Was the prophet (s.) bewitched?

Husain Ibn Bastam reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) was asked: “Are the two supplications of seeking refuge (Al-Falaq & An-Nas) part of the Qur’an?” He said: “Yes, both of them belong to the Qur’an.” One said: “Neither do they belong to the Qur’an in the reading of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, nor are they in his manuscript (Mushaf).” He said: “Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was wrong.” Or he said: “Abdullah ibn Mas’ud lied, both of them are in the Qur’an.” One said: “So do I read both of them in the prescribed (prayer), O son of the Messenger of God?” He said: “Yes, are you also aware of the meaning of the two supplications of refuge and in what context they came down? The Jew Labid ibn A’sam bewitched the Messenger (s.).” Abu Basir asked Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.): “Almost or may it be that he was reached by his bewitchment?” He said: “Yes, the Messenger (s.) saw that he was performing intercourse while he was not performing the intercourse and he wanted to go to the door while his sight did not catch it until he felt it with the help of his hand and bewitchment really exists and the bewitchment has no power except over the eye and the private parts. Then Gabriel (a.) came to him and told him about the magic, whereupon he dispatched Ali (a.) to take it out of the well of Dharwan.” [Tibb-ul-A’immah of An-Naisaburi, page 114]

عن الحسين بن بستام عن أبي عبد الله الصادق عليه السلام انه سئل عن المعوذتين (الفلق والناس) اهما من القرآن فقال الصادق عليه السلام نعم هما من القرآن فقال الرجل انهما ليستا من القرآن في قراءة بن مسعود ولا في مصحفه فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام اخطأ ابن مسعود أو قال كذب ابن مسعود هما من القرآن قال الرجل فاقرأ بهما يا بن رسول الله في المكتوبة قال نعم وهل تدري ما معنى المعوذتين وفي أي شئ نزلتا ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله سحره لبيد بن اعصم اليهودي فقال أبو بصير لابي عبد الله عليه السلام وما كاد أو عسى ان يبلغ من سحره قال أبو عبد الله الصادق عليه السلام بلى كان النبي صلى الله عليه وآله يرى انه بجامع وليس بجامع وكان يريد الباب ولا يبصره حتى يلمسه بيده والسحر حق وما يسلط السحر إلا على العين والفرج فاتاه جبرئيل عليه السلام فاخبره بذلك فدعا عليا عليه السلام وبعثه ليستخرج ذلك من بئر ذروان

Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.) reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Gabriel (a.) came before the Prophet (s.) and said: “O Muhammad!” The Messenger (s.) said: “At your service, O Gabriel!” He said: “A Jewish person has bewitched you and placed the spell in the well of the sons of such and such. Send, then, to the well the person most trustworthy of men with you and most formidable in your eyes and equal to you, so that he may bring the spell to you.” He said: “The Prophet (s.) dispatched Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) and said: “Set out for the well of Dharwan, for there is a spell in it with which the Jew Labid Ibn A’sam has bewitched me, and bring it to me!” Ali (a.) said: “I set out at the request of the Messenger (s.) and descended when the water of the well had taken such a form from the spell as if it were pool water. I quickly searched for it until I reached the bottom of the well, but I did not come across it until my companions said: “There is nothing in it, so climb up!” I replied: “No, by God, neither he lied nor I lied, and my soul is not in it like your souls!” By which the Messenger (s.) is meant. I searched thoroughly and then actually took it out and stood before the Prophet (s.). He said: “Open it!” I opened it and there was indeed a piece of palm leaf in it, on which twenty-one knots were stretched.” Gabriel (a.) brought down the two supplications of the refuge (Al-Falaq & An-Nas) to the Prophet (s.) that day and he said: “O Ali, read them over the harness!” Every time the Commander of the Believers (a.) read it, he caused a knot to be untied until it was free from it and God revealed to His Prophet (s.) from what he was bewitched and gave him the cure.” [Tibb-ul-A’immah of An-Naisaburi, page 114]

محمد بن جعفر البرسي حدثنا احمد بن يحيى الارمني قال حدثنا محمد بن سيار قال حدثنا محمد بن الفضل بن عمر عن أبى عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: قال أمير المؤمنين صلوات الله عليه ان جبرئيل عليه السلام اتى النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وقال يا محمد قال لبيك يا جبرئيل قال ان فلانا اليهودي سحرك وجعل السحر في بئر بني فلان فابعث إليه يعني الى البئر أوثق الناس عندك وأعظمهم في عينك وهو عديل نفسك حتى يأتيك بالسحر قال: فبعث النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم علي بن أبى طالب عليه السلام وقال انطلق الى بئر ذروان فان فيها سحرا سحرني به لبيد بن اعصم اليهودي فأتني به قال علي عليه السلام فانطلقت في حاجة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فهبطت فأذا ماء البئر قد صار كانه ماء الحياض من السحر فطلبته مستعجلا حتى انتهيت الى اسفل القليب فلم اظفر به قال الذين معي ما فيه شئ فاصعد فقلت لا والله ما كذب وما كذبت وما نفسي به مثل انفسكم يعني رسول الله صلى الله عليع وآله ثم طلبت طلبا بلطف فاستخرجت حقا فاتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وآله فقال افتحه ففتحته فإذا في الحق قطعة كرب النخل في جوفه وتر عليها احدى وعشرون عقدة وكان جبرئيل عليه السلام انزل يومئذ المعوذتين (الفلق والناس) على النبي صلى الله عليه وآله فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله يا علي اقرأها على الوتر فجعل أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام كلما قراه انحلت عقدة حتى فرغ منها وكشف الله عز وجل عن نبيه ما سحر به وعافاه

