If magic is fake then why do we try to protect against it?

Question

I was wondering because as a Muslim I know that no one can do anything beyond the means of a human but Allah and creatures he allows some supernatural abilities to like Jinn and Angels etc.

However - I am wondering why are their so many hadiths and things to protect you against witchcraft? Why should we even be scared of Magic and witchcraft?

In my mind I thought all of this stuff was fake and all pretend and make believe to fool the eyes using visual tricks. They have no real power to harm anyone or do anything using magic if it was even real. So why are we trying to protect ourselves against it?

Shouldn't we just brush them off as frauds and visual tricksters (my current position) or should I genuinely be scared of that stuff in my mind as something that is real and that can harm me.

Answer 1

Your claim that sihr (magic) is fake is not entirely correct. While some of the scholars have held the opinion that all magic is only illusion and tricks, however this is not the majority view. Rather most of the ahl al-sunnah hold that there is a type of magic which manifests physically and that it occurs by the intervention of the devils, and through secret laws of nature which Allah has created.

Even if we are to accept that magic is only limited to illusions and tricks, then it can still cause harm. For example a trickster of this type may use a physical means such as releasing an airborne poison to harm you. Or an illusionist may conjure an illusion that causes you to get scared and jump out of a window to your death.

فيتعلمون منهما ما يفرقون به بين المرء وزوجه وما هم بضارين به من أحد إلا بإذن الله

And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.

^{— Quran 2:102}

Answer 2

As Muslims, we must believe magic is real as it is mentioned in both the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… but the shayateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, “We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).” And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not.” [2:102]

Narrated from Aisha (RAA); “A man known as Labid ibn al-A’sam from the tribe of Banu Zurayq performed magic on Allah’s Messenger ﷺ until Allah’s Messenger ﷺ started imagining that he had done something which he had not really done. One day or one night while he was with me, he invoked Allah (SWT) for a long period and then said, ‘O Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, ‘What is it that pains this man?’ The other replied, ‘He is under the effect of Matbob’. The first one asked, ‘Who did it?’ The other replied, ‘Labid Ibn Al-A’sam.’ The first one asked, ‘What material did he use?’ The other replied, ‘A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the pollen of a male date palm.’ The first one asked, ‘Where is that?’ The other replied, ‘That is in the well of Daman!” So Allah’s Messenger ﷺ along with some of his companions went there and returned saying, ‘O Aisha, the colour of its water is like the infusion of henna leaves and the tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils.’ I asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger? Why don’t you show it (to the people)?’ He said, ‘Since Allah (SWT) has cured me, I would not like to let evil spread amongst the people.’ Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Avoid the seven deadly sins.” People asked, ‘What are they?’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Shirk (polytheism), Sihr (Magic), unlawful killing of a person, living on money from usury, usurping an orphan’s wealth, retreating at the time of Jihad and accusing an innocent married women of fornication.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

We need not fear magic if we seek Allah’s Pleasure by drawing closer to him, reading ayat al kursi, the three quls and remember the morning & evening adhkar.