“He grants to whomsover he wishes a female and He grants to whomsoever he wishes a male.”(49:42)
Having children is a great blessing of Allah SWT and not having children is also a blessing of Allah SWT. This post is aimed at parents who have children and are able to have children, appreciate this blessing which many other couples are praying day and night for, crying out loud for and raising their hands in the middle of the night for… If you are able to have children then have children in plentiful and don’t stop Allah’s taqdeer by following society and its norms… “hum dow awr hamare dow” isn’t an Islamic concept.
I’m not targeting parents who only have one child or two then are unable to conceive etc. I’m talking about this Western idea of family planning and pre-planning our lives like non-Muslims. I understand the fear of modern-day fitnahs and how bringing children into the world has a worry attached with it but Allah is bigger and our trust and hope should lie in Him. I’m sure the only son wants a brother and so does the only daughter. This makes a big difference, especially when the kids grow up.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
Then Shayṭān whispered to him; he said, ‘O Ādam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?’” [20:120]
You see, Iblis is a master of distorting reality. The tree that Allah had commanded them to not come near, was now being called the tree of eternity. Iblīs will either take the goodness and make it appear as evil or take evil and make it appear as something good. In this case, Iblīs is taking something evil and making it appear as something good. The evils in society are given a positive name and as a result, we may accept it. Shayṭān will make Zina look enticing and call it making love. Iblīs makes people think about sexual freedom and not think that it is a big deal to have sex outside of marriage. We see the effects in our society: divorce, single parents raising kids, STDs, etc.
Iblīs will never remind you of these things. Iblīs deceives people into thinking things are good. He will get people to label each other. When you label someone, you can distort reality very easily. You turn people into caricatures and stereotypes and then can attack the stereotype irrespective if that is actually true of the person you are addressing. It is one of the tricks he uses most frequently.
1. “I pray my Salah and Manzil, then trust Allah. Nothing can harm me! Why would I need Ruqya?”
A simple answer for such people is that the Prophet PBUH also prayed Salah and read the Qur’an, rather the Qur’an was revealed upon him. Despite such noble piety, He PBUH was still affected by jinn/jadoo for six months and wasn’t aware (some scholars say even longer). Salah and Qur’an/Manzil are the best forms of protection, they do help, but a person can still be affected by nazar and jinn etc.
NB: We do not stop anyone from reading Manzil and general Qur’an as this does help immensely if someone casts evil eye on you despite your Salah and Qur’an it will only affect you 20%-30%, because you have a certain amount of protection.
2. “I went for Ruqya once it didn’t make a difference, black magic never really goes away.”
This is a statement we hear often because people have unrealistic expectations from Raqis. They want us to fix all their life problems, marriage, kids, work, house and maybe get us that fancy new car too?? And when those expectations are not met it leads to disappointment and frustration.
Secondly, Ruqya is never a one-time fix, this is the biggest mistake people make because most people need a few sessions.
Thirdly, patience is needed. It takes time for these things to heal. A person can have black magic for 10 years and expects it to go in a day or a week? Even medical doctors can’t cure cancer in a week.
You don’t change GPs every week, in a like manner don’t go to one Raqi today, another one next week, then try Taweez in India, by February you’re on Chinese herbal medicine and then back to anti-depressants. Stick to one method for at least 6 months, if it doesn’t work go to someone else, but do regular treatment.
3. “Ruqya is soo expensive and they tell you to drink Zamzam regularly also expensive, and buy Ajwa dates even more expensive! Ruqya is a rip-off!!”
Money means a lot to us all, we all value and love our money, but do we love our health? Mental and physical health… that’s what it boils down to. If you value your health, you will spend the money you spend all your life earning to save that health. But not everyone does, and nobody admits it.
Dear brother and dear sister, have you ever contemplated the amount of money you spend on takeaways/restaurants. The amount brothers spend on cigarettes and shisha. The amount sisters spend on make-up and handbags? Shoes? None of the above save your health! Cut down on these and save £20 for Zamzam/Ajwa… I’m not an accountant, but you can do the maths, we happily spend on futile things because shaytan loves to mislead us.
Ruqya is expensive and the reason is the nature of the field and the risks we take to do this job. It’s not easy and it’s not ABC, don’t compare us to a dentist or optician who opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm. Raqis have to do so many things in the background to protect themselves to treat you, it also affects their family and house. Not to mention the backlash from doing Ruqya which comes in many forms.
