Soundness of the Hadeeth, “Learn witchcraft (sihr).”
Question

                How sound is the hadeeth which I heard, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Learn witchcraft (sihr), but do not use it.”?
Praise be to Allah.
    This hadeeth is 
    false and has no basis. It is not permissible to learn witchcraft or to use 
    it. It is an evil action and is kufr (disbelief) and misguidance. Allah 
    clearly stated that witchcraft is forbidden in His Book, where He says 
    (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “They followed 
    what the shayateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime 
    of Sulayman. Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the shayateen (devils) 
    disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to 
    the two angels, Haroot and Maroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught 
    anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve 
    not (by learning this magic from us).’ And from these (angels) people learn 
    that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they 
    could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. And they learn that 
    which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers 
    of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was 
    that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew.

    And if they had 
    believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far 
    better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!” 
    [2:102-103] 

    In these verses, 
    Allah clearly states that witchcraft is kufr and that it is from the 
    teachings of the devils. Allah has condemned them for it, and they are our 
    enemies. And He has stated that teaching witchcraft is kufr and that it is 
    harmful and not beneficial, so we must beware of it. 

    Learning 
    witchcraft is all kufr, hence He stated that the two angels did not teach it 
    to people until they had told them (what means), “We are for trial, so 
    disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).”  Then He says (what 
    means), “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave” so it 
    is known that it is kufr and misguidance, and that the practitioners of 
    witchcraft cannot harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. What is meant is His 
    universal qadari will (i.e., things that He decrees should happen even 
    though He may dislike them), not His religious shar’i will (i.e., that which 
    He prescribes and which pleases Him) – because Allah has not prescribed this 
    and has not given permission for it in His sharee’ah; rather He has 
    forbidden it and stated that it is kufr and is from the teachings of the 
    devils. And He has stated that whoever buys it – i.e., learns it – will have 
    no share in the Hereafter. This is a serious warning. Then Allah says (what 
    means): “And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if 
    they but knew” – what is meant is that they have sold themselves to the 
    devils for this witchcraft. Then Allah says (what means), “And if they had 
    believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far 
    better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!” – this 
    indicates that learning witchcraft and using it is the opposite of faith and 
    piety. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.