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “The magician of the followers of Islam will be executed, but the magician of the followers of disbelief will not be executed.” It was asked: “O Messenger of God, why is it so?” He said: “Because the association (Shirk) and the magic (Sihr) accompany each other, and that which is in it of association outshines the magic.” Imam Ali (a.) said: “For this reason, the Messenger (s.) did not execute Labid Ibn A’sam – who was a Jew and bewitched him. If two righteous men testified about a man belonging to Islam that he used magic, then they executed him and magic is disbelief (kufr) and already God mentioned that and said: “They followed what the satans read about the kingdom of Solomon, but Solomon was not a disbeliever.” Until the passage: “Do not be an disbeliever!” (2:102) So the Exalted One reported that magic (Sihr) is disbelief and whoever used magic was a disbeliever, so they executed the magician that belonged to the followers of Islam because he went over to disbelief, while they did not kill the magician of the followers of association (Shirk) because he is still a disbeliever (Kafir) with regard to what the Messenger (s.) proclaimed.” [Mustadrak-ul-Wasa’il of An-Nuri, Volume 13 Page 107 Hadith 6]

عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال: ساحر المسلمين يقتل وساحر الكفار لا يقتل قيل: يا رسول الله ولم ذاك؟ قال: لان الشرك والسحر مقرونان والذي فيه من الشرك أعظم من السحر قال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: ولذلك لم يقتل رسول الله ابن أعصم اليهودي الذي سحره قال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: فإذا شهد رجلان عدلان على رجل من المسلمين انه سحر قتل والسحر كفر وقد ذكر الله عز وجل ذلك فقال: واتبعوا ما تتلوا الشياطين على ملك سليمان وما كفر سليمان إلى قوله فلا تكفر فأخبر جل ذكره ان السحر كفر فمن سحر فقد كفر فقتل ساحر المسلمين لأنه كفر وساحر المشركين لا يقتل لأنه كافر بعد بما جاء عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله

Al-Husain (a.) reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Labid Ibn A’sam and the Jewess Umm Abdillah bewitched the Messenger (s.) in knots of red and yellow threads and tied twenty-one knots in them. Then they put them in a palm leaf tip and placed it in a well in the city of Medina. Thereupon the Prophet (s.) stood up, neither hearing nor seeing, neither perceiving nor speaking, and neither eating nor drinking. Therefore, Gabriel (a.) came down with the two supplications of refuge (Al-Falaq & An-Nas) and said: “O Muhammad, what is your request?” He said: “I do not know, I am in the state in which you see me.” Gabriel (a.) said: “Labid ibn A’sam and the Jewess Umm Abdillah have bewitched you.” He told him where the spell was and then read to him: “In the name of the Gracious and Merciful God.” Say: “I seek refuge in the Lord of the early light.” (113:1) Thereupon, one knot was untied. Then he read another until he had read twenty-one times and twenty-one knots were loosened. The Messenger (s.) took his seat and Gabriel (a.) reported to him, whereupon he said: “Break open and bring me the spell!” He came with it and then called Labid and Umm Abdillah and asked: “What has caused you to do what you have done?” Then he said to Labid: “May God not release you from this world unharmed!” Whereby he was a wealthy person and rich in possessions. At this, a young lad passed by him wearing an earring that he liked. He pricked the boy’s ear, whereupon they seized him and cut his hand in such a way that he got an inflammation from it and died as a result.” [Mustadrak-ul-Wasa’il of An-Nuri, Volume 13 page 107 – 108 Hadith 7]

روينا عن جعفر بن محمد عن أبيه عن آبائه عن علي صلوات الله عليهم أنه قال: سحر لبيد بن أعصم وأم عبد الله اليهودية، رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في عقد خيوط من احمر واصفر، فعقدا فيه احدى عشرة عقدة، ثم جعلاه في جف طلع ثم أدخلاه في بئر فجعلاه في مراقي البئر بالمدينة فأقام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لا يسمع ولا يبصر ولا يتفهم ولا يتكلم ولا يأكل ولا يشرب فنزل جبرئيل بمعوذات (الفلق والناس) ثم قال: يا محمد ما شأنك؟ قال: لا أدري انا بالحال التي تراني، قال: إن لبيد بن أعصم وأم عبد الله اليهودية سحراك، وأخبره بالسحر حيث هو، ثم قرأ عليه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم قل أعوذ برب الفلق فانحلت عقدة، ثم قرأ أخرى حتى قرأ احدى عشرة مرة، فانحلت الإحدى عشرة عقدة، وجلس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأخبره جبرئيل الخبر فقال: انطلق وائتني بالسحر فجاء به ثم دعا بلبيد وأم عبد الله، فقال: ما دعاكما إلى ما صنعتماه؟ ثم قال للبيد: لا أخرجك الله من الدنيا سالما وكان موسرا كثير المال فمر به غلام في اذنه قرط فجذبه فخرم اذن الصبي فاخذ فقطعت يده فكوي منها فمات