But we must apply the ‘common sense rule’. If someone is charging in the 100s, then Shariah says use your Aqal and run, as you run from a lion. Don’t get conned!
Look for those who have decent and reasonable prices, bearing in mind those who run from clinics have rent to pay (costs add up). I’m only explaining, not justifying.
Again, I will say, I rarely hear people complain about dentists and opticians who have high rates! Private health care rips your wallet, arm, and leg off…
4. “I’ve heard these guys are all bogus, they make stories up. And it’s all money-making!”
Nobody likes stereotypes. Nobody. But we all get angry and emotional at some point in our lives and blurt a few things hidden in our minds, because of our bad experiences. You are allowed to have bad experiences and even talk about them, just don’t generalise. The word ‘all’ is dangerous, especially when it’s due to the actions of a few individuals.
The police are meant to protect us and uphold the law, often they break the law. There are corrupt police officers, does that mean all coppers are bent? #LoD
Teachers are meant to educate our children in school and madrasah, many teachers abuse our children, physically and sexually. Do you still send your children to school or do you generalise?
Doctors are meant to save our lives, but many doctors have killed their patients. Have you stopped going to the hospital?
My point is every sector has a few rotten apples, but you can’t say that everyone is the same. You get genuine people in the world and corrupt people, we need to look for genuine Raqis.
I have never denied the fact that there are fake healers, even in the Taweez/Aamil world. Don’t look at social media and YouTube, everyone looks good on there! Sisters particularly need to be careful as these predators often target vulnerable women. Always go with a mahram and ask questions if you have doubts about their diagnosis, don’t be bamboozled.
5. “Isn’t there a Hadith to the nearest effect, 70,000 people will enter Jannah without accountability on Qiyamah. One group is those who don’t seek Ruqya.”
The Hadith is correct, but like with most Hadith they need interpretation and commentary, they shouldn’t be taken literally, otherwise, it can cause confusion (generally speaking not just for Ruqya). There are Hadith that the Prophet PBUH urinated standing up? Do we follow such Hadith?
The different meanings of the “one who did not seek ruqya.”
1. There are certain pious individuals who have 100% reliance on Allah SWT and they never turn to the creation for help, like the Prophets AS and the Sahabah RA and even in the general public we have the Saints of Allah, they shouldn’t seek Ruqya as it goes against their tawakkul.
2. They do not ask anyone for Ruqya until the affliction happens, some individuals who panic seek Ruqya before the affliction, this is incorrect.
3. They believe Allah cures not the Raqi, so their belief is correct.
4. They refrain from shirk in their Ruqya, like the Ruqya in pre-Islamic times.
5. They try Ruqya or treatment themselves first then seek it from others. Self-Ruqya is important, to learn and teach it to others.
These are the answers given by Shaykh Khalid Hibshi, KSA
6. “I believe my issues are mental health or even medical. I don’t need Ruqya, because I don’t believe in jinn/jadoo.”
An increasing issue, especially in Europe and the West, where Mental Health issues are accepted and Jinn/Jadoo issues are rejected, denied and marginalized. So where is the balance and correlation between them all? We, as Muslims should believe in Mental Health, it’s a growing reality. Our lifestyle, our diet, and the fast-moving technology are usually the causes.
As for believing in Ruqya and Jinn/Jadoo, be careful before you get your defense shield up. Ruqya is reciting verses of the Qur’an and the treatment is everything mentioned in the Hadith. There is a Surah in the Qur’an called ‘Surah Jinn’. The Prophet PBUH and many of the Sahabah RA were affected by Black Magic. To deny the above is a major sin, and we need to watch our words before we deny them haphazardly.
It is mainly men who deny these things and even some scholars are negative towards jinn/jadoo issues (wait for day 10 and the reality of Ulama/Imams).
To believe in one thing you don’t need to deny another, to believe in mental health (because you suffered) doesn’t mean you deny jinn/Jadoo. But I’ll be honest, I do feel mental health is overrated, everything is mental health nowadays! Especially with the millennial kids and millennial parents, they don’t believe in jinn/Jadoo as much. The reason is the secular society we live in, the NHS and Media promote Mental Health massively. Well, my answer is My Nabi and My Allah promote jinn/Jadoo issues far more, it is endorsed in the Qur’an and Hadith. We do believe in mental health but mental health doesn’t believe in us.
