Occult in Islam

THE OCCULT IN ISLAM

Abd al-Masih
Introduction
Those who live among Muslims and have close contact with them will encounter situations where
the occult is prominent. Any servant of the Lord, who wishes to minister faithfully among
Muslims, has no choice but to understand the reality of the unseen powers with which he will be
confronted.

We acknowledge the existence of Satan and his limited authority, but our faith is in Jesus Christ.
We are united with Him in all He did and taught. We accept what the Scriptures say about his
confrontation with demons and spirits. He spoke to them and cast them out, exercising complete
power over them. We preach that Christ is the victor. He alone grants true freedom from every
bondage of the occult.

1. Occultism Everywhere

Anyone studying the occult in Islam should realize that we also find much occult activity in the
West. A recent edition of the German magazine, Stern (“Star”), stated that one third of the German
population considers witchcraft a reality. A professional witch made an appearance on German
television and described how she operated. She claimed that, through black magic, she was able to
kill people. It was incredible that no one from the recording team spoke out against her. This
represents a manifestation of demonology and the end of rationalism in these days. The majority
of people sense and acknowledge an unseen world and seek to make contact with it through many
forms of the occult.

During the time of Hitler, there were more separatists and fortunetellers in Berlin than the
combined total of pastors and priests in Protestant and Catholic churches. We cannot know the
entire extent of this evil traffic nor how much money was involved.

When we investigate the reasons behind the occult in the West or its powerful force in the Arab
world, we should remember what the late Professor Thielecke wrote: “If we show God the front
door (that is, want him out), then spirits will enter through the back door, for man cannot live in a
vacuum.” Man is not able to live without God or spirit; he must rely on something. If he feels
threatened, he will look for someone to help him. If he has no relationship with the living God, he
will turn to other powers. At this juncture, the occult in Islam begins.

The Islamic understanding of Allah does not give a Muslim peace and rest, because he stands
before an incomprehensible god who, as a dictator, does what he wills. He leads one person aright
and sends another to hell. He is not a personal God as in Christianity. A Muslim has no direct
relationship with Allah. He cannot say to him, “You are my Father.” Allah in Islam is not a
Redeemer or Savior. Therefore, man is forced to search for whatever other powers and assistance
he may find; thus, the occult enters into every aspect of Islam.
In Europe, the vacuum in man was created by reason and philosophy during the period of the
Enlightenment, which “emancipated” his thinking. In Islam, the void results from the Muslim’s
faith in an impersonal, unknowable Allah. This leaves him distanced from his god and continually
empty. When a man is unfulfilled, helpless and lost, he will cling to a straw – anything he can lay
hold of. Occult in Islam, therefore, fills the vacuum created by the concept of Allah who gives
neither personal assurance nor rest.

You can find visible manifestations of the occult in Islam everywhere – even on streets and in
names. Protection from “the evil eye” is sought after. On the back of trucks, one can see the
picture of an eye with an arrow drawn through it. This means that anyone envious of the truck will
not be able to cause an accident to happen to it; the eye of greed will be rendered powerless. Small
children often carry protection with them against the evil eye in the form of small blue pearls.
Women wear gems to divert the evil eye, so that its glance can do no harm. These items also serve
to frustrate the eyes of lust, distracting them. The Middle East is full of such elements, terms and
fetishes. You can even find them used among Christians. If you suggest that they rid themselves of
these practices, they will find it nearly impossible. They depend upon this and are not willing to
abandon it.

Many Easterners believe in the power of the evil eye and its effects on man. If you look at
someone from behind or beside, he may sense it quickly and turn to you abruptly, staring into your
eyes in a disturbed or shy way. People in the East are more sensitive than Westerners. Their souls
are more delicate, receptive and impressionable. The Westerner is bound by rationalism. The
Easterner is conscious of the looks of others and wants to protect himself from whatever influence
is around him. That is why signs of protection against the evil eye are found everywhere.

Another form of the occult is the mandil or reading in the cloth. This is one of many ways in
which secrets are revealed. In a school, a watch was once stolen and all the girls of that class had
to go home. The headmaster said that she would not allow the teachers to teach until the watch
was found. This went on for two days. On the third day, the parents came and said that they would
not agree to this punishment, because it put their daughters under suspicion of having stolen the
watch. They resented this, because they insisted that their daughters were innocent. An easy
solution to the problem was suggested through a visit to a soothsayer (one with knowledge of the
extrasensory world) who lived in the neighboring village. She would be able to reveal the
whereabouts of the watch, for she had recently disclosed the exact location of two stolen cows
which had been hidden fifteen kilometers away from the owner’s farm. The headmaster of the
school did not accept this method.

Fortunetelling in the Middle East is part of daily life. There was a case of a girl who vanished.
When a fortuneteller was consulted, all the details of the kidnapping were clearly exposed,
including the name of the abductor and the country to which the girl had been taken. The most
famous fortunetellers accept military generals, government officials and business people as
customers as well as ordinary citizens. All line-up in front of their doors and have to wait their
turn.
There is another form of fortunetelling and soothe-saying; namely, predictions as to whether one
should marry a particular person and whether the union will be a happy one. Many are involved in
these practices and are bound by them all their lives.

In Islamic countries, Qur’anic texts, prayers or curses are sometimes written on small papers, not
only for protecting a person but also to actively influence certain people in special situations. A
sheikh once said that he was writing verses from the Qur’an that would help a businessman have a
successful business trip. Also, a young man wanted to influence a girl to love him, so he asked
someone to hide pieces of written texts under her mattress. Merchants who want the businesses
and projects of their competitors to fail also practice similar customs.

One may find different forms of sorcery or white magic, the aim of which is only to influence
others, not to kill or harm them. Love and desire for money are the main motives in this kind of
magic. Also, signs, paintings or sculptures are used as a kind of protection on houses or in rooms.
The owners say these items are harmless, but if one suggests their removal, there will be a great
outcry or adamant refusal, for they are inwardly in bondage to the use of such items.

