About the Book “Surely, Shaytaan is an enemy to you, so take(treat) him as an enemy.” [Soorah Fatir(35):6] All Praise is due to Allaah, the Forgiver of sins, the Acceptor of Repentance; may He send salutations and exalt the mention of the seal of all prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammed, his family and all his companions. Due to the increase in the number of magicians and fortunetellers lately, those who claim the ability to cure people by the use of magic and fortunetelling, and due to their spread in some of the Muslim countries and the way they take advantage of some simple-minded, ignorant people, it became necessary for me to clarify the great danger of these people on Muslims and Islaam, for it entails becoming attached to other than allaah and disobeying His commands and the command of the Prophet(S.A.W.S). It is permissible to seek treatment of any sickness, and a Muslim may go to a physician for diagnosis for any type of disease and use the required Islamically lawful treatment prescribed for that. This is a means which does not contradict reliance on Allaah, and Allaah is The One Who created sickness as well as their cures. He granted the knowledge of these cures to whomever He willed, and He did not place cures in anything which He prohibited. Therefore, it is not permissible for a sick person to seek the help of fortunetellers who claim the knowledge of unseen. It also prohibited to believe anything they tell him, for they only conjecture or use the Jinn to help them in their fortunetelling and magic. These people are disbelievers and misguided if they claim this knowledge of the unseen. This booklet will Insha'Allah, comprehensively answer and dispel many doubts about Jinn, Sihr,Fortune-telling, Envy and Evil eye. I hope this booklet will serve as a handy weapon in combating Shaytaan and all success lies with Allah. Abdullah(Jasneem. A)
Contents Chapter One: Jinn Definition of Jinn Evidence of the Existence of Jinn and Demons Like Humans, the Jinn Have Animals of Their Own How Satan Approaches Man Some Sorcerers and Soothsayers Can See the Jinn Because They have Served the Jinn Evocation of the Jinn to Bring Out Hidden Treasures Jinn Kidnapping Humans The Possibility of Intercourse between the Possessed and the Possessor The Jinn and the Humans Can Harm or Kill Each Other Unintentionally and Intentionally Denial of the Existence of Jinn & How Such Denial Affects Faith Chapter Two: Sihr Literal meaning of Sihr Technical meaning of Sihr (according to Muslim tradition) Definition of Sihr Evidence on the Existence of Sihr Views of Scholars on Sihr Difference Between Sihr, Miracles and Charisma Different Types of Sihr Is Learning Sihr Lawful? Witchcraft Types & the Verdict on Sorcerers “Learn witchcraft, but do not apply it” Is Not a Hadith Punishment under Islamic Law for Practising Sihr The Punishment under Islamic Law for a Non-Religious Person (Zimmi) Practising Sihr Warning against going to witches Signs by which a witch may be recognized The Ruling on the So-Called Spirit Evocation Chapter Three: Possession(by Jinn) The Attempt to Bewitch the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمand How He Reacted Symptoms of jinn possession Kinds of sickness and harm caused by the jinn Devil Possession and Treatment Mental and nervous illnesses Chapter Four: Fortune-telling
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Seeking the Jinn’s Help to Know the Unseen Going to Fortune-Tellers, Asking Them Questions and Believing Them Sihr, Kahanab, Tanjeem and ‘Arafah: Differences and Verdicts Islamic ruling regarding hypnotism Islamic ruling on the saying, ―By ... (name of a person) Chapter Five: Evil Eye The evil eye Evidence for the existence of the evil eye from the Qur'an and Sunnah The evil eye is real Chapter Six: Envy Envy (Hasad) Evidence for the existence of envy The difference between the evil eye and envy Characteristics of the envier - so that they may be avoided What are the characteristics of the envier? Chapter Seven: Tawheed Definition Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship) Tawheed al-Asmaa was-sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah's name and attributes) Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship) Chapter Eight: Shirk Definition Shirk in Ruboobeeyah Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat Shirk in al-‘Ebaadah Chapter Nine: Ruqyah Definition Conditions for a Permissible Ruqyah Additional Guidelines Things to Avoid in a Ruqyah The Profession of Ruqyah-Giving Ruqa from the Sunnah Ruqyah with Allah's Name Ruqyah with Allah's Book Cure from generic witch crafting Cure from witch crafting (separation) Cure from pain Other Ruqyas Cure from evil eye Cure from envy How to Do Nafth on Getting Satan’s Whispers During Salat
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Bad Omens in Houses Chapter Ten: Reprehensible innovations Going to Church for Treating Insanity Warning Against Non-Shar’i Ruqyas Writing Qur’anic Verses on Utensils for Treatment Purposes Reciting unto Zamzam Water by a Specific Person for Healing Purposes This Statement about Az-Zalzalah Sura Is False The Ruling on Qur’anic Amulets and Incantations Protection against the evil eye Selling Ruqyas and Amulets Chapter Eleven: Protection against witchcraft Strengthening oneself with faith Regularly reciting the Adhkar for morning and evening Eating 'Ajwah dates on an empty stomach One of the greatest means of protecting oneself against the evil of witchcraft is not going to witches Protective Measures against Sihr in general Chapter Twelve:Protection against Jinn Ten ways of avoiding the harm of the Jinn and protecting oneself against the devils Protective Measures against the evil devils Chapter Thirteen: Our creed List of qualities that lead to completeness of faith Chapter Fourteen: Major sins List of major sins that have to do with one's inward attitude Chapter Fifteen: Forbidden List of things that are forbidden in general terms Chapter Sixteen: Commands List chosen by Al-Shatibi of general commands Conclusion Reference
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Chapter One: Jinn Definition of Jinn The word jinn in Arabic refers to something that is concealed and hidden. Al-Jawhari said: Al-Jaan is the father of the jinn, the plural of which is Jeenaan. It says in Al-Qaamoos Al-Muheet: Jannahu Al-Layl means the night covered him. Everything that is concealed from you is Junna Anka (concealed from you). Jinn Al-layl means the darkness of the night. Al-Mijannah refers to the land where there are many jinn. Al-Jaan is the plural of Al-Jinn. It says in Lisaanul-'Arab: Janana means to cover or conceal. Everything that is concealed from you is Junna 'Anka (concealed from you). Jannahu Al-layl means the night covered him.... The jinn are so called because they are concealed and hidden from view. Hence the foetus is called Al-Janeen because he is concealed in his mother's womb. Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abd Al-Barr said: According to the scholars of Arabic language, there are different categories of jinn: 1 - When they mention the jinn in general terms, they use the word Jinni. 2 - If the jinn is one of those who live in houses with people, they call him 'Aamir (dweller), the plural of which is 'Ummaar (spirits). 3 - If the jinn is one of those who interact with children, they call them Arwaah (spirits). 4 - If the jinn is wicked then he is a Shaytaan (devil) 5 - If he is worse than that, they call him Maarid (demon) 6 - If he is worse than that and is strong, they call him 'Ifreet, the plural of which is 'Afaareet.
Evidence of the Existence of Jinn and Demons A - Evidence from the Qur'an Evidence from the Qur'an of the existence of Jinn and demons is numerous and known. Suffice it to say that there is one whole chapter on the Jinn (Chapter 62), and that 1
statistically, the words Jinn occurs twenty two times, Jan (another variant of Jinn) occurs seven times, Satan occurs sixty eight times, and Satans (demons) occurs seventeen times. 1. (And We turned to thee a company of Jinn giving ear to the Qur'an.) (36:29) 2. (Company of Jinn and mankind, did not Messengers come to you from among you, relating to you My signs and warning you of the encounter of this your day?) (6:130) 3. (0 tribe of Jinn and of men, if you are able to pass through the confines of heaven and earth, pass through them! You shall not pass through except with an authority.) (45:33) 4. (Say: 'It has been revealed to me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, then they said, "We have indeed heard a Qur'an wonderful....") (62:1) 5. (But there are certain men of mankind who would take refuge with certain men of the Jinn, and they increased them in vileness.) (62:6) 6. (Satan only desires to precipitate enmity and hatred between you in regard to wine and arrow-shuffling, and to bar you from the remembrance of Allah, and from salat. Will you then desist?) (5:91) 7. (0 believers, follow not the steps of Satan; for whosoever follows the steps of Satan, assuredly he bids to indecency and dishonour.) (24:21) B - Evidence from the Sunnah Ibn Mas'ud (RA) narrated: "One night, we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon him) and we lost him. We searched for him in the valleys and the hills and wondered: 'He has either been taken away (by Jinn) or has been killed. We spent the worst night that people could ever spend.' At dawn, we saw him coming from the side of Hira'. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we lost you and searched for you, but we could not find you and we spent the worst night that people could ever spend.' The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) replied: 'There came to me a representative of Jinn, so I went with him and recited the Qur'an to them.' The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) proceeded: Then I went with him and he showed us their tracks and the traces of their embers.' The Jinn asked the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) about their means of subsistence, to which he replied: 'Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited is your provision. The time it falls in your hand it shall be covered with flesh, and the dung of (camels) is fodder for your animals.' The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon him) said: 'Do not perform istinja (washing one's genitals prior to wudu) with these (things) for these are the food of your brothers (the Jinn). Reported by Muslim (04/170, in Sharh An-Nawawi) Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said to 2
me, 'I gather you like sheep and the wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep or in the wilderness and you want to announce azan for salat, raise your voice when doing so, as whoever hears it, be they a human being, Jinn or any other creature, will be a witness for you on the Day of Resurrection." Reported by Malik (01/168), Al-Bukhari (6/343 Fath Al Bari), An Nasa-i (02/12) and Ibn Majah (1/239) Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) set out on a journey with the intention of going to Suq 'Ukaz ('Ukaz Market), along with some of his companions. At the same time, a barrier was established between the demons and the news from heaven, so that fire was hurled at them. The demons went back to their own kind, who asked them, 'What is wrong with you?' They replied, 'A barrier has been placed between us and the news from heaven, and fire has been thrown at us.' They said, ‘The thing which has been put up as a barrier between you and the news from heaven must be something which has happened recently. Go eastward and westward and see what has put a barrier between you and the news from heaven.' Those who went towards Tuhama came across the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) at a place called Nakhla, on the way to Suq 'Ukaz, where the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) was performing the Dawn Prayer (salat al-Fajr) with his companions. When a group of Jinn heard the Qur'an being recited, they listened to it and said, 'By Allah, this is the thing which has put a barrier between us and the news from heaven.' They went back to their own kind and said, 'O our people; verily we have heard a wonderful recital (Qur'an) which shows the true path; we believed in it and would not ascribe partners to our Lord.' Subsequently, Allah % revealed the following verses to his Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him): (Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn heard...) (62:1). In fact, what was revealed to him was the words of the Jinn." Reported by Al-Bukhari (2/253, in Fath Al-Bari) and Muslim (4/168, in Sharh An-Nawawi) ‘Aisha (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'Angels were created out of light, Jinn were created from fire and Adam was created out of what has been described to you." Reported by Imam Ahmad (6/153-68) and Muslim (18/123, in Sharh An-Nawawi) Saffiyya bintu Huyay (RA)narrated: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'Satan circulates in the body of mankind like blood." Reported by Al-Bukhari (4/282, in Fath Al-Bari) and Muslim (14/155, in Sharh An-Nawawi) 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'When you eat, use you right hand, and when you drink, use your right hand, because Satan eats and drinks with his left hand.'" Reported by Muslim (13/191, in Sharh AnNawawi) 3
Abu Hurayra (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'Any newborn at the time of delivery is kicked by Satan, and cries as a result, except the son of Mariam (Jesus) and his mother."' Reported by Al-Bukhari (8/212) and Muslim (15/120, in Sharh An-Nawawi) 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (RA) reported: "Asked on his opinion of a man who has slept through the night till morning (after sunrise and missed salat al-Fajr), the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'That is a man on whose ears (or ear) Satan has urinated.'" Reported by Al-Bukhari (3/28, in Fath Al-Bari) and Muslim (6/64, in Sharh An-Nawawi) Abu Qatada (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'A good dream (vision) is from Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) and a bad dream (al-hulm) is from Satan. Therefore, if you see something you dislike in a dream, spit three times on your left side, seek refuge in Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) from Satan, so it would not harm you. "' Reported by Al-Bukhari (12/283, in Fath Al-Bari) and Muslim (15/16, in Sharh An-Nawawi) Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'When you yawn, put your hand on your mouth to stop Satan from entering.’" Reported by Muslim (18/122, in Sharh An-Nawawi) and Ad-Darami (1/321) With the foregoing in mind, it appears that there is no doubt that the Jinn and Satans exist, and only an obstinate person who follows his desires without any guidance from Allah, would dispute such reality.