Many people suffering from jinn/jadoo will suffer mental health issues and vice versa, jinn/jadoo can be a contributing factor in mental health and medical issues. Ruqya has helped people who suffer from Anxiety, Depression, Severe Migraines, even in cases of Cancer Ruqya has helped. Some were given ‘all clear’ and others said Ruqya helped with (the pain of) Chemo. That doesn’t mean we deny medical issues, it just endorses what Allah SWT has said, “The Quran is Shifa.” If doctors and medical experts know everything and cure all, why are soo many people still suffering day and night pills after pills;
CT scan = Clear.
MRI = Clear.
X-ray = Clear.
But they are still in pain and agony? Please do explain.
7. “I’ve had soo much Ruqya done, been to a dozen Raqis. Why am I not getting better? Why doesn’t it go away?”
Some people don’t get better and don’t see major improvements, there are reasons for this: i) People don’t act upon the advice we give them. They don’t pray salah and manzil, let alone surah baqarah (which is long). Men don’t go to the masjid, sisters don’t want to cover up and wear hijab, how on earth will you get better? Apart from a miracle…
ii) Sihr/Jadoo can be repeated. Just like Covid-19, you can get it once and you can get it twice (some have had it thrice). You can also get jadoo again, because the people doing it repeat it. Hence, I say never give up Manzil and Surah Baqarah, keep drinking Ruqya water, and use olive oil regularly. Most people become complacent once they see signs of improvement.
iii) The one doing Black Magic is close to you. Nobody likes to hear that, but often true. I don’t suggest accusing people, but the worst cases for us are when the perpetrators of Sihr are family members. Hence they keep feeding you and you lose all spirituality and religiosity.
Food is the strongest source of Black Magic, they feed you by mixing it in your food (usually sweet things, cakes, biscuits, or tea). The food enters your body, flows through your blood, eventually, you are fully ‘jadoofied’. A man’s whole personality can change, good men/women can become bitter and evil, harsh and arrogant.
If you find the concept hard why a family member would do jadoo, father on his own son? Wife on her own husband? One word: control. Control is what everyone craves, but not everyone gets it. Black Magic will give you that control (temporarily), and hellfire (permanently).
8. “You treated my brother who got better instantly, but I am not seeing results despite praying manzil regularly and reading surah baqarah etc.”
Yaqeen and conviction is an important aspect of Islam, it makes all the difference in treatment (medical or spiritual). Even if you take a paracetamol your belief should be Allah SWT cures, not the tablet. If you come for Ruqya you need to believe Allah SWT cures, not the Raqi. The higher the level of Yaqeen the quicker the ilaaj.
Two people can come for Ruqya with different mind-sets and see different results. Many come to ‘test’ us and see if it works. Totally wrong mindset, such people need to stick to MOT testing and not test the words of Allah SWT. If you are cured, Allah SWT cured you and if you weren’t cured there is a deficiency somewhere.
One of the greatest things I have learnt from Ruqya is trust in Allah SWT, hope in Him, and being optimistic about Allah SWT in all situations. It’s a real test of your Imaan. “I am as my servants think of me” (Hadith Qudsi). Think good of Allah SWT and the results are amazing!
One of the best clips on Husne Dhann with Allah SWT for Arabic listeners.
A line from the clip, “One of the pious predecessors used to say, even if Allah SWT enters me into the Hellfire, I will still tell the people of Hell: I love Allah SWT!”
Subhan Allah! Despite being entered into Hell, to still say I love Allah (because He is fair) is real love and optimism. Allah grant us a share of it. Ameen.
9. “I have heard Raqis don’t like Aamils and people who do Taweez, is this true? Because they say all Taweez are shirk!”
There is a hadith that states ‘amulets/taweez are shirk’, but there is also a hadith (which nobody quotes) that states ‘Ruqya is shirk’. As always, Hadith need interpretation and commentary. The answer to both Hadith is that those amulets which contain the words of Shirk and associating partners with Allah SWT are Shirk. The same applies to Ruqya of jahiliyya/pre-Islam which contains Shirk is not allowed.
Taweez is a grey area though and we need to be careful what sort of taweez we use. If it is clear and legible, then good, if it is a Qur’an ayah you know, then okay. But if you don’t know what it says in the taweez, avoid it like the plague. Why risk it?
Many taweez have been opened to find hair and blood inside. Others had the names of Shaytan and pictures of Shaytan. Hence, we always promote Ruqya which is clear and Qur’anic, it makes sense. The method of treatment is found in the Sunnah. Why have cotton when you can have silk?