Educated people distinctively knock on wood and hope that they will be protected from spirits
who listen to their conversations. The flight of birds is also taken into consideration. If a black
bird swoops down upon a house, this is considered an omen of the imminent death of a family
member. If a bird flies away from a house, this may be a sign that someone will be leaving soon.
The reading of stars, likewise, influences the thoughts of many. In many hotels in India, you can
find an astrologer who will tell you what the stars predict for you.

In many Islamic countries, one can find whitewashed tombs of saints. Dozens of men and women
make pilgrimages to these tombs in order to find help. For example, a woman may rub her
abdomen against a tomb in hope of becoming pregnant. These actions show the sadness and
desperation in Muslims over Allah not providing them with real comfort or satisfactory answers to
the difficulties and problems in their lives.

During a special celebration in Indonesia, a French reporter was horrified when he saw people
swallowing iron nails and electric light bulbs. He was offered some to eat and was told that he
would neither be injured nor feel pain, for they would be dissolved within him; nothing would hurt
him. This reporter photographed these practices and wrote a long article in the newspaper, saying
he had to admit that there are things that belong to the extrasensory realm, which are increasingly
becoming part of society.

Black magic also exists in the world of Islam, through which people try to destroy others. One
day, a leader of black magic in Beirut became furious about the State of Israel and asked his
students to concentrate together on destroying that country. The next morning, one of his students
came to him shivering and asked: “What happened to you? I saw you last night in my dream tied
up with iron chains.” Another student said he had had a similar dream. The master confirmed that
what they said was true, for somebody appeared to him in a vision, telling him that he should have
nothing to do with Israel. They had tried to destroy Israel, but they reached a sphere of higher
authority where their power was useless.

We once drove our car along a road in Beirut. Suddenly, we came upon a crowd of people, which
we had difficulty passing. We soon learned that the situation involved one of our Lebanese
evangelists. We parked our car and pushed through the crowd, inquiring about the cause of the
uproar. We were told that the evangelist was accused of practicing magic on a Syrian student who
claimed the old man had given him a cursed cake, which robbed him of his sleep for three or four
nights. The student said he would kill the evangelist unless the curse was removed from him, so
that he could sleep again. We immediately mediated for our brother in the Lord and testified that
he never pronounced such a curse, nor had he been involved in magic in any way. They took our
word and released him. However, the Syrian student who had accused the evangelist was taken
into custody, because he persisted in wanting to kill him. When our brother was released, the
student cried out and bent the steel bars of the prison cell. He wanted to rip apart this active
evangelist and destroy his ministry, but the Lord protected him.

These illustrations do not fully explain the character of black magic, but it is known that some
leading Islamic centers use sorcery against successful servants of the Lord, who work among
Muslims. For this reason, we say to every believer: Do not go into missionary work among
Muslims unless you have committed yourself totally to the protection of the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. You have no protection otherwise. But the blood of Jesus can completely protect you,
and Satan will find no right or power into your life. It is marvelous that you can actually face and
go through such experiences with complete confidence and tranquillity. You can even sing with
Luther:

And though this world with devils filled

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim —

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure.

One little word shall fell him.

We need not fear any evil power because Jesus is Lord. His name means power. He is our
defender. However, anyone not relying on the protection of the blood of Jesus, even though he be
a Child of God, may be subject to much tension, temptation and sins, ranging from lying, sexual
immorality, pride and a host of other evils; he may be tempted into financial dishonesty too. This
may happen, not because he wants to commit these sins, but because he is simply deceived on the
basis of not surrendering entire control of his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some half-hearted
believers have been knocked to the ground and thrown about, not knowing what happened to
them. Others have had car accidents and other mishaps too. It is essential to make sure that Jesus
is ruling completely in our lives. Have you reached the point where you can say, “Nothing for me
but all for Jesus”? If you have, then you will experience the peace of the Lord in the midst of
turmoil. No one stands with one foot inside a lift and the other outside, for he would be torn to
pieces if he did. Therefore, we need to abide in Jesus and he will abide in us.

2. The Occult in the Qur’an

Muhammad’s Fear of the Occult

The main point of our subject centers on the question: Where do we find the occult, or traces of it,
in the Qur’an? We first should read Sura al-Falaq 113:1-5:

I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn,

From the mischief of things he created,

From the mischief of darkness when it comes,
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 many in war and asked his followers to help him get rid of his enemies.
Whoever kills others may dream that the spirits of the murdered follow him. Muhammad sensed
the influences of evil. He looked at many things created by God with fear because they looked evil
to him. Muhammad was afraid of the night and what dwelled in it. He was afraid of sorcerers and
women who tried to have influence on others by making knots and blowing on them. Muhammad
felt the power of evil spirits in one who had become envious. His fear is often found in the Qur’an
and climaxes in a deep fear 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 peace in him. He was a frightened man, torn in his heart, desperate and unhappy. In the
depth of his soul he was fearful of night, sorcerers and everything. 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,
Sura al-Nas 114:1-6:

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 has 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 even find satanic verses in the Qur’an (Sura al-Najm 53:19-22). Muhammad
acknowledged demons and spirits. He met with them and knew of their power. With such words,
the Qur’an ends! Not with a word of peace and comfort, but with a cry for refuge in Allah who
gives neither assurance nor help. He who fathoms this crisis will feel deepest sympathy for
deplorable Muhammad. He was thrown into despair and awful fear, for he was aware of the reality
of Satan and of his influences, which constantly pursued him. He experienced that man, while
seeking refuge in Allah, can be possessed by evil powers and held by them.

Muhammad Questioned by the People of Mecca

In the Qur’an, we find a unique record of the people of Mecca, before they believed in
Muhammad. They considered him to be a disturbed, insane man and called him madjnun (a
possessed one) who behaved very unnaturally when he received his revelations (Suras al-Saffat
37:35; al-Dukhan 44:13; al-Tur 52:29; al-Qalam 68:2; al-Takwir 81:22).

