Magic was worked on Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so that he began to imagine that he had done something although he had not. One day while he was with me, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period and then said, "O `Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me regarding the matter I asked Him about?" I asked, "What is that, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He said, "Two men came to me; one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. One of them asked 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 magic on him?" The other replied, 'Labid bin A'sam, a Jew from the tribe of Bani Zuraiq.' The (first one asked), 'With what has it been done?' The other replied, 'With a a comb and the hair stuck to it and a skin of the pollen of a male datepalm tree.' The first one asked, 'Where is it?' The other replied, 'In the well of Dharwan.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) went along with some of his companions to that well and looked at that and there were date palms near to it. Then he returned to me and said, 'By Allah the water of that well was (red) like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palms were like the heads of devils" I said, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Did you take those materials out of the pollen skin?" He said, 'No! As for me Allah has healed me and cured me and I was afraid that (by Showing that to the people) I would spread evil among them when he ordered that the well be filled up with earth, and it was filled up with earth "
Exposition of the Incident of Magic
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari (5766) reveals that even prophets can be afflicted by worldly harms while being protected from sin. The magic affected the Prophet's physical perception but not his spiritual integrity or revelation.
Divine Intervention & Healing
Allah sent two angels to diagnose and reveal the source of magic, demonstrating divine care for His Messenger. The healing came through divine intervention rather than physical removal of magical objects.
The Prophet's statement "Allah has healed me" affirms that ultimate cure comes from Allah alone, while using permissible means.
Wisdom in Concealment
The Prophet chose not to retrieve the magical implements to prevent spreading knowledge of harmful magic among people. This teaches the Islamic principle of concealing evil means to prevent their imitation.
Filling the well with earth eliminated the source of harm without exposing people to dangerous knowledge.
Lessons in Spiritual Protection
This incident emphasizes the importance of seeking refuge in Allah from unseen harms. It also demonstrates that trials may come to the most righteous as tests of patience and opportunities for divine manifestation.
The Prophet's prolonged invocation shows the importance of persistent supplication during difficulties.