Like Humans, the Jinn Have Animals of Their Own Like humans, have their own animals, of which some are for riding, similar to camels and horses, and others for milking, similar to sheep and cows. Such animals can take the form of our domestic animals and wild animals, etc. They almost always remain concealed from human eyes, for they like the Jinn, which are such light bodies that they can see us while we cannot see them. The Hadith also indicates that the Jinn, like us, eat and drink, and so do their animals. Of their animal feed is the dung of our animals, so we are instructed not to cleanse ourselves with bones or dung.
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How Satan Approaches Man Satan approaches people in a variety of ways. Sexual temptation is one way. Satan, for example, urges men to meet secretly with non-Mahram women, to mix with them, to look lustfully at them, listen to them singing, etc. This goes on till man commits adultery. Another way is by tempting people to eat forbidden foods, drinking alcohol, taking narcotics, etc. Satan approaches man by appealing to his instinctive love of ownership and wealth. He tempts people to increase their earnings by hook or crook; it does not matter even if this is done by Haram (unlawful) means, such as usury, theft, embezzlement, cheating, etc. Satan appeals also to man‘s instinctive love of power. He tempts people to be authoritarian, arrogant, disdainful and contemptuous, unjust, etc.
Some Sorcerers and Soothsayers Can See the Jinn Because They have Served the Jinn Humans cannot see the Jinn in their original form, as created by Allah. However, some sorcerers and soothsayers get possessed by devils that speak through them and see their fellow Jinn. In this situation, the possessed human says he sees the Jinn coming and going and says who they are, but the humans present cannot see anything. In fact, the possessed himself cannot see them either, for it is the possessor who does the seeing and the speaking using the speech organs of the possessed. For the devils to do that, the sorcerers and soothsayers must be giving them such a service that they can show them what others cannot see. It may happen to some pious and righteous people that they are shown at their deathbed the angels who are to take their souls out. Several similar stories have been told about such people. No wonder, Allah can do everything.
Evocation of the Jinn to Bring Out Hidden Treasures This practice is not allowed, for the magical words with which they evoke and employ the Jinn are often not void of Shirk. To show how serious it is, Allah says, “...Lo! Whose ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evildoers there will be no helpers.” Dealing with those people tempts as well as makes them conceited. They are conceited to believe in themselves as being right in what they are doing. They are tempted as a result of the amount of money they get. Therefore, they must be boycotted, and Muslims must be alerted to their reality and advised not to deal with them Those people are most probably charlatans who want to deceive people and take their money unlawfully. They make haphazard guesses, which my coincide with Allah’s destiny; if this happens, they spread the news of their claimed 5
success. If their guesses do not materialize, they make up all sorts of excuses. My advice to such people who have been involved in this evil affair is: beware lying to people and taking their money unlawfully and beware Shirk. Life on earth does not last long, and on Justice Day judgment is tough. You have no choice but to repent and beg Allah to forgive you for what you have been doing. You have to correct your acts and purify your wealth; success is only with Allah.
Jinn Kidnapping Humans It was well known that the Jinn killed Saad Ibn-Ubadah because he urinated in a hole they lived in. They said, “ We have killed the chief of Al-Khazraj, Saad IbnUbadah; we shot him with an arrow that did not miss his heart. Also, during the reign of Caliph Umar Ibn-Al-Khattab, a man was kidnapped by some Jinn, and remained their prisoner for four years. When he returned, he said that some Mushrik Jinn had kidnapped him and kept him a prisoner until they were invaded and defeated by Muslim Jinn, who returned him to his people. This incident is mentioned in Manar Assabeel and in other books.
The Possibility of Intercourse between the Possessed and the Possessor some Jinn can take the form of humans (men or women) and have intercourse with them. The solution to this problem is by seeking protection from the Jinn by supplications and prayers and reading the Qur’anic verses containing elements of protection and guarding against them by Allah’s permission. Evidently, a male Jinni can possess a woman and dominate her soul, and a female Jinni can possess a man and dominate his soul. Such is the domination that if beaten, the possessed human does not feel the beating, but the possessor does. When the possessor leaves, the human does not remember what has been said or heard or even the beating, nor does he / she feel any pain resulting from the beating. Some Raqis can kill the possessor by means of Qur’anic recitations or medications. They can identify its location in the possessed human body. Such matters are known to those Raqis who have had long experience in treating possession as well as other cases.
The Jinn and the Humans Can Harm or Kill Each Other Unintentionally and Intentionally Humans are the descendents of Adam, who was created from clay, whereas the Jinn were created from fire and given life. As in humans, there are male Jinn and female ones. In fact, Prophet Muhammad صلى اله عليه وسلمhas been sent to both humans and 6
Jinn. Some Jinn have accepted Islam, while others have not. Both humans and Jinn can harm each other. On the one hand, humans may harm the Jinn intentionally or unintentionally. On the other hand, the Jinn can harm, possess or kill humans. As humans fight amongst themselves and harm each other, so do the Jinn amongst themselves. If, without evidence, one denies what has been said above about the Jinn, one has not only negated what he has no knowledge of, but also contradicted the Qur‘anic statements about them. With respect to human creation, Allah says, ―He created man of clay like the potter‘s; He also says, ―Verily We created man from a product of wet earth. With respect to the Jinn‘s, He says, ―And the Jinn did He create of smokeless fire. Addressing both of them, Allah says, ―O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction. The Jinn were put at the service and the command of Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) - may Allah‘s peace and blessings be upon him - as stated in the following Qur‘anic verses: ―So We made the wind subservient unto him, setting fair by his command whithersoever he intended. And the unruly, every builder and diver (made We subservient), And others linked together in chains; ―And unto Solomon (We gave) the wind, whereof the morning course was a month‘s journey and the evening course a month‘s journey, and We caused the fount of copper to gush forth for him, and (We gave him) certain of the jinn who worked before him by permission of his Lord. And such of them as deviated from Our command, them We caused to taste the punishment of flaming fire. ―And of the evil ones (subdued We unto him) some who dived (for pearls) for him and did other work, and We were warders unto them. In Al-Ahqaf Sura, Allah says, ―And when We inclined toward thee (Muhammad صلى )اله عليه وسلمcertain of the Jinn, who wished to hear the Qur‘an and, when they were in its presence, said: Give ear! and, when it was finished, turned back to their people, warning. They said: O our people! Lo! we have heard a Scripture which hath been revealed after Moses, confirming that which was before it, guiding unto the truth and a right road. O our people! respond to Allah‘s summoner and believe in Him. He will forgive you some of your sins and guard you from a painful doom. And whoso respondeth not to Allah‘s summoner he can nowise escape in the earth, and ye (can find) no protecting friends instead of Him. Such are in error manifest. In Al-An‘am Sura, He says, ―In the day when He will gather them together (He will say): O ye assembly of the jinn! Many of humankind did ye seduce. And their adherents among humankind will say: Our Lord! We enjoyed one another, but now we have arrived at the appointed term which Thou appointedst for us. He will say: Fire is your home. Abide therein for ever, save him whom Allah willeth (to deliver). Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware. Thus We let some of the wrong-doers have power over others because of 7
what they are wont to earn. In Al-Jinn Sura one can read about their conditions and deeds, and the reward of the believers and the punishment of the disbelievers amongst the Jinn. No wonder if one of the Jinn gets hold of and harms a human, and vice versa. For example, there is the incident mentioned in the question about the Jinni appearing in the form of a snake. There is also the example mentioned in the Hadith narrated by AbuHurayrah; the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsaid, ―A strong demon from the Jinn came to me yesterday suddenly, so as to spoil my prayer, but Allah enabled me to overpower him, and so I caught him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you might see him, but I remembered the invocation of my brother Solomon: And grant me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me,‘ so his plan was foiled by Allah. In general, both the Jinn and humans can be either believers or disbelievers, can be good or evil and can be useful or harmful to others, all by Allah‘s permission. In conclusion, humans know nothing about the Jinn world except what is mentioned in the Qur‘an and the valid Sunnah of the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلم. What is said in the Qur‘an and the Sunnah has to be taken for granted. What comes from other sources must be shunned, as it involves making judgments without knowledge, an act Allah forbids by saying, ―(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.
