How does a person know if he has been bewitched; and can he consult hodjas about it? What are the ways to protect oneself from enchantment (magic)?

Can we follow the advice of those people / hodjas? How do we know that those people are trustworthy?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is not appropriate to consult anyone regarding the issue. One can also follow the advice of learned people whose knowledge and taqwa are trusted and who help people for the sake of Allah without expecting any material benefit.

It may also be a psychological disorder. We recommend consulting a pious psychologist first. If it is found out that a spell has been cast, there are some chapters (surahs) and prayers (duas) that should be read. It will be useful to continue reading them.

By taking refuge in Allah, being diligent in belief and worship, and not listening to the suggestions of the devil, which are effective on enchantment, one reduces the effect of the devil on him and is protected from the effect of enchantment. For what the devil does is nothing but to frighten through suggestion, to make people doubt, to delude them, and to give them groundless delusions and promises that have no results. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the Holy Quran:

“Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but Satan’s promises are nothing but deception.” (an-Nisa, 4/120)

The words “desire” and “promise” in the verse are, as is well known, general. However, it is also relevant to our subject because man hopes for many things. In fact, he gets so caught up in what he hopes for, that is, in his expectations and hopes, that sometimes he even bewitches himself and goes to sorcerers for the things he wants to happen. This happens when he knows it is wrong and the devil assures him of it. It usually happens related to haram things. So, in a way, a person invites the disease, thinking that he is bewitched and that some people have done something about it. However, it might not be the case.

As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the verses of the Quran: “No authority has he (the devil) over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord.” “His authority is over those only, who take him as patron and who join partners with Allah.” (an-Nahl, 16/99-100)

In addition to belief, sincerity is also a factor in establishing authority. It is stated that the devil has no control over the sincere people and that Allah will protect them. However, the devil has been given permission “to deceive insincere people who do not rely on God among them whom he can, to astonish them with his invitation, to make assaults on them with his cavalry and infantry, to mutually share with them wealth and children, and to make promises to them”. (al-Isra, 17/63-65) It is because the life we live is a test. Otherwise, it is not full authority. Besides, the devil does not suggest anything but vain delusions to man.

It is clear that those whom the devil influences and harasses are the ones who pave the way for him to approach them and to give him the opportunity to do so. For the devil has absolutely no influence over the sincere servants of Allah. Even if he tries to do so, they will overcome him through prayer and worship and reading the Book of Allah. Besides, the following is stated at the end of the verse about those who practice sorcery and witchcraft: “But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s permission.” (al-Baqara, 2/102)

If it is accepted that bewitchment is real, it is indisputable that it affects everyone. However, there are some people whom it affects more. These are those who attach importance to the devil’s mischiefs and delusions and who are open to such things. Such people are more likely to wind themselves up like a clock and make themselves ill because the devil gives people only mischief and wants to make the wrong seem right. Those who mistake unimportant sounds and images for different shapes and voices are those who are fearful, have weak faith, lack worship and remembrance, are lax in their duties to Allah, and neglect their worship. As a matter of fact, those issues are pointed out in the verses. (al-Hajj, 22/52-55)

Apart from those listed above, some pious people are also affected by magic. However, if one submits to Allah Almighty, trusts in Him and takes full refuge in Him, recites the daily prayers and dhikrs, reads a few pages of the Holy Quran every day, and recites the surahs and duas recommended by the Prophet (pbuh) in the Holy Quran, the effects of magic can be prevented. For even if people with evil intentions cast spells, we have Allah the Almighty, who has absolute might and power over everyone and everything, and whose power is superior to the power of all the magicians of the world and the jinn and devils who help them. For it is Allah who created even those who claim to have power. Nothing happens unless He wills it. As a matter of fact, when the Prophet (pbuh) was bewitched, Allah revealed the chapters of “al-Falaq” and “an-Nas” and asked him to pray with them and seek refuge in Him. The Prophet (pbuh) did so and was cured. Thus, the Prophet frustrated the efforts of the sorcerers and thwarted their desires.

“Those who fear Allah, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance, when lo! they see (aright).” (al-A’raf, 7/201)

As a matter of fact, as the verse above points out, the first thing a person who is under satanic influence should do is to seek refuge in Allah. In short, he should what Allah commands, observe halals and harams, pay attention to his prayers and worship, be materially and spiritually pure, have pure thoughts and feelings, and turn to Allah with a sincere intention. For on the Day of Judgment, the devil will justify himself by saying that his promises are nothing but deception and that what he showed to be true was nothing but a lie; and he will leave the sorcerers and those who follow them in the lurch. (Ibrahim, 14/22)

It is understood from verse 102 of the chapter of al-Baqara that the greatest effect of magic is on the spirits; it corrupts ideas, deceives hearts, debauches people, and turns societies upside down. Therefore, one should not be deceived thinking that magic is not real. And he should beware of such magicians.

