Chapter 1
Polytheism (Shirk) and its different forms
33844: Regarding some sounds when leaving as being
bad luck
Question:
If some one calls you from the back or when you are
going out suppose you got little hit, say, by a door. I heard,
if you don;t sit for a second to pass a moment, which
could bring you bad luck/accident, you would face the bad
luck/accident. Are these true? Can you use the Quran and
the hadiths about these?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What you have heard is not correct, rather that is a
kind of tatayyur (superstitious belief in bird or other
omens) or regarding seeing and hearing certain things as
being bad luck. This is the way of the ignorant and
the mushrikeen, who used to let such things keep them
from doing what they wanted. Allaah criticized them for
that and said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, their evil omens are with Allaah but most of
them know not"
[al-A'raaf 7:131]
"They (Messengers) said: Your evil omens be with
you! (Do you call it evil omen) because you are
admonished? Nay, but you are a people Musrifoon (transgressing
all bounds by committing all kinds of great sins, and
by disobeying Allaah)"
[Yaa-Seen 36:19]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade superstitious belief in omens and said that it is
a kind of shirk (associating others with Allaah) that
detracts from Tawheed, because superstition is something that
the Shaytaan uses to create fear. It is mentioned in
several ahaadeeth that it is forbidden, such as the following:
The hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no
`adwaa [transmission of infectious disease without the
permission of Allaah], no tiyarah [superstitious belief in bird
omens]." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5757; Muslim, 102.
It was narrated by Abu Dawood (3910), and
al-Tirmidhi (1614) who classed it as saheeh, from Ibn Mas'ood
(may Allaah be pleased with him) in a marfoo' report:
"Tiyarah is shirk, tiyarah is shirk," but there is no one among
us (who does not feel such things) but Allaah takes it
away by means of tawakkul (putting one's trust in Him).
The words "but there is no one among us (who does
not feel such things) but Allaah takes it away by means
of tawakkul (putting one's trust in Him)" are the words
of Ibn Mas'ood, not of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
What this means that there is no one among us who
does not some superstitious feelings in his heart, but
Allaah takes them away from his heart by means of trust in
Him and delegating one's affairs to Him.
It was also narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is
no `adwaa [transmission of infectious disease without
the permission of Allaah] and no tiyarah [superstitious
belief in bird omens], but I like fa'l." They said, "What is
fa'l?" He said, "A good word." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
5756; Muslim, 2220.
These ahaadeeth clearly indicate that tiyarah
(superstition) is haraam and is a kind of shirk, because it means that
the heart is attached to something other than Allaah.
The people of the Jaahiliyyah believed that it could bring
them some benefit or ward off some harm if they did
whatever was dictated by their superstitions, and it was as if
they were associating others with Allaah. So the
Lawgiver cancelled that and demonstrated it to be false when
He told them that it has no effect on bringing benefits
or warding off harm.
Once this is established, if any such thing happens to
you, then you have to fear Allaah and put your trust in
Him, and seek His help and never pay any attention to it.
You should handle the matter by doing what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined, as
narrated by Abu Dawood (3919) with a saheeh isnaad from
`Urwah ibn `Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: Mention of tiyarah was made in the presence of
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), and he said: "The best of it is fa'l
(optimism, belief in good omens) and it should not prevent a
Muslim from going ahead (with his plans). If any one of you
sees something that he dislikes, let him say. `Allaahumma
laa ya'ti bi'l-hasanaat illa anta wa laa yadfa' al-sayi'aat
illa anta, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa
bika (O Allaah, no one brings good things but You and no one wards
off bad things but You, and there is no power and no
strength except with You).'"
Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad (2/220), and
al-Albaani classed as saheeh in al-Saheehah (1065)
the hadeeth of `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with him): "Whoever lets tiyarah
(superstition) stop him from doing something is guilty of shirk."
They said, "What is the kafaarah (expiation) for that?" He
said, "To say: Allaahumma la khayra illaa khayruka wa
laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O
Allaah, there is no good except Your good, no birds except
Yours, and there is no god beside You)."
It should also be noted that tiyarah will not harm the
one who ignores it and goes ahead and does what he wants
to do. But as for the one who does not sincerely put his
trust in Allaah and who gives in to the Shaytaan and
his waswaas (whispers), he will be punished by falling
into the thing that he dislikes, because he has turned
away from faith in Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allaah,
but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself."
[al-Nisa' 4:79]
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45694: What did the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) mean by "No contagion (`adwa)"?
Question:
What is the original text of the hadeeth "There is no
`adwa in religion" and what is meant by that?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are several versions of this hadeeth.
Al-Bukhaari (5776) and Muslim (2224) narrated from Anas ibn
Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is
no `adwa (transmission of infectious disease without
the permission of Allaah) and no tiyarah (superstitious
belief in bird omens), but I like good omens." They said:
What is a good omen?" He said: "A good word."
Al-Bukhaari (5316) narrated from Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no
`adwaa [contagion, transmission of infectious disease without
the permission of Allaah], no tiyarah [superstitious belief
in bird omens], no haamah [refers to a Jaahili Arab
tradition described variously as: a worm which infests the
grave of a murder victim until he is avenged; an owl; or
the bones of a dead person turned into a bird that could
fly], and no Safar [the month of Safar was regarded
as "unlucky" during the Jaahiliyyah]."
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) "There is no `adwa" are general in
meaning, thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) states that there is no contagion (without
the permission of Allaah).
`Adwa (contagion) refers to the spread of a disease
from a sick person to a healthy one. What happens in the
case of physical diseases may also happen in the case
of psychological diseases. Hence the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that a
bad companion is the like one who operates the bellows:
Either he will burn your clothes, or you will notice a bad
smell from him.
The words "there is no `adwa" include both physical
and psychological diseases, even though it is more
apparent with regard to physical disease.
The words "no tiyarah (lit. superstitious belief in
bird omens)" refers to feeling superstitious because
of something that you see, hear or know..