Denial of the Existence of Jinn & How Such Denial Affects Faith To deny the existence of Jinn is an act of Kufr, apostasy, for it is denial of what is confirmed by the Qur‘an and the Sunnah. Belief in their existence is part of belief in the Unseen. Though we cannot see them, we believe in their existence through the truth conveyed to us; Allah says, ―... Lo! He [Jinni] seeth you, he and his tribe, from whence ye see him not…However, to deny Jinn possession of humans does not amount to Kufr, but is an error of judgment and denial of Shar‘i evidence and of a frequent occurrence. Since the issue belongs to the invisible, its denial does not mean Kufr, only an error of judgment, for such denial is not based on evidence; it is based on a type of observation and reasoning that cannot identify the Unseen or consider Shar‘i evidence. As for the Jinn and angels, there are some differences: Firstly, the Jinn are originally created from fire, whereas angels from light. Secondly, angels are programmed to be obedient. They are honoured by being made near to Allah, Who says about them, ―Nay, but (those whom they call sons) are honored slaves; They speak not until He hath spoken, and they act by His command. He also says, ―... who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded. 8
The Jinn can be Muslims and can be Kafirs (disbelievers), as mentioned in the Qur‘an, ―And there are among us [the Jinn] some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. Also, they can be obedient or disobedient to Allah‘s commands; the Qur‘an tells us what they say about themselves, ―And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules. In the Qur‘an there are other Ayahs about the Jinn.
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Chapter Two: Sihr Literal meaning of Sihr - According to Al-Layth: Sihr is an act which brings one closer to, and with the help, of Satan. - According to Al-Azhari: The basic meaning of sihr is to make something appear in a form other than its real one - According to Ibn Mandhur: When a sahir makes something false appear to be real, or makes something appear to people appear differently from its true form, it means that he has given an object a status other than its real one - Shamir reported on the authority of Ibn 'A'isha: Arabs have given it the name sihr because, it can transform good health into illness - According to Ibn Faris : Some say that sihr is to make what is false appear to be true. - According to Muhit al-Muhit. Sihr is the presentation of an object in its best form, to the extent of tempting the viewer
Technical meaning of Sihr (according to Muslim tradition) - According to Al-Fakhr Ar-razi: According to Muslim tradition, sihr is anything the cause of which is hidden, and which appears in a form other than its real one, with the intention to distort the reality of things and deceive. - According to Ibn Qudama AI-Maqdisi: Sihr is a set of 'uqad (knots), ruqa (incantations), and words uttered or written, or carried out in such a way as to affect the body of the subject (al-mashur), his heart or mind, 10
without even coming into contact with him/her. The reality of sihr is that there are some types that can kill, cause one to fall ill, or act as an obstacle against a man having sexual intercourse with his wife. Other types can separate spouses, and can make them hate or love each other. - According to Ibn Al-Qayyim: Sihr consists of the effects of evil souls and the reaction of the resultant forces.
Definition of Sihr Sihr is an agreement set up between a sahir and a Satan, which stipulates that the sahir commit certain illegal or polytheistic acts, in return for the Satan's assistance and obedience in fulfilling the sahir’s request.
Evidence on the Existence of Sihr A - Evidence from the Qur'an (...and they follow what the Satans recited over Sulayman's Kingdom. Sulayman disbelieved not but the Satans disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery, and that which was sent down upon Babylon's two angels, Harut and Marut; they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.' From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of Allah, and they learnt what they hurt them and did not profit them, knowing well that whosoever buys it shall have no share in the world to come; evil then was that they sold themselves for; if they had but known.) (2:102) (Moses said, 'What do you say this to the truth, when it has come to you? Is this a sorcery? But sorcerers do not prosper.) (11:77) (Then when they had cast, Moses said, 'What you have brought is sorcery; Allah will assuredly bring it to naught. Allah sets not right the work of those who do corruption. Allah verifies the truth by His words, though sinners be averse.') (11:81-82) (and Moses conceived a fear within him. We said unto him, 'Fear not; surely thou art the uppermost. Cast down what is in thy right hand, and it shall swallow what they have fashioned only the guile of a sorcerer, and the sorcerer prospers not, wherever he goes.') (20:67-69) (And We revealed to Moses: 'Cast thy staff.' And lo, it forthwith swallowed up their lying 11
invention. So the truth cam to pass, and false was proved what they were doing. So they were vanquished there, and they turned about, humbled. And the sorcerers were cast down, bowing themselves. They said, 'We believe in the Lord of al-'Alamin (Jinn and mankind), the Lord of Moses and Harun.) (7:117-122) (Say: 'I take refuge with the Lord of the daybreak from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of darkness when it gathers, from the evil of the women who blow on knots, from the evil of an envier when he envies.') (Chapter 113) According to Al-Qurtubi, (...from the evil of the women who blow on knots) implies female sorcerers (sahirat) who blow on thread knots while making their spells. Tafsir AlQurtubi (20/257) Ibn Kathir stated that according to scholars of exegesis, Mujahid, Ikrima, al-Hasan, Qatada and Dhahak, (...from the evil of the women who blow on knots) refers to sawahir (female sorcerers). Tafsir Ibn Kathir (4/573) Ibn Jarir At-Tabari stated that according to Al-Qasimiy and scholars of exegesis, (...from the evil of the women who blow on knots) refers to the female sorcerers who blow on threaded knots during their spell. Tafsir Al-Qasimiy (10/302) Verses on sihr and sahara are profuse and known even to those with little knowledge of Islam. B - Evidence from the Sunnah ‘Aisha (RA) reported: "A man known as Labid Ibn al-A'sam from the tribe of Band Zurayq performed sihr on Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon him) till Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon him) started imagining that he had done something which he had not really done. One day or one night while he was with me, he invoked Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) for a long period, and then said, 'O 'Aisha! Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, 'What is the disease of this man?' The other replied, 'He is under the effect of sihr (mashur)'. The first one asked, 'Who did it?' The other replied, 'Labid Ibn Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material did he use?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the pollen of a male date palm.' The first one asked, 'Where is that?' The other replied, '(That is) in the well of Daman!" So Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon him), along with some of his companions went there and returned saying, 'O 'Aisha, the colour of its water is like the infusion of henna leaves. The tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the heads of the devils.' I asked, 'O Allah's 12
Messenger? Why don't you show it (to the people)?' He said, 'Since Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) has cured me, I would not like to let evil spread among people.' Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth." Reported by Al-Bukhari (10/222, in Fath Al-Bari) and Muslim (14/174, in Sharh An-Nawawi), the Book of Salam, Chapter on Sihr. Abu Hurayra (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said: 'Avoid the seven serious sins (As-sa' Al-Mubiqat)" People asked, 'What are they?' The Prophet Peace and Blessing upon him) replied, 'Shirk (polytheism), sihr (sorcery), unlawful killing of a person, living on money from usury, usurping an orphan's wealth, retreat at the time of Jihad, and accusing innocent married women of fornication'" Al-Bukhari (in FathAl-Bari 5/393) and Muslim (in Sharh An-Nawawi 2/83) On the basis of the above hadith, the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) warned that sihr must be avoided as it is one of the most serious sins, and this is proof enough that it exists. Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said: 'A person who has acquired knowledge of one of the sciences of Astrology, has acquired knowledge of one of the branches of sihr, and the more his knowledge of Astrology is enriched, the more expansive his knowledge of sihr becomes." Abu Dawud (No.3905), Ibn Majja (No.3726) In this hadith the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) refers to one of the means of learning sihr, so that Muslims may shun it; and this is an evidence that sihr is a real science that can be learnt. Further evidence can also be seen in the following verse: (From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife...) (2:102). It is clear from the above verse and hadith that sihr is a science like other sciences, having its own fundamentals. Nevertheless, both the verse and the hadith condemn learning of sihr. ‘Imran Ibn Husayn (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'He is not one of us who practices tatayyur (ominousness) or has it done for him; who practices takahhun (clairvoyance) or has it done for him; who practices sihr or has it done for him. And whosoever has sought the services of a clairvoyant and believed in what he has come up with, has in fact disbelieved in the Message sent to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon him).'" Al-Haythmi stated in Al-Majma’ (5/20): Tradition reported by Al-Bazar and the chain of transmission includes authorites which fulfil the requirements of transmitting authentic traditions.
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Evidence from the above hadith on sihr lies in the Prophet's warning against practicing sihr or seeking it from a sahir. This shows that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) would only warn against something that really existed. Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'He who drinks alcohol regularly, believes that the power of sihr to harm an individual is independent of Allah's if intervention, or severs relations with one's kin will not enter Paradise.'" Reported by Ibn Hibban The evidence on sihr from the above hadith lies in the Prophet's warning against believing in the power of sihr to affect an individual independently of Allah's. A believer should believe that sihr or similar practices do not harm anybody or anything except with Allah's Leave, as the following verse suggests: (...yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of Allah.) (2:102) Ibn Mas'ud (RA) reported: "He who has hired a clairvoyant, a sahir or a soothsayer, and has believed in what they came up with, has in fact disbelieved in the Message sent to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon him). Al Mundiri stated in At-Targhib (4/53): Tradition transmitted by Al-Bazzar and Abu Ya'la through a very good suspended chain of transmission.