Some of his neighbors feared him and whispered that he was a sahir (magician), dealing with
witchcraft and influencing people to follow him by his fascinating lies (Suras Yunis 10:2; al-Hijr
15:16; Sad 38:3).

Others claimed that he was mashur (bewitched) and controlled by evil spirits and demons, acting
as their medium (Suras al-Isra’ 17:50; al-Furqan 25:9; al-Dukhan 44:13; al-Takwir 81:25).

Several considered him to be a kahin (fortuneteller or soothsayer) who received inspiration by the
jinn, revealing secrets to man (Suras al-Tur 52:29; al-Haqqa 69:42).

Finally, they called him sha’ir (a poet) who was guided by a certain jinn that inspired him with
enchanting words in enticing rhythms (Suras al-Saffat 37:35; al-Tur 52:30; al-Haqqa 69:43).

Ibn Hisham, one of the early biographers of Muhammad, confirms in his book that the people of
Mecca continually used these accusations before they surrendered to Islam, when forced to do so.

Muhammad, when asked by his followers about his meetings with the Angel Gabriel, answered
several times: “When he approaches me, I hear the sound of a ringing bell or banging metal. Then,
I step quickly down from my horse or camel and cover my head. He then presses so hard on me
that I think I will die. When he speaks, I can never forget his words which I reveal to you.” During
the revelations, his followers witnessed that his face became pale or red, his lips moved silently,
and he sometimes became unconscious.

In summing up these terms and reports, we can say objectively that Muhammad did not appear as
a normal man during the time of his revelations, but looked very disturbed and similar to one who
was possessed. Many feared him.

Some orientalists and professors think that Muhammad was an epileptic, but Muslims reject this
idea fiercely, claiming that Muhammad unmistakably received dictated inspirations by the Angel
Gabriel directly, over a period of 22 years.

Even though Muslims insist that Muhammad received revelations from God, we must state that
the voices that Muhammad claimed to have heard were not real inspiration. The Father of our
Lord Jesus would never have sent the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad in Mecca, 600 years after the
birth of Christ, to prove to him that He, God, has no Son. It is written in the Qur’an more than
twenty times that God has no Son. As long as Muslims claim that these verses are divinely
inspired, we must say No! These voices did not come from the true God, but originated from an
evil spirit who misused the Arabic name for God. As long as Muslims insist that Jesus was not
crucified and that he did not really die on the cross, we again must affirm that it was not God who
revealed these verses to Muhammad. This revelation originated from a satanic spirit who merely
claimed to be God!

We must stop thinking that Muslims and Christians believe in the same God. The difference
between the two religions is not only a matter of dissimilar names, but also a matter of totally
different, opposing spirits. The Spirit speaking in the Gospel is contrary to that in the Qur’an. The
spirit in Muhammad was an anti-Christian spirit; it is not the Spirit of Jesus. If anyone doubts this
reality, he need only open to Sura al-Tawba 9:30. There, it is written: “The Christians say: Christ
is the Son of God. That is only what they say, conforming to the unbelievers before them. May
Allah kill them! How they have turned away!”

The Satanic Verses in the Qur’an

When Muhammad and his community came under severe persecution, 83 of his followers who
had no protection emigrated to Ethiopia and took refuge within the Christian state. Muhammad,
under increasing boycotts and pressure, went through a time of weakness and accepted a
compromise by acknowledging the existence of three goddesses alongside Allah: Lat, Uzza, and
Manat. The account of this is in Sura al-Najm 53:19-22:

Now tell me about Al-Lat, Al-Uzza,

And Manat, the third one, another goddess.

What! For you the males and for him the females!
That indeed is an unfair division.

This indirect confession of polytheism, with the statement that Allah was involved with female
goddesses while Muhammad and his people were left with men, was cynically discussed by author
Salman Rushdie. He made the impure account even more obscene. Therefore, all Muslims
regarded his book as blasphemous.

When the inhabitants of Mecca heard the confession of Muhammad about the existence of the
ancient goddesses inside the Ka’ba, they immediately revoked their ban on him. Those who had
emigrated to Ethiopia started to return home after hearing about Muhammad’s confession and the
changes in Mecca. But when they arrived, they were shocked to hear that Muhammad regretted
his confession and considered it as his falling prey to the whispering of Satan. Thus, Islam
considers Sura al-Najm 53:19-22 as the satanic verses, rejected by Muhammad later on. Salman
Rushdie did not invent these verses, they have been in the Qur’an since its inception.

In Sura al-Hajj 22:52-53, Muhammad confessed his mistake, supposing that all prophets were
tempted by Satan who inspired them with his verses, as if they were revealed by God. But later on,
Allah abrogated these satanic verses with new revelations and judges his people according to
them. Allah in Islam permits such demonic inspiration to test weak Muslims or to cut off those
with hardened hearts.

The true, vital issue about the satanic verses in the Qur’an is: If Muhammad was once unable to
distinguish the voice of Satan from that of God, can there be other verses in the Qur’an which
Muhammad assumed were from God, but were really from Satan? Maybe the whole Qur’an is of
satanic origin, despite Muhammad’s conviction that it was Allah who revealed the suras to him by
the Angel Gabriel.

In Islam, the Angel Gabriel is regarded as the Holy Spirit. For Muslims, no Holy Spirit, as
described in the Gospel, exists. They believe that the Spirit of God was created like angels and
demons, with a beginning and an end. There is no God the Holy Spirit in Islam, and therefore no
guidance by the Spirit, no comfort, no everlasting life and no Spirit of Truth, because the Holy
Spirit is considered to be the Angel Gabriel only. The spirit in Islam, therefore, is not a divine one,
but a spirit of the flesh or a demonic spirit effecting deep devotion, regular worship, many prayers,
fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. But there is no Holy Spirit, no life, only death (Galatians 3:1-
5).

The god of Islam is a demon who appropriated for himself the name of Allah. This Allah, by
means of a deep religiosity and devotion, has bound more than a billion Muslims, barring them
from salvation in Christ. Indeed, he vaccinates them against understanding the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.