As for the hatred, Taweez vs. Ruqya, I have never been intimidated by anyone who does Taweez, Alhumdu Lillah. But I am not sure about the other way round. I have heard many Aamils who spread all sorts of rumours about Raqis, it’s like we are stepping on their toes! If what they do is “kosher” why do they panic when someone starts Ruqya?
Why the use of such adjectives like “dodgy mawlana” or “Magician molsab”? Carry on with what you do silently… but ruqya does damage for some of them, because their works are far, far from kosher. It is the work of Shaytan! Black magic comes from somewhere…
And often that somewhere are Peers and Mawlanas who sell Taweez containing shirk and black magic. People who do Black Magic don’t sit in a castle dressed in black with a cat and cauldron, that’s Harry Potter! In real life, they are our own scholars making millions of dollars. Be warned!
The truth is always bitter, but bitter medicine has always proven to cure faster than any other. And remember half these stories you get from Aamils are absolutely bogus, many claim to keep jinns for info, even that is questionable whether their jinns exist? But people love to hear their fascinating stories!
10. “I recently went to a counsellor with my husband, the counsellor is also an Alim. We talked about jinn/jadoo issues to which he replied, “shut that topic down, no such thing! 99% of these jinn/jadoo issues are just mental health!”
The best to the last… Ulama and jinn/jadoo issues! First and foremost, we need to understand scholars are scholars, not God! They study in Darul Uloom for 6/7 years to give them “training” in Qur’an/Hadith.
I choose my words carefully, ‘training’, they don’t qualify to know everything. Then they’re told to further their studies on their own or specialise in specific fields. But the majority don’t, many don’t even know Qur’an and Hadith properly let alone specialise in something, let alone know about Mental Health and Jinn/Jadoo issues. Just like this scholar mentioned above. When I put on my trench coat and glasses, I realised he also works in a school? Imagine how many people he is misleading because of his arrogance! You know I will always challenge these molvis… so I called him and gave a plethora of evidence, hadhrat jee put the phone down! I apologised for hurting his ego.
For years, I wondered and wandered through different avenues to work out why soo many Ulama are against Ruqya and negative towards jinn/jadoo issues.
Once I listened to a talk relating the story of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal RH, in his time someone came and said, “O Imam! Fulan ibn Fulan denies the issue of jinn!” Imam Ahmad RH: “This is the Shaytan talking on his tongue.” This meaning shaytan will target ulama/imams and misguide them, to mislead the masses, there is plenty of evidence for this. It is important for ulama to have protection against sihr/jinn.
We will always reach out to Ulama who are wrong and correct them, there is no harm. It is better than gheebat-ing, especially in a dars of hadith. That’s right, even senior scholars can be corrected. Recently, our intel told us a senior Shaykhul Hadith sat in a lesson of Bukhari blasting Ruqya and blasting me! What was my sin? Educating people on Black Magic and Ruqya.
Subhan Allah! It’s a shame ulama don’t have the courage to ring me or tell me to my face, especially when I’m not doing anything wrong… these are the elders we are told to respect since we were small. I wonder if they are elders or oldies?
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb (Allah have mercy upon him)
askimam.com
Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb RH was born in Richmond, Natal. He completed his Qurān Memorization (Hifdh) by the renowned Hafiz Abdur Rahman Mia Saheb Rahimahullah at Waterval Islamic Institute (Miā’s Farm) South Africa. Thereafter, he pursued his ῾Ālim Course in Jamia Islamia, Dhabel for 7 years and passed with distinction every year. Mufti Ebrahim Desai completed his Mufti Course (Iftā) at Jamia Islāmia, Dhabel, India under Hazrat Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri Saheb of Dabhel for 2 years. After he completed his Iftaa in Dabhel, he went to Deoband to spend time with his Shaykh, the Grand Mufti of India and famous reformer and saint of the time, Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi Rahmatullah Alayh for Islaah and increase in spirituality. Mufti Saheb is the Khalifah of Mufti Mahmood Saheb Gangohi Rahimahullah.In 2011, Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb moved to Durban permanently and laid the foundation for Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, Sherwood, Durban. He is currently the Ameer of the Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah where students enrol to study the Iftaa course. The Darul Iftaa caters for many facilities under the supervision of Mufti Sahib. Ulama who study under him to become Muftis, qualify from local Darul Ulooms, UK, US, Canada, and many parts of Africa. Many of Mufti Sahebs students have established Darul Iftaas in many parts of the world and have their own fatwa websites that are affiliated to Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah. Further information can be accessed at http://www.daruliftaa.net.