With regard to the words "no haamah", haamah
is interpreted in two ways:
1 _ That it is a bird similar to an owl, or an owl.
The Arabs believed that if a person was killed, his
bones became a haamah that could fly and shriek until he
was avenged. Some of them believed that the haamah was
the soul of the slain person.
2 _ Some of the Arabs said that the haamah was
a particular bird, which they regarded as a bad omen. If
it landed on the house of one of them and made a
sound, they said that it was predicting a death. They
believed that this was a sign that that person would die soon.
All of these are undoubtedly false beliefs.
The words "No Safar" refers to the month of Safar,
which the Arabs used to regard as inauspicious, especially
for marriage.
And it was said that it was a stomach disease that
affected camels and was transmitted from one camel to
another; based on this, mentioning it after `adwa (contagion)
comes under the heading of mentioning something specific
after something general.
It is more likely that what is meant by Safar here is
the month, and that what is meant by saying "No Safar"
is that it is not to be regarded as inauspicious, rather it
is like any other time, during which good or bad things
may be decreed.
This does not mean that these things do not
happen, because they do happen. Rather it is a statement that
they do not have any effect. The One Who causes things
to happen is Allaah. If any of these things has a known
effect then that is valid and real; if any of them is imagined
to have an effect, then that is invalid and false. Thus
the hadeeth demonstrates that if there is a valid effect,
it cannot be attributed to that thing itself (rather the
One Who causes it to happen is Allaah). If the effect is
merely imagined, then this hadeeth is stating that it has no
effect in the first place.
With regard to the words "no contagion
(`adwa)": contagion is something that happens, as is indicated
by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), "Do not put a sick one with a healthy
one" i.e., the owner of a sick camel should not bring it to
the owner of a healthy camel, lest the contagion
be transmitted.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Flee from the leper as you would flee from
a lion." Leprosy is a serious disease that is
transmitted quickly and kills the one who catches it. It was even
said that it is a plague. Hence the command to flee from
the leper so that the disease will not be transmitted from
him to you. This is an affirmation of the effect of
contagion, but its effect is not inevitable in such a way that it
affects people by itself.
The command of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) to flee and not to bring sick
camels to where healthy camels are comes under the heading
of avoiding the means (that lead to sickness), not
attributing the effect to the means themselves. The means do
not affect anything themselves, but we should avoid the
things that may be a cause of calamity, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and do not throw yourselves into
destruction"[al-Baqarah 2:195]
We cannot say that the Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was denying the effect
of contagion, because contagion is something that is
proven to exist in real life and is mentioned in other ahaadeeth.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said "there is no `adwa", a man said: "O
Messenger of Allaah, the camels may be healthy like deer, then
a mangy camel comes and mixes with them and they
all get the mange." The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "And who infected the
first one?" meaning that the disease came to the first one
with no contagion, rather it came from Allaah. By the
same token, if it was transmitted by contagion, then it
was transmitted by the command of Allaah. A thing may
have a known cause or it may not have a known cause.
The mange of the first one does not have a known cause,
apart from the fact that it happened by the will and decree
of Allaah, and the mange that came after it does have
a known cause. But if Allaah wills the camel will
not become mangy. Hence sometimes a camel may get
the mange but then it recovers and does not die. The
same happens with the plague and cholera; they may enter
a house and some may get sick and die, while others
are not affected at all.
We have to put our trust in Allaah and depend on Him.
It was narrated that a leper came to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he took him by
the hand and said, "Eat," i.e., eat of the food that
the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was eating_ because of the strength of his trust in
Allaah. This trust counteracts the causes of contagion.
What we have referred to above is the best way
of reconciling between the ahaadeeth.
End quote from Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/80
Based on this, what is meant by the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) "no
`adwa (contagion)" is that disease is not transmitted from a
sick person to a healthy one by itself, rather it is
transmitted by the will and decree of Allaah. If a sick person
mixes with healthy ones this is one of the causes of
the transmission of disease. But this does not mean that
it will inevitably happen, rather it only happens if
Allaah wills it. Hence we often see a sick mother give birth to
a healthy child, but the disease is not transmitted to
the infant.
And Allaah knows best.
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48993: Ruling on one who asks someone other than
Allaah for children, or to increase his provision and not reduce it
Question:
What is the ruling on one who believes that a wali
("saint") or murshid (spiritual leader) gave him a child, or that
he can increase or reduce his provision?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Whoever believes that a child may be given by
someone other than Allaah or that anyone other than Allaah
can increase or reduce provision, is a mushrik whose shirk
is worse than that of the pre-Islamic Arabs and others in
the Jaahiliyyah. The Arabs and others like them, if they
were asked who granted them provision from the heavens
and the earth, or who brought forth the living from the
dead and the dead from the living, would reply, `Allaah."
They only worshipped their false gods because they
believed that they would bring them closer to Allaah. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `Who provides for you from
the sky and the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight?
And who brings out the living from the dead and brings
out the dead from the living? And who disposes the
affairs?' They will say: `Allaah.' Say: `Will you not then be
afraid of Allaah's punishment (for setting up rivals in
worship with Allaah)?'"
[Yoonus 10:31]
"And those who take Awliyaa' (protectors, helpers,
lords, gods) besides Him (say): `We worship them only that
they may bring us near to Allaah.' Verily, Allaah will
judge between them concerning that wherein they differ.
Truly, Allaah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever"
[al-Zumar 39:3]
"Who is he that can provide for you if He should
withhold His provision?"
[al-Mulk 67:21]
It is narrated in the Sunnah that the power to grant
or withhold belongs to Allaah alone. For example
al-Bukhaari (844) and Muslim (593) narrated from
al-Mugheerah ibn Shu'bah that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say after
each prescribed prayer: "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu
laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa
`ala kulli shay'in qadeer, Allaahumma laa maani' lima
a'tayta wa laa mu'ti lima mana'ta wa la yanfa' dhaa'l-jadd
minka al-jadd (There is no god except Allaah alone with
no partner or associate, His is the sovereignty and to Him
be praise and He is able to do all things. O Allaah, none
can withhold what You give and none can give what
You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit
anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty)."