The Two Qur’anic Sermons of the Jinn

When Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija, and his uncle, Abu Talib, died in the same year,
Muhammad lost his protection and tried to find refuge in Taif, a village high above the hills of
Mecca, but he was rejected harshly by the inhabitants of this village. Muhammad was helpless and
in deep despair, so he escaped into the desert where Jinn (demons or spirits) met with him while
he was reciting the Qur’an. Many scientists view this Sura with a smile. Scholars have rejected it
as nonsense. Others have portrayed the jinn as good and helpful spirits. Let us examine the two
sermons of the jinn written in the Qur’an, which are claimed to have been revealed to Muhammad
by the Angel Gabriel (Sura al-Jinn 72:1-15):

Say: it has been revealed to me that a company of jinn listened

(To the recitation of the Qur’an).

They said, ‘We have indeed heard a wonderful Recital.

It gives guidance to rectitude.

We have believed in it: We will not associate anyone with our Lord.

Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son.

The fool among us uttered extravagant lies against Allah.

5 And we thought that men and jinn would never speak a lie against Allah.

Truly, there were some among mankind who contacted persons connected

With the jinn. They increased them in vileness.

And they thought as you thought, that Allah would never raise up anyone.

We tried to enter heaven; but we found it filled with terrible guards and shooting stars.

So we used to sit in (hidden) stations, to hear the secrets of heaven;

But anyone who listens now will find a shooting star thrown at him.

10 So we do not know whether evil is intended to those on earth,

Or whether their Lord intends rectitude for them.

Some of us are righteous, and some the contrary:

We follow divergent paths.

We thought that we would never be able to frustrate Allah throughout the earth,
Nor can we frustrate Him by flight.

When we listened to the Guidance, we believed in it;

And any who believes in his Lord shall fear neither triviality nor vileness.

Among us are some that have surrendered and some that have deviated.

Those who surrendered sought rectitude

But those who deviated have become firewood for hell.’

The second Sura dealing with the same event is Sura al-Ahqaf 46: 28-32:

Behold we turned towards you a company of jinn listening to the Qur’an.

When they stood in its presence, they said, ‘Listen, be silent!’

When the recitation was finished, they returned to their people to warn them.

They said: ‘Our people! We have heard a book sent down after Moses

Confirming what was before it: It guides to the truth and to a straight path.

O our people, answer to Allah’s summoner and believe in Him:

He will forgive you some of your sins and protect you from a painful chastisement.

If any does not listen to Allah’s summoner, he cannot frustrate Allah on earth.

He will have no protectors besides Him:

Such men are in manifest error.’

The Qur’an recognizes the fact that Muhammad had actual contact with the jinn. With the Gospel
as our plumb line, let us examine what these demons in the Qur’an say to Muhammad, as revealed
by Allah.

In Sura al-Jinn 72:1-3, we read, “We have indeed heard a wonderful Recital.” According to the
Qur’an, these spirits have the ability to listen to what has been said in public or secret and are able
to differentiate in peoples’ matters. They can declare whether a recital is good or bad. Here they
testify that the Qur’an is wonderful and that it guides men to rectitude, to the right way of life in
doctrine and ethical standards. They confess, “We have believed in it.” This means that some of
these spirits and demons understood the Qur’an, found it helpful, accepted it, and bound
themselves to it. They quickly confess the main point: “We will not associate anyone with our
Lord.” Some commentators say this means idols or pictures of idols. However, in the next
sentence, we recognize that this opinion is insufficient, for the sermon speaks directly against
Jesus: “He has taken neither a wife nor a son.” In the Qur’an, the word walad (son) is often used
in relation to Jesus Christ, and the demons testify that God has no Son. This, according to 1 John
4:2-4, is an indication of an antichrist spirit. The Bible answers clearly to the rejection of the
Fatherhood of God and the Sonship of Christ with condemnatory consequences.

Jesus stated that no one is good except God; therefore, jinn are not good, even though they call
themselves righteous. They are not merely goblins but anti-Christ spirits that work against the
Fatherhood of God and the Sonship of His Christ, testifying that God has no Son. They claim that
everyone who says God has a Son is a liar.

In verse four, we read, “The fool among us uttered extravagant lies against Allah.” Muslim
scholars indicate that the foolish one among the jinn is Satan personally. He is considered to have
invented the unforgivable lie of God having a Son. By this trick, Satan even accepts the title of al-
Safeeh (the foolish one) if he can jeopardize the Sonship of Christ, and vaccinate all Muslims
against it. According to the Qur’an, it was not God who revealed Jesus as His Son but rather Satan
who, in his foolishness, uttered the lie of the incarnation of Christ to mislead all Christians to hell.

The jinn reject the Sonship of Christ as a lie and a blasphemy. They try to create hatred against the
Son of God in all Muslims and seek to immunize them against his salvation, claiming: “We
thought that men and jinn (demons) never speak a lie against Allah.” But according to the Qur’an,
it is the lie of lies when Satan confesses Jesus as the Son of God. Consequently, the jinn called the
head of all liars (Satan) an impudent fool; he revealed the truth in the form of a lie, and thus his
words vaccinate all Muslims against the truth. This is utter perversion, and it confirms what Christ
said about Satan being a liar and the father of lies.

The jinn confess with astonishment that there are men who search for guidance, along with those
who are in contact with them. They wonder why people would make contact with demons, as was
the case with Muhammad himself. The demons shake their heads and say, “Would you believe that
some men could be so senseless as to seek contact with spirits, believing in the lie of Satan that
God has a Son?”

