A man called Labid bin al-A'sam from the tribe of Bani Zaraiq worked magic on Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) till Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) started imagining that he had done a thing that he had not really done. One day or one night he was with us, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period, and then said, "O `Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, "What is the disease of this man?" The other replied, "He is under the effect of magic.' The first one asked, 'Who has worked the magic on him?' The other replied, "Labid bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material did he use?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm.' The first one asked, 'Where is that?' The other replied, '(That is) in the well of Dharwan;' " So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) along with some of his companions went there and came back saying, "O `Aisha, the color of its water is like the infusion of Henna leaves. The tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils." I asked. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? Why did you not show it (to the people)?" He said, "Since Allah cured me, I disliked to let evil spread among the people." Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth.
Exposition of the Incident of Magic
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari (5763) recounts the incident where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was afflicted by magic. The scholars explain that this occurred to demonstrate the Prophet's humanity and to establish that magic has real effects, while simultaneously showing Allah's ultimate protection over His Messenger.
Scholarly Commentary on the Magic's Nature
Classical commentators note that the magic caused the Prophet to imagine doing things he hadn't actually done, demonstrating that its effect was on perception rather than reality. This preserves the infallibility of revelation while acknowledging the physical vulnerability of the Prophet's human nature.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains in Fath al-Bari that this incident occurred before the revelation of the Mu'awwidhatayn (Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas), which later provided complete protection against such afflictions.
Divine Intervention and Healing
The two figures who appeared are understood by scholars to be angels sent by Allah to diagnose and reveal the source of the affliction. This demonstrates Allah's special care for His Messenger and the superiority of divine knowledge over human deception.
Al-Qurtubi notes that the specific materials used - comb hairs and date palm pollen - were chosen for their connection to the Prophet's personal effects, showing how magic often utilizes personal belongings to establish spiritual connection.
Wisdom in Concealment
The Prophet's decision not to publicly display the magical materials contains profound wisdom. Scholars explain this prevented the spread of evil knowledge and avoided giving prominence to witchcraft. It also taught the ummah to focus on cures rather than dwelling on harmful practices.
Ibn al-Qayyim observes in Zad al-Ma'ad that filling the well prevented others from being harmed by the remaining magical effects, demonstrating the Islamic principle of removing harm from public spaces.