But Allaah may give His slave children or increase
his provision because of his praying to Him and turning
to Him alone, as is clearly demonstrated in Soorat
Ibraaheem, where Ibraaheem al-Khaleel prays to his Lord and
Allaah answers his prayer, and in Soorat Maryam and Soorat
al-Anbiya' and elsewhere, where Zakariya prays to his
Lord and He answers his prayer. And it was narrated that
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) say: Whoever would like to have his
provision increased and his life span extended, let him uphold
the ties of kinship."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2067; Muslim, 2557. and
Allaah knows best.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah
send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad
and upon his family and companions.
See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/65.
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44730: When is slaughtering for someone other than
Allaah regarded as shirk?
Question:
Is every slaughter that is not done for the sake of
Allaah regarded as shirk? Please give details, may Allaah
reward you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Slaughter may sometimes be a sacrifice, done to
glorify and venerate Allaah, and it may sometimes be done
to honour a guest or to provide meat to eat and so on. In
the first case, it is not permissible to offer this kind
of glorification and veneration to anyone other than
Allaah; whoever offers that to anyone other than Allaah
has associated someone else with Him and committed
major shirk (shirk akbar), and the meat he slaughtered is
regarded as maytah (dead meat). But in the second case, this
is permissible and may be required, but in all cases it is
not permissible to mention the name of anyone other
than Allaah when slaughtering the meat, otherwise it
becomes maytah (dead meat) which is haraam, so mentioning
the name of Allaah when slaughtering the animal is a
separate issue from the issue of the purpose of the slaughter.
If it is said: how can we differentiate between that
which is done to honour a person and that which is an act
of worship to someone other than Allaah? The answer
is: that in the case of seeking to draw closer to someone
other than Allaah, the intention is not to slaughter the
animal for meat, rather the intention is to venerate the one
for whom it is slaughtered and to give the meat to
other people, such as the one who slaughters before a chief
when he returns from a journey and so on, then he gives
the meat to other people to eat it. This is what some
people used to do in the past, and this sacrifice was only done
in order to venerate the chief, so it comes under the
heading of major shirk.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
Slaughter means killing by shedding the blood in a
specific manner, which is done in several ways:
1 _ That which is done as an act of worship with
the intention of venerating the one for whom the sacrifice
is done and humbling oneself before him and drawing
closer to him. This may only be done for Allaah in the
manner prescribed by Allaah. Doing this for anyone other
than Allaah is major shirk. The evidence for that is the
verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer),
my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the
Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)" [al-An'aam 6:162]
2 _ That which is done to honour a guest or for a
wedding feast and the like. This is something which is
enjoined and is either obligatory or mustahabb
(encouraged), because the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever believes in Allaah and
the Last Day, let him honour his guest." And he SAWS
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to `Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn `Awf: "Give a wedding feast even if it
is with only one sheep."
3 _ That which is done to provide food or to sell the
meat and so on. This comes under the heading of that which
is permissible and the basic principle is that it is
allowed, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do they not see that We have created for them of
what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are
their owners.
72. And We have subdued them unto them so that
some of them they have for riding and some they eat"
[Ya-Seen 36:71-72]
and it may be required or forbidden, depending on
what it is a means to.
Sharh al-Usool al-Thalaathah in Majmoo'
al-Fataawa, 6/62.
It says in Mawaahib al-Jaleel: With regard to
slaughtering sacrifices to idols, there is no dispute that it is
haraam, because this is something that is sacrificed to
something other than Allaah. (3/213).
It says in Radd al-Muhtaar (6/309):
Slaughtering an animal for the arrival of prominent
figure is forbidden, whilst slaughtering an animal to honour
a guest is permissible. Then he said: The difference is
that if he offers some of the meat to the prominent
figure, then the slaughter is for the sake of Allaah and the
benefit is for the guest or the wedding feast or the purpose
of making money (by selling the meat), but if he does
not offer any of it to the prominent figure and he gives it
to others, then it was done to venerate someone other
than Allaah, so it is haraam.
It says in al-Majmoo': It is not permissible for the
one who is slaughtering the animal to say "In the name
of Muhammad" or "In the name of Allaah and the name
of Muhammad." Rather it is the right of Allaah
that slaughtering should be done only in His name and
vows should be made only in His name, and prostration
should be done only to Him, and no created being should
be associated with Him in that. Al- Ghazaali said in
al-Waseet that it is not permissible to say, "In the name of
Allaah and Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah (S)."
because this is shirk. (8/384).
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen was asked about the ruling
on offering a sacrifice to someone other than Allaah,
and whether it is permissible to eat that meat. He
replied: Offering a sacrifice to someone other than Allaah is
major shirk, because offering a sacrifice is an act of worship,
as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice
(to Him only)"
[al-Kawthar 108:2]
"Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer),
my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the
Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)"
[al-An'aam 6:162]
So whoever offers a sacrifice to anyone other than
Allaah is a mushrik whose shirk puts him beyond the pale
of Islam _ we seek refuge with Allaah _ whether he
offers that sacrifice to an angel, a Messenger, a Prophet, a
caliph, a wali ("saint") or a scholar. All of that is shirk
(associating others in worship with Allaah) which puts one
beyond the pale of Islam. People must fear Allaah and not
allow themselves to fall into that shirk of which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship)
with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him,
and the Fire will be his abode. And for the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers"
[al-Maa'idah 5:72]
Eating from this meat is haraam, because it has
been sacrificed to someone other than Allaah, and
everything that is sacrificed to someone other than Allaah
or slaughtered on an altar is haraam, as Allaah says in
Soorat al-Maa'idah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Forbidden to you (for food) are: AlMaitah (the
dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered), blood,
the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah's Name has
not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has
been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah, or
has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been
killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong
fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has
been (partly) eaten by a wild animal — unless you are able
to slaughter it (before its death) and that which is
sacrificed (slaughtered) on AnNusub (stonealtars)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:3]
These sacrifices which are slaughtered for anyone
other than Allaah come under the heading of haraam food
which we are not permitted to eat.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen was asked about the ruling
on offering sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah.