Views of Scholars on Sihr According to Al-Khattabi, some people denied the existence of sihr. But sihr is a reality upon which Arabs, Persians, Indians and some Romans agree, and these are the best and most learned among nations. Allah says: (...teaching the people sorcery...) (2:102) and commands that man should seek refuge in Him from sihr. (...from the evil of the women who blow on knots...) (Chapter 113). Furthermore, several hadiths were quoted from the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) of the existence of sihr, which only a person without reasoning could deny, so, scholars of jurisprudence allocated chapters in their works on the punishment of a sahir according to Islamic Law, and this means that sihr would not be so known and could not have been extensively discussed if it does not exist. According to Al-Qurtubi, Sunnis hold that sihr is a reality. Moreover, there is a consensus among exegetes that the revelation of Dawn Chapter was the result of the sihr done to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) by Labid Ibn Al-A'sam as mentioned above. Once the sihr was dissolved, the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said, 'Allah has cured me'. The word cure means the elimination of 14
an existing illness (in this case sihr), and this proves that sihr exists. It is on this basis that scholars unanimously agree on the existence of sihr. Sihr has been widespread for a very long time, and people have written literature on it, and therefore, the companions of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) and their successors never denied its existence. Tafsir Al-Qurtubi: 2/461 According to Al-Marizi, sihr is an accepted phenomenon, that is as real as any other thing, and effects the person to whom it is done; contrary to those who reject its existence on the basis that it is only a set of tricks and illusions. All claims which deny sihr are untrue, for Allah has mentioned sihr in the Qur'an, stating that it is taught, it is a form of disbelief in Allah and may be used to separate a man from his wife. In the aforementioned hadith on the sihr done to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) by Labid Ibn Al-Asam, objects were interred and disinterred, which means that actual physical objects were used to perform sihr. According to An-Nawawi, sihr exists. This phenomenon is a fact confirmed by most scholars and supported by the Qur'an and the hadith. According to Ibn Qudama, sihr exists, and it consists of types which may kill, sicken, take away a woman from her husband by making him unable to have sexual intercourse with her, and separate a man from his wife. Ibn Qudama added that it is common knowledge that on the wedding night, a man may find out that sihr has been done to him, after being unable to have sexual intercourse with his new wife. But once the sihris neutralised, he feels able to have sexual intercourse with his wife. The practice of sihr has been handed down from generation to generation and cannot be disputed. Furthermore, reports on the activities of sorcerers cannot be untrue. Ibn Qudama also stated in his al-Kafi that sihr is a set of enchantments, spells, knots which affect the heart and the body, and; thus, it could sicken, kill or separate a man from his wife, as the verse suggests: (From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife.) Moreover, if sihr did not exist, Allah would not have warned us against it and advised us to be careful (from the evil of the women who blow on knots.') (Chapter 113)2 Ibn Al-Qayyim stated in Bada’I Al-Fawa'id that sihr exists and has an effect, on the basis of the verse (...Say, I seek refuge with the Lord... from the evil of the women who blow on knots') and on the basis of the hadith on the sihr done to the Prophet (Peace and 15
Blessing upon him) by Labid Ibn Al-A'sam. According to Abu Al-'izz Al-Hanafiy, scholars have disagreed on the reality of sihr and its types. However, most of them are of the opinion that sihr may result in the death or illness of the targeted person, without any apparent cause. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: All nations believe in the jinn, and they have many stories which would take too long to tell. No one denies the existence of the jinn except a few small groups of ignorant philosophers and doctors and their ilk. As for the elite of the people, it is narrated that they either believed in the jinn or no opinion was narrated from them concerning the matter.
Difference Between Sihr, Miracles and Charisma According to Al-Mazari, the difference between Sihr, Miracle and Charisma is that sihr is achieved through much efforts, by talking and doing things. Charisma does not require such an effort, and a miracle surpasses charisma in terms of challenge. Tafsir Ibn Kathir : 1/145 According Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, there is a consensus that sihr only comes from a disrespectful person, and that a charisma does not appear on a disrespectful person. AlHafiz Ibn Hajar also stated that one should be aware of the character of the person associated with the extraordinary. If, for instance, the person in question adheres to the principle of Shari’a and shuns the serious sins, then the extraordinary acts he performs are classed as charisma; otherwise it is an act of sihr because it comes from one of its categories such as the assistance of demons. Quoted from Rawa i 'u Al-Bayan : 1/85
Warning People are sometimes puzzled by the fact that although a person may not be a magician, although he may be a serious sinner, an innovator or a tomb-worshipper; and yet extraordinary things can still happen to him. The truth is that the extraordinary things that happen to him are the result of the assistance of demons, who beautify to people this person's bid's so that people follow it and discard the Sunnah.
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Different Types of Sihr 1. Sihr of Separation Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) says: (...and they follow what the Satans recited over Sulayman's Kingdom. Sulayman disbelieved not but the Satans disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery, and that which was sent down upon Babylon's two angels, Harut and Marut; they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.' From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of Allah, and they learnt what they hurt them and did not profit them, knowing well that whosoever buys it shall have no share in the world to come; evil then was that they sold themselves for; if they had but known.) (2:102) Jabir (RA) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Iblis would lay his throne on water and would send his brigade of demons. The lowest among them in rank is the one who is most notorious in stirring up fitna. One of the demons would, after a mission, come and say to Iblis, 'I have done so and so.' Iblis would reply, 'You have not done anything.' Another one would come and say: 'I have not left such and such person until I separated him from his wife.' Iblis would come closer to his demon and say, 'How good you are.'" Muslim in An-Nawawi : 17/157. Definition of Sihr of Separation It is a sihr which aims to separate between two spouses, or stir up hatred between two friends or two partners. Types of Sihr of Separation 1. Separating a person from his/her mother 2. Separating a person from his/her father 3. Separating a person from his/her brother 4. Separating a person from his/her friend 5. Separating a person from his/her business partner 6. Separating a person from his/her spouse. This is the most dangerous and prevalent type. Symptoms of Sihr of Separation 1. A sudden change in attitude from love to hate. 2. A great deal of suspicion is aroused between the two people concerned. 3. No excuses are accepted by either party, even if one of them is in the wrong. 17
4. Exaggerating the causes of disputes between two people, even though they may be trivial. 5. Changing the mental image that a woman may have of her husband, or changing the mental image that a man may have of his wife; so that the man would see his wife in an ugly way, even though she were beautiful. In reality, it is the demon who is entrusted with the task of performing this type of sihr is the one who would appear to the husband in her person, but in an ugly way. By the same token, the woman would see her husband in a horrible way. 6. The person affected by sihr hates anything the other party does. 7.The person affected by sihr hates the place in which the other party stays. For instance, a husband may be in good mood when he is outdoors, but when he returns home, he feels quiete depressed. According to Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir, the cause of separation between two spouses through this sihr is that each of them appears to the other as an ugly or ill-mannered person. Tafsir lbn Kathir: 1/144. How does the sihr of separation take place? A person goes to a sorcerer and requests that a certain person be separated from his wife. The sorcerer would ask his client to provide the name of the person and that of his mother, and traces of the person's smell from his/her hair, garment or handkerchief etc... If this is too difficult to obtain, the sorcerer would perform sihr on some water, then ask his client to spill it along the way which that person normally uses. If person crosses the place of water, then he/she would be affected by sihr. Another way of doing it is by adding the water into his food or drink. 2. Sihr Al-Mahabba/At-Tiwala (Love) The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Ar-ruqa, at-tama'im and at-tiwala are acts of polytheism." Transmitted by Imam Ahmad (1/381), Abu Dawud (3883), Ibn Majja (3530) and Al-Hakim (4/418) According to Ibn Al-Athir, at-tiwala is a type of sihr which makes a man love his wife. The reason why this type of sihr is classed by the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) as an act of polytheism is because those who have it done for them believe that it has an effect and does the opposite of what Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) has prescribed. AnNihaya: 1/200 I would like to emphasise that the ruqyah referred to in the above hadith is the one which seeks the assistance of Jinn and devils and consists of acts classed as polytheistic. 18
However, the ruqyah which is based on the Qur'an and lawful supplications of Allah is lawful, according to scholars. It is reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) was quoted as saying: "There is no harm in using ruqyah as a means of treatment provided it does not consist of anything polytheistic." Symptoms of Sihr of Love 1. Excessive love and passion. 2. Extreme desire to have sexual intercourse. 3. Impatience of remaining without having sexual intercourse. 4. Extreme lust at the sight of one's wife. 5. Blind obedience to one's wife. How the Sihr of Love Takes Place? Marital squabbles often happen and are resolved within a short time, and life goes back to normal between a man and his wife. However, a woman who cannot show patience, would immediately go to a sahir and ask him to work out a sihr which would let her be very much loved by her husband. This may be due to a defect in her faith, or to her ignorance of the fact that this is unlawful. The sahir would ask her to provide a trace of her husband's scent (a handkerchief, cap, piece of cloth or flannel) provided that these items contain the smell of her husband's sweat so they should not be new or clean. The sahir would take some threads from these items, blow on them, tie a knot around them, and ask the woman to bury them in a deserted place. The sahir would also prepare a spell in water or food -the worst sihr is done in filth or menses discharge- and ask the woman to put it in her husband's food, drink or perfume. Adverse Effects of Sihr of Love 1. Sometimes a man falls ill as a result of this sihr. I even heard that a man was ill for about three years. 2. Sometimes the sihr backfires, and the man would hate his wife. This is due to a lack of knowledge of the principles of sihr. 3. Sometimes a woman asks the sahir to prepare a double-effect sihr which makes her husband love her alone and hate all other women. This results in the man's hating his mother, sisters, maternal aunts, paternal aunts and all female kinship. 4. Sometimes the double-effect sihr backfires, and the man ends up by hating all women, even his wife. I knew a similar case in which a man hated his wife and eventually divorced her. The woman went back to the sorcerer to cancel the sihr, only to find that the sahir had died. 19
Causes of Sihr of Love 1. Marital squabbles 2. The woman runs after her husband's wealth, especially if he is rich. 3. The woman suspects that her husband is going to marry another woman -although this is lawful under Islamic Law- and there is no harm in it. However, a woman of the present time, especially one influenced by the destructive media, would believe that if her husband wants to marry another woman it means that he does not love her anymore. This is a gross mistake because there are several factors which cause a man to marry up to four women, despite his love of the first wife. There is, for instance, his desire to have many children, his inability to stay without sexual intercourse during his wife's menstruation, during her post-natal bleeding {damu an-nifas), or his intention to establish a relationship with a certain family. Lawful Manners This is my advice to a Muslim woman that if she wants to enchant her husband, she can do so by: - Making herself look very beautiful and attractive to her husband, without letting him come across any ugly feature or unpleasant smell in you. - Giving him a nice smile. - Talking to him nicely. - Keeping good company with him - Safeguarding his wealth - Taking good care of your children - Obeying him in all matters, except a matter in which he obliges you to disobey Allah. However, there is a stark contradiction in our society today, concerning these matters. For example, if a woman is invited to a party at her friend's, she would wear her best dress and her best jewellery as if she were on her wedding night. When she comes back home, she takes off her jewellery and puts it back for the next party or the next visit, whilst her poor husband, who has bought that jewellery and that dress is deprived of enjoying her wearing them. He always sees her in old garments, with the smell of cooking, onions and garlic. If she were a bit considerate, she would realise that her husband is the one who deserves to see her in such a beautiful appearance. Therefore, when your husband goes to work, try to finish the housework, then wash yourself, make yourself look beautiful and attractive, and wait for him. When he comes back home, and sees a beautiful woman before him, finds dinner ready and a tidy home, his love for you will increase and he will feel very much more attached to you. Hence, this is the lawful form of attraction, 20
especially if your intention in making yourself look beautiful is to obey Allah and help your husband abstain from looking at other women. A person who is full up (has eaten food) does not have a desire for food, but a person who is deprived of food has a craving for it.