Then they come to the point: Those (misled people) thought that Allah would never raise up
anyone, (nor send anyone). This is a reference to Muhammad’s claim of having been sent by
Allah. In Sura al-Baqara 2:14, the spiritual leaders of the Jews are referred to as Satans. Also,
Khomeini called the Americans and Russians, greater or lesser devils. About the Jews it is written,
“When they meet those who believe, they say: ‘We believe;’ but when they go privily to their
Satans, they say: ‘We are with you; we were only mocking.’” This verse states that there were
Jews who resisted and opposed the Qur’an. Muhammad thought that demons and devils must have
influenced them; that was the reason why they could not believe that Allah had sent him. For
Muslims, all who reject Allah’s Qur’an and Muhammad have most likely been influenced by
demons and led astray.
After this, we find a surprising (and almost true) statement by the jinn: “We tried to enter into
heaven, but we found it filled with (protected by) stern guards and shooting stars.” They were
unable to storm the heavens. This is another instance in which the jinn are revealed as demons and
not as holy, superior angels. Demons have no admittance into heaven. They claim they tried to
enter heaven by force, but found it shut against them and defended by fierce guards. Thus, they
encountered the angels of God who drive unclean intruders away.

The Muslim spirits in the Qur’an continue: “So we (previously) used to sit in (hidden) stations to
hear the secrets of heaven. But anyone who listens now will find a shooting star thrown at him.”
These jinn tried to spy out what was going on between heaven and earth, but found impenetrable
opposition. Like Muhammad, they confess that they are not sure whether Allah had planned evil
for mankind or wanted to lead them in the right way – whether to heaven or hell. The jinn do not
know the will of God.

There is a noteworthy statement in verse 11 which speaks of some jinn claiming to be good:
“Some of us are righteous and some the contrary: We follow divergent paths.” This statement in
the Qur’an makes it clear that Satan has a divided house, where everyone fights the other. Some
think they alone are good and that all others are bad.

Verse 12 continues: “We thought that we would never be able to frustrate Allah throughout the
earth, nor can we frustrate him by flight.” They tried to escape from the holiness of God, but were
unable to do so. His authority reaches everywhere.

Verse 13 says: “When we listened to the Guidance, we believed in it. And any who believes in his
Lord shall fear neither triviality nor vileness.” They believed in the message of the Qur’an and
used the term vileness in their confession to show that they overcame the vileness of the Sonship
of Christ, which they rejected in verse five.

Then, in verse 14, they say: “Among us are some that have surrendered (to Allah and became
Muslims)....” This is an extraordinary confession, because some jinn in the Qur’an claim to be
Muslims, submitted to Allah. However, according to the Christian Scriptures, all that deny the Son
of God will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The verse continues: “...and some that have
deviated. Those who surrendered (to Allah as Muslims) sought rectitude.” They claim to have
found the true way. But, according to the Qur’an, the unjust who believe that God has a Son are
“firewood for hell.”

In Sura al-Ahqaf 46:29-32, we find an additional statement from the jinn as they plan to support
the spread of Islam. When they heard Muhammad’s recital of the Qur’an, they said, “Listen! Be
silent!” When they had finished listening to it, they accepted the Qur’an and suggested returning
to their people to warn them about the “truth” of Islam. By this Qur’anic statement, it is implied
that every jinn and demon has a particular area for which he is responsible.

Some of these jinn may have returned to Yathrib (Medina), whispering into the hearts of their
people, “We have heard a book (in Arabic) sent down after Moses, confirming what was before it:
It guides to the truth and to a straight path.”

They continued according to Muhammad’s preaching: “O our people, answer to Allah’s summoner
and believe in Him: He will forgive you some of your sins and protect you from a painful
chastisement (when you accept Islam).”

Verse 32 says: “If anyone does not listen to Allah’s summoner (Muhammad), he cannot frustrate
Allah on earth. He will have no protector besides Him. Such men are in manifest error.” The jinn
in the Qur’an warn everyone to believe in the message of Muhammad, and they deny the
mediation of Christ on the Day of Judgment for those who believe in him.

Shortly after Muhammad had met the jinn, a number of the pagans in Medina believed in Islam.
After two years, there were 73 men who had become Muslims there, without Muhammad ever
having visited the town. This may have come from the intervention of demonic spirits who
influenced their people to believe in the Qur’an. Basically, the Qur’an acknowledges that Islam
spread with the help of jinn and that not only people can be Muslims, but also jinn.

We must recognize that Muslims believe in the reality of spirits. Two sermons of the jinn are
revealed in the Qur’an, presented as an integral part of the revelation. The words of the demons fit
the words of the Islamic Allah; both agree in rejecting the Son of God and climax in denying the
divinity of Jesus. The jinn admit to being banned from heaven. Anyone who wants to understand
can recognize the significance of that fact. Muslim spirits are not allowed to enter heaven!

3. Black Magic in Islam

While Muhammad was ruling in Medina, a delegation of about 60 Christians from the Najran
Valley in North Yemen visited him. A bishop and his scholars wanted to know what kind of spirit
Muhammad had. They disputed with him in an investigative dialogue for two or three days in the
mosque at Medina. Muhammad tried to compromise with the Christians to a great extent in order
to win them for Islam, but ended up maintaining the principles of his faith. He accepted essential
facts from the life of Christ, yet rejected his divinity and crucifixion totally. One can read the basic
answers of Muhammad to the Christians in Sura Al Imran 3:33-64.

The delegation from Najran was not ready to compromise with Muhammad in the denial of the
Son of God nor in the Islamic rejection of his atoning death on the cross. Muhammad was upset
and said that Christians and Muslims should be exposed to the judgment of Allah immediately. We
read in Sura Al Imran 3:54:

Come now: Let us call our sons and your sons,

Our wives and your wives, ourselves and yourselves.

Then let us pray, and so lay Allah’s curse

upon the ones who lie!

Perhaps Muhammad remembered the judgment of Yahweh against Korah and his men, during the
days of Moses (Numbers 16:1-35): The earth opened up and swallowed the rebels. However, there
are some basic differences: We no longer live under the Law of the Old Covenant but are
confirmed in the Covenant of Grace by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Muhammad also altered the reason for the judgment of Yahweh against the fierce rebels in an
Islamic way, speaking against peaceful inquirers, “Let us pray and so lay the curse of Allah upon
the ones who lie!” This is a destructive prayer, provoking the curse of Allah. Muslims implement
prayers in the form of black magic to injure others, to damage, to kill, and to destroy enemies.
This is in complete contrast to the command of Jesus: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”
(Matthew 5:44).