He replied:
We have stated elsewhere that Tawheed means
devoting worship only to Allaah _ may He be exalted _ and
not worshipping anyone other than Allaah with any kind
of act of worship. It is well known that offering sacrifices
is a kind of worship by means of which a person seeks
to draw closer to his Lord, because Allaah has enjoined it
in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice
(to Him only)"
[al-Kawthar 108:2]
Every act by means of which a person seeks to draw
closer (to his Lord) is an act of worship. So if a person offers
a sacrifice to someone other than Allaah as an act
of veneration and humility, seeking thereby to draw
closer to him, as he seeks to draw closer to his Lord and
venerate Him, then he is a mushrik who associates others
in worship with Allaah. And if he is a mushrik, then
Allaah has stated that He has forbidden Paradise to the
mushrik and his abode is Hell.
Based on that, we say that what some people do,
offering sacrifice to graves _ the graves of those whom they
claim to be awliya' ("saints") _ is shirk which puts them
beyond the pale of Islam. Our advice to these people is to
repent to Allaah from their actions and to make their
sacrifices for Allaah alone, and their prayer and fasting for
Allaah alone; if they do that, He will forgive for them what
they did before, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease
(from disbelief), their past will be forgiven"
[al-Anfaal 8:38]
Majmoo' al-Fataawa 2/148.
For more information see al-Qawl al-Mufeed `ala
Kitaab al-Tawheed, 1/215; Tayseer al-`Azeez
al-Hameed, 1/155; al-Durar al-Sanniyyah min al-Ajwabah
al-Najdiyyah, 1/428.
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34575: Seeking help from anyone other than Allaah is shirk
Question:
I often hear people saying "Madad ya
Rasool-Allaah, Madad ya Sayyidina al-Husayn, madad ya Sayyid
yaa Badawi…" and I do not know the meaning of these words.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. It should be noted that Allaah
has created the universe to worship Him and Him
alone. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind
except that they should worship Me (Alone)"
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
Allaah sent the Messengers to call their people to
worship Allaah alone (Tawheed) and to forbid them to
associate anything with Him (shirk). Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And We did not send any Messenger before you
(O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa
ilaaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but
I (Allaah)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:25]
Shirk means directing worship to anyone other
than Allaah, and du'aa' comes under the heading of
worship which must be devoted to Allaah alone and not
directed to anyone else. Hence the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Du'aa' is worship."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2969; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Asking for madad from anyone other than Allaah,
as mentioned in the question, is a kind of calling upon
(or making du'aa' to) someone other than Allaah, hence it
is a kind of shirk.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (2/193):
The words of some of those who sing nasheed,
"Madad ya sayyidina al-Husayn (Help O our master
al-Husayn), madad ya Sayyidah Zaynab, madad ya Badawi ya
Shaykh al-`Arab, madad ya Rasool Allaah (O Messenger
of Allaah), madad ya awliya' Allaah (O close friends _
or `saints' _ of Allaah)," etc, is major shirk which puts
the one who says it beyond the pale of Islam (Allaah
forbid), because it is calling upon the dead to give them
good things, to help them, to ward off danger or relieve
them of harm. That is because what is meant by
madad is giving, help and support. So it as if the person who says,
"Madad ya Sayyid ya Badawi, madad ya Sayyidah
Zaynab" etc is saying: Help us and give us of your bounty, and
relieve us of hardship and ward off calamity from us. This
is major shirk. Allaah says, after explaining to His
slaves that He is in control of the universe and that it is
subjugated to Him:
"Such is Allaah, your Lord; His is the kingdom. And
those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own
not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your
call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant
it (your request) to you. And on the Day of
Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none
can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the AllKnower (of everything)"
[Faatir 35:13-14 _ interpretation of the meaning]
So He calls their prayers to others shirk.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And who is more astray than one who calls on
(invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the
Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their
calls (invocations) to them?
And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become
their enemies and will deny their worshipping"
[al-Ahqaaf 46:6]
So Allaah tells us that those who are called upon
other than Him, the Prophets and the righteous, are unaware
of the call of those who call upon them and will
never respond to their calls, and they will be their enemies
and will deny their worship of them.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do they attribute as partners to Allaah those who
created nothing but they themselves are created?
No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves.
And if you call them to guidance, they follow you not.
It is the same for you whether you call them or you
keep silent.
Verily, those whom you call upon besides Allaah are
slaves like you. So call upon them and let them answer you
if you are truthful" [al-A'raaf 7:191-194]
"And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allaah,
any other ilaah (god), of whom he has no proof; then
his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, AlKaafiroon
(the disbelievers in Allaah and in the Oneness of
Allaah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:117]
So Allaah tells us that whoever calls upon anyone
other than Allaah, among the dead etc., will never
succeed because of his kufr and his calling upon someone
other than Allaah.
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34817: What is the true meaning of shirk and what are
its types?
Question:
I often read that "this action is major shirk" and "this
is minor shirk". Could you explain to me the
difference between the two?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
One of the most important obligations is to know
the meaning of shirk, its seriousness and its different
types, so that our Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allaah)
and our Islam may be complete, and our faith may be
sound. We say _ And Allaah is the Source of strength and
true guidance comes from Him:
Know _ may Allaah guide you _ that the word shirk
in Arabic means taking a partner, i.e., regarding
someone as the partner of another. It is said [in Arabic]:
ashraka baynahuma (he joined them together) when he
regarded them as two of equal status; or ashraka fi amrihi
ghayrahu (he introduced another into his affair) when he made
two people involved in it.
In terms of sharee'ah or Islamic terminology, shirk
means ascribing a partner or rival to Allaah in
Lordship (ruboobiyyah), worship or in His names and attributes.
