The false promise of Iblis (of eternal life and immortality through special knowledge and "illumination") along with magic and its associated numerology, astrology coming from Babylon, transmitted by the Judaics in a codified form known as the "Qabbalah" has been behind much of the corruption (shirk, kufr, immorality) through the ages. In this article we want to look at another verse addressing the issue of magic in relation to those who were previously given something of the Book (i.e. revelation).

Concerning al-Jibt and at-Taghut

Allaah the Most High, said:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هَؤُلاء أَهْدَى مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ سَبِيلاً

Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers. (An-Nisa 4:51)

At-Tabari (d. 310H) brings with his asaaneed, a large number of narrations from the classic commentators in explanation of the words al-Jibt and at-Taghut, and so what we can do here is to summarize them in the form of a table:

	al-Jibt	at-Taghut
Umar (radiallaahu anhu)	Magic	Satan
Mujahid	Magic	Satan
Mujahid	Magic	Satan, the Soothsayer
Zayd	the Magician	Satan
Sa'eed bin Jubair	the Magician	the Soothsayer
Abu al-Aaliyah	the Magician	the Soothsayer
Abu al-Aaliyah	Magic	Satan
Qatadah	Satan	the Soothsayer
as-Sudee	Satan	the Soothsayer
Sa'eed bin Jubair	the Soothsayer	the Magician
Muhammad (bin Ishaq)	the Soothsayer	the Magician

There are also two narrations in which Mujahid explains "at-Taghut" to mean "Satan in the form of a man, to whom the people refer to in judgment and who is in charge of their affair." And there are also narrations from Ibn Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu) and ad-Dahhaak which between them explain al-Jibt and at-Taghut to mean "Ka'b bin al-Ashraf (al-Yahoodi)" or "Hayyiy bin Akhtab (al-Yahoodi)" interchangeably.

After all these narrations at-Tabari explains that both al-Jibt and at-Taghut admit to numerous explanations all of which are simultaneously valid and correct, and they are:

• al-Jibt and at-Taghut are two (interchangeable) names for every glorified, worshipped or obeyed entity besides Allaah, whether that may be a stone, tree or devil.
• That the idols worshipped besides Allaah (by the people of jaahiliyyah) are also al-Jibt and at-Taghut
• That the devils obeyed by the disbelievers are also are al-Jibt and at-Taghut
• That the magicians and the soothsayers are also al-Jibt and at-Taghut (as we have seen from the narrations above)
• That al-Ka'b bin al-Ashraf and Hayyiy bin Akhtab are al-Jibt and at-Taghut for they were obeyed by the Judaics in kufr and disobedience

And so our intent here is to highlight the fact that al-Jibt and at-Taghut are interchangeable terms to refer to: Magic, sorcery, soothsaying, magicians, soothsayers, Satan and the devils, and that this verse is in reference to al-Yahood (Judaics), and they were the ones who followed what the devils rehearsed in the time of Sulayman (alayhis salaam) of magic, and also what was revealed to the Angels at Babylon, and these people they apostatized from what Moses (alayhis salaam) and abandoned the Tawrah and mixed their religion with magic, mystery, superstition and the likes. So remember what is stated in the above verse (يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ ), "They believe in al-Jibt and at-taghut" in light of the explanations from the classical commentators, meaning they believe in Satan and magic.

The Core Secrets in the Mystery Religions of the Occultists

And at the core of this magic (in the innermost circles) from what is explicitly stated and written in their books is the belief that immortality can be achieved, and it is possible to become angelic, or that one can merge with God and become God, and that Iblis was truthful, and that he was wrongly cast out, and that he gave intellect (i.e. illumination, enlightenment) to Adam (which God wanted to hide from Adam, as they claim and believe) or that the Adam and his offspring are in fact emanations of God who can become immortal through that secret knowledge, and that it is through this so-called illumination that the practitioners of this magic (worshipers of the devils) believe that they can progress towards immortality, and that Iblis was in reality the true God, and he wanted good for mankind, and that he is in reality mankind's savior by "enlightening" man. And thus "Lucifer" (Satan) is the real God and savior of mankind, and this is known as the "Luciferian doctrine". It is being pushed to the masses today through what is called "New Age Spirituality", and this is also being used as a vehicle to unite all religions.

These notions we have mentioned in the above paragraph are really getting right down to the core of what is believed by the occultists at the highest level. We are not talking about your average street-magician, pir, faith-healer and the likes of these charlatans and fraudsters trying make a quick buck through the aid of the Jinn in putting magic upon people and then appearing as "healers", consuming the wealth of the people in falsehood. This is your low level small-fry at the very bottom of the ladder who is just seeking worldly gain through obedience to the devils, and these small-fry don't believe in these esoteric doctrines and they don't take it as a religion, they are just dabbling at the low level.

However, there are those high-level occultists who believe the doctrines we have outlined above and they are in league with the devils amongst the Jinn, with both parties seeking mutual benefit from each other (see this article on that subject). These are your Aleister Crowleys and your Helena Blavatskys (by way of example of the most disbelieving practitioners of magic and worshipers of the devils) who explicitly write and boast that they receive dictations of books (on magic and esoteric, secret knowledge) via "channelling" through spiritual beings (i.e. devils amongst the jinn) and this is an altogether different level of sorcerer (Satan worshiper) because they are upon this as a religion, and what these people indulge in of activities will make your average small-fry sorcerer appear to be innocent (even "righteous") by comparison!