Praise be to Allah.

According to Islamic teaching, all magic is evil, for two reasons: 

~1~

The way in which it is attained, through which the practitioner of magic or witchcraft seeks help from the realm of the jinn and shayaateen (devils) to achieve his magic. This is a way that is filled with things that undermine one’s religious commitment and involves resorting to haraam things and – in many cases – falling into disbelief and apostasy. That is done is done to please the devils to meet the needs of that unknown realm which seeks to deceive the sons of Adam.

~2~

The aim of Islam is to close this door altogether and block the means that usually lead to spreading evil among the people and causing trouble among them. That is because most of the deeds that the practitioners of magic commit only result in causing evil and harm to people. Hence it is reasonable and acceptable to say that a complete prohibition is the only way to block this evil and to rid the land and community of those evil deeds and of the illusions and myths that are connected to them, by ridding societies of witchcraft and its practitioners. This obviously serves a great purpose. 

Even if some of these practitioners of witchcraft do some good things by means of their magic, that does not justify what they fall into of sin and disobedience to Allah, for many reasons, such as the following: 

1.The way that is followed to learn witchcraft usually leads to falling into disbelief and sin. 

2.The ruling applies to what is usually the case with regard to the deeds of the practitioner of witchcraft, and does not pay any attention to that which is the exception. 

Do you not see that even the criminal and murderer may do some good deeds? Indeed, these states that are occupying and colonising Muslim lands may sometimes do some good things for Muslim countries and others, but these are toxic favours which are insignificant when compared with the evil that they commit and plan. In fact some of the scholars have stated that there is no benefit whatsoever in learning witchcraft, as al-‘Allaamah ash-Shinqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

One of the clearest indications of that is the fact that Allah, may He be exalted, clearly stated that it is harmful and is of no benefit, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “And they learn that which harms them and benefits them not” [al-Baqarah 2:102]. As Allah has affirmed that witchcraft is harmful and has stated that there is no benefit in it, how can it be permissible to learn that which is pure harm and in which there is no benefit?!

End quote from Adwa’ al-Bayaan (4/55) 

3.We cannot be sure that this practitioner of witchcraft will not be safe from temptation which leads to misguidance and going astray. 

Even though he may do some good by means of some of what he has learned, for the most part this path is something that is not embarked upon by the righteous and pious who adhere to the rulings of sharee‘ah. If the sinner and evildoer, and one who is tempted, embark upon it, then their attitude and religious commitment will never deter them from doing evil, regardless of whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. 

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has told us of how the Shaytaan tempts the son of Adam, and that hardly anyone has the strength to resist. Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief”

[al-Jinn 72:6]. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

That is, (the jinn said): We thought that we had some superiority over humans, because they use to seek protection with us, i.e., if they halted in a valley or lonely place in the wilderness and so on, as was the custom of the Arabs during the Jaahiliyyah. They would seek protection with the jinn master of the place, lest they harm them in any way, just as one of them would enter his enemy’s land under the protection of a prominent man. When the jinn saw that humans would seek their protection because they were afraid of them, “they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief” which resulted from the increase in their fear and terror, to the extent that they became even more afraid of them and sought their protection even more, as Qataadah said: “they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief” that is, in transgression, and that made the jinn even more audacious towards them.

End quote from Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem (8/239) 

Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

The jinn increased humans in terror and fear because they saw them seeking protection with them. So when a human halted in a scary valley, he would say: I seek refuge with the master of this valley from the foolish ones among his people.

End quote from Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan fi Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan (p. 890). 

This is how Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, describes the influence of the Shaytaan on human beings; he always tries to direct them towards misguidance, temptation and evil. Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), when an evil thought comes to them from Shaytan (Satan), they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).

But (as for) their brothers (the devils) they (i.e. the devils) plunge them deeper into error, and they never stop short”

[al-A‘raaf 7:201-202]

“He (the father) said: "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Shaytaan (Satan) is to man an open enemy!”

[Yoosuf 12:5]

“"And Istafziz (literally means: befool them gradually) those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allah’s disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, mutually share with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways usury, etc., or by committing illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.

"Verily! My slaves (i.e the true believers of Islamic Monotheism), you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian”

[al-Isra’ 17:64-65]. 

The Creator, may He be glorified and exalted, also describes every contact between a human and the world of the Shaytaan as a trial (fitnah) and misguidance, as He, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytaan (Satan) a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy and disbelief) and whose hearts are hardened. And certainly, the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.) are in an opposition far-off (from the truth against Allah’s Messenger and the believers)”

[al-Hajj 22:53]. 

There is a stern warning against following the footsteps of the Shaytaan, and the Muslim is warned against the bad end to which they lead. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily he commands Al-Fahsha (i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)), and Al-Munkar (disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islam, etc.)). And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower”

[an-Noor 24:21]. 

To sum up: Magic or witchcraft is nothing but a trick of the Shaytaan, and Shaytaan is an avowed enemy to humanity. So how can any trick of his be good or beneficial to people?! That cannot happen. 

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.

Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire”

[Faatir 35:5-6]. 

For more information, see fatwa no. 115294 

And Allah knows best.