Library Ethics Greater Sins Chapter 33 The Thirty-First Greater Sin: Sorcery Sorcery is punishable by death
Sorcery is punishable by death
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Sorcery is punishable by death
A Muslim who indulges in magic and does not repent is punished by death. An infidel guilty of sorcery must not be killed. He should be punished according to the decree of a just jurist (Qazi) and his penalty is at the discretion of the Qazi.
According to a tradition of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.):
“The sorcerer must be given a single blow of the sword on his head.”
(al-KÄfi)
“If two just witnesses testify, it is permissible to kill him.”
(Tahzīb)
Imam (a.s.) also said, that the Holy Prophet (S) ordered,
“The Muslim sorcerer must be killed and the infidel magician must not be killed.”
Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why shouldn’t the disbelieving sorcerer be killed too?”
The Messenger of Allah (S) replied,
“Because disbelief is a more serious sin than magic; and sorcery and polytheism are the same.”
It means that when a zimmi infidel is not sentenced to death for his infidelity he cannot be killed for the sin of practising magic because infidelity is greater than sorcery. Whereas the Muslim magician is killed because he has committed polytheism.
