Reading stories Containing Magic and Fantasy
Question

                I am a student who is currently in England for my studies but Alhamdulillah I have no problem in practicing my religion, especially prayers. I know that reading storybooks involving magic and fantasy are not permissible especially given that they are a waste of time. However, does reading them take one out of the fold of Islam since magic is kufr (disbelief)?
Praise be to Allah.
    Reading stories 
    that contain magic and fantasy involves things concerning which there are 
    some reservations. 

    Firstly: 

    They are spreading 
    acts of sihr (witchcraft) and kufr, to the extent that they become like 
    ordinary behaviour in civilized societies; in fact they depict such things 
    as essential skills for individuals and societies that can be learned. They 
    often depict the magician as a good and decent man who does good and spreads 
    good among the people, and this is the most dangerous aspect of the matter; 
    where something evil is presented as something good, where one no longer 
    objects to it in one’s heart and no longer feels that magic and its 
    practitioners are something abhorrent, and one no longer thinks of the 
    seriousness of the sin involved before Allah. So how about when such stories 
    become widespread and children and youngsters turn to them? 

    These negative 
    outcomes have recently led many western education specialists to warn 
    against the spread of magic stories in their societies, and many schools 
    have banned these books from their libraries. There have been discussions 
    about them in parliamentary debates in Britain, after they discovered some 
    of the dangers that may result from their becoming widespread among people. 

    Secondly: 

    In most cases, 
    these stories teach their readers about types of magic and sorcery and 
    depict to them some of the secrets of magic,that make it easy for any reader 
    to apply them and indulge in them. This also poses a great danger, because 
    it may lead the reader to try to put into practice what he has read. It is 
    not just the matter of reading a story for fun; rather there is the fear 
    that some of these stories may influence their readers so they may be 
    bewitched or harmed because of reading these incomprehensible words in these 
    stories. 

    Hence Muslims 
    should beware of allowing their children to read these stories, and 
    societies should put a stop to the spread of this aspect of culture; they 
    should focus instead on things that are important and beneficial in terms of 
    science, arts and literature. 

    In Fatawa Noor 
    ‘ala al-Darb by Shaykh Ibn Baz it says: 

    I hope that you 
    can explain the prohibition on using and reading books of magic and 
    astrology, because there are many such books, and some of my friends want to 
    buy them, and they say that if they are not used for harmful purposes, there 
    is nothing wrong with it. Please advise us, may Allah bless you. 

    The answer was: 

    In the name of 
    Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and 
    blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family and 
    Companions, and those who follow him sincerely …  

    What the 
    questioner says is correct. The Muslims should beware of books of magic and 
    astrology, and those who find them should destroy them, because they are 
    harmful to the Muslim and cause him to fall into shirk (polytheism). The 
    Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever learns a 
    branch of astrology has learned a branch of magic ... And Allah says in His 
    Book about the two angels (interpretation of the meaning): 
    

    “… 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).’” [2:102]

    This indicates 
    that learning magic and practising it is kufr (disbelief). So the Muslim 
    must oppose books which teach magic and astrology, and destroy them wherever 
    they are. 

    This is what is 
    required. It is not permissible for a seeker of knowledge or anyone else to 
    read them or learn what is in them. People other than seekers of knowledge 
    also have no right to read them or learn what is in them, or to approve of 
    them, because they lead to disbelief in Allah. What is required is to 
    destroy them wherever they are. And the same applies to all books that teach 
    magic and astrology - they must be destroyed. End quote. 

    To sum up: Just 
    reading these stories is not kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam, so 
    long as that is not done with the aim of learning magic and practising it. 
    However, what is required is to warn against reading books of magic in 
    general and to strive to destroy them if possible, and to beware of reading 
    them or distributing them.  

    See also the 
    answer to question no. 
    
    14011. 

    
    And Allah knows best.