1) Sorcery, Divination and Soothsaying.2.Minimise your Fears

In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

As-Salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh

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1) Sorcery, Divination and Soothsaying

All these prohibited Shaytanic practices, defect or oppose the Aqeedah and can be accomplished only through polytheistic practices.

1. Sorcery:

Turning a thing from its proper manner of being to another, for the sorcerer makes what is false to appear in the form of truth, and causes a thing to be imagined different from what it really is. Its works may be done in talismanic materials or through certain works, medicines, or smoke. Some magic works have physical effects on hearts and bodies that cause sicknesses, death or separate husband and wife form each other. However, such works can take effect only by the universal will of Allah. It is Shaytanic work, most of its results can be obtained by committing polytheistic practices, and by doing things that evil spirits love, such as dedicating acts of worship to those spirits. Hence, the lawmaker equated sorcery with Shirk. The Prophet (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: "Keep away from the seven plunging sins." They inquired: "What are they?" He said: "Shirk, sorcery..., homicide, which Allah made unlawful, to kill without legitimate reason, devouring usury, devouring orphan's property, fleeing the battlefield, and accusing a chaste believing woman of fornication. [Agreed upon]

Sorcery involves Shirk in two aspects:

First, because it involves seeking help of Shayateen, depending on them, and seeking their favors by doing things they love in return for their services. Besides, sorcery is what Shaytaan teaches people. Allah says: "But it is Shayateen who disbelieved, teaching people sorcery." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 102]

Second, it connotes the claim of knowing of unseen or invisible world, and the claim of sharing this knowledge with Allah, which constitutes infidelity and deviation. Allah says: "And they have certainly known that he who learns it has no share of good in the Hereafter." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 102] Hence, there is no doubt that sorcery constitutes infidelity and Shirk which opposes the Aqeedah, and he, who practices must be executed. Some prominent Companions (radhi allahi anhum) beheaded a number of sorcerers. People take sorcerers and sorcery lightly; they probably consider it as an entertainment art about which they boast, and grant those who practice it prizes and applause. They also establish clubs and parties that include contests of magicians attended by thousands of viewers and promoters. This reflects ignorance in religious matters, and negligence of the aspects of Aqeedah, and support for those who disrespect it.

2. Divination and Soothsaying:

Both of which are but presumptuous claims of having access to the knowledge of the unseen world, and futuristic events as to what will happen on earth, or knowing the location of lost things by employing Shayateen who eavesdrop on the heaven. Allah says: "Shall I inform you on whom the devils descend? They descend on every great liar and sinner. They eavesdrop and most of them are liars. Who gives ear and most of them are liars." [Soorah ash-Shoora (26): 221-223] For Shaytaan listens by stealth to the conversation of angels and then passes it on to a soothsayer who in turns adds to it a hundred lies, and people would believe him on account of that word which Shaytaan heard from the heaven. Allah alone is the only One to Whom the knowledge of the unseen is restricted of Ghaib [1]. And he who believes such claimant has by so doing, ascribed a partner to Allah imputing to him characteristics that are exclusively Allah's.

Divination too involves Shirk because it is a means of gaining access to devils through doing what they love. It is Shirk of Rububiyyah from aspect of claiming a share in the knowledge of the unseen, and Shirk of Uloohiyyah from the aspect of dedicating acts of worship to other than Allah. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: "He who consults a diviner or a soothsayer and believes what he says, will have disbelieved in what was sent down to Muhammad (i.e. the Qur'aan). " [Abu Dawood] [2]

