Q: What is the phenomenon of conjuration, which is belief in the possibility of conjuring the spirit of a dead person through a medium? What is the attitude of Islam toward this phenomenon? Is it a true phenomenon? Please support your answer with Ayahs, Hadiths or authentic narrations.

A: This phenomenon is the known practice of using a Jinni (creature created from fire) and conjuring it by means of invocations and charms practiced by a conjurer. It is a kind of charlatanry and witchcraft, which is Islamically forbidden because it often involves Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship), lying, pretension of knowing the Ghayb (the Unseen) and other evils. Allah (Exalted be He) says: ‘And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression. He (Glorified be He) also says: O you assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men," and their Auliyâ’ (friends and helpers) amongst men will say: "Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us." He will say: "The Fire be your dwelling-place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allâh may will. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing." And thus We do make the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) Auliyâ’ (supporters and helpers) of one another (in committing crimes), because of that which they used to earn. (Part No. 1; Page No. 645)  Al-Bukhari related in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When Allah decrees a matter in the heaven, the angels beat their wings in complete submission to His Words, making a sound like chains being dragged on a smooth rock; it (the order) includes them all: So much so that when fear is banished from their (angels’) hearts, they (angels) say: “What is it that your Lord has said?” They say: “The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” Then the stealthy listeners (devils) hear this, and these stealthy listeners are like this, one above the other (Sufyan - a sub-narrator - demonstrated with his hand, holding it vertically with the fingers outspread). A stealthy listener hears a word which he conveys to that which is below him and the second conveys it to that which is below him, and so on until it is cast on the tongue of a wizard or foreteller. Sometimes a burning flame may strike him before he can convey it, and sometimes he may convey it before the flame strikes him. Then he (the wizard or foreteller) adds to that word a hundred lies. The people then say, 'Did he (the wizard or foreteller) not tell that on such and such a day, such and such would happen?' Thus, he is believed because of that word which was overheard from the heaven. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.