The curse of Allah dissolves before all that live fully under the blood of Jesus. It is essential to
remember that Muhammad did not suggest the curse of Allah against the bishop and his men
alone, but aimed it at their sons and wives too! Islam tries to harm not only the evangelists, but
their families as well. It is important for everyone serving among Muslims to deliver all members
of their family fully to Jesus every day, in order to prevent their having accidents or falling away
from the faith.

The bishop and his delegation did not accept the suggestion of Muhammad, because Jesus taught
us not to tempt God (Matthew 4:7). But this challenge of Muslims against Christians, according to
the Qur’an, continues even today. Such a prayer duel was renewed in Berlin in 1989! Long letters
of curses and even threats of killing sometimes reach those who serve among Muslims. The
hateful spirit of Islam is contradictory to the Spirit of Jesus; yet, the love of Christ encompasses
even the Muslims in their bondage.

The different Spirit in Christianity is also evidenced in the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians
1:8-9: “Even if we or an angel from heaven (like the supposed Angel Gabriel in Islam) preach any
other gospel to you as we have preached to you, let him be accursed! . . . If anyone preaches any
other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed!” Paul did not curse
unbelievers or inquirers, nor did he hate opposing Jews or Gentiles. He wanted to save them all,
even when they cursed or stoned him. What Paul was fighting against was every evil spirit that
tried to bring the Church under the Law again or which sought to diminish the truth of grace by
faith. The spirit of Islam is a power which, by the revelation of the supposed Angel Gabriel, has
brought more than a billion Muslims under the Islamic law, after Christ atoned for every one of
them and opened the door of grace for all. These words from the Apostle Paul can be understood
as a curse on the spirit of Islam, not on the Muslims themselves, but on this evil spirit – to drive it
out completely!

4. The Occult in Islamic Worship

Islamic Practices of Worship
Islam means surrender or submission to Allah. Muslims think that they have yielded themselves to
the true God. Some of them serve him with all their heart, even fighting for the victory of Islam;
but they have submitted themselves to an evil spirit.

Submission is organized pragmatically, through obligatory worship into five complimentary

divisions that comprise the Five Pillars of Islam: the witness, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and
pilgrimage. These are main religious duties of Islamic Law. By this practice, the Muslim
surrenders to the spirit of Allah; his whole life is nothing other than submission to Allah.

1. In his witness (al-Shahada), the Muslim says,

“There is no God but Allah.

Muhammad is his ambassador.”

In this confession, a Muslim is stating with all his will, according to his knowledge: “Jesus Christ
is no God and the Holy Spirit is no God. Allah exists as the only god according to the revelation of
Muhammad.” This witness is the basic doctrine of Islam. Everyone who confesses this testimony
twice in front of witnesses is considered to be a Muslim. All who do not confess it are deemed as
condemned infidels. This witness cuts every Muslim off from Christ and binds him to Allah as his
slave. A Muslim is not allowed to leave Islam and must be killed if he backslides and remains in
that condition. Through this witness, the continual surrender in Islam begins.

2. During the five prayer-times (al-Salat), a Muslim surrenders himself to Allah anew. He
magnifies Allah as the Almighty (al-Kadeer) 102 times during his 17 prayer-rounds and submits to
Allah by fixed words and determined actions. Through this worship, his subconscious is geared
totally to Allah. He can no longer tolerate any other religion. When he prays, he kneels down and
prostrates himself to Allah 34 times a day, as if he were saying: “I fall before you like a slave. I am
at your disposal. You can do with me as you wish.” This daily prayer-order confirms the binding
of the Muslim to his Allah, which is deeper than we realize. For the normal Westerner with his
rationalism, this is virtually incomprehensible.

3. Accompanied by fasting (al-Sawm), prayer becomes more intense and concentrated. Muslims
fast during daylight hours (as long as the sun shines, according to Islamic law) during the month
of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar) in order to obey Allah in a non-rational
action, a deeper way of surrendering themselves to this spirit. Muslims often do not know for what
reason they fast. When you ask them why, they say that Allah wants it. It is an act of blind
obedience to Allah, confirmed by an empty stomach and a dry mouth for those living in hot
climates. Actually, Ramadan is meant to commemorate and welcome the coming of the Qur’an,
because the Qur’an is supposed to have been revealed in it. One of the feasts during the month of
Ramadan is consecrated to the night that is better than 1,000 months (Sura al-Qadr 97).
4. Muslims give their alms (al-Zakat) or religious tax as a material surrender to Allah. Words are
cheap but sacrifice costs. Few Christians are prepared to separate themselves from their money,
giving it away for the sake of Christ, because they depend on it. When one has really begun to
give sacrificially and not just a trifle, he can understand what this offering in Islam actually means.
It represents a total faith in Allah’s supplying needs and rewarding any sacrifice. A Muslim gives
about 5% of his total income for the sake of Allah, which amounts to billions of “petrol-dollars”
from the Islamic countries with oil reserves.

Almsgiving, fasting, prayer, pilgrimage and the witness are not ways of free-will worship, but are
obligatory, commanded by Islamic law. Every act of obedience has a justifying value, because
good deeds in Islam cancel out the bad (Sura Hud 11:115). Islam is a religion of self-justification
based on a businesslike approach. Even faith, surrender, memorizing the Qur’an by heart, and
circumcision are considered to be justifying acts (Sura al-Fatir 35:29-30).

Islam is a religion under the Law, not one of Grace. Justification by works is found in Islam to a
large extent. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having
become a curse for us (Galatians 3:10-14). While the Old Testament Law originated from Yahweh,
the true Lord, the al-Sharia (Islamic law) has no source in divine revelation. The Sharia binds
every Muslim to Allah in various pragmatic ways, and confirms him in his submission to this
spirit.

