإلا فلا وأما تعلمه وتعليمه فحرام فإن كان فيه ما يقتضي الكفر كفر
Imam Nawawi said, “The act of magic/witchcraft [sihr] is unlawful, it is from the major sins established by scholarly consensus [ijma’]. The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhie wa sallam) counted it from them seven destructive sins. And from it may be that which is disbelief, and also that which is not disbelief, but rather a major sin. Thus, if there is a statement or deed in it which constitutes disbelief [kufr], then it is disbelief [kufr]; and if not, then it is not. Regarding learning it and teaching it, that is unlawful. And if it constitutes disbelief, then it is disbelief.”
Accordingly, it is unlawful to learn or teach black magic.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.