A rival is a peer or counterpart. Hence Allaah
forbids setting up rivals with Him and he condemns those
who take them (rivals) as gods instead of or besides Allaah
in many verses of the Qur'aan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Then do not set up rivals unto Allaah (in worship)
while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)"
[al-Baqarah 2:222]
"And they set up rivals to Allaah, to mislead (men)
from His path! Say: `Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly,
your destination is the (Hell) Fire!'"
[Ibraaheem 14:30]
In the hadeeth it is narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
dies claiming that Allaah has a rival, will enter Hell."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4497; Muslim, 92.
The types of shirk:
The texts of the Qur'aan and Sunnah indicate that
shirk and the ascribing of rivals to Allaah sometimes puts
a person beyond the pale of Islam and sometimes does
not. Hence the scholars divided shirk into two types
which they call shirk akbar (major shirk) and shirk asghar
(minor shirk). There follows a brief description of each type:
1 _ Major shirk
This means ascribing to someone other than
Allaah something that belongs only to Allaah, such as
Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) and the divine
names and attributes (al-asma' wa'l-sifaat).
This kind of shirk may sometimes be outward, such
as the shirk of those who worship idols and graves, or
the dead or absent.
Or it may sometimes be hidden, such as those who
put their trust in other gods besides Allaah, or the shirk
and kufr of the hypocrites. For even though their
(hypocrites') shirk puts them beyond the pale of Islam and means
that they will abide forever in Hell, it is a hidden shirk,
because they make an outward display of Islam and conceal
their kufr and shirk, so they are inwardly mushriks but
not outwardly.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of
beliefs:
Such as the belief that there is someone else who
creates, gives life and death, reigns or controls the affairs of
the universe along with Allaah.
Or the belief that there is someone else who must
be obeyed absolutely besides Allaah, so they follow him
in regarding as permissible or forbidden whatever he
wants, even if that goes against the religion of the Messengers.
Or they may associate others with Allaah in love
and veneration, by loving a created being as they love
Allaah. This is the kind of shirk that Allaah does not forgive,
and it is the shirk of which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And of mankind are some who take (for worship)
others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them
as they love Allaah"
[al-Baqarah 2:165]
Or the belief that there are those who know the
Unseen as well as Allaah. This is very common among some
of the deviant sects such as the Raafidis (Shi'ah),
extreme Sufis, and Baatinis (esoteric sects) in general. The
Raafidis believe that their imams have knowledge of the
unseen, and the Baatinis and Sufis believe similar things
about their awliya' ("saints"), and so on. It is also shirk to
believe that there is someone who bestows mercy in a
manner that is befitting only for Allaah, so he shows mercy
as Allaah does and forgives sins and overlooks the bad
deeds of his worshippers.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of
words:
Such as those who make du'aa' or pray to someone
other than Allaah, or seek his help or seek refuge with him
with regard to matters over which no one has control
except Allaah, whether the person called upon is a Prophet,
a wali ("saint"), an angel or a jinn, or some other
created being. This is a kind of major shirk which puts one
beyond the pale of Islam.
Or such as those who make fun of religion or who
liken Allaah to His creation, or say that there is another
creator, provider or controller besides Allaah. All of these
are major shirk and a grave sin that is not forgiven.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of
actions:
Such as one who sacrifices, prays or prostrates
to something other than Allaah, or who promulgates
laws to replace the rulings of Allaah and makes that the law
to which people are obliged to refer for judgement; or
one who supports the kaafirs and helps them against
the believers, and other acts that go against the basic
meaning of faith and put the one who does them beyond the
pale of Islam. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
2 _ Minor shirk
This includes everything that may lead to major shirk,
or which is described in the texts as being shirk, but
does not reach the extent of being major shirk.
This is usually of two types:
1 _ Being emotionally attached to some means which
have no basis and for which Allaah has not given
permission, such as hanging up "hands", turquoise beads etc on
the grounds that they offer protection or that they ward
off the evil eye. But Allaah has not made them the means
of such protection, either according to sharee'ah or
according to the laws of the universe.
[Translator's note: the "hands" referred to are
objects made of metal, pottery etc, usually blue or turquoise
in colour, that some people hang up to ward off the evil
eye, according to their mistaken belief]
2 _ Venerating some people or things in a way that
does not go so far as ascribing lordship to them, such
as swearing by something other than Allaah, or saying,
"Were it not for Allaah and So and so," etc.
The scholars have stipulated guidelines to
distinguish major shirk from minor shirk when shirk is mentioned
in the texts of sharee'ah. These guidelines include
the following:
(i) _ When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) states clearly that this action is minor
shirk, such as in al-Musnad (27742) where it is narrated
that Mahmoud ibn Labeed said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The thing that I fear most for you is minor shirk." They
said: "O Messenger of Allaah, what is minor shirk?" He
said: "Showing off, for Allaah will say on the Day when
people are recompensed for their actions: `Go to those for
whom you were showing off with your deeds in the world,
and see what reward you find with them.'" Classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 951.
(ii) _ When the word shirk is used in the texts of
the Qur'aan and Sunnah in the indefinite form [without
the definite article al-]. This usually refers to minor
shirk, and there are many examples of this, such as when
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Incantations, amulets and love spells are shirk."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3883; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 331.
What is meant by shirk here is minor shirk, not
major shirk.
Amulets are things that are hung on children such
as turquoise beads and the like, which they claim will
protect them from the evil eye.
Love spells are something that they do, claiming that
it will make a woman beloved to her husband and a
man beloved to his wife.
(iii) _ If the Sahaabah understood from the texts
of sharee'ah that what was meant by shirk here was
minor shirk, not major. Undoubtedly the understanding of
the Sahaabah carries weight, because they are the
most knowledgeable of the people concerning the religion
of Allaah, and the most knowledgeable as to the intent
of the Lawgiver. For example, Abu Dawood (3910)
narrated from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is
shirk, tiyarah is shirk," three times, and there is no one
among us but (will have some of that) but Allaah will rid him
of it by means of tawakkul (putting his trust in Allaah).
