A Jew from the Banu Zurayq practiced black magic on Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت سحر رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم رجل من بني زريق يقال له لبيد بن الأعصم حتى كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يخيل إليه أنه كان يفعل الشيء و ما فعله حتى إذا كان ذات يوم أو ذات ليلة و هو عندي لكنه دعا و دعا ثم قال يا عائشة أشعرت أن الله أفتاني فيما استفتيته فيه أتاني رجلان فقعد أحدهما عند رأسي و الآخر عند رجلي فقال أحدهما لصاحبه ما وجع الرجل فقال مطبوب قال من طبه قال لبيد بن الأعصم قال في أي شيء قال في مشط و مشاطة و جف طلع نخلة ذكر قال و أين هو قال في بئر ذروان فأتاها رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم في ناس من أصحابه فجاء فقال يا عائشة كأن ماءها نقاعة الحناء أو كأن رؤوس نخلها رؤوس الشياطين قلت يا رسول الله أفلا استخرجته فقال قد عافاني الله فكرهت أن أثور على الناس فيه شرا فأمر بها فدفنت

Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha reports:

A man from the Banu Zurayq practiced black magic upon Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam whose name was Labid ibn al A’sam. The effect was that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would think that he did something whereas he had not. Until one day or one night while he was by me, he supplicated earnestly. He then said, “O Aisha! Do you know that Allah gave me a solution to what I enquired from Him. Two men came to me; one sat by my head side and the other by my feet.

The one said to the other, “What is the illness of this man?”

“Bewitched,” the other replied.

The first asked, “Who bewitched him?”

“Labid ibn al A’sam,” he replied.

The first asked, “In what?”

“In a comb, strands of hair, and spadix of a male palm tree,” he explained.

The first man asked, “And where is it?”

“In the well of Dharwan,” he answered.

Accordingly, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam went there accompanied by some of his Companions.

He then returned and said, “O Aisha, its water is like the residue of henna or the heads of its palms are like the heads of devils.”

I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you not expose him?”

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam explained, “Allah has given me cure. So I disliked spreading evil among people with regards to him.”

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam then ordered that it be buried.[1]

Another narration of Sahih al Bukhari contains the following:

عن عائشة كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم سحر حتى كان يرى أنه يأتي النساء و لا يأتيهن قال سفيان و هذا أشد ما يكون من السحر إذا كان كذا

Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha reports, “Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was afflicted with black magic to the extent that he would think that he visited his wives, whereas he had not.”

Sufyan says, “This is the severest effects of black magic when it is of this nature.”

In another narration she says:

مكث النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم كذا و كذا يخيل إليه أنه يأتي أهله و لا يأتي

The Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam remained for so long thinking that he had gone to his wife, whereas he had not.

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was affected by the black magic. However, it did not affect revelation. It had an effect on certain of Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam human faculties as happened to Sayyidina Musa ‘alayh al Salam. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala states:

فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعىٰ فَأَوْجَسَ فِيْ نَفْسِهِ خِيْفَةً مُّوسىٰ

And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes]. And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Musa.[2]

The Qur’an established that Sayyidina Musa ‘alayh al Salam was affected by sihr. Had this infringed on his Nubuwwah or adversely affected revelation from Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, Allah would not have allowed it to take effect. The person who rejects the narration of a Jew practicing sihr upon Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam documented in the Sunnah, should reject the black magic of the magicians against Sayyidina Musa ‘alayh al Salam in the Qur’an. And whoever rejects the Qur’an should go and discuss another book besides the Qur’an which is in conformity to his religion and passion.

The sihr that affected Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is just like any other physical illness. This can afflict the Ambiya’ just as it afflicts other human beings. It does not adversely affect, or reject Nubuwwah as objectionable; nor does it disturb risalah or revelation.

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala protected his Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam from it adversely affecting his risalah and conveying of the message and Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala divinely protected him from being killed. However, he was not protected from physical ailments and illnesses.

Next⇒ I will be fought over the revelation of Qur’an and ‘Ali will be fought over its interpretation

[1] Sahih al Bukhari; Sahih Muslim. The wording appears in Sahih al Bukhari.

[2] Surah Taha: 66, 67.

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