Sometimes sorcery involves the aid off the evil Jinn which is invoked by some kind of devotion or offering to them with something hateful to Allah Most High. When the sorcerer invokes them with some form of shirk, kufr, disobedience or involvement in najaasa (unclean things), this acts as a "bribe" to the evil Jinn who then does some of the bidding of the sorcerer. This is always a losing proposition for the sorcerer in the long run, as Allah mentioned in the Qur'an:
{And that there were some men among humans who used to seek refuge with men among the Jinn and they increased their burden.} Al-Jinn: 9
Other sorcery is in the category of worship of the stars and the planets. This may involve fortune-telling by them (astrology), seeking shelter in them or asking one's needs of them.
Generally, the reality of sorcery (As-Sihr) is directing oneself to other than Allah in acts of seeking aid, humbling oneself, making offerings to and obeying. It is either worship of the Jinn or worship of other objects such as stars and planets. All of this is shirk against Allah and disbelief.
Sometimes the word "sorcery" (As-Sihr) is used to mean trickery and sleight of hand or the use of potions or ointments ("snake oil") to trick people. None of this falls under disbelief but is in the category of corruption and bad deeds to the extent of the forgery and deception involved.
Sometimes, the word "sihr" is used to mean power of expression and eloquence in language. The Prophet (sas) said that "In some eloquence there is sihr." This goes back to the basic meaning of the word in the Arabic language: "that whose cause is subtle or invisible". If this power of eloquence is used to promote the truth and implement justice, then it is endorsed by the Shari'a and is a good deed. If on the other hand it is used to confuse people to misrepresent the truth and to oppose justice or promote injustice then it is a bad deed condemned by the Shari'a and could reach the level of kufr.
An-Nushra (Removal of the effects of sorcery)
An-nushra is types of medication or incantations for the purpose of removing the effects of sorcery from its victim. It is of two types:
Using Islamic du'a, Qur'anic verses and seeking refuge in Allah as well as halal types of medication. This lawful without any difference of opinion about that.
Using sorcery to combat the effects of sorcery. About this, there has been some difference of opinion going all the way back to the Companions of the Prophet (sas)..
Some viewed it as lawful, among them Said ibn Al-Musayyib, As-Shu'by and others. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Qatadah reports: I said to Ibn Al-Musayyib: A man has been afflicted by sorcery, is it allowed for him to use an-nushra? He said: "There is nothing wrong with that. They intend with it to do good. That which is beneficial has not been prohibited." And Ash-Shu'by said: "There is nothing wrong with an-nushra."
Others saw it as prohibited, among them Ibn Masood, Jabir, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Taimia and Ibn Al-Qayyim. Jabir reports that the Prophet (sas) said when asked about an-nushra: "It is among the works of satan." reported by Ahmad with a good chain. In another hadith, the Prophet (sas) said: "He is not one of us who reads omens or has them read for him, tells fortunes or has them told for him or performs sorcery or has it performed for him." reported by At-Tabarani with a good chain.
Ibn Al-Qayyim differentiated between an-nushra when performed with verses of Qur'an, seeking refuge with Allah and lawful dhikr and an-nushra when performed with forms of sorcery, use of unlawful or unclean things and words which contain types of shirk and kufr. All of those narrations indicating the forbidden nature of an-nushra should be applied to this second type and all those narrations indicating that it is lawful should be applied to the first type and thus there is no contradication between any of these narrations.
Astrology
At-Tanjeem means citing the conditions of the heavenly bodies as evidence of events on the earth. It is of two type: lawful and unlawful.
The lawful type means studying the movements of the stars and planets in order to predict earthly events which can be found to be related to them by observation such as the tides and lunar and solar eclipses. Allah said:
{He is the one who made the sun shine and the moon a light and set its stages that you may know the number of years and mathematics.} Yunus: 5
As for the haraam, it includes two types:
Using the stars to claim to predict future events.
Belief that the stars affect human and worldly events and the the course of these events is determined by the stars.
Qatadah said: "Allah has only created the stars for three purposes: as a beautification of the sky, to use in navigation and for stoning the devils. Whoever involves himself in other than that has spoken from opinion and is mistaken. He has forfeited his share and placed himself in that of which he has no knowledge."
Amulets and Incantations
Incantations (for cure or repelling harm) include that which is lawful and that which is unlawful. The lawful is that which uses verses of Qur'an, the names and attributes of Allah Most High or other dhikr or du'a from the Sunnah of the Prophet (sas).
As for the unlawful, it is that which involves invoking the aid of other than Allah. The Prophet (sas) was asked about incantations and he said: "There is nothing wrong with these incantations as long as they are not shirk." Muslim And, in another hadith, he (sas) said: "Whoever among you can benefit his brother, let him do so." Since we must be sure that any incantations we use must be free of shirk, therefore if the meaning is unknown, it is not lawful.
Amulets are objects which are hung around the neck or on other parts of the body frequently of young children but also on adults to "protect" from various forms of harm such as the evil eye, envy, sorcery, etc. The Prophet (sas) forbid this and called in shirk because nothing can repel harm except Allah Most High. It is amazing for people to seek protection in stones, bones and the like instead of seeking it from Allah Most High.
Once a group came to the Prophet (sas) and he accepted the oath from nine of them but not from the tenth. The said: "O Allah's Messenger you accepted the oath from nine but rejected this one? He (sas) said: "He is wearing an amulet." So, the man put his hand in and cut it and then gave the oath to the Prophet (sas). Then, the Prophet (sas) said: "Whoever hangs the amulet and committed shirk." Al-Hakim and Ahmad with trustworthy narrators.
What if the amulet contains only verses of Qur'an and Allah's names and attributes?
Some saw this as lawful among them Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas and it seems to be the meaning of something narrated from Aisha.
Among those who saw it as unlawful are Ibn Masood, Ibn Abbas, Hudhaifa and a large number of the tabi'een (the generation after the Companions).
Clearly, most of the great ones of the first generations viewed this an unlawful. Also, the intelligent thing is that this practice should not be followed because at the very least, it is a dharee'a (gateway or "slippery slope") which distracts the heart from remembrance of Allah and even if we were to say that under certain circumstances it is not actually shirk, it is certainly something which could only lead to shirk in the long run. Also, the narration from Abullah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas - the only one among the Companions who allowed it - is weak in terms of its chain. Furthermore, since this is clearly in the category of worship, if it is not specifically found and/or endorsed in the sunnah of the Prophet (sas) then it is new. Remember that "new" plus "worshp" always equals bid'a (innovation) and all innovation (with this definition) is forbidden in Islam.
Another form of shirk against Allah is to swear by other than Allah. The Prophet (sas) said "Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk." Al-Haakim and At-Tirmidhi and he rated it hassan
And, in another hadith: "Allah Most High has forbidden you to swear by yuor fathers. Whoever swears by something, let him swear by Allah or keep quiet."
Ibn Umar once heard a man say: "No, by the Ka'aba." He said to him: "Do not swear by other than Allah, for I heard Allah's Messenger say: "Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed kufr or has committed shirk." Abu Daud and it is sahih.