The words "there is no one among us…" are the words of
Ibn Mas'ood, as was explained by the prominent scholars
of hadeeth. This indicates that Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah
be pleased with him) understood that this was minor
shirk, because he could not have said, "There is no one
among us…" referring to major shirk. Moreover, major
shirk cannot be eliminated by means of tawakkul, rather it
is essential to repent therefrom.
(iv) _ If the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) interpreted the words shirk or kufr in a
manner which indicates that what is meant is a minor form
thereof and not the major form. For example al-Bukhaari
(1038) and Muslim (74) narrated from Zayd ibn Khaalid
al-Juhani that he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us
at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) finished, he turned to face the people and said to
them: "Do you know what your Lord has said?" They
said: "Allaah and his Messenger know best." He said:
"This morning one of My slaves became a believer in Me
and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: `We have
been given rain by the grace of Allaah and His mercy,' that
one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars; and as
for him who said: `We have been given rain by
such-and-such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer
in the stars.'"
The interpretation of the word kufr here is given in
another report narrated from Abu Hurayrah who said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Do you not know what your Lord
said? `I do not send any blessing upon My slaves but a
group among them become kaafirs thereby because they
refer to the stars and attribute things to the stars. This
explains that if a person attributes rainfall to the stars by
believing that they caused it to fall _ when in fact Allaah has
not made the stars a means of causing rainfall _ his kufr is
a kind of ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah. It is
well known that ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah is
minor kufr. But if a person believes that the stars are
controlling the universe and they are the ones that cause the rain
to fall, then this is major shirk.
Minor shirk may sometimes take the form of
outward actions, such as wearing talismans, strings, amulets
and the like, and other words and deeds. And sometimes
it may be hidden, like a little bit of showing off.
It may also take the form of beliefs:
Such as the belief that something may be a cause
of bringing benefit or warding off harm, when Allaah
has not made it so; or believing that there is barakah
(blessing) in a thing, when Allaah has not made it so.
It sometimes takes the form of words:
Such as when they said, "We have been given rain
by such and such a star," without believing that that the
stars could independently cause rain to fall; or swearing
by something other than Allaah, without believing
in venerating the thing sworn by or regarding it as
equal with Allaah; or saying, "Whatever Allaah wills and
you will," and so on.
It sometimes takes the form of actions:
Such as hanging up amulets or wearing a talisman or
string to dispel or ward off calamity, because everyone
who attribute powers to a thing when Allaah has not made
it so either according to sharee'ah or according to the
laws of the universe, has associated something with
Allaah. This also applies to one who touches a thing seeking
its barakah (blessing), when Allaah has not created
any barakah in it, such as kissing the doors of the
mosques, touching their thresholds, seeking healing from their
dust, and other such actions.
This is a brief look at the division of shirk into major
and minor. We cannot go into great detail in this short answer.
Conclusion:
What the Muslim must do is to avoid shirk in both
its minor and major forms. The greatest sin is shirk
and transgression against the unique rights of Allaah,
which are to be worshipped and obeyed alone, with no
partner or associate.
Hence Allaah has decreed that the mushrikeen will
abide forever in Hell and has told us that He will not
forgive them, and He has forbidden Paradise to them, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set
up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except
that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets
up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented
a tremendous sin"
[al-Nisa' 4:48]
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship)
with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him,
and the Fire will be his abode. And for the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers"
[al-Maa'idah 5:72]
Every wise and religiously-committed person should
fear shirk for himself and should turn to his Lord, asking
Him to help him avoid shirk, as al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem _
peace be upon him] said:
"and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols"
[Ibraaheem 14:35 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
One of the salaf said: "Who can claim to be safe
from this after Ibraaheem?"
So the sincere believer's fear of shirk should increase
as should his desire for his for his Lord to keep him
away from it, and he should say the great du'aa' which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) taught to his companions when he said to them:
"Shirk among you will be more subtle than the footsteps of
an ant, but I will teach you something which, if you do
it, both minor and major shirk will be kept away from
you. Say: Allaahumma inni a'oodhu bika an ushrika bika
wa ana a'lam wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lam (O Allaah,
I seek refuge with You from associating anything with
You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of
which I am unaware)."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami', 3731
The above refers to the difference between major
and minor shirk, defining each and describing its types.
With regard to the difference between them as far as
the ruling is concerned:
Major shirk puts a person beyond the pale of Islam,
so the one who does that is judged to be out of Islam and
to have apostatized therefrom, so he is a kaafir and
an apostate.
Minor shirk does not put a person beyond the pale
of Islam, rather it may be done by a Muslim but he
still remains in Islam; but the one who does that is in
great danger because minor shirk is a major sin. Ibn
Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
"If I were to swear by Allaah falsely, that is better for
me than if I were to swear by something other than
Him sincerely."
So he regarded swearing by something other than
Allaah (which is minor shirk) as being worse than swearing
by Allaah falsely, and it is well known that swearing
by Allaah falsely is a major sin.
We ask Allaah to make our hearts steadfast in adhering
to His religion until we meet Him, and we seek refuge
in His Might _ may He be glorified _ from going astray,
for He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the jinn
and mankind will die. And Allaah knows best and is
most wise, and to Him is the final return of all.
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34501: Swearing by something other than Allaah, such
as one's father or leader, or on one's honour and status
Question:
In the Scouts' promise they say: "I promise by my
honour that I will try my hardest to do my duty towards
Allaah, my country and the king, and I will help people at
all times, and I will abide by the Scouts' law." This
appears in the Scouts' pamphlet that is published by the
Arab Scouts' Trust. What is the ruling on this promise?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is haraam to swear by anything other than
Allaah, whether that be one's father or leader, or on one's
honour or status, etc, because it is proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever swears an oath then let him swear by Allaah or else
keep silent." Agreed upon. And he said: "Whoever swears
an oath, let him not swear by anything other than
Allaah. Narrated by al-Nasaa'i. And he said: "Whoever
swears an oath by anything other than Allaah has
committed shirk."
