Question
You Wrote: However to firmly establish the social unit of family, Islam only recognises a relationship that is the result of the contract of marriage.[1]
To my understanding what we call a marriage is a contract (A binding on a piece of paper) between two parties to stay together, but this has nothing to do with Islam, as it is a social binding applicable differently in different sects. Now if I have understood it correctly from QURAN then it is a mutual understanding (No paper binding) between a man and a women to stay together provided the prime objective is NOT lust and it is open to public. Isn’t it so?
You Wrote: The Qur’an certainly has not informed us that this ability has been taken from the human being. However there is no reason to deny the possibility that today too certain individuals may posses the same evil skills that some people at the past possessed (as evident from the Qur’an).
I have strong reason to believe that it does not exist, as QURAN has solution to all our problems and no remedy is suggested there.
There is not an animal on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.(6:38)
You Wrote: Please note that the source of these two powers are different. Magic was something that was practiced by individual ordinary people. Commanding Jinn was one of the powers given to a prophet of God. While obviously the latter (commanding Jinn like the way Solomon – pbuh – did) cannot be applied to others in our era, there is no reason to believe that the first (being able to do magic) too was exclusive to the past nations.
There is a strong reason to believe that it does not exist, as in Era of Hazrat Solomon (PBUM), lot of humans had this power also and we don’t see that evidence now:
Said one who had knowledge of the Book: “I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!” Then when saw it placed firmly before him, he said: “This is by the grace of my Lord!― to test me whether I am grateful, or ungrateful! And if any is grateful truly his gratitude is for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of All Needs, Supreme in Honour!” (27:40)
You wrote: I do not see how the verse can simply be interpreted to be referring to fears and whispers (whatever the latter might mean). I am more convinced by the generally agreed upon explanation that this verse refers to magic.
Now please read Surah Falak and Naz again in detail. What I extracted from it was ALLAH is telling that we will fear 5 things:
1.Mischief of Darkness (It Exists now also)
2.Mischief of who blow on knots (Like false people doing now also, although nothing they can do)
3.Michief of Envious (It is present today also)
4.Mischief of whispers from mankind (A common practice)
5.Mischief of whispers of Jinn (Exists today)
And what ALLAH is saying here is that don’t fear them as they cannot harm you if you seek refuge from ALLAH. Now telling me where it states that magic exists. The practice of Blowing on knots is ages old and we ourself clearly know, they just create fear in us on unknown, then why should I believe in Magic when ALLAH is telling me that it does not exist.
You Wrote: Having said that, if some one feels that he needs help from a human being I don’t think that it goes against our faith in the Almighty.
I you think that some Human Being can solve our issue of unknown then in my opinion there is something wrong. What I understood from QURAN is that there is no one betwwen Me and ALLAH, who can resolve my issue of unknown and if I seek help from any third person ( Other then Me and ALLAH) then I am doin SHIRK. To me any Third entity (Human, Idol, Grave etc) whom I think can resolve issues of Unknown then that is SHIRK.
You Wrote: ” I however cannot deny the possibility that there can be experienced people who might help a person with this regard. I am sure the genuine help will be the one that is not going against the premises of religion and is in fact heavily relying on religious concepts.”
Who will determine the genuinety? What I Think and Do is known to me or ALLAH, then how can I or you judge? QURAN explicitly tells us that you should not judge people from Outer behaviours, what is his Internal Behaviour only He or I (ALLAH) knows. Also, when we have the BOOK and SUNNAH and a promise of ALLAH that HE will guide us, then why we and how we can find that genuine person? and move in direction of SHIRK?
[1]Reference is to the discussion: Status of Magic and Meaning of the Expression “What your Right Hands Possess” II
Answer
I think I first need to remind ourselves what it is (as far as I concern) that we are discussion here:
– We are not discussing whether we should believe in magic or not
– We are not discussing whether we should seek help from others if we feel we are under magical spell
What we are discussing as far as I know is:
– Whether magic can still exist at our time
– Whether there is any problem if people ask for help from God fearing and religion abiding people who offer help to get rid of magic.
Now I try to briefly comment on the points you made in a few bullet points:
– As I referred to in my previous response, the whole idea of marriage, the one that is recognized by the Qur’an, is that two people who are allowed to marry each other according to the Qur’an agree to stay together for the rest of their life as husband and wife and to declare this publicly. Whether this is done with love or without love does not change anything in terms of this recognition.
– I do not believe that the Qur’an has solution to all our problems. The Qur’an is a book to guide us to salvation in the hereafter. Anything that relates to that and needs explanation is included in the Qur’an. In my view verse 6:38 does not refer to the Qur’an, but is referring to the account of creatures and creation that is held by God. Elsewhere the Qur’an refers to this as Umm ul-Kitab. Some of my colleagues interpret the verse to mean “as far as signs to profess belief are concerned, this Book (i.e. the Qur’an) has plenty and that nothing has been left out of it.” http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/query.aspx?id=418
Whether this or that, the verse does not imply that every thing is in the Qur’an. If it had implied that then the Qur’an could easily be refuted because it is not difficult to see that not every thing and solution to every issue is given in the Qur’an.
Having said that, to my understanding the Qur’an has given a solution for being protected from magic, that is Sura al-Falaq.
– Not seeing a phenomenon is not a strong evidence that it does not exist at all. Also verse 27:40 does not refer to magic powers.
– I appreciate your interpretation of the Sura of al-Falaq but as I wrote, I am more convinced by the common interpretation of this Sura.
– You wrote: “then why should I believe in Magic when ALLAH is telling me that it does not exist”
First, I do not see where Allah has told us that magic does not exist. Even with your interpretation of the Sura al-Falaq I do not see that. Second, I never said you should believe in magic. The discussion is about whether it exists, not that whether we should believe in it.
– You wrote: “What I understood from QURAN is that there is no one betwwen Me and ALLAH, who can resolve my issue of unknown and if I seek help from any third person ( Other then Me and ALLAH) then I am doin SHIRK. “
Shirk means to consider a third party to have the same authority and control on us that God has or one that stands between God and us. I do not think that people who refer to experienced and genuine persons do this with that intention or understanding. If they do then yes I agree it is Shirk. However in many cases it is simply getting some advice and help from more experienced people who many times are actually scholars of Islam themselves and the help they get is either by means of offering religious advice or praying for them. I do not see Shirk in this. Did Umar (ra) committed Shirk when he used to ask Abbas the uncle of the Prophet (pbuh) to invoke God for rain?
– As for who determines genuineness this is irrelevant to this discussion. I am not suggesting that people should seek help from others when feeling they are under magical spells. I am only saying that not all these kinds of helps and seeking helps can be condemned and be called Shirk. It is up to individuals to decide in all honesty what is the best course of action and who is genuine and who is not. At the end of the day, God judges us based on our honest conviction.
Answered by: Farhad Shafti
Date: 2015-03-06