3: SihrAt- Takhyil (False Appearance of Objects) Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) says: (They said, "Moses, will you throw something down or shall we be the ones to throw." He said, "You throw!" So when, they charmed people's eyes and overawed them. They produced a splendid sihr. And We revealed to Moses: 'Cast thy staff.' And lo, it forthwith swallowed up their lying invention. So the truth came to pass, and false was proved what they were doing. So they were vanquished there, and they turned about, humbled. And the sorcerers were cast down, bowing themselves. They said, 'We believe in the Lord of al-'Alamin (Jinn and mankind), the Lord of Moses and Harun.) (7:117-122) (They said, "Moses, either you will cast (something) or shall we be the first to cast (a spell)? It seemed to him under the effect of their sihr that their ropes and stuff were sliding.) (17:65-66) Symptoms 1. A fixed object would appear to be mobile, while a mobile object would appear to be fixed for the viewer. 2. A small object would appear large, while a large object would appear small for the viewer. 3. The false appearance of objects: Under the effect of the magic of Pharaoh's sorcerers, ropes and rods appeared to viewers as real snakes. How this is Achieved A magician would show the viewers a familiar object; then with an incantation and the support of some demons, the object would appear in a form other than its real one. Someone told me that one day a magician recited an incantation and made an egg turn at a high speed. Another told me that a magician recited an incantation which made two stones fight like a pair of rams. These are all the tricks a sahir uses in front of people in order to obtain their money or display his dexterity. Sometimes, he includes this type sihr in other types. In the sihr of separation, for example, a man would see his wife in an ugly image, and in the sihr of love, he would see the opposite. These types of sihr are different from charlatanism, 21
which relies on the rapid movement of hands.
4: Sihr Al-Junun (Lunacy) Kharija Ibn salat reported that his paternal uncle went to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and declared his conversion to Islam. On his way back, his uncle passed by a people who had fettered a lunatic in chains. They said: "We were told that your companion (the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him)) has brought good with him. Do you have anything with which to cure our lunatic?" I recited al-Fatiha and he was cured. They gave me one hundred sheep and then approached the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) to inform him of it. He asked: "Did you say anything other than this?" I replied: "No." He said: "Take it, for by my life, some would accept in return for a false ruqyah, but you have done this with a genuine one." According to another narration, "the man cured him by reciting al-Fatiha for three days, day and night; whenever he finished reciting it, he would gather his saliva and spit." Symptoms 1. Severe absentmindedness and forgetfulness. 2. Confused speech 3. Bulging eyes and deviation of sight 4. Restlessness 5. Inability to do a task regularly. 6. Disinterest in one's appearance 7. ln severe cases, one can tell from a lunatic's face that he does know where he is going, and he would probably sleep in derelict places. How is it done? The Jinn entrusted with the sihr enters into the targeted person and settles in his brain, as instructed by the sahir. He then begins pressing on the brain cells for thought, memory and behaviour; or managing them in a way which only Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) knows. As a result, symptoms appear on the victim.
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5: Sihr Al-Khumul (Lethargy) Symptoms 1. Love of seclusion. 2. Absolute introversion. 3. Constant silence. 4. Anti-sociability. 5. Absentmindedness. 6. Frequent headaches. 7. Quietness and constant lethargy. How this happens A sahir would send a Jinn to the targeted person, instructing him to settle in his brain and make him introverted and lonely. The Jinn would do his best to carry out the mission, and the symptoms of this sihr would appear, according to the strength and weakness of the Jinn entrusted with the task.
6: Sihr Al-Hawatif (Bad Dreams & Hearing Voices) Symptoms 1. The patient experiences nightmares. 2. The patient sees in a dream as if someone were calling him. 3. The patient hears voices talking to him when awake, but cannot see where these voices are coming from. 4. The patient hears much whispering (Al-Waswas) 5. The patient is very suspicious of his/her friends and relatives. 6. The patient dreams of seeing himself/herself falling from a high place. 7. The patient dreams of seeing himself/herself being chased by animals. How this is Achieved The sahir instructs a Jinn to appear to a person both in dream and in reality, in the form of savage beasts attacking him; to call him when awake in voices which he recognises and which he does not; to cause him to suspect people that are close to him and people who are not. Symptoms may vary according to the power and weakness of the sihr. They 23
may increase to the point of reaching lunacy and may also diminish to the point of being a mere whispering.
7: Sihr Al-Maradh (Illness) Symptoms 1. Constant pain in one part of the body. 2. Epilepsy. 3. Paralysis of one area of the patient's body. 4. Total paralysis of the body. 5. Disability in of one of the sense organs. I would like to emphasise that some of these symptoms may be similar to those of a normal physical illness. In order to distinguish between the symptoms, the healer should recite the ruqyah over the patient. If the patient feels dizzy, becomes numb, has a headache, or if there is a change in the patient's body during the recitation process, then the healer should assume that these symptoms pertain to the use sihr. But if the patient does not react to the ruqyah, the healer should advice the patient that he/she suffers from a physical illness and should consult a doctor. How this is Achieved It is common that the brain is the main regulator of the body. This means that every human organ has a control centre in the brain, from which it receives codes. For example, if you try to put your finger in a fire, the finger sends a fast code to the sense centre in the brain, and then receives orders from this centre, warning it to keep away from the source of danger. In response, the hand moves away from fire. This interaction takes place within a fraction of a second: (This is Allah's Creation; now show me what those have created that are part from Him!) (31:11) Through this sihr, a Jinn settles in a person's brain, in the sensual centre of hearing, sight, feeling of the hand or the leg, as directed by the sahir. As a result, the response of a limb may be one out of three conditions: 1. The Jinn may -with Allah's Ability- completely prevent signals from reaching a limb or organ. As a result, a limb stops functioning, so the patient may become blind, dumb, deaf or physically paralysed. 24
2. The Jinn may -with Allah's Ability- sometimes prevent signals from reaching a limb or organ, and may sometimes let them reach it. As a result, the limb or organ sometimes functions and sometimes does not. 3. The Jinn may cause the brain to send fast successive signals without any reason. Consequently, the limb may become frigid and unable to move, even if it were not paralysed. However, any harm a person sustains, under the effect of sihr depends on Allah's M Will, which should not surprise you: (...yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the Leave of Allah.) (2:102). Yet in the past, many doctors would neither acknowledge nor believe this fact. However, when they witnessed several cases, they had no choice but to believe and submit to Allah's ('Azza wa Jalla) Ability. One day, a doctor came to me and said: "I have come to see you about an issue which has shocked me." I said: "What is it?" He said: 'A man brought his paralysed to me for treatment. When I examined him, I found that he was suffering from a disease in his vertebrae; a disease which, according to doctors, is incurable, whether through surgery or otherwise. A few weeks later, the man came and I asked him about his paralysed son. He said, 'Praise be to Allah, my son now can sit down and walk.' I said, 'Who has treated him?' He replied, 'Wahid (author from the book ‘Sword against black magic & evil magicians). This is the reason I have come, to find out from you how you treated him.' I said: "I recited some verses of the Qur'an over him, then recited a ruqyah on al-habba as-sawda' (black seed oil) and advised them to rub it over the paralysed areas of his body."
8: Sihr An-Nazif (Bleeding Following Menses) How it is achieved This type of sihr affects women only. A sahir sends a Jinn to the targeted woman and instructs him to cause her to bleed. To do so, the Jinn enters the woman's body and circulates in her veins and arteries with the blood. This notion of circulation has long been warned about by the Prophet S in the following tradition: "Satan circulates in man's body like blood." Al-Bukhari (Fath Al-Bari: 4/282) and Muslim (An-Nawawi. 14/155) When the Jinn reaches a known vein in the woman's womb, he stomps it so that the vein bleeds. This fact was also pointed out by the Prophet S when Hamna bint Jahsh asked his opinion on the issue of bleeding outside the period of menses, and he said: "Such bleeding is but one of Satan's stomping." According to At-Tirmidhi, the above tradition is sound and authentic 25
According to another tradition, the bleeding "is the result of Satan's stomping on a vein rather than from a normal menses." Imam Ahmad and An-Nasai (a very good chain of transmission) Therefore, according to both traditions, a menstruation that occurs outside its normal period is one of the Satan's stomps on one of the womb's veins. According to scholars of Fiqh (jurisprudence), an-nazif refers to al-istihadha (continuous menstruation), and according to doctors, it refers to bleeding. According to Ibn Al-Athir, al-istihadha means bleeding following a normal menses. This bleeding may last for months, and the amount of blood could be little or large.