Secondly:
The Muslim should not regard anything as equal
with Allaah, such as his homeland, the king or the leader,
when pledging to work for them. Rather he should say: "I
pledge to Allaah that I will do my best to do my duty to
Allaah alone, then I will serve my country and help the
Muslims, and I will follow the rules of the Scouts that do not
go against the sharee'ah of Allaah.
Thirdly:
A person's actions should be in accordance with the
laws of Allaah, and it is not permissible for him to
promise that he will act according to the laws of a state or
some other human group at all.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/231 .
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9359: Showing off (riya) in worship
Question:
Is there any chance of getting blessings from an act
ruined by riyaa if one's intentions change to please Allaah
after the thought of riyaa has already come? For example,
I finish reciting Qu'raan, and the thought of riyaa
enters my mind. If I immediately fight this thought with
thinking about Allaah, can I still get blessings for my recitation,
or is it completely ruined forever because of riyaa,
given that the act is over and the riyaa thought came after it
was already over?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
Showing off may affect worship in three ways:
1 _ When the basic motive for worship is to be seen
by others, such as one who stands and prays so that
people will see him, and so that they will praise him for
his prayers. This invalidates the act of worship.
2 _ When it is a factor that develops during the act
of worship, i.e., if the worshipper is initially sincere in
his intention towards Allaah, then the idea of showing
off develops whilst he is doing it. In this case one of
the following two scenarios must apply:
(i) There is no connection between the first part of his
act of worship and the last part, so the first part is valid in
all cases, and the last part is invalid.
For example: a man has one hundred riyals that he
wants to give in charity, so he gives fifty of them in a sincere
act of charity. Then the idea of showing off develops
with regard to the remaining fifty. So the first was a sound
and accepted act of charity, but the last fifty was an
invalid act of charity because the sincerity was mixed with a
desire to show off.
(ii) The first part of the act of worship is connected to
the last part, in which case one of the following two
scenarios must apply:
(a) He wards off the idea of showing off and does
not give in to it, rather he turns away from it and hates
it. This does not have any effect on him, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Allaah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds,
so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it."
(b) When he gives in to this idea of showing off and
does not ward it off. In this case the entire act of
worship becomes invalid, because the first part is connected
to the last part. For example, he starts the prayer with
a sincere intention towards Allaah, then the idea of
showing off develops in the second rak'ah, so the entire
prayer becomes invalid because the first part is connected to
the last part.
3 _ The idea of showing off develop after the act
of worship has ended. This does not affect it or invalidate
it, because it has been completed soundly, so if showing
off occurs after that it does not affect it.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy that the
people come to know about his worship, because this
developed after he has finished the act of worship.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy because
he has done an act of worship, because that is a sign of
his faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever feels happy because of his
good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is
the believer."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was asked about that and said: "That is the first
glad tidings of the believer."
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/29, 30.
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27192: Commentary on the hadeeth "Bad omens are to
be found in a woman, a house and a horse"
Question:
What is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet
(saaw) which states that there is an evil omen in the woman
and the horse? Does it mean, that in general women and
horses are evil?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What is proven in the Sunnah is that it is forbidden
to believe in bad omens (tatayyur) or warn others about
them, and that this is a kind of shirk. For example,
al-Bukhaari (5776) and Muslim (2224) narrated from Anas ibn
Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is
no `adwa (transmission of infectious disease without
the permission of Allaah) and no tiyarah (superstitious
belief in bird omens), but I like optimism." They said, "What
is optimism?" He said, "A good word."
Ahmad (4194), Abu Dawood (3910), al-Tirmidhi
(1614) and Ibn Maajah (3538) narrated that `Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas'ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Tiyarah
(belief in evil omens) is shirk." Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Ahmad (7045) and al-Tabaraani narrated that
`Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
lets tiyarah stop him from doing something is guilty of
shirk." They said, "What is the kafaarah for that?" He said,
"To say: Allaahumma la khayra illaa khayruka wa laa
tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O Allaah, there
is no good except Your good, no birds (omens) except
from You, and there is no god beside You)." [Classed as
hasan by al-Arna'oot and as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 6264]
Al-Tabaraani narrated in al-Kabeer from `Imraan
ibn Husayn that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is not one of us
who practices augury [seeking omens in birds] or has that
done for him, or who practices divination or has that done
for him, or who practices witchcraft or has that done for
him." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami', no. 5435.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Sharh Muslim, no. 2224:
Tatayyur (belief in bad omens) is pessimism, and is
based on something disliked, be it a word or action or
something seen… They used to startle birds to make them move;
if they went to the right they would regard that as a
good omen and go ahead with their journeys or other
plans, but if they went to the left they would cancel their
journeys and plans, and regard that as a bad omen. So it
would often prevent them from doing things that were in
their interests. Islam cancelled out all that and forbade it,
and said that it had no effect, whether good or bad. This
is what is meant by the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "There is no
tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens)," and in
another hadeeth, "Tiyarah is shirk" _ i.e., the belief that it
can bring benefit or harm, if they act upon it believing that
it has any effect, then this is shirk, because they think that
it has an effect on what one does or that it can make
things happen.
This is the basic principle regarding bad omens
(tatayyur). But there are ahaadeeth which indicate that a bad
omen may be in a woman, a house or a horse.
Al-Bukhaari (5093) and Muslim (2252) narrated
from `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
them both) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Bad omens are in a
woman, a house and a horse."
Al-Bukhaari (5094) and Muslim, (2252) narrated that
Ibn `Umar said: Mention of bad omens was made in
the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "If bad omens are to be
found in anything, it is in a house, a woman and a horse."
Abu Dawood (3924) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik
said: A man said: "O Messenger of Allaah, we were in a
house and our numbers and wealth were great, then we
moved to another house where our numbers and
wealth decreased." The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Leave it, it is bad."
