What has been related Concerning Belief in Omens (At-Tatayyur)

The Statement of Allah the Most High,

"Verily, their evil omens are with Allah, but most of them know not." (7:131)

And His Statement,

"They (Messengers) said: 'Your evil omens be with you!'" (36: 19)

Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) narrated that Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

"(There is) no 'Adwaa (contagion of disease without Allah's permission), nor Tiyarah (bad omen), nor Haamah (omen from an owl), nor Safar (bad luck in the month of Safar)."

They (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) both recorded it, and Muslim added [that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said],

"...and no Naw' (constellation) and no Ghool (ghosts, spooks, etc.)."

They (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) both recorded from Anas (radiyAllahu 'anhu) that Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

"(There is) no 'Adwa (contagion), and no Tiyarah (bad omen), buat Al-Fa'l pleases me." They said, "What is Al-Fa'l?" He said, "The good word."

Abu Dawud recorded with an authentic (Saheeh) chain that 'Uqbah bin 'Aamir said, "At-Tiyarah was mentioned before Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and he said,

"The best of it is Al-Fa'l, and it does not prevent the Muslim (from his objective). So if one of you sees what he dislikes, then let him say: "Allaahumma laa ya'tee bil-hasanaati illaa anta, wa laa yadfa'u as-Sayyi.aati illaa anta, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa bika." [O Allah, none brings the good things but You, and none repels the evils but You, and there is no power and no might except with You.]"

He (Abu Dawud) also recorded a Marfoo' Hadith from Ibn Mas'ud (radiyAllahu 'anhu) which states [that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said],

"At-Tiyarah is Shirk, At-Tiyarah is Shirk, and there is none among us except... but Allah removes it with trust in Him (At-Tawakkul)."

Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi recorded it. At-Tirmidhi graded it authentic (Saheeh) and he considered the last part of it as the statement of Ibn Mas'ud (radiyAllahu 'anhu).

Ahmad recorded a Hadith of Ibn 'Amr which states [that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said],

"Whoever at-Tiyarah prevented him from his need, then verily he commited Shirk."

They said, "What is the expiation of that?" He said, "That you say:

((Allaahumma laa khayra illaa khayruka, wa laa tayra illaa tayruka, wa laa ilaaha ghayruka.))

O Allah, there is no good except for Your good, and no Tayr except for Your Tayr, and there is no god (worthy or worship) other than You."

He (Ahmad) also recorded a Hadith of Fadl bin Al-'Abbaas (radiyAllahu 'anhu) which states [that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said],

"At-Tiyarah is only that which causes you to carry something out or that turns you back (from your mission)."


Important issues of the Chapter:

1) Drawing attention to Allah's Statement,

"Verily their evil omens are with Allah." (7:131)

Along with His Statement,

"Your evil omens be with you!" (36:19)

2) Negation of Al-'Adwaa (contagion of disease).

3) Negation of At-Tiyarah (bad omen).

4) Negation of Al-Haamah (omen in the owl).

5) Negation of As-Safar (misfortune associated with the month of Safar).

6) That Al-Fa'l (a good word of pessimism) is not from this (At-Tatayyur).

7) Explanation of Al-Fa'l.

8) That whatever occurs in the hearts of this (ill omen) while it is hated does not harm. Rather, Allah will remove it with At-Tawakkul (reliance upon Him).

9) Mention of (what) the person should say who experiences this.

10) The declaration that At-Tiyarah is Shirk.

11) Explanation of the blameworthy Tiyarah.


[Extracted and adapted from the book Ghayatul-Murid (The Destination of the Seeker of the Truth) by Shaikh Salih bin 'Abdul-'Aziz bin Muhammad bin Ibraheem Aali Shaikh, translated by Aqeel Walker, published by Darussalam. The book is an interpretation of Kitaab at-Tawheed of Shaikh Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhab. Explanation by Shaikh Salih is not included (i.e. the text above is the original text of Kitaab at-Tawheed).]

What has been Related Concerning Fortune-tellers (Soothsayers) and the like

Muslim recorded in his Saheeh from some of the wives of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said,

"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller ('Arraafan) and asks him about something and believes him, his prayer will not be accepted from him for forty days."

Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

"Whoever goes to a soothsayer or a fortune-teller (kaahinan) and believes him in what he says, then he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam)." (Abu Dawud)

Another narration was recorded by The Four (Sunan compilers), and Al-Haakim, who said, "It is authentic (Saheeh) according to their (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) conditions", from Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

"Whoever goes to fortune-teller or soothsayer ('Arraafan) and believes him in what he says, then he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam)."

Abu Ya'laa recorded a similar narration with a good (Jayyid) chain that is Mawqoof [a statement of Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) only].

'Imraan bin Husayn narrated a Hadith that he attributed to the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) [Marfoo'] which states,

"He is not of us who seeks omens, or has omens interpreted for him, or who practices fortune-telling, or has his fortune told to him, or practices magic or has magic performed for him. And whoever goes to a fortune-teller( Kaahinan) and believes him in what he says, then verily he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (sallAllahu 'alayhi sallami>)."

Recorded by Al-Bazzaar with a good (Jayyid) chain of narration.

At-Tabaranee recorded the same Hadith in Al-Awsat, with a good (Hasan) chain of narration from Ibn 'Abbaas without his statement, "And whoever goes..." to the end of the Hadith.

Al-Baghawee said, "Al-'Arraaf is the one who claims to have knowledge of the matter by fore signs that he uses to guide to the stolen object, the place of the lost item and similar things. It is said that he is the Kaahin. And the Kaahin is the one who informs about matters of the unseen that will occur in the future. It has also been said that he is the one who informs about what is in the inner thought (i.e. mind reader)."

Abu Al-'Abbaas Ibn Taymiyyah said, "Al-'Arraaf is a name for the Kaahin, the Munajjim (psychic astrologer), the Rammaal (diviner who uses figures or lines in the sand) and people similar to them from those who speak of knowledge of the affairs by these means."

Ibn 'Abbaas said about people who write Abaa Jaad (Abjad, numerology) and gaze at the stars (i.e. using the Zodiac), "Whoever does that will not fine any share (of good) for himself with Allah."


Important issues of the Chapter

1) That belief in the fortune-teller and faith in the Qur'an cannot coexist.

2) The declaration that it (belief in a Kaahin) is Kufr (disbelief).

3) Mention of whomever has his fortune told to him.

4) Mention of whomever has an omen interpreted for him.

5) Mention of whomever has magic performed for him.

6) Mention of whomever learns Abaa Jaad (Abjad, numerology).

7) Mention of the difference between the Kaahin and the 'Arraaf.


[Extracted and adapted from the book Ghayatul-Murid (The Destination of the Seeker of the Truth) by Shaikh Salih bin 'Abdul-'Aziz bin Muhammad bin Ibraheem Aali Shaikh, translated by Aqeel Walker, published by Darussalam. The book is an interpretation of Kitaab at-Tawheed of Shaikh Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhab. Explanation by Shaikh Salih is not included (i.e. the text above is the original text of Kitaab at-Tawheed).]