9: Sihr of Impeding Marriage How This is Done A grudging person would go to a wicked sorcerer and requests that a sihr be done to a certain person's daughter to thwart her marriage. The sahir would request her name, her mother's name and a trace of her hair or smell (on a piece of garment). Once these are provided, the sorcerer would work out the appropriate sihr and instruct one Jinn, or more, to stalk the girl until the opportunity comes to enter her, which is often during one of the four occasions: 1. Extreme fear 2. Extreme anger 3. Extreme unawareness 4. Indulgence in pleasure The Jinn has Two Options 1. If he can enter the girl, then he would cause her to feel uncomfortable with any prospective husband and; thus, turn him down. 2. If he cannot enter the girl, then he would use the sihr of imagination, from outside. As a result, a suitor would see the girl in an ugly image under the effect of the Jinn's whispering, and so would the girl. Under the effect of this sihr and under the Jinn is whispering, a suitor, who would have initially agreed to the marriage, would decline after a few days, without any valid reason. In cases of a strong sihr, a suitor would, upon entering the house of his prospective wife, feel very uncomfortable and see darkness before him as if he were in prison, and so would never return. 26
During the period of this sihr, the Jinn may cause the girl to experience occasional headaches. Symptoms 1. Occasional headaches, which persist despite medication. 2. Severe tightness in the chest, especially between al-'asr and midnight. 3. The patient sees the suitor in an ugly image. 4. Absentmindedness. 5. Anxiety during sleep. 6. Occasional constant stomach-aches. 7. Pain in the lower part of the back.
10. Al Sihr Ar-rabt (Penile Erection Problem during intercourse), Al- 'ajz al-jinsi (impotence) and Adh-dhu'f al-jinsi (sexual weakness) Ar-Rabt The man affected by this type of sihr feels active and energetic about having sexual intercourse with his wife. His penis is even erected as long as he is distant from his wife. Nevertheless, as he approaches her, his penis shrinks and is unable to have sexual intercourse. How SihrAr-Rabt is Done The Jinn entrusted with the task of sihr settles in a man's brain, precisely in the centre of sexual excitement which sends codes to the sexual organs; and lets the sexual organs function normally. But, when a man approaches his wife, with the intention of having sexual intercourse, the Jinn thwart the centre of sexual excitement in the brain and blocks the signals sent to the organs which pump blood into the penis for erection. Consequently, the blood drawbacks rapidly from the penis, and the penis shrinks. A man, for instance, may be normal when making love to his wife; that is, with an erected penis. However, when he is about to penetrate intercourse, his penis shrinks, so he cannot have sexual intercourse; and erection is an essential ingredient in achieving sexual intercourse, as we know. Sometimes a man with two wives may be affected with the sihr of rabt, but only with one wife. This is because the Jinn of this type of sihr only hinders the centre of sexual excitement when the man approaches that specific wife.
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Ar-Rabt in Women (sexual frigidity) Just as a man suffers from ar-rabt (penile erection failure) and is unable to have sexual intercourse with his wife, a woman, too, may suffer from ar-rabt (frigidity). There are five types of rabt in women: 1. Rabt al-man'(obstruction): It occurs when a woman prevents her husband from having sexual intercourse with her by tightly joining her legs together and obstructing his penis from entering into her vagina. This reaction is automatic and beyond her control, but one young man whose wife was affected by this type of sihr, criticised his wife for her response, so she explained that it was beyond her control. One day, she told him to put iron shackles between her legs to keep them apart before, starting sexual intercourse. He did that, but it was to no avail. Alternatively, she told him to give her a drug injection if he wants to have sexual intercourse with her. It worked, but only one partner benefited. 2. Rabt at-taballud (lack of sexual feeling): The Jinn entrusted with the mission of sihr settles in the centre of sexual feeling in the woman's brain and causes her to lose her sexual feeling, at the moment of sexual intercourse with her husband. As a result, she feels no sexual pleasure and does not respond to her husband. Her body becomes numb even if her husband does what he wishes with her. In this type of sihr, the glands do not release the fluid which lubricates the vagina, and therefore, the sexual act cannot be achieved. 3. Rabt An-nazif (bleeding at the time of sexual intercourse): This is different from sihr an-nazif in one aspect. While, rabt An-nazif is confined to the time of sexual intercourse, sihr an-nazif may last for several days. In this type of sihr, the Jinn causes heavy bleeding to the targeted woman at the time of sexual intercourse with her husband, and thus prevents the man from having sexual intercourse with his wife. One day, one man, who was a soldier, told me that whenever he came home for holidays, his wife would bleed as soon as he arrived home. The bleeding would last for the holiday period which was approximately five days, but would stop as soon as he went back to work. 4. Rabt Al-lnsidad (blockage in the vagina): It occurs when a man finds an obstacle of flesh in the vagina which prevents the penetration of the penis, so the sexual intercourse is not achieved. 5. Rabt At-taghwir (loss of virginity): It occurs when a man marries a virgin woman, but finds her to be without her virginity at their first sexual intercourse. As a result, doubts are raised concerning her past. However, the virginity returns once the sihr is neutralised. Al-'ajzal-jinsi (sexual inability / impotence): It means a man's inability to have sexual intercourse with his wife, whether he is distant from or near her, as his penis cannot erect. 28
Adh-dhu'f al-jinsi (sexual weakness): A man can only have sexual intercourse with his wife after long periods. Sexual intercourse takes place for only a short time; after which the penis looses its rigidity.
Is Learning Sihr Lawful? Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar reported: "The verse (We (the Jinn) are but a temptation; do not disbelieve,) indicates that learning sihr is an act of disbelief." FathAl-Barr.10/225 Ibn Qudama reported: "That learning or teaching sihr is an unlawful act is an uncontroversial issue among scholars as far as we know. The Hanbalists hold that a person becomes an unbeliever if he learns to practise sihr, whether he believes in sihr as lawful or unlawful." According to Ar-Razi: "Researchers in the subject of sihr agree that knowledge of sihr is not shameful nor unlawful, on the basis that seeking knowledge is an honourable pursuit in itself, and also on the basis of the general meaning of the verse: (Say: "Are those with knowledge and those without knowledge equal?) (39:9) Furthermore, if sihr were not accessible to learn, it would not be possible to distinguish it from a miraculous work; and knowledge of whether or not something is a miracle is obligatory. Therefore, acquiring knowledge of sihr is obligatory and what is obligatory cannot be unlawful or shameful." According to Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir: "There are, however, arguments concerning Ar-Razi’s view. First, if Ar-Razi meant that learning sihr is not shameful, logically, then there opponents of sihr among the Mu'tazilites deny such a view. However, if he meant that learning sihr is not shameful, legally (under Islamic Law), then learning how to practice sihr has been condemned in the following verse (...and they follow what the Satans recited over Sulayman's Kingdom. Sulayman disbelieved not but the Satans disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery...), and in general, in the following hadiths; "And whosoever has sought the services of a clairvoyant or soothsayer, has in fact disbelieved in the Message sent to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him)." (Transmitted in AlBukhari), and "Whosever ties a knot and blows into it, has committed an act of sihr." (Transmitted in the Sunan). Second, how can it be that 'researchers on the subject of sihr agree that knowledge of sihr is not unlawful' whilst the Qur'an and the hadith warn against its learning. Furthermore, agreement among researchers requires evidence which proves that the leading scholars, or most of them, hold that it is not unlawful to learn it. But where are their views? Moreover, including the learning of sihr in the meaning of know in the verse: 29
(Say: "Are those with knowledge and those without knowledge equal?) (39:9) is disputable, because this verse praises scholars who are learned in the disciplines of the Islamic religion. Also, the view that knowing the work of a miracle is dependable on learning sihr is weak and incorrect. This is because, the most magnificent miracles that happened to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him) was the revelation of the Qur'an. Therefore, knowledge of the Qur'an as a miracle does not necessarily depend on learning sihr. Another argument is that it is common that the companions of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) scholarly predecessors, contemporary leading Muslim scholars and ordinary Muslims would know a miraculous work and would distinguish it from other acts, and they did not have to know sihr, learn or teach it. Abu Hayan stated in Al-Bahr Al-Muhif. "The sihr which glorifies other than Allah ('Azza wa Jalla), such as planets and demons is unanimously an act of disbelief, and, therefore, it is unlawful to learn or use. Also, the sihr which intends to kill or separate between a husband and his wife or between two friends, is unlawful to learn or use. Even the sihr which has purposes other than those stated above should not be learnt nor used. In addition, charlatanism, magic and the like must not be learnt because they are part of falsehood; even if they are used as a means of entertainment." This is a sound view which should be relied on as far as learning sihr is concerned.
Witchcraft Types & the Verdict on Sorcerers There are two types of witchcraft. One is a paper contract, i.e., readings and talisman inscribed with mysterious words, by means of which the sorcerer calls on devils to participate in harming their victim. Allah, the Sublime, says, ―And (they) follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic…. The other type of witchcraft is in the form of medications and drugs that work on the victim‘s body, mind, will and inclination. Under their effect, the victim can be made to be so attached to his wife or another woman that he becomes enslaved by her, and follows her commands. Alternatively, the victim can be gradually weakened till he perishes; in this case, the victim is made to imagine things as different from reality. Regarding the status of the sorcerer, there are two views: some Ulama consider him a Kafir (disbeliever), while others do not consider him a Kafir. Obviously, these views derive from the two types of witchcraft previously mentioned: (a) if the sorcerer invokes devils, he is a Kafir; (b) if he uses medications and drugs, he is a criminal, not a Kafir.
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“Learn witchcraft, but do not apply it” Is Not a Hadith Learning witchcraft is forbidden irrespective of intentions, be they applications or protection from magic itself. To do that is described by Allah as an act of Kufr (disbelief), as He says, ―... but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babel. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). Also the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمrules that witchcraft is a major sin. Ordering us to shun it, he says, ―Shun the major seven deadly sins. Witchcraft is one of them. As mentioned in the Sunan of Annasa‘i, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsays, ―If one ties a knot and does Nafth into it, he has performed sorcery, and consequently has had associates with Allah. As for the statement (―Learn witchcraft, but do not apply it.), it is, as far as we know, not a Hadith.