However, those who do so cannot harm anyone without Allah’s permission because the real influence is neither in magic nor in the magician, neither in nature nor in the spirit, neither in the earth nor in the sky, neither in the devil nor in the angel. The true influencer is Allah and Allah alone. And what is called benefit and harm occurs only with His permission. Therefore, one should fear and seek refuge in Allah first and foremost, he should hold on to the Book of Allah to resist them.

READING THE CHAPTER OF AN-NAS AGAINST DARK POWERS AND MAGIC

“Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind,
The King (or Ruler) of Mankind, The Allah (for judge) of Mankind.
From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper),
(The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind.
Among Jinn and among men.” (an-Nas, 114/1-6)

The last three chapters of the Holy Quran, namely the chapters of “al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas”, called “Muawwidhat”, which are prayers to seek refuge in Allah and which are recited against our enemies, both visible and known, and against our hidden enemies, both visible and invisible, are a panacea, and those three chapters are (so to speak) the “aspirins of the Quranic pharmacy”. Therefore, one should seek refuge in Allah with them and protect himself from the darkness of the night, the evil of devils, jinn, sorcerers and deluders.

It is well known that the effect of magic is closely related to the psychological state of the person, his pessimism, delusions and doubts. The chapters of al-Falaq and an-Nas point to those issues and ask people to seek refuge in Allah alone when such a situation happens to them, as in normal situations. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the Quran:

“Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinn, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception.” (al-An’am, 6/112)

According to the verse above, we see that man is open to all kinds of dangers and can be easily deceived by his enemies from jinn and humans, both by the ornate and magical words he is exposed to and by the fictional writings in books, the true intentions of which are unknown. We understand that he should listen to whomever he listens to in the name of Allah and start his work with His name by saying “Audhu… Bismillahi…” to be protected from them, and that he should read the books he reads in the name of the truth to receive messages about the truth and should start with “Audhu… Bismillahi…”. For the devil cannot easily intervene in the works that are started and finished in the name of Allah. The evil intentions of sorcerers and some literati and philosophers who aim to deceive people can be thwarted only in this way. Otherwise, it is possible for them to deceive people through those ways, and to enchant their readers or listeners by immersing them in the rhythm of the issue. That is how most of the misguided people are misguided. Therefore, in those three chapters, we are asked begin with the inculcation of the “Tawhid Belief” with the chapter of al-Ikhlas and seek refuge in Allah with the chapters of al-Falaq and an-Nas.

As a matter of fact, Yazir, the tafsir scholar, interpreted this chapter extensively, and quoted an interesting hadith from Abu Dharr reported by Qurtubi in his tafsir. In the hadith, the Prophet drew attention to “human devils” and said, “Have you sought refuge in Allah from human devils?” (Hak Dini Kur’an Dili, X/191)

In short, if we pay attention to our prayers and worship in our daily lives, seek refuge in Allah with prayers and be as close to Him as we should, we will be under His protection and be protected from magic and from sorcerers and evil spirits who can practice magic.  

While I was doing this study, I met a psychic whom I had been curious about before. Due to the insistence of my friends, I asked him to have a look at me. He looked in the water, called his jinn and asked them if I had been bewitched. Then, he looked in the water and at me several times and asked, “What are you protected by?” When I replied, “What do you mean?”, he asked me curiously, “What do you read every day?” When I said, “What happened?”, he said, “They have tried to bewitch you many times, but they have failed. If they had done it to a normal person who was not protected by a special prayer, he would have been done away with by now!” I told him that I read “Jawshan al-Kabir” every day and after the prayers I say my prayers and tasbihat according to the sunnah.

In that case, we should apply to doctors and the science of medicine for treatment rather than sorcerers, who are known to have contact with evil spirits and do wrong things. In the case of treatment by prayer (dua), we should refer to the prayers recommended by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), as well as the prayers we have given examples from the Quran. It would also be good to follow the following advice, narrated from Aisha (r.a.), which the Prophet (pbuh) himself did;

“When the Prophet (pbuh) went to bed, he would blow on his hands and read the Muawwidhatayn (chapters of al-Falaq and an-Nas) and Qul Huwallahu Ahad, then wipe his hands over his face and body, repeating it three times. When he was ill, he would order me to do the same to him.” (Bukhari, Fadailul-Quran, 14, Tibb, 39)

The Prophet (pbuh) did not send the sick to sorcerers for treatment. He sent them either to physicians, to the science of medicine, or to the pharmacy of the Quran and Sunnah. Thus, he wanted them to benefit from universal healing. Besides, Allah Almighty declares that the Quran is a mercy and a healing for the believers (al-Isra, 17/82) and points to the Quran as a source of reference for our spiritual problems.

(see Arif ARSLAN, Büyü Fal ve Kehanet)

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