Ruling on Hypnotism Fatwa No: 82563
- Fatwa Date:4-2-2001
I am forwarding to you a question about Hypnotism. Please let me know if this is Halal or Haram?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
If we understand what hypnotism is, it is performed by a person who owns affective emotions which stem their power from another force whose owner is the real master of the acts of the sick person or the person being hypnotized. This other force is from the Jinn World. The evidence for this is the fact that, in some hypnotic operations, the person gives information about matters of which he had no previous knowledge, or had not previously seen, like informing about a thief or about something that was stolen,….etc.
The source of the person's speech and the information given is the Jinn speaking through the hypnotized person.
No doubt, this is forbidden because Allah Says (what means): {And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden.} [Quran 72: 6]
Allah also Says (what means): {And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day when He will gather them together [and say], “O company of jinn, you have [misled] many of mankind.” And their allies among mankind will say, “Our Lord, some of us made use of others, and we have [now] reached our term, which you appointed for us.” He will say, “The Fire is your residence, wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allah wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing.”}[Quran 6: 128]
Hypnotism is a kind of making profit from each other even if those who carry it out claim that it is a science that has its fundamentals. Magic is a science that has its principles, but it is forbidden by the Sharee’ah.
Hypnotism originated from India. The Hindus are eminent in this field. They have been doing it for 2000 years and its records are found in the Hindu holy books.
Allah knows best.