Punishment under Islamic Law for Practising Sihr According to Imam Malik, a person who practises sihr (sahir), but does not have it done for himself is similar to the person Allah describes in the following verse: (...and they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them, knowing well that whoso buys it shall have no share in the world to come.) (2:102). According the verse, Imam Malik believed that the Punishment for practising sihr is the death sentence. Al-Muwatta (628) According to Ibn Qudama, the Punishment for practising sihr is the death sentence. This view was reported by 'Umar, 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan, Ibn 'Umar, Hafsa, Jundub Ibn 'Abdullah, Jundub Ibn Ka'b, Qays Ibn Sa'd, and 'Umar Ibn 'Abdul'aziz. It is also the view of Abu Hanifa and Malik. According to al-Qurtubi, scholars of jurisprudence disagreed as to the punishment of a Muslim who practises sihr and a zimmi who practises sihr. According to Malik, the Punishment for a Muslim person who uses sihr himself that contains words of disbelief is the death sentence. He must not be requested to repent, as his repentance would not be accepted. This is because his sihr is something which he keeps secret, just like a disbeliever or an adulterer. This is also because Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) defines sihr as disbelief: (they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.) (2:102). This is also the view of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Thawr, Ishaq, Ashshafi'i (Ash-shafi'i held that a sahir should not be sentenced to death for simply practicing sihr, but rather, he should be killed, under al-qasas Law, if he has used a sihr which has claimed a life (quoted by Ibn Al-Mudir and others) and Abu Hanifa (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi (2/48)) 31
According to Ibn Al-Mundir, the punishment for a person who admits to the use of sihr, containing words of disbelief is the death Punishment, if he does not repent, and also if the evidence against him shows that he has used words of disbelief. If he says that the sihr he has used did not contain words of disbelief, then he shall not be sentenced to death. If the sihr he used harmed a person so seriously as to deserve the death Punishment (under qasas law), then he must be sentenced to death, if he uses this sihr with intent to harm. However, if the sihr used does not merit the death penalty, then the penalty shall be blood money. Quoted from Tafsir Al-Qurtubi (2/48) Ibn Kathir argued that according to the verse: (...yet had they believed and been Allahfearing, a recompense from Allah had been better, if they had but known) (2:103), a sahir does not commit such an act of disbelief when he uses sihr, a view which was held by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and a group of predecessors. However, the punishment for committing such act is the death penalty, according to a previous case reported by AshShafi’I and Ahmad: "Sufyan Ibn 'Uyayna quoted 'Amru Ibn Dinar, 'I heard Bajala Ibn Abda say, "’Umar Ibn Al-Khattab instructed in writing to kill every sahir and sahira, so we killed three.'" According to Ibn Kathir, this hadith is transmitted by Al-Bukhari in his sahih (Fath AlBari: 6/257). Ibn Kathir stated: "The death penalty has another antecedent in the story of Hafsa, Umm Al-Muminin. One of her female servants performed sihr to her, so she ordered that the servant be killed, and the killing was carried out. According to Imam Ahmad, three companions of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) confirmed that the punishment for a sahiris the death penalty. Tafsir Ibn Kathir : 1/144 Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar reported that according to Imam Malik, the punishment for practising sihr is similar to that applicable to az-zindiq (a person who does not believe in the Hereafter or who openly declares his faith, but conceals his kufr). His repentance should not be accepted, and he must be killed if it is confirmed that he is really a sahir. This is also the view of Imam Ahmad. According to Ash-Shafi'i, a sahir should be killed unless the sihr he has used had actually killed a person, in which case his killing must be counted as qisas. Fath Al-Bari: 10/236.
Summary According to the aforementioned views, it appears that the majority of scholars are of the opinion that a sahir should be killed, with the exception of Ash-Shafi'i, who said that a sahir should not be killed unless his sihr has killed a person, in which case his killing should be counted as qisas.
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The Punishment under Islamic Law for a Non-Religious Person (Zimmi) Practising Sihr Ibn Qudama reported: "According to Abu Hanifa, a zimmi who practises sihr should be killed, on the basis of a commonly held view and that, since the death penalty is applicable to a Muslim sahir, then it should also be applicable to a zimmi sahir" AlMughni: 10/115. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar reported: "According to Imam Malik, a zimmi sahir should not be killed, unless his sihr has killed someone. Malik also said that if a zimmi sahir has caused harm to a Muslim person, but was supposed to have entered into a covenant with Muslims not to harm any of them, he is, thus, considered to be in breach of the covenant, and should, as a result, receive the death penalty. The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) did not have Labid Ibn Al-A'sam killed because the sihr he used against him was not an act of revenge. Furthermore, the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) was worried that if he had killed him, he would have ignited a conflict between Muslims and his allies from the Ansar (supporters). Fath Al-Bari: 10/236 According to Ash-Shafi’i, a zimmi sahir should not be killed, unless his sihr has killed someone. Fath Al-Bari: 10/236 Ibn Qudama said: "A zimmi sahir should not be killed unless his sihr has killed someone. Mostly, it is a sihr that kills, in which case, the death penalty should be applied for as qisas. When it was confirmed that Labid Ibn Al-A'sam had used sihr against the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him), the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) did not order his killing because, his practice of polytheism was more serious than his sihr." Ibn Qudama added: "The views quoted were based on the analogy drawn between a Muslim sahir and a zimmi sahir. The difference is that a Muslim sahir is classed as disbeliever when he uses sihr. A zimmi sahir is already a disbeliever. Therefore, the analogy on which scholars based their judgement is invalid on the basis of the difference between a person being a disbeliever by creed and that of a Muslim uttering words of disbelief. It is also invalid on the basis of adultery, a crime for which a Muslim is sentenced to death, while a zimmi is not." Al-Mughni: 10/115.
Warning against going to witches Having understood that witches are Kafirs, and that the punishment for witchcraft in Islam is beheading with the sword. We are going to explain that Islam forbids the Muslim to go to witches. In the Musnad of Al-Bazzar it is narrated with a Hasan Isnad that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "He is not one of us who observes bird omens or has that done for him, who tells fortunes or has his fortune told, who does witchcraft or has witchcraft done for him. Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which 33
was revealed to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him). In Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Avoid the seven (sins) that doom a person to Hell." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what are they?" He (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Associating others with Allah (Shirk), witchcraft, killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden killing, except in cases required by Islamic law, consuming Riba, consuming the orphan's wealth, running away from the battlefield, and slandering chaste and innocent believing women." And he (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune teller and believes what he says has nothing to do with what Allah revealed to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him), and whoever goes to him and does not believe him, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days." A person may say: I am not going to cause harm to anyone, rather I am going to undo witchcraft that was done to me, or for healing, and other such excuses. We say to him: You are like one who seeks relief from the desert heat by throwing himself into the fire. The jinn often rebel against the witch and cause him sicknesses for which he can find no remedy. The jinn and devils often let the witch down and do not help him. Allah says: (And Shaytan (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need.) (Al-Furqan 25:29) The jinn often ask the witch to commit immoral actions with the women who go to him, or to write on them with blood in sensitive places. Witchcraft often produces the opposite effect to what was hoped for, so the one who asks for witchcraft to be done ends up being afflicted. How many women have performed witchcraft on their husbands to make them love them, and not take a second wife, then the husband divorces his wife as a result of witchcraft. Allah says: (But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it.) (Al Fatir 35:43) A woman or a man may be healthy, then they go to this man (the witch) who sends jinn to them to cause trouble for them, in order that he may take their money from them. The demands of the jinn and devils are many and exhausting. Sometimes they demand the sacrifice of an animal, a rooster or a pigeon that must meet stringent conditions, the blood of which is to be smeared on the sick person. Or they may demand that the sick person keep away from people in a room into which no sunlight may come for forty days, or not to touch water for a certain period of time, and other, endless demands. In each region there are jinn who make their own demands, unique to that region. In Upper 34
Egypt there is a well that is called Abu Hashimah, to which the witches send women to immerse themselves on Fridays after Maghrib prayer, seeking a cure for infertility. In this abandoned well there are many jinn who enjoy seeing the 'Awrah (nudity) of these women. A jinn may be attracted to a woman and have intercourse with her. The poor man who brings his wife to this well forgets that the One Who has control over matters of fertility is Allah, may He be exalted. Allah says: (To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things.) (Al-Shura 42:49-50) The demands of the jinn and devils are endless and exhausting. Allah indeed spoke the truth when He said: (And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression.) (Al-Jinn 72:6) Shaykh Hafiz Al-Hukami (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is Haram to undo the spell of a witch by means of further witchcraft, because that is cooperating with the witch and approving of his action, and drawing close to the Shaytan by various means in order to undo what was done to the victim. Hence Al-Hasan said: No one regards witchcraft as permissible except the witch. Hence you see many evil witches during times when there is no sword to deter them, deliberately bewitching people, whether they love them or hate them, in order to force them to ask him to undo it, as a means of taking people's wealth unlawfully, taking control of their wealth and misleading them.'' Having said all this, we call upon the Ummah of Tawhid, the Ummah of the Qur'an, the Ummah of Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him) those who adhere to correct belief, to tell them that the witch is a Kafir and his actions are Kufr. He does not have the power to bring benefit or harm to himself, he has no power to give life or death or to bring life after death. He has no knowledge of the unseen. The jinn who serve the witch are also Kafirs and rebels, because the believer among the jinn, like his counterpart among mankind, does not agree to be subjugated and enslaved; he is proud and does riot accept to go down to such a level. O Ummah of the Qur'an, look at the state of the witches in all places. They beg for the money that they take from the sick, so how can they make you rich? As Islam has closed the door to going to witches, is there any alternative? We say: Yes, there is an alternative in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him).
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Signs by which a witch may be recognized 1 - He asks about one's name and one's mother's name. 2 - He demands the slaughter of an animal or bird, whether it has specific characteristics or not, and whether the blood is to be smeared on the sick person or not. 3 - He tells the sick person to eat a certain kind of food, or to drink a certain kind of drink, for a specific period of time, whilst keeping away from people in a darkened room during this period. 4 - He gives the sick person papers to burn and scent himself with the smoke (like incense), or to hang them up, or to bury them. 5 - Everyone who writes letters or numbers, or hexagons, or tears up the words of Allah, is a witch. 6 - Everyone who mutters incomprehensible words, or words in a language other than Arabic, is a witch.
