The Occult in the Qur'an

Muhammad’s Fear of the Occult

The main point of our subject centers on the question: Do we find the Occult or traces of it in the Qur'an? In Sura al-Falaq 113:1-5, we read,

I seek refuge with
The Lord of the dawn,
From the mischief
Of things he created,
From the mischief
Of those who practice magic
[ Blow on knots ]
And from the mischief
Of the envious one
As he practices envy

In these verses, we find Muhammad anxious and afraid. He lived in constant fear, because he had caused the death of so many innocent victims in war and had asked his followers to help him get rid anyone who he thought was his enemies.

Whoever kills another person may dream that the spirits of the murdered victim follow him. Muhammad felt the influences of evil. He looked at many things created by God with fear because they looked evil to him. Muhammad was fearful.

Muhammad was afraid of the night and what dwelled in it. He was afraid of sorcerers and women who tried to influence others by making knots and blowing on them. Muhammad felt the power of evil spirits as one who had become envious. His fear is often found in the Qur'an and climaxes in deep terror of Allah.

How different from Muhammad is our Lord Jesus who said "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" ( John 14:27). Muhammad had no personal peace. He was an affrighted man, torn in his heart, desperate and unhappy. In the depth of his soul he was fearful of the night and sorcerers. He was especially afraid of envy. From every side, he saw himself under attack. We notice this in the last Sura of the Qur'an, an-Nas 114:1-5.

Say: I seek refuge with the Lord
And Cherisher of mankind
The king (or ruler) of mankind,
The God of mankind,
From the mischief of the Whisperer (Satan)
Who withdraws (after he was whispered)
Who whispers into the hearts of mankind,
And from the jinn and men.

In these verses we find three sources of fear: man, Satan, and demons. Muhammad distinguished all three of them and searched for refuge in Allah who had created them. He sought refuge from Satan who whispered into his innermost being. Muhammad heard voices and was not sure which was from God and which was not. He could not always distinguish the voice of God from that of Satan. Therefore, we find satanic verses even in Qur'an (Sura an-Najm 53:20-23).

Muhammad acknowledged demons and spirits. He met with them and knew of their power with such words as the Qur'an furnishes! Here it ends not with a word of peace and comfort, but with cry of refuge in Allah, who gives neither assurance nor help. He who fathoms this crisis will feel deepest sympathy for deplorable and beseeching Muhammad.

He was thrown into deep despair and awful fear for he was aware of the reality of Satan and of his influences which constantly oppressed him. He experienced that man, while seeking refuge in Allah can be possessed by evil powers and held by them.

Last edited 06/30/2001
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