Soundness of the Hadeeth, “Learn witchcraft (sihr).”

This hadeeth is
false and has no basis. It is not permissible to learn witchcraft or to use
it. It is an evil action and is kufr (disbelief) and misguidance. Allah
clearly stated that witchcraft is forbidden in His Book, where He says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“They followed
what the shayateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime
of Sulayman. Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the shayateen (devils)
disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to
the two angels, Haroot and Maroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught
anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve
not (by learning this magic from us).’ And from these (angels) people learn
that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they
could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. And they learn that
which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers
of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was
that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew.

And if they had
believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far
better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!”
[2:102-103] 

In these verses,
Allah clearly states that witchcraft is kufr and that it is from the
teachings of the devils. Allah has condemned them for it, and they are our
enemies. And He has stated that teaching witchcraft is kufr and that it is
harmful and not beneficial, so we must beware of it. 

Learning
witchcraft is all kufr, hence He stated that the two angels did not teach it
to people until they had told them (what means), “We are for trial, so
disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).”  Then He says (what
means), “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave” so it
is known that it is kufr and misguidance, and that the practitioners of
witchcraft cannot harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. What is meant is His
universal qadari will (i.e., things that He decrees should happen even
though He may dislike them), not His religious shar’i will (i.e., that which
He prescribes and which pleases Him) – because Allah has not prescribed this
and has not given permission for it in His sharee’ah; rather He has
forbidden it and stated that it is kufr and is from the teachings of the
devils. And He has stated that whoever buys it – i.e., learns it – will have
no share in the Hereafter. This is a serious warning. Then Allah says (what
means): “And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if
they but knew” – what is meant is that they have sold themselves to the
devils for this witchcraft. Then Allah says (what means), “And if they had
believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far
better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!” – this
indicates that learning witchcraft and using it is the opposite of faith and
piety. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.