The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has alleged that people on the island of Baarah in Haa Alifu Atoll practiced “black magic” to foretell the results of Local Council Elections held last week.
”A group of clairvoyants or soothsayers are said to have summoned the jinn to predict local council election results in their constituency,” said the IFM in a press statement.
”The black arts practitioners did so by constantly beating a possessed person with a traditional eakle broom while reciting a magic spell, and questioning the evil spirit believed to be speaking through the haunted person.”
The religious NGO referred to sources in the island and said the incident took place two days prior to the Local Council Elections.
”The local superstition states that jinns have the power to foretell the future, and the clairvoyants wanted it to tell the names of the candidates who would win the council vote,” the foundation said.
The Islamic Foundation said another such group of people in the island believed that the ”the party to which the first vote falls into the ballet box will win the election. So, they started queueing up for the vote just after sunset, with the hope of becoming the first person to vote in the next morning.”
The IFM said it had looked into the matter “from a religious perspective” and said the belief that demons or jinns have the power to foresee future, visiting fortunetellers, astrologers and palmists, wearing amulets or charms to ward off evil are forms of Shirk.
“The ignorant among the masses believe that Prophets possessed the power to foretell future and bring good or bad luck. However the Final Revelation, clearly states the Prophets do not have any such power. It is mentioned in the Quran that Allah instructed Prophet Mohamed to say he does not have any such power,” the Foundation said.
“Say! None in the heavens nor the earth knows the unseen except Allah..” (Surah an-Nahl 27:65)” the Islamic Foundation said on its website citing the Quran. ‘
The IFM said that Islam allows exorcism provided the practice does not involve any form of sorcery, Shirk or invocation of false deities. It is mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawud that Allah’s Messenger said, “The Last Hour will not come until some groups of my nation worship idols.”
Belief in black magic remains very common on many islands of the Maldives, despite being strictly forbidden under Islam.
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