A Quranic Journal

'witchcrafts when they blow in the knots' refers to sorceresses. Mujahid says that such incantations are nearest to polytheism as are made to blow on a snake bite or magic stricken man. A Hadith says that Gabriel came to the Prophet and said, "O Muhammad! Are you sick?" When the Prophet said yes, he said, invoke the Name of Allah against every disease that pains you, against the evil of every envier and against any evil eye. May Allah heal you." The disease referred to in this Hadith was probably a magic spell. Allah healed His Messenger and repelled that magic. Ahmad bin Hanbal reported that a Jew bewitched the Prophet and then he remained under its spell for several days. Then Gabriel came to him and informed him that such and such Jew had enchanted him and has hidden a knoted rope in such and such well. He asked him to send somebody to get it. The Prophet sent someone to bring them back, untied them, and the spell was broken. The Prophet never mentioned it to that Jew nor showed him any anger.

Bukhari reported a Hadith from 'Aishah. She narrated that when the Prophet was bewitched under a magic spell, he thought that he came to his wives while he had not done so. Once he said to me. "I asked my Lord and He showed me. Two persons came and one sat near my head and the other near my legs. The man sitting near my head asked the other, 'What has happened to this man.' He said, 'He is under the a spell.' He asked, 'Who bewitched him?' He answered, 'Labid bin A'sim from the Bani Zuraiq tribe. They are allies of the Jews.' The man asked, 'What has charmed? The other answered, 'The comb and the hair.' He asked, 'Where are those things?' 'In the well of Dharwan, under a rock."' The Prophet sent 'Ali to the well and had the things dug out. I (Aishah) suggested that the magician should be punished. The Prophet a said, "Praise is for Allah. He healed me. Now I do not like to incite people for me."