POSTS: Current Executive member of KZN Jamiatul Ulama (The Council Of Muslim Theologians) Current Head of the Fatwa Department of KZN Jamiatul Ulama (The Council Of Muslim Theologians) for 25 years. Mufti Saheb was appointed at that position by Moulana Yunus Patel Rahimahullah and Moulana Abdul Haq Omarjee Rahimahullah. Current Head of the Judicial Committee of KZN Jamiatul Ulama (The Council Of Muslim Theologians). Mufti Saheb was a senior lecturer of Hadith at Madrasah In’aamiyyah, Camperdown for 10 years. Mufti Saheb taught Fiqh, Principles of Fiqh, Tafsīr, Hadīth at Madrasah Ta῾leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa for 10 years. Senior Teacher at Madrasah Nu῾māniyyah, (Chatsworth, Durban) as well as Madrassah Hamidiyyah. Mufti Saheb has been teaching Bukhari Shareef for over 20 years. Mufti Saheb is the guest of the world-renowned Askimam.org website which serves over 123 countries in the world. The Askimam.org site hosts approximately over 40,000 rulings with approximately 80,000 hits daily. A Sharī῾ah Compliant Business Campaign, which was also initiated by Mufti Saheb in 2002 provides a conference to tackle contemporary business matters in Islamic Commerce and Finance. Official Arbitrator of commercial and marital mediations/arbitrations. Mufti Saheb has extensively travelled viz. United States, Canada, UK, China, Zambia, Malawi, and other countries for almost 15 Years and delivered talks and lectures on various topics in Masājids, Universities, and various institutes and has been included in 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world for many years. Mufti Saheb also holds Majaalis on Islaah and Tasawwuf every Thursday night after Esha Salaah at Masjid-e-Saaliheen, Sherwood. PUBLICATIONS: Mufti Saheb has published numerous articles and kitaabs. He recently compiled Contemporary Fatawa comprising of three volumes and also published a detailed commentary on the Qaseedah Burdah which is available at the Darul Iftaa. Mufti Saheb has also authored two books, “Introduction to Hadīth: A general introduction to Hadīth and its sciences” and Madkhal al-Buyoo’ (Introductions to Islamic Commerce). His fatawa have been compiled in a 2-volume book titled “Al-Mahmood”. Another compilation of his talks at the Shariah Compliant Business Campaign is also available titled “Shariah Compliant Business Campaign”. The latest compilation of contemporary verdicts is also available in 3 volumes titled “Contemporary Fatawa”. Mufti Saheb has been issuing Fatwās in various fields for more than 25 years.
Glad Tidings in a Dream about Shaikh ul Hadeeth Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb Rahimahullah. (Aapa Umme Yusuf) The Ahliyah of Moulana Muhammad Ashraf Hansrot Hafizahullah saw Hadhrat Mufti Saheb in a dream Last Night. They were a very lengthy discussion. Mufti Saheb had a lot of Noor on him. There were a lot of Questions and Answers as was the norm with Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullahs Majalis. The questioner then asked Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah who is your “Parosi” neighbour in Jannah. Mufti Rahimahullah says that “Woh to Ho Gayaa, Koi Khaas Hai” meaning “That’s done already, It is Someone Very Special” (This was a very unique way of talking where Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah would now and then add Urdu words into his conversation) Then Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah mentions that my neighbour in Jannah is Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. May Allah Ta’ala make this dream a reality and grant this lofty position to our Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb Rahimahullah. Ameen Moulana Muhammad Ashraf Saheb and his family had a very long-established Ta’alluq with Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah as Hadhrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah would spend the blessed month of Ramadhan in London with them for years and they were all very sad upon the demise and passing away of Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb Rahimahullah. This is Allah Ta’alas way of consoling them upon this great loss.
Mawlana Imraan Desai on His Beloved Father Mufti Ibrahim Desai Rahimahullah
My fathers 3 outstanding qualities:
1) Husne Dhann – He used to make excuses for people who had done the worst of things to him & to us children. ‘Maybe this is what happened..’ & make excuses for them. He disliked ugliness between himself & anyone & disliked it for others too. 2) Love for Hadith, Fatawa & anyone in all the different services of Deen. He taught Bukhari Shareef for 30 years & his love for Bukhari Shareef cant be explained in words. Only if you sat in his class, you would know. I was lucky enough to be his student also. 3) Generosity – Many people think of generosity as giving wealth, whilst he felt pity for every single beggar who asked of him, he was generous with his time to the public & his love for his students. Those who know him will recognise & realise this deep, inner generosity he had. Once, he wanted to give to a beggar & he gave a long, sad story. He listened & didn’t interrupt him. I said, he is conning you (referring to the beggar) & he told me that Allah is so merciful & loving, Allah sent the beggar to HIM, so he could deposit some Sadaqah into his Aakhirah. ‘Dont look at WHO you are giving, look at where it is going’ (Your Akhirah) If kindness, love & generosity were to be personified, it would be my father’s smiling face.