5. During their pilgrimage (al-Hajj) to Mecca, Arabic-speaking Muslims often express their
submission to Allah with the word labbeik, meaning: “I am available to you. I give myself to you
without reservation.” This is similar to a female slave who waits behind a curtain for the orders of
her mistress, willing to fulfill them.

The pilgrims circle the black stone so that any radiation or other influence from it will fill and
unite them. People who return from the hajj look different from how they looked before the
journey. You can see buses departing for Mecca, with the people joyful, excited and clapping their
hands. But when they return, their faces are serious like a stone mask. A believing brother who
lives in Mecca wrote, “We need your prayers especially during the hajj. We who live in Mecca feel
as if devils are walking through the streets at the time of the pilgrimage. One can almost see and
feel the presence of Satan.”

The Five Pillars of Islam are the actual forces uniting all Muslims together and binding them to
Allah in spirit. But since Allah is not the True God and the spirit is not the Holy Spirit, we must
recognize that the surrender of Muslims to Allah through their religious worship is the practical
way by which Allah holds them in occult bondage.

5. Freeing a Muslim from Occult Bondage

A Muslim once murdered his wife. She haunted him in his dreams and gave him no rest. He lived
in despair and was willing to do or believe anything simply to find peace. We did not need to talk
long about sin. He confessed: “I know that I am a sinner. I should be killed, but she does not
destroy me. Rather, she always torments and tortures me.” Here was someone searching for help,
and we shared with him the meaning of the blood of Christ. He took in the Gospel like a dry
sponge soaking up water. We said, “Why do you not surrender your life to the Lord Jesus and pray
to him?” He said, “I do not know how to pray. I have never prayed freely.” So we knelt down and
prayed. He repeated every word, confessed his sins, proclaimed faith in Jesus, and severed all
relations with the evil spirits. As we got off our knees, the following Islamic witness came from
the depth of his heart: “La Ilaha illa Allah. Muhammad Rasoul Allah, (There is no god but Allah.
Muhammad is his ambassador.)” The spirit within him had blotted out everything he had just
heard and accepted intellectually. He earnestly wanted to be saved, but was not able to free
himself from the spirit of Islam. He was forced to repeat the witness and confession of Islam,
which he had been uttering all his life. We understood then what it means to be possessed.

You can sometimes recognize when people are possessed. They are full of restlessness, being
driven about but finding no peace. They want to listen but cannot. They avoid the quiet. Some
were even thrown to the floor or to the ground when they heard messages from Khomeini. They
want to read Scripture but cannot really take it in. Like an already-filled bottle, nothing more goes
in. They are more interested in Satan than in Christ. There is no easy way for deliverance.

If someone realizes that he has had contact with spirits and is bound, or if he knows that he has
inherited such a burden from his parents, grandparents or ancestors, it is necessary for him to cut
himself off from these spiritual chains entirely through prayer and to seek deliverance from Islam
and its anti-Christian culture. He should completely entrust himself into the hands of the
Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is essential that at some point, in the presence of believing brethren, a
prayer of renouncing the past should be made by the one who wants to follow Jesus, so that a
complete release from those chains will take place.

Early and continual reading of the Word of God can bring the freedom that new converts need. If a
Muslim shows interest in the Gospel, one should guide him personally in studying the Word of
God and not occupy him with discussions about the Qur’an. Only the power of the Word of God
can make him free, as Jesus said: “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken
to you” (John 15:3). Early and consistent reading of the Word of God is a must, after the prayer of
release from the past has been made. The Muslim can become free and receive new life by the
power of the Holy Spirit, when the Word of God penetrates his subconscious and fills it.

Muslims do not think in the same way as Westerners. They often learn the Qur’an by heart and
seldom analyze what it means. Thus, the texts fill their subconscious and rise into their conscious
knowledge and awareness automatically. Their approach is more passive than active and more
emotional than rational. Many do not understand the Scriptures through reading or preaching.
Therefore, they should be assisted in learning key verses of the Bible by heart, which will build up
faith and spiritual life in them. These selected verses, memorized, will become the keys to
understanding the Scriptures and a source of enlightenment for their mind and heart.

There has to be a gradual yet final separation from the old spirit and culture, for the whole of
Islam is poisoned. A convert must not utter the old prayers any longer nor can he practice the old
habits. It is absolutely essential that he hand himself over to Jesus; otherwise he cannot be helped.
When the Apostle Paul said, “Jesus is my life,” he meant: “I have nothing else but Jesus. I
consider everything else dung. He is my only power and defense. I have ‘put on’ Jesus as a coat.
My ‘I’ is dying. It is not I, but Christ who lives in me. I am in Jesus and He is in me.” If this will
not become reality with a convert, he will be ripped apart by demonic tensions.

There was once a conference for young trainees in Operation Mobilization. They did not easily
accept the idea that Muslims live under a collective bondage, as was explained by an elder
missionary. Suddenly, an older lady, sitting in the corner, stood up and said: “Your instructor is
right. I was a faithful Muslim and made a personal decision for Christianity. This resulted in
severe persecution from my family. I was baptized and became an active member in my church
but could never say, ‘Jesus is the Son of God!’” I was not really free. Twelve years passed after
my decision. I prayed a lot for my complete deliverance and sanctification. Suddenly one night, I
saw a person full of light standing near me. In this light, I could see that my whole body was
bound with rusty chains. The person in the light touched me and the chains sprang off
immediately. Out of my mouth came the cry: ‘Jesus, you are the Son of God.’ An intellectual
acceptance of Christ does not necessarily result in the regeneration of the heart. A personal act by
the Savior, Jesus, is necessary for a Muslim to be freed from bondage.

This is true for many Muslims who live in the Islamic world. They have to separate themselves
from all binding forces and spiritual roots, and take refuge fully and completely in Christ. He
alone can truly set them free.

