Kind of Spells

Magic is proved by the Holy Qur’an and Hadith. But, the Holy Qur’an has strongly condemned both the magicians and the so-called witch doctors and all those babas (quacks) who claim to heal the disease with their unfounded methods. And needless to say, Hadith also prove this beyond any doubt.

Different Islamic scholars and witch doctors have identified different symptoms of magic and witchcraft. These symptoms bear striking resemblance to that of psychological diseases. This topic has been discussed at great length in the subsequent chapters, which are based on the symptoms and various psychological disorders and treatment available. These chapters also recount the experience of some patients, who were referred to me after trying witch doctors and are now leading a normal and healthy life.

Comparative study of black magic and psychotic diseases

My book ‘Mental Health’ presents a detailed study of psychological diseases. Here, I would like to discuss different types and effects of black magic. Most of the effects of black magic are similar to that of psychological diseases. Here is a detailed study.

Sahar-e-Tafreekh: The effects of this type of black magic, like a sudden change in loving relationship, rise in doubts and suspicions between wife and husband, rejecting each other’s reason, feeling or considering a little difference of opinion as a big issue etc, are also found in patients of psychological diseases called schizophrenia and depression. Spouses feeling each other’s face ugly and not liking each other’s work are the symptoms also found in patients of depression.

Sahar-e-Muhabbat: The symptoms of this black magic are excessive love for one’s wife, desire for frequent intercourse and feeling restlessness in the absence of one’s wife. These symptoms are also found in patients suffering from Hypomania.

Sahar-e-Taqleel: Small things look big and big things look small and moving things look static and vice versa for the people suffering from this type of magic. These symptoms are also found in patients of psychological diseases like macropsea, micropsea, epilepsy and temporal lobe, whereas for patients of disease called illusion, static things like robes looks like moving snakes.

Sahar-e-Junoon: The symptoms of this type of black magic include excessive talking, not stopping at one place, not to continue an important work and walking with holding head upward. These symptoms are also found in the patients of mania. Other symptoms of this magic like anxiety and not caring about appearance are found in the people suffering from depression.

Sahar-e-Khamool: Aloofness, selfishness, remaining complete silent, anxiety, constant headache, disliking for parties and fatigue are the symptoms of those persons affected by Sahar-e-Khamool. These symptoms are also found in the patients of schizophrenia and depression.

Sahar-e-Hawakhaf: The symptoms of Sahar-e-Hawakhaf are horrific dreams, feeling someone is calling in dreams, falling from a big mountain and seeing horrific animals following in dreams. These symptoms are also seen in the patients suffering from anxiety. The other symptoms like hearing voices 17 when nobody is around are found in patients of disease called hallucination. There are different types of hallucination. Symptoms of excessive doubts and suspicions about friends and relatives are found in the patients suffering from depression and paranoid schizophrenia. For details, refer to my book ‘Mental Health.’

Sahar-e-Amraaz: Constant pain in one or all parts of the body, bouts of fits, non-working of one of the five senses are the symptoms found in the people suffering from Sahar-e-Amraaz. All these symptoms are also found in patients of physical diseases.

Sahar-e- Isteqaza: This is also a physical disease. Seeing, hearing and sensing anything that is actually non-existent. Feeling something is touching when it is not so are all symptoms of psychosis patients. Generally, such symptoms are considered to be effects of black magic, but it is not so. For, such affects can be felt by consuming psychotropic drugs like ganja, charus, heroine, afheem, liquor etc. 

Patients of schizophrenia feel things that are actually non-existent. For example, hearing of voices and bells or feeling presence of person/persons in a room or under a bed, despite absence of anybody. Patients of this disease also feel presence of some idols; jinns and persons when they are not present and small things look big and big ones small, human beings look as Satan or feeling as if body is riddled with worms and insects. When we know the causes of such effects, then on what basis they are called black magic. 

Moreover, we cannot call them black magic on the basis of the evidence provided by the Qur’an and Hadith. Existence of Jinn is an established fact, but where they exist and whether somebody/animals are possessed by them, is a topic that requires deep research. There are references in the Qur’an and Hadith that confirm the existence of Jinn. But they do not mention anything about how they trouble human beings. Moreover, in 30 years of my medical experience, I have found that most of the patients do suffer from psychological disorders. 

However, the sad aspect of the whole story is that these people first seek treatment from the so-called witch doctors, who convince them of either being possessed by Jinn or suffering from effects of witchcraft. They prescribe different treatment methods to heal such patients and ‘taweez’ is one of them.