Many people believe in superstitions so much that they alter their plans or behaviour in order to avoid what they call, “bad luck”. I witnessed this myself, first hand, as I was growing up. My grandmother was very superstitious. Her kitchen floor was always covered in salt because when she cooked she would add a pinch to the pot and throw some over her shoulder for “good luck”. She would actually cross the street and walk an extra block just to avoid the path of a black cat or go out of her way to get around an open ladder so that she would not have to pass under it. My grandmother did all of this for the sake of good fortune and the avoidance of danger.
Similar superstitions existed during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The pagan Arabs were especially steeped in superstitions related to birds. They believed seeing certain birds at certain times were good omens and seeing them at other times were bad omens. The pagan Arabs lived and often died as a result of their superstitious beliefs not because the superstitions had any power but rather due to their own ignorance.
Belief in superstitions is considered to be a grave act of shirk, or ascribing partners to Allah, which is the one and only sin that Allah Almighty will not forgive. Nothing in this world, whether it is living or inanimate, has any power save through Allah’s grace. Even by looking at the example of birds this is evident:
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
“Do they not see the birds held (flying) in the midst of the sky? None holds them but Allah (none gave them the ability to fly but Allah). Verily, in this are clear Ayaat (proofs and signs) for people who believe (in the Oneness of Allah)” (16:79)
This verse clearly shows that Allah is in command of the birds as well as all of Creation. Allah decides where birds fly or roost. The flight of birds is not dependent upon where good luck or bad luck resides.
Superstitions are a trick of the devil to lead humans further and further away from Allah so that on the Day of Judgment he will have some company in hell. The one who believes in superstitions truly has followed the devil and is no longer on the path, which leads to Allah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was once asked about superstitious beliefs and this is what Muhammad ﷺ said:
“The best of it is fa’l (belief in good omens) and it should not prevent a Muslim from going ahead (with his plans).
Ignoring superstitions will not harm us in the very least. In fact, by not engaging in shirk we are more likely to please Allah which might actually save us from what we feared in the first place. On the other hand, the one who obeys the devil and their superstitions is more likely to fall right into the disaster they were so keen to avoid! Poetic justice perhaps? However, even if we avoid the belief in superstitions completely bad things may still happen to us. That does not mean the superstitions were correct rather it is in the timing of Allah’s Decree. All things that happen to us, good and bad, come at a time appointed by Allah as a means to test who is the best in faith.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
“No calamity befalls on the Earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees, before we bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.” (57:22)
By not allowing superstitions to guide your life and decisions, you can slam the door right in the devil’s face. Place all of your trust in Allah Almighty who is the Only One deserving of it.
Black Cats
It is permissible to have cats and breed them on condition that you fulfil their rights, even if they are black in colour. But it is better not to get black cats because Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy upon him) mentioned that the jinn may take possession of a black cat, like the case of a black dog, as he said, “The black dog is the devil of the dogs and the jinn take his image much, as well as the image of a black cat because the black colour gathers the satanic forces and it and black has the strength of heat.”
This is possible. Jinns do have the ability to take the form of a creature or serpent. Rasulullah ﷺ is reported to have said:
“A group of Jinn residing in Madinah have accepted Islam, so if any of you see any of these creatures (snakes/scorpions etc.) then he should warn it (to leave) thrice. If it still appears then kill it, for verily it is a Shaytan. “(Sahih Muslim: 2236)
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) states:
“Jinn can come in the form of black dogs. Similarly they can also come in the form of black cats” (Majmu ‘ul Fatawa, vol. 19 pg. 52)
However this does not mean that every black cat is a jinn. All that this means is that it is possible for a jinn to appear in the form of a black cat.
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah) and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens), but I like optimism.” They said, “What is optimism?” He said, “A good word.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (5776) and Muslim (2224).
