When a family member returns from a trip and begins behaving in ways that are deeply unsettling — spitting on a mother, refusing to speak, sitting in isolation for months — the fear that grips a household is real and profound. Across Muslim communities worldwide, especially among Balkan Muslims in America and Europe, questions about black magic (sihr) and jinn possession arise more often than many imams care to acknowledge. Islam neither dismisses these realities nor surrenders to panic over them. The Quran and Sunnah give us clear, grounded guidance on recognizing these afflictions, understanding their causes, and — most importantly — knowing where true healing lies. This episode of The Deen Show, featuring Imam Shikim, a graduate of the prestigious Medina University, cuts through the confusion and cultural superstition that has long clouded this deeply spiritual topic.
Recognising the Signs: Jinn Possession Versus Black Magic
Islamic scholarship, including the guidance of Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid, outlines distinct signs that may indicate a person is suffering from jinn possession or the effects of black magic — while always cautioning that these symptoms can also have medical or psychological explanations that must first be ruled out. A person genuinely affected by jinn may show extreme repulsion when the Quran or the adhan is recited near them, may suffer seizure-like episodes particularly during Quranic recitation, and may experience persistent nightmares and a marked withdrawal from people. The jinn itself may even speak when Ruqyah is performed. Those struck by sihr (black magic) typically present differently: a sudden and irrational hatred of one’s spouse at home yet longing for them when apart, inability to be intimate in marriage, repeated miscarriages, a complete loss of appetite, and an inexplicable attachment or obsession toward a particular person. These are not causes for despair — they are signs that call the believer back to Allah with urgency and sincerity.
- Signs of jinn possession: Strong aversion to Quran or adhan; epileptic-like episodes during recitation; frequent nightmares; extreme social withdrawal; the jinn speaking through the afflicted person
- Signs of black magic: Sudden hatred of one’s spouse at home, love when away; inability to consummate marriage; frequent miscarriage; complete appetite loss; sudden irrational obedience or love toward a specific person; imagining things that did not happen
- Always consult a doctor first — these symptoms overlap significantly with psychological and neurological conditions; Islam encourages both spiritual and medical care
- Quranic treatment includes: Surah Al-Falaq (113), Surah An-Nas (114), Surah Al-Ikhlas (112), Ayat Al-Kursi (2:255), Surah Al-Fatihah, and the magic-related verses in Al-Baqarah (2:102), Al-A’raf (7:117–119), Yunus (10:79–82), and Taha (20:65–69)
- Practical remedies from the Sunnah: Seven Al-Barniy dates first thing in the morning; cupping (hijama); washing with water over which the above verses have been recited mixed with crushed lotus-tree leaves; and above all, sincere supplication and tawakkul upon Allah
“Putting one’s trust in Allah with sincere belief that He is the only cure for everything” is the first and foundational step. No talisman, no hoja, no imam with a long beard and a cryptic piece of folded paper can rival what Allah alone can do for the one who turns to Him with a broken and sincere heart. — Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid, Islam Q&A
The Dangerous World of False Healers: Talismans, Hojas, and the Exploitation of Fear
Imam Shikim’s experience serving the Albanian and Bosnian communities in Rockford exposes a painful pattern that resonates across the Muslim world: when people feel a void — when they have drifted from their Creator and lost the anchor of prayer — they become vulnerable. Charlatans masquerading as religious leaders fill that void not with Quran and taqwa, but with hamala (talismans), strange folded papers covered in numbers and shapes and symbols no one can explain, and demands for personal belongings used in rituals that have nothing to do with Islam. These so-called hojas take money, create dependency, and in the worst cases actively invite jinn into the lives of their clients rather than expelling them. Imam Shikim opened some of these talismans himself and found nothing that could be called Islamic — strange configurations, repeated symbols, mixed with fragments of Quran in ways designed to impress rather than to heal. The Imam is not the standard by which Islam is judged; the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is, and he never contradicted his speech with his actions. A leader who smokes, frequents cafes of ill repute, touches women who are not his mahram, and instructs the community in prohibited matters is not just failing himself — he is leading others astray and will face severe accountability on the Day of Judgment. The drunk man in the old Balkan folk story had it right when he told the hypocritical hoja: “When I sin, I only harm myself — but when you sin and lead others to it, you harm many.”
- Talismans (hamala) are forbidden in Islam — wearing amulets or objects for protection is a form of minor shirk unless they consist solely of Quran, and even then scholars differ
- A legitimate Islamic healer (raaqi) never: asks for personal belongings for rituals, touches a non-mahram woman inappropriately, meets clients in seclusion, or asks for payment before service
- Red flags of a fraudulent hoja: Claims to know hidden knowledge about you before you speak; asks for hair, clothing, or personal items; gives you something to wear, bury, or place under a pillow; charges large fees and asks you to return after a waiting period
- Magic can “mask” symptoms — temporary relief through black magic comes at a price: the introduction of more jinn into the afflicted person’s life, and the spiritual destruction of the one who sought it
- The correct path: Read Quran, make dua directly to Allah, pray the five daily prayers, and seek a scholar or qualified raaqi who follows the Sunnah strictly
Returning to the Source: Allah, the Quran, and the Five Daily Prayers
“Remove all middlemen. There should be no agencies, no intermediaries, no people, no saints, no angels, no prophets — nothing that a person places between them and Allah. If there is going to be any communication, let it come directly from your heart to Allah.” — Imam Shikim, The Deen Show
The truest protection against black magic, jinn interference, and spiritual emptiness is not a talisman worn around the neck — it is a living, daily connection with Allah through prayer, Quran, and sincere tawbah. The five daily prayers are not a cultural formality to be deferred until old age; they are the direct line between the servant and his Lord, a structure of remembrance that fortifies the heart and fills the void that makes people vulnerable to exploitation in the first place. The Quran has been translated into Bosnian and Albanian; the authentic literature of Islam is accessible today in ways previous generations could not have imagined. There is no excuse for ignorance, and no reason to surrender to fear when the cure has been given to us clearly. Whether your brother is sitting outside in silence, whether your marriage is crumbling under forces you cannot explain, or whether you simply feel that something is missing — the answer is the same: turn to Allah directly, supplicate using His beautiful names, begin praying even one prayer if five feels overwhelming, and seek the guidance of scholars who embody what they teach. We will all die, regardless of nationality or background, and what will matter in that moment is not whose talisman we wore but whether we put our foreheads to the ground in sincerity before it was too late.