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The scholars differed concerning these ahaadeeth and
how to reconcile them with the ahaadeeth that forbid
tatayyur. Some of them interpreted them as they appear to be,
and said that this is an exception from the ruling on
tatayyur, i.e., that tatayyur is forbidden unless a person has a
house which he does not want to live in, or a wife whom
he does not want to keep company with, or a horse or
servant, all of which he should get rid of by selling them, or
by divorcing the wife.
Others said that a house may be regarded as a bad
omen when it is too small, or there are bad neighbours
who cause trouble; a woman may be regarded as a bad
omen when she does not produce children, or she has a
sharp tongue, or she behaves in a suspicious manner; a
horse may be regarded as a bad omen when it is not used
in jihad, or it was said, when it is difficult to handle or it
is too expensive; and a servant may be regarded as a
bad omen when he has a bad attitude or is not trustworthy
or reliable.
Sharh al-Nawawi `ala Muslim.
The correct view is that all types of belief in bad
omens are condemned, and that no kinds of women, houses
or animals can cause harm or bring benefit except by
Allaah's leave. Allaah is the Creator of both good and evil. A
person may be tested with a wife who has a bad attitude, or
a house in which there is a lot of problems, in which case
it is prescribed for him to rid himself of these things,
fleeing from the decree of Allaah to the decree of Allaah, and
so as to avoid falling into pessimism and belief in bad
omens which is forbidden.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"Another group said: regarding these three as bad
omens only affects those who believe in that. Whoever puts
his trust in Allaah and does not believe in omens
and superstition, that does not affect him. They said: this
is indicated by the hadeeth of Anas, `A bad omen only
affects the one who believes in it.' If a person believes in
bad omens, Allaah may make that the cause of bad
things happening to him, just as He may make trust in Him
and making Him alone the focus of one's fear and hope
one of the main causes of warding off evil that people
may superstitiously expect.
The reason for that is that tiyarah (superstitious belief
in omens) implies shirk or associating others with
Allaah, fearing others besides Him and not putting one's trust
in Him. The superstitious person attracts evil to himself,
so the superstition affects him more, because he did
not protect himself with belief in Allaah alone and trust
in Allaah. If a person fears something other than Allaah,
it gains control over him and he is tormented by it; if
he loves something else as well as Allaah, he will
be tormented by it; if he puts his hope in something
alongside Allaah he will be let down by it. These matters are
well known from real life and there is no need to provide
further evidence. Everyone inevitably feels superstitious but
the strong believer wards off those superstitious feelings
by putting his trust in Allaah. Whoever puts his trust
in Allaah, He will suffice him and he will have no need
of anyone or anything else. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"So when you want to recite the Qur'aan, seek
refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the
cursed one).
Verily, he has no power over those who believe and
put their trust only in their Lord (Allaah).
His power is only over those who obey and follow
him (Satan), and those who join partners with Him
(Allaah, i.e. those who are Mushrikoon, i.e., polytheists)"
[al-Nahl 16:98]
Hence Ibn Mas'ood said: "All of us sometimes
feel superstitious, but Allaah causes it to disappear when
we put our trust in Him." They said: superstition with
regard to houses, women and horses may affect only those
who believe in it; as for the one who puts his trust in
Allaah and fears Him alone, and does not believe in bad
omens, then horses, women and houses cannot be bad omens
for him.
Then he said:
Whoever believes that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) attributed
a superstitious effect to anything in the sense that it
may have an effect in and of itself independently of Allaah
is telling a serious lie against Allaah and His
Messenger and has gone far astray. His speaking of bad
omens existing in these three things does not constitute proof
of what he had denied before. All it means is that
Allaah may a superstitious effect in objects for those who
come near them or live in them, and there may be some
blessing in some objects, and anyone who comes nears them
is not affected by bad omens or anything bad. This is
like when Allaah gives parents a blessed child and
they experience goodness because of him, whilst He
gives others a mean child and they experience bad
things because of him. This applies to what may Allaah
may bestow on His slave of houses, wives and horses.
Allaah is the Creator of good and evil, good luck and bad
luck. So some of these things may be "lucky" and blessed
and bring happiness for those who come into contact
with them, so they are blessed; and some of them may
be "unlucky" and bring "bad luck" to those who come
into contact with them, all by the will and decree of
Allaah, just as He has created all other causes and effects
which may vary. So He has created musk and other
fragrant substances, which give delight to all those who come
into contact with them, and He has created their
opposites which cause disgust to all those who come into
contact with them. The difference between the two types is
known from experience. The same applies to houses, women
and horses. This is one thing, and the shirki belief in bad
omens is something else altogether.
He said concerning the Prophet's command to that
family to leave that house, as mentioned in the hadeeth
quoted above:
This is not the kind of superstition that is forbidden.
Rather he told them to leave it when they started to think
along these lines, in order to achieve two aims and two benefits:
1 _ It was so that they would leave a place that
they disliked and felt scared in because of what had
happened to them there, so that they might find relief from the
panic, grief and depression that assailed them there,
because Allaah has made it man's nature to hate that which
causes him harm even though it is not the fault of that thing,
and to love that which brings him happiness, even though
the thing itself does not intend to do good. So he
commanded them to leave that which they disliked, because
Allaah sent him as a mercy, and did not send him as a
torment. He sent him to make things easy, not to make things
hard. So how could he have told them to stay in a place
where they were unhappy and felt scared to stay because of
the great losses they had suffered there, when that would
serve no purpose of worship or increase their piety or
guidance, especially when they had stayed there for so long
after they had begun to feel uncomfortable there which
made them superstitious. So this protected them from
two serious things:
1 _ Committing shirk
2 _ Protecting them from something bad happening
to them because of their superstition, which usually
affects those who believe in it. So he protected them because
of his great mercy and kindness from these two
disliked things, by telling them to leave that house and move
to another without any harm coming to them with regard
to either their worldly or religious interests.
Miftaah Daar al-Sa'aadah, 2/258
And Allaah knows best.
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