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1614)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The word tiyarah is derived from the word tatayyur, which refers to superstition about something that is seen or heard; or it was said that it refers to superstition about anything ,whether it is something that is seen or heard, or a time or place. This is more comprehensive as it includes things that are not seen or heard, such as superstition about certain times.
The basic meaning of tatayyur is pessimism but reference is made to birds (tayr) because most of the superstitions held by the Arabs have to do with birds, so it was connected to them. But the general definition is superstition based on something that is seen, heard or known.
The Arabs used to regard certain birds, times and persons as unlucky, and this is shirk as the Prophet ﷺ said.
If a person opens the door to superstition, the world will become a hard place for him and he will imagine that everything is a bad omen. There are even some people who, if they get up in the morning and go out and meet a man who only has one eye, they will regard it as a bad omen and say: Today is a bad day, so such a person will close his shop and not sell or buy anything – Allah forbid. Some of them regarded Wednesday as unlucky and said that it was a day of bad omens and bad luck, and some of them regarded the month of Shawal as unlucky, especially for weddings. The case of ‘Aa’ishah proves that this superstition is wrong, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married her in Shawwal and consummated the marriage with her in Shawal, so she used to say: “And who among you was more beloved to him than me?” Narrated by Muslim. The answer is: No one.
What matters is that no one should pay any attention to superstition, because it will spoil his life. What we should do is follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who liked optimism, as was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. We should be optimistic, not pessimistic, like some people who try something time after time, then they become pessimistic and think that they will never succeed in it, so they give it up. This is wrong, because if you think that something is good, you should not give it up at the first attempt; try again and again until Allah makes it easy for you.
Superstition is only mentioned in the Qur’an as something followed by the enemies of the Messengers, which indicates that the one who follows it and believes in it is as ignorant as those people, to the extent that he believes in these notions.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allah does not mention superstition except on the part of the enemies of the Messengers, as they said to their Messengers (interpretation of the meaning):
“ ‘For us, we see an evil omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us.’
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)’” [Yaseen 36:18, 19]
And Allah tells us about the people of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
“But whenever good came to them, they said: ‘Ours is this.’ And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Moosa (Moses) and those with him. Be informed! Verily, their evil omens are with Allah” [al-A’raaf 7:131]
Miftaah Daar al-Sa’adah (3/231, 232)
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said of the people of the Jahiliyyah:
Most of them believed in bird omens and relied in that, and they usually came true for them, because the shaytan was making it appear attractive to them, and some traces of that are still present among many Muslims.
Fath al-Bari (10/213).
In order to deal with this pessimism which the shaytan instils by whispers and makes attractive to people:
1 – Put your trust fully and properly in Allah.
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk, and any one of us may think he sees an evil omen but Allah will dispel it by means of trust in Him (tawakkul).” Abu Dawood (3910)
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade tiyarah and said “There is no tiyarah.” That is because during the Jahiliyyah they believed in superstitious omens, and he forbade them to do that and told them to put their trust in Allah, because nothing happens except by His decree and no one has any knowledge of the unseen but Him.
Al-Tamheed (24/195).
2 – Go ahead with what you want to do, and do not delay it or change your mind.
3 – Pray to Allah to free you from this trap of the shaytan, and ask Him for that which is good, and seek refuge with Him from evil.
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets tiyarah (superstition) stop him from doing something has committed an act of shirk.” They said, “What is the kafarah (expiation) for that?” He said, “To say: Allahumma la khayra illaa khayruka wa laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O Allah, there is no good except Your good, no birds except Yours, and there is no god beside You).” Narrated by Ahmad (7045)
Types of superstitious belief in bad omens, ancient and modern:
Certain beliefs about days or months, such as Safar and Shawwaal.
Certain belief about birds, such as crows and owls.
Certain beliefs about animals, such as snakes, black cats and monkeys, or their movements, such as the passing of gazelles.
Certain beliefs about types of people, such as a one-eyed man or a hunchback.
Certain beliefs about numbers, such as 13 among the Christians, 7 among the Bedouin and 10 among the Rafidis; in the latter case because they dislike the asharah mubashsharah (the ten Sahabah who were given the certain promise of Paradise) with the exception of Ali (Allah be pleased with him). Hence they will say nine plus one instead of ten.
Certain sounds, such as the voice of a crow or the sound of an ambulance or fire truck.
Frightening or disturbing dreams.
Colours, such as the colour of blood, or yellow.
When the eyelashes of the left eye tremble involuntarily, they say, something bad is going to happen to us.
Calling a child by the name of a living person, such as the father or mother and so on.