There are Christian missionaries and theologians today who teach that a convert should remain a
Muslim as long as possible. They prefer Muslim-Christians instead of lonely converts who fall
back, owing to persecution from their families and society. This wave of unbiblical
contextualization goes back to the idea that the god in Islam and the Father of Jesus Christ are the
same being, having only different names and attributes. How wrong they are! The spirit in Islam is
an anti-Christian spirit infecting and possessing all Muslims—some more than others. Only
prayer, fasting and faith can drive out this kind of spirit. It is irresponsible to encourage an inquirer
or convert to continue to pray in a mosque, to pronounce the Muslim creed again, or to take part in
the fasting of Ramadan. This all binds a Muslim again to the spirit of Allah, which is not the Spirit
of Jesus Christ.

There is a basic difference between Christians of Jewish background and those of Muslim
background: The God in the Old Testament is the Father of Jesus Christ, but Allah in Islam fights
against Jesus and hates the Son of God crucified. We should therefore not only discuss occultism
in Islam, but also come to the understanding that Islam, as a whole, is occultism. Surely, we have
to recognize that not every Muslim is possessed by an evil spirit that throws him to the ground.
However, the spirit of the Islamic culture is deeply rooted in the hearts of all Muslims, and it
drives them to unbiblical, destructive actions, more than they realize.

Islam is a collective possession in which every aspect of life is penetrated by a ruling and
controlling spirit. Even the reverential worship in Islam is actually a prostration to Satan. No
doubt, all Muslims think they worship the only true God, the creator and sustainer of mankind.
But in reality, they are slaves to a mighty demon who does not want to lose a single one of them.

Islam is considered a theocentric culture and a theocratic political system. But Allah is not the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; he is an evil spirit. Therefore, we must realize that Islam is one of
the strongest forms of occultism which has encompassed one sixth of mankind during the last 50
generations.

We, as followers of Jesus, should not be afraid of the occult power in Islam, nor should we be
frustrated by the limited results in our services among Muslims. Let us confess, with the fathers of
our faith, that the self-sacrifice of Christ on the cross has legally justified all Muslims too! They
only do not know it. Jesus does not have to die again specifically for Muslims. He has opened the
door of salvation for all. His blood has the power to redeem every Muslim completely. The blood
of Christ is the only way to save a Muslim from the bondage of Islam.

Let us remember that the Lamb of God remains the victorious Savior. Jesus is Lord! His Father is
putting all his enemies under his feet as a footstool. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan. He
overcame Islam too, when on the cross he cried with a loud voice: “It is finished!”

Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in heaven...Deliver us from the evil one.” We often pray these
words and do not think much about them. This prayer is also meant for the born-again children of
God, after they have been justified and sanctified by grace. They cannot save themselves from
Satan. He is older and vastly more clever than we. Having witnessed the actions of men down the
ages, he knows all our weaknesses and is full of trickery. We urgently need to use this prayer, so
that our enemy will not find might or power over us.

The Lord’s Prayer was not given to us in singular but plural form. This challenges us to pray for
the redemption of the Muslims, too. Every true believer has a priestly spirit and should intercede
for sinners as Jesus our High Priest mediates for us with His Father. We can fight with God and
cling to Him, crying: “I will not let you go until you deliver them from the evil one!”

6. Quiz

The Occult in Islam

Dear Reader, if you have studied this paper carefully, you can easily answer the following
questions. If you have answered at least eighteen of them correctly, we will enroll you in our
correspondence course. Please write your full name and address clearly on the paper as well as on
the envelope and send it to the address below.

1. Why does the Islamic understanding of Allah not gibe a Muslim peace and rest?

2. What can we sense about the inner condition of Muhammad from Suras al-Falaq 113:1-5 and
al-Nas 114:1-5, and how is this condition different from that of Christ, as revealed in John 14:27?
3. According to the Qur’an, how did Muhammad appear to the people of Mecca and to his
followers?

4. Why can it not be true that God would send the angel Gabriel to Muhammad, proving to him
that he has no Son that was crucified?

5. In Sura al-Hajj 22:52-53, Muhammad confesses his temptation concerning the satanic
whispering. What is the true, vital issue about the satanic verses in the Qur’an?

6. Because Islam considers the Holy Spirit to be the angel Gabriel, what does it lack, compared to
Christianity?

7. What insight do we gain from 1 John 4:2-4, concerning the son who is often rejected in the
Qur’an?

8. Why does Satan appear to accept the title, al-Safeeh (the foolish one), in Sura al-Jinn 72:4, and
how do his words affect Muslims?

9. What do Muslims consider as having happened to those who reject Allah’s Qur’an and
Muhammad?

10. What can we understand about Satan and his kingdom, according to al-Jinn 72:11?

11. What may be the deeper truth behind the conversion of the 73 men in Medina to Islam, which
is supported by the Qur’an itself?

12. Quote the verse in the Gospel according to Matthew (with its reference) that is in complete
contrast to the curse of Allah in Sura Al Imran 3:61?

13. According to Galatians 1:8-9, what must we understand about the supposed angel Gabriel that
revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad?

14. When a Muslim says: “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is his ambassador,” what is he
stating with all his will?

15. How do the Five Pillars of Islam influence a Muslim?

16. What do we learn about the value of religious deeds according to Suras Hud 11:115 and al-
Fatir 35:29-30, and how is the approach of Islam different from the grace of Christ in Christianity?

17. How should we help those who have contacted spirits or those who have inherited such a
burden from the ancestors?

18. How should a convert read the Bible, and what should he do in order to have the Word of God
fill his subconscious?

19. What do we learn about a merely intellectual acceptance of Christ from the elderly lady who
addressed the group from OM?

20. What are the unbridgeable differences between Allah and the God of the Bible?

21. What must our answer be to the wave of unbiblical contextualization that encourages Muslim
converts to continue in Islamic religious practices?

22. How does the end of the Lord’s Prayer challenge us regarding Islam?

23. What did you understand from the subject of the occult in Islam?