Sihr
The Arabic word for magic, which Islamic law generally treats as sorcery and forbids.
Also: sehr, sorcery in islam, black magic
Sihr appears in the Quran, notably in the account of Harut and Marut in the second surah, and in the hadith literature, where it is condemned. Most classical jurists held that learning and practising sihr was forbidden, and some prescribed severe penalties. The sources also describe sihr as something that can harm: tying a husband to a wife, causing sickness, setting people against each other. Muslims who fear it seek protection with Quranic recitation, called ruqyah, and many believe a sihr must be undone by a religious healer. Modern states differ: Saudi Arabia has prosecuted people for sorcery, while others treat it as fraud. Historians also note a learned tradition of Arabic occult works on talismans and letters.