Witnessing an accident or a fire in the morning.
Seeing one’s wife’s mother in the morning.
When the right hand or right foot itches.
Stepping over a child
Cutting one’s nails at night
Sweeping the house at night
Refusing to do laundry on Mondays
Opening the scissors and closing them without a reason causes family problems
Twitching of the eyes
Hazazah for the child who has hiccups. They collect any amount of money, whatever it is, from seven people whose name has to be Muhammad, and they take it to a blacksmith to make what they call hazazah, which they then place on the child’s clothes to take away the hiccups.
After giving birth, when the woman is still in the state of nifas or postpartum bleeding, no other woman should enter upon her who has her monthly period, because that will prevent her from having children.
It is not permitted for the Muslim who believes in Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, Muhammad ﷺ as a Prophet and Messenger, and in the divine decree, both good and bad, to think that any being, entity or quality can have a specific effect in bringing good or warding off harm, as there is no evidence in shareeah to that effect. This is part of the legacy of jahiliyyah (ignorance) which has been cancelled out by Islam and is regarded as being shirk which negates perfect Tawheed, because it is insinuating thoughts (waswaas) and scare tactics from the Shaytan.
It is like the attitude of the people of Pharaoh, about whom Allah said (interpretation of the meaning): But whenever good came to them, they said, ours is this. And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Moosa ﷺ and those with him [al-Araaf 7:131]. If some disaster or drought befell them, they blamed it on evil omens which they associated with Moosa ﷺ and the believers with him, but Allah refuted this and said (interpretation of the meaning): Verily, their evil omens are with Allah [al-Araaf 7:131].
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
If you are a Barelwi and you always stick up for Barewlis, understand this isn’t Islam. If you are a Deobandi and you always stick up for Deobandis, understand this isn’t Islam. If you are a Salafi and always stick up for Salafis, understand this isn’t Islam. This is called following your ego, and we have many “ego bhais” in ALL societies. The same applies to Indians and Pakistanis who stick up for their own… follow Islam and don’t get so so defensive!
If Ulama showed a bit of humility then I wouldn’t need to take to such platforms, we always believe in telling people privately, unfortunately, they don’t always listen. Shame on some Pakistanis and Pakistani Ulama who showed a lack of sympathy towards the poor girl who committed suicide, Ayesha Banu, from India (Allah have mercy upon her).
We all know suicide is Haram. The video of Mufti Tariq Masood saheb where he says, “don’t have mercy upon her” further he make jokes about suicide was TOTALLY insensitive. We all know Mufti Tariq Saheb is very humorous, but so is Mufti Ismail Menk. But the video of Mufti Ismail Menk was far more sensitive and considerate and heartfelt. Defensive Pakistanis said that Mufti Tariq Saheb is humourous, I am sorry Mufti Ismail Menk is far more humorous? He didn’t laugh, nor make jokes, he didn’t even smile. He said we need to look at Ayesha’s background and what led to her suicide. Mufti Tariq didn’t do this, he didn’t even know if the story was true? (A quick google search would have helped mufti saheb). As Ulama, before we do a lecture on ANY topic we are told to do research and motala. Something as sensitive as suicide needed background information on the girl and her story. If you don’t have time, don’t do a bayan.
I have followed Mufti Tariq Masood for years, he is a good speaker. But the reason I’ve had to point this out is due to Pakistanis and Pakistani ulama who are pure and plain defensive. They can’t accept a word against their ‘pukstani ulama’. That’s not following Islam, that is following your ego. I actually don’t follow Mufti Ismail Menk, but we give credit where it’s due, Alhumdu Lillah!
The second category of people I want to call out are the narrowminded Deobandis. They have totally dismissed Mufti Menk’s video, you know why? “He’s not one of us….” Astagh firullah! Disgusting…
“Accept the truth even, if it is from a child.” Fudhayl ibn Ayadh RH.
I am also Deobandi, but we cannot be so narrowminded. Our true akabir and pious predecessors did not ignore the truth when it reached them, they were humble and accepted, even if they were wrong (naturally, they also made mistakes). A girl lost her life due to domestic violence and long-suffering. And all Pakistani ulama can do is massage their ego? “We are right…” I just hope it’s not because she was “Indian.” Pakistanis pipe up very quickly against Gujaratis and Gujarati racism… we accept that there is racism in Gujaratis. But dear Pakistanis, you also need to accept this maxim, “if you want to criticise others, learn to accept criticism.”
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
