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).]