When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the 'Nushrah' (counteracting magic by magic), he said: It is an act of the devil

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the ruling on treating the bewitched person in the way that was commonly practiced in the pre-Islamic era, such as counteracting magic with magic. He replied by saying that it was an act of the devil or carried out by the devil. This is because such a way of treatment involves magic and satanic methods, and is thus prohibited and tantamount to disbelief. However, there is a permissible type of Nushrah, which involves neutralizing magic by using Ruqyah, finding the magic spell and breaking it by hand along with reciting the Qur'an, or by taking lawful medications.

Lessons

• The legitimacy of asking the scholars about unambiguous rulings so as to avoid falling into what is prohibited.
• It is prohibited to perform Nushrah (charm for one who is possessed) in the way it was done in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period), for it is sorcery, which is a form of disbelief.
• The works of Satan are all prohibited.