It must be borne in mind that sorcerers, soothsayers, and diviners, deceive people by posing as physicians and command their patients to make offering to other than Allah. They command them to offer animals with certain specifications, or they write them polytheistic talismanic writings, and devilish amulets and place them in lockets to be worn by patients around their necks or preserve them in boxes in their homes. Some also pose as fortune-tellers claiming they can locate lost items so that ignorant people would seek their help for locating their lost properties. They either inform them about the locations of the lost item, or bring it to them by means of Shaytanic clients. Some also pose as pious people who can achieve things that break through the course of nature, such fire walking, or shooting himself with fire arms, or stabbing themselves with knives or the like, or making a car run over them without being harmed. Or they form certain gimmicks that are achieved by Shaytaan and it seems as if such people are performing them. They may be imaginary actions, or magic tricks performed in front of the spectators, just as Fir'awn's sorcerers when they enchanted people with their ropes and sticks. In his debate with Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, a Bata'ihiyah sorcerer who belonged to the Riffa'iyah Sufi Order, raised his voice saying: "We can do abnormal things of such and such that no one else can do. He claimed performing things that break through the course of nature, such as fire walking and other things that only members of his order can do." Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah raised his voice angrily saying: "I am addressing every Ahmadi (Riffa'i) in the East and the West of the earth challenging them that anything they can do, such as fire walking, I would do the same, and he who burns is defeated. I probably said, 'May the curse of Allah be upon him.' Provided we wash our bodies with vinegar and hot water." Some rulers and people asked me about my statement, to which I said: "Because they rub their bodies with the frog's fat, and citrus fruit skin, and the talc stone." Then the Riffa'i said: "Both you and me shall wrap ourselves in a sheer after coating our bodies with sulfur." I said: "Lets do so," and I repeated my demand, then he touched his shirt pretending to take it off, I said: "Not until you wash your body with hot water and vinegar." He was perplexed then he said: "He who loves the ruler let him bring in wood for fire." I said: "You are distracting people from the main debate and wasting time, and nothing can be achieved. It is enough to light a lantern and insert in it my finger and yours after having a wash, then he whose finger is burnt, then upon him shall be the curse of Allah. Or, I said: "He will be defeated." Having said this, the man's face changed, and looked humiliated. In other words, such people are imposters who deceive people by their hidden tricks. ---------------------------------------

[1] Al-Ghaib, the world that is hidden from, or beyond perception by senses unless by means of divine revelation with which the Prophet (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) has acquainted the Muslims, such as the events of the Day of Resurrection, and of Jannah and Hell. [Translator]

[2] Since a soothsayer-diviner prophesizes futuristic events relying on the Shaytanic aids, and since such practice is forbidden then believing a diviner constitutes infidelity because it means opposing the Qur'aan which commands ostracizing and disbelieving such people.

Source: Aqeedah At-Tawheed (The Creed of Islâmic Monotheism) by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan

Translated by Mahmoud Ridha Murad--http://www.abdurrahman.org/tawheed/AqeedahAtTawheed-Fawzaan.html

Note: All footnotes which mention, [Translator] at the end are by the translator, Mahmoud Ridha Murad. Apart from these all additional footnotes are by As-Sunnah (www.qsep.com)

Compiled, edited and adapted by Khalid Latif

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2) Minimize your Fear

Let me share what I do to minimize my fear and to be able to move from feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed into taking action and moving forward.

1. What is the worst that could happen?
I like this very practical exercise as step number one.

So ask yourself this question. Really think about. Don't just think about it for a few seconds. Sit down with a pen and piece of paper, your laptop or cellphone. Write it all out and think about what the realistic worst-case scenario would be.

Then write down a plan for how you can come back from such a scenario.
This step brings clarity, defuses fuzzy fears and helps you realize that you can most often bounce back pretty quickly even if the worst-case scenario somehow becomes reality.

If that only works to a degree move on to the next step

2. Share your fear with someone.

By sharing your fear you can relieve inner pressure. By just keeping it on the inside it's easy to build it up into this massive nightmare and extremely dangerous thing.

By sharing and by getting some input from a levelheaded friend or family member he or she can help you to alleviate the fear and inner pressure. And you can gain a much healthier perspective on things again.

If you don't have someone to share it with or if that only works partly too then move on to