In my very first I’tekaaf session a few years ago now, one of the brothers there mentioned the concept of “white magic”. It’s a weird concept, and I was not sure that it fit in with Shia Aqeedah, but when explained, it made a lot more sense. Basically, it was defined as in contrast to black magic, as being a way of the human beings and souls to control the metaphysical/paranormal through means that are Islamically, valid, accepted, and can be found in the books of Hadith. Aims that white magic can be used for include “destroying your enemies” and “love potions/making people fall in love with you”.
I really did not like the idea, especially the concept that we as sentient, conscious beings can control the thoughts and emotions of other people through supernatural means. What then followed was a series of cascading hypothetic scenarios and thought experiments that changed my view to some extent, and did not for the rest.
Is it possible that white magic exists?
Defined as above, yes. We know from Quran (2:102) that black magic does exist, and so it is *possible* that the same can be true for white magic. An-officially-endorsed-by-the-AhlulBayt (as) form of magic is harder for me to get my head round, but I concede that it *might* exist. I have reservations because it doesn’t mesh consistently with what we know of them. They have left us the keys to the universe in the form of prayers and supplications, and I don’t really think that alongside that, they would tell a select few companions that “magic” was acceptable and furthermore then reveal that certain rituals would achieve certain desired effects. On the other hand, they did have true knowledge of the unseen, and so if anyone were to know about the existence of such things, it would be them.
Is it possible that love potions exist?
It seems like stuff from a fairy-tale, and I have actually used this as source material for one of my fictions. I still find it hard to believe that drinking or eating something will make a person lose their senses and logic and irrevocably fall in love with someone else. On the flip side, we know that certain foods and drinks affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, so again this is something again that I concede may be possible, but the existence of such is still problematic to me.
If a love potion existed, would you use it?
I had to think, only for a fraction of a second, and then I said no, firmly. I may be called old-school or romantic or whatever, but, I do not want a girl to fall in love with me except by fair means. No underhand manipulation of any kind, no deception, no stagecraft, no building up of a sense of mystique to then segue into a careful, orchestrated reveal. (I have learned the hard way, that it’s simpler and also better). No winning of a female’s heart except by fair means. And a love potion (if it works), is decidedly unfair.
Much ado about nothing, then, as I proved to myself and to the others around me that, practically, the existence of such things are moot anyway, because I would never use them even if they did exist.
Epilogue
A few weeks later myself and the brother met up after I’tekaaf, and we had a third brother join us. I brought up the same topic again, saying that I still had reservations in believing that they existed, that they worked, and that their use was sanctioned Islamically. The third brother then piped in and said that they definitely worked. He knew because he had used them himself as a gullible teenager. However, they came with a cautionary tale. He used it on a girl who was extremely pretty, and it turned out she developed some affection for him that was unhealthy, which caused him some problems to extricate himself from, not without some scars. Listening to that brought a smile to my face, and I reinforced to me that my overall thought process is right.
Moral 1: Be careful what you wish for.
Moral 2: When it comes to matters of the heart, don’t mess about.
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I did not listen to how such potions (if they exist and do work) are made, so please don’t ask me. I do not know, and do not want to know. The unseen belongs with other people; I have enough trouble with the "seen", so to speak.
6 years ago
