What are the prescribed means of warding off
sihr (magic) before it happens?.
Answer:
Praise
be to Allaah.
Among the most important means
of warding off the danger of sihr before it happens is seeking protection
through the adhkaar (dhikr) prescribed in Islam, making du’aa’ and reciting
prayers seeking refuge that were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). These include:
1 – Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy
[al-Baqarah 2:255] after every prescribed prayer, after reciting the adhkaar
which are prescribed after the salaam.
2 – Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy
when going to sleep. This is the greatest aayah in the Qur’aan, in which
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah!
Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum
(the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither
slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and
whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His
Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and
what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything
of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursiy extends over the heavens
and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He
is the Most High, the Most Great”
[al-Baqarah 2:255]
3 – Reciting “Qul huwa
Allaahu ahad”, “Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-Falaq” and “Qul
a’oodhu bi Rabb il-Naas” [i.e., the last three soorahs of the Qur’aan]
following every prescribed prayer, and reciting these three soorahs (three
times) at the beginning of the day after Fajr prayer, and at the beginning of
the night after Maghrib prayer.
4 – Reciting the last two
aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah at the beginning of the night. These are the aayahs
in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The
Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord,
and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allaah, His Angels, His Books,
and His Messengers. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of
His Messengers’ — and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your
forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).’
Allaah
burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he
has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. ‘Our Lord!
Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden
like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord!
Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and
grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawlaa (Patron, Supporter
and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people”
[al-Baqarah
2:285-285]
And
it was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Aayat al-Kursiy at
night will have ongoing protection from Allaah and no devil will come near him
until morning comes.” And it was also narrated in a saheeh report that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
recites the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, that will suffice
him.” The meaning – and Allaah knows best – is that that will be
sufficient protection for him against all evil.
5
– Seeking refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He
has created, night and day and when stopping to rest anywhere, be it in the
city, in the desert, in the air or on the sea. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stops to rest and says, ‘A’oodhu bi
kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the
perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),’ nothing
will harm him until he moves on from that place.”
6
– The Muslim should say at the beginning of the day and the beginning of the
night (three times): “Bismillaah alladhi laa yadurr ma’a ismihi shay’un
fi’l-ardi wa laa fi’l-samaa’i wa huwa al-samee’ al-‘aleem (In the name
of Allaah with Whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm, and He
is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing).” According to saheeh reports, the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to recite this,
and this is a means of keeping safe from all evil.
These
adhkaar and prayers for refuge are among the greatest means of warding off the
evil of sihr (witchcraft) and other evils, for the one who recites them
regularly with sincerity and faith, putting his trust in Allaah and depending
upon Him, and being content with that.
They
are also some of the most effective weapons for warding off sihr after it has
happened, along with humbly beseeching Allaah constantly and asking Him to
remove the harm and relieve the distress. Among the du’aa’s which have been
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to treat
diseases such as sihr and other things is the ruqyah by means of which he (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to treat his companions: “Allaahumma
Rabb al-naas, adhhib il-ba’s, washfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa’a illa
shifaa’uka shifaa’an laa yughaadir saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind,
remove the harm and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no healing
except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any disease behind).”
There is also the ruqyah by means of which Jibreel treated the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Bismillaah urqeeka min kulli shay’in
yu’dheeka, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘aynin haasid Allaah yashfeek,
bismillaah urqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from every
thing that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah
heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you).” This should be
repeated three times. And Allaah knows best.
Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat al-Shaykh ‘Abd
al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy
on him