Was the Prophet (pbuh) ever a Victim of a Magical Spell?
Would you please give me some information about Magic on the Prophet, In view of last two Surahs?
Sheikh Mustafa, Pakistan
Reply
The last two Surahs of the Qur'an are a supplication for God's protection against different kinds of evil forces. There is nothing in the words or contents of these Surahs that informs us that the Prophet (pbuh) had ever been or was to be under some kind of a magical spell. The Qur'an does tell us at another place that when the Prophet (pbuh) migrated to Medinah, the Bani Israel, rather than answering the call to salvation by following the Prophet (pbuh), tried to harm him through magical spells and other occult arts. Al-Baqarah 2: 101 - 102 says:
And then, when a messenger comes to them from God, confirming [the prophecies of] what they already held [as divine books], a group among those who were given the Book casts the book of God behind its back as if it knows not. And [rather than following this Prophet] they follow what was taught by the devils during the times of Solomon's kingdom… they taught sihr [i.e. magic] to people.
However, the Qur'an clearly tells us that during the time of the revelation of the Qur'an the Prophet (pbuh) is safeguarded against all evil forces, by a special force appointed for the purpose by the Almighty. According to Al-Jinn 72: 27 - 28:
As for those whom He [i.e. God] selects as His messengers He guards them - from front and from behind - so that it is ascertained that they have delivered the messages of their Lord.
At Al-Maaidah 5: 67, the Qur'an says:
O Messenger, deliver that which has been revealed to you from your Lord; if you do it not then you would not have delivered His message. And [do not fear your enemies,] Allah shall safeguard you against these people.
It should be obvious from these verses of the Qur'an that even though the Bani Israel did try to harm the Prophet (pbuh) through magical spells and other occult arts, yet, according to the Qur'an, the Prophet (pbuh), especially during the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, was closely guarded by God and His appointed angels.
Thus, if seen in the perspective of the Qur'an, there is not even a hint of any information, on the basis of which it could be said that the Prophet was ever under any magical spell. The Qur'an, on the contrary, leads us to believe that because of God's close guard over the Prophet (pbuh), no such harm could have befallen the Prophet (pbuh).
However, there are a few Hadith, which inform us that the last two Surahs of the Qur'an were revealed at a time when the Prophet (pbuh) was under a magical spell. Two of the important points in the information given by these Hadith are:
It is quite obvious that the information given in these narratives is not only against the stated verses of the Qur'an, but also creates serious doubts about the infallibility of the prophets of God. After all, if God and His appointed angels could not (or did not) safeguard the Prophet (pbuh) against such a magical spell then what exactly is the implication of God's declaration mentioned in Al-Jinn 72: 27 - 28 and His promise mentioned in Al-Maaidah 5: 67?
In view of the above explanation, I do not consider the narratives, on the basis of which it is held that the Prophet (pbuh) remained under the effects of a magical spell for sometime, to be correct. The event narrated is either forged or a big mistake on the part of its narrators.
I hope this helps. In case any aspect of your question remains unanswered or inadequately answered, please feel free in writing back to me at your own convenience.
May the Almighty guide us all to the path of His liking.
My fondest regards to you and those around you.
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