Is magic real?

Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz

Question

«ما هو السحر؟ وهل سحر رسول الله ﷺ؟»

English translation (unreviewed): What is magic? And was the Messenger ﷺ bewitched?

From the text of the answer

«السحر أنواع كثيرة، منها: ما يكون بالعقد، والنفث، كما قال -جل وعلا-: وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ [الفلق:٤]. ومنها: ما يكون بالأدوية مخصوصة، وأعمال مخصوصة يعقدها، ويفعلها الساحر حتى يتم ما أراد -بإذن الله- كما قال سبحانه: وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ [البقرة:١٠٢].»

English translation (unreviewed): Magic has many kinds. Among them is what is done with knots and blowing, as the Mighty and Majestic said: “And from the evil of the blowers in knots” [al-Falaq: 4]. Among them is what is done with specific medicines and specific acts that the sorcerer ties and does until he accomplishes what he wants, by Allah's permission, as He, Glorified, said: “But they could not harm anyone through it except by Allah's permission” [al-Baqarah: 102].

Evidence as the shaykh cited it

«وقد وقع السحر للنبي ﷺ سحره لبيد بن الأعصم من اليهود، سحر النبي ﷺ حتى يخيل إليه أنه فعل الشيء في بيته، وهو لم يفعله، لكنه لم يؤثر على عقله، ولا على بلاغه، ورسالته -عليه الصلاة والسلام- إنما أثر شيئًا يسيرًا فيما يتعلق في بيته، وأهله، ونحو ذلك، هذا هو الصواب، وقد ثبت هذا عن النبي ﷺ في أحاديث صحيحة، وأقره أهل العلم، ومن أنكره من بعض الكتاب؛ فقد غلط، وقع، ولكن الله -جل وعلا- رفعه عنه، وأزاله عنه، وأطلعه على أسبابه حتى قضى عليه.»

English translation (unreviewed): Magic did befall the Prophet ﷺ: Labid ibn al-A'sam, of the Jews, bewitched him, so that it seemed to him that he had done something in his house when he had not done it, but it did not affect his mind, nor his conveyance, nor his message, peace be upon him; it only affected something slight regarding his house, his family and the like. This is the correct view, and this is established from the Prophet ﷺ in authentic hadiths, and the scholars affirmed it; whoever denied it among some writers has erred. It occurred, but Allah, Mighty and Majestic, lifted it from him, removed it, and informed him of its causes until he put an end to it.