The Ruling on the So-Called Spirit Evocation Praise be to Allah, and His peace and payers be upon His Messenger, his kin, his companions and whoever follows His guidance. There has spread among some writers as well as others the so-called science of spirit evocation. The souls of the dead are claimed to be evoked by means invented by practitioners of such sorcery. The souls are asked by those sorcerers about the news of the dead whether they are being blessed or tortured. They are also asked about other matters which they are thought to have known in their lifetime. Having reflected on that claim a lot, I have come to the conclusion that this is absolutely false, and it is nothing but satanic sorcery deliberately intended to spoil beliefs and morals, to confuse Muslims and to establish a claim to knowledge of the unseen. Therefore, I have seen it appropriate to convey that to fellow Muslims, pinpoint the truth and, subsequently, resolve any confusion. I have to say that such a claim, as in other issues, must be investigated in the light of the Qur‘an and the Sunnah. If the claim is accepted by both or either of them, we declare it accepted, and vice versa. This is in adherence to Allah‘s command, ―O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end. Regarding the soul, it belongs to the Unseen, whose knowledge is only with Allah; He says, ―(He is) the knower of the Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret, Save unto every messenger whom he hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him. In Annami Sura, Allah says, ―Say (O Muhammad صلى اله
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)علي ه وس لم: None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah; Therefore, it is appropriate to investigate the present issue only on the basis of Shar‘i evidence. In Al-Israa Sura, Allah says, ―They will ask thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but 1itt1e. The Ulama have interpreted the meaning of the spirit‘ in this Qur‘anic verse in a variety of ways. One interpretation is the soul in the body. Thus, according to the verse, its knowledge is His alone, and people know only what He tells them about it. According to the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, souls do not perish with one‘s death. Evidence from the Qur‘an is the statement ―Allah receiveth (men‘s) souls at the time of their death, and that (soul) which dieth not (yet) in its sleep. He keepeth that (soul) for which He hath ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term. Lo herein verily are portents for people who take thought. Evidence from the Sunnah is represented by the following Hadith narrated by Abu-Talha: ―On the day of Badr, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمordered the corpses of twenty-four warriors of Quraish to be thrown into one of the dirty dry wells of Badr. On winning a battle, he used to stay at the battlefield for three nights. So, on the third day of the battle of Badr, he ordered that his she-camel be saddled, then he set out, and his companions followed him saying among themselves, Definitely he is proceeding for some great purpose.‘ He halted at that well and addressed the Quraish dead warriors by their names and their fathers‘ names, O so-and-so, son of so-and-so and O so-and-so, son of so-and-so! Wouldn‘t you be pleased if you had obeyed Allah and His Apostle? We have found true what our Lord promised us. Have you too found true what He promised you?‘ Umar said, O Allah‘s Messenger! You are speaking to bodies that have no souls!‘ Allah‘s Messenger said, By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad‘s soul is, you cannot hear what I am saying as clearly as they do, but they cannot reply. According to one Hadith, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsays that a dead person can hear the footsteps of people going away after having taken him to his grave. According to Ibn-Al-Qayyim, the Salaf are all agreed that the dead are aware of the living visiting their graves and are happy to be visited. He also mentions Ibn-Abbas‘s interpretation of the Qur‘anic verse (―Allah receiveth (men‘s) souls at the time of their death, and that (soul) which dieth not (yet) in its sleep. He keepeth that (soul) for which He hath ordained death and dismisseth the rest till an appointed term.) As interpreted by Ibn-Abbas, the souls of the living meet during sleep with those of the dead, and they speak to each other; Allah keeps the souls of the dead, but sends those of the living back to their bodies. Ibn-Al-Qayyim argues that in dreams the living meet the dead and converse with them; from the dead the living get information which happens to be true in reality. This supports the view that souls meet. Thus, the Salaf maintain that the souls 37
of the dead do not perish as long as Allah wills, and they can hear, but there is no evidence to suggest their contact with those of the living other than during sleep. As for the sorcerers‘ claim to have power of soul evocation, whereby they can speak to the soul of whichever dead person they want and receive information from it, is absolutely false. It has no support in reason, or in Naqi (Islamic content soundly conveyed to us). It is only Allah Who knows the reality of souls and Who controls them; none but He can send them back to their bodies whenever He wills. How can one claim something he has no knowledge of? ! To do that means he is an absolute liar who wants to wrongfully make money, to show off or to confuse people and corrupt their faith and beliefs. The souls with which the sorcerer claims to communicate are only satanic spirits. He worships them and meets their demands. In return, they serve him by lying and cheating as in impersonating the dead in the so-called spirit evocation. In this regard, Allah says, ―Thus have We appointed unto every Prophet an adversary - devils of humankind and jinn who inspire in one another plausible discourse through guile. If thy Lord willed, they would not do so; so leave them alone with their devising; That the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter may incline thereto, and that they may take pleasure therein, and that they may earn what they are earning. He also says, ―In the day when He will gather them together (He will say): O ye assembly of the jinn! Many of humankind did ye seduce. And their adherents among humankind will say: Our Lord! We enjoyed one another, but now we have arrived at the appointed term which Thou appointedst for us. He will say: Fire is your home. Abide therein for ever, save him whom Allah willeth (to deliver). Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware. The enjoyment mentioned in the above Ayah between the Jinn and humans is interpreted by the Qur‘an Ulama as: on the one hand, humans worship the Jinn by offering sacrifices and prayers; on the other hand, the Jinn provide them with the service they need including some information they gather elsewhere or they eavesdrop, as well as false information, which represents the bulk of what they communicate to humans. Even, for argument‘s sake, if those humans do not worship those Jinn, such communication with them remains forbidden, for consulting devils, soothsayers, sorcerers and astrologers is forbidden, and believing them is not only worse, but also an act of Kufr. The Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلم said, ―If one goes to a soothsayer and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days. He also says, ―Whoever consults a soothsayer and believes what he tells him disbelieves in what has been revealed to Muhammad صلى اله عليه وسلم. With respect to this issue, there are several Hadiths and statements that classify the spirits evoked among those satanic ones associated with sorcerers and soothsayers. Therefore, it is equally forbidden to evoke, consult or believe them. Besides, such practice is some sort of fiddling with the Unseen, whose knowledge is only with Allah, Who says, ―Say (O Muhammad )صلى اله عليه وسلم: None in the heavens and the earth 38
knoweth the Unseen save Allah. The spirits claimed to be evoked could be the devils associated with the dead whose souls are supposed to be evoked. Claiming to be the evoked souls, such devils may tell what they already know about the dead in their lifetime. Therefore, it is forbidden to do such evocation and consultation or believe in their alledged outcomes. No doubt, it is the devils or Jinn that are actually evoked in return for acts of worship, which must not be offered except to Allah. If offered to other than Him, they lead to major Shirk, annulment of one‘s Islam. May Allah protect us from Shirk. The Saudi Permanent Committee For Religious Research and Ifta has issued a Fatwa (a religious ruling) on hypnotism as some form of spirit evocation. The Fatwa reads: ―Hypnotism is some kind of soothsaying employing the Jinn that possess the hypnotized, through whom the possessor speaks and acts. In return for fulfilling the hypnotizer‘s demands, the possessor gets offerings from him. Thus, if both keep their parts of the bargain, hypnotism as such can be used to identify a lost or stolen object, to treat a patient or have an unlawful act executed by the hypnotized person. Because of the afore-mentioned reasons, and because it represents invocation of other than Allah to achieve things by means beyond what He has given and allowed, such practice is an act of Shirk. The false claims of hypnotism have been well exposed by Dr. Mohammad Hussein in his book Modern Spiritism: Reali and Aims. He had been deceived by it for a long time before he was guided to the truth by Allah. Having been involved in spiritism for so long, he has had first-hand experience of what it is all about; this has enabled him to realize how false it is and to find nothing in it except myths and charlatanism. Dr. Hussein mentions that evocationists apply varied methods in their practice. Novices, for example, use a small cup moving on letters written on a table surface. The answer by the soul claimed to have been evoked is represented by the letters the cup has moved over in their respective order. Others use a basket, to one side of which a pen is attached for writing the answers to the questions asked by those attending the session. There are also those who use a medium, as in the case of hypnotism. Dr. Hussein is convinced that there is some interested power behind evocationists because of the unusual media attention given to them. How can this sudden change of heart of some media circles be explained?! Some papers and magazines that have never been concerned with souls or the afterlife, or with promoting religion or faith in Allah, all of a sudden become competitively keen on following evocationists and publishing their claims. He also mentions the attention being given to the revival of the Pharaoh movement as well as other Jahili (ignorant / dating back to the pre-Islamic period) calls. As Dr. Hussein explains, those who have lost dearly loved ones are responsible for promoting spiritism early on as one way of consoling themselves or satisfying their fantasies. The most famous of those people is Oliver Lodge, who lost his son in World War I. Its founder in Egypt is Ahmad Fahmi Abulkhair, whose only son, begotten after a long wait, died in 1937 A.D. 39
When he practised spirit evocation, Dr. Hussein started with the cup- and-table method, but he found it unconvincing. He, then, tried the medium method, but it failed to deliver the claimed embodiment of the soul or the direct voice. This failure is due to the fact that no such things exist in the first place; it is nothing but subtle tricks intended to destroy religions, a target sought by the destructive world Zionism. Having discovered the reality and wickedness of such an orientation, not only did Dr. Hussein abandon the whole thing, but he also resolved to expose it and alert people to its reality. He believes that those corrupt evocationists are determined in their mission to take away faith and beliefs from people‘s hearts and replace them with confused fantasies and myths. Besides, evocationists regard the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمas merely a spiritual medium; in his book On the Edge of the Spiritual World, their leader, Arthur Findley, describes the prophets as high quality media, and the miracles that took place through them were only spiritual phenomena similar to what happens in soul evocation dark chambers. However, whenever evocation fails, either the medium is to blame as being unsuccessful or too exhausted to perform, or those attending the session are incompatible or have amongst them some who are suspicious or are there for a challenge. Among their claims, which are false, is that Jibreel (angel Gabriel) — may His peace be upon him - attends their sessions and blesses them. May Allah deform them. Thus, from what we have stated in the beginning, from the Committee‘s Fatwa and from what Dr. Hussein says about hypnotism, it is quite obvious that evocationist claims to communicate with the souls of the dead and ask them for information are all false. No doubt, their practices are satanic exercises and sorcery, against which the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمwarns Muslims. Muslim authorities have to eradicate and ban such falsehoods, and punish those involved. Those in control of Muslim newspapers must not spread such falsehoods, and if they feel they have to communicate something, it must be combating such evil, exposing the satanic tricks fabricated by men and devils and alerting people to the reality of their evil intentions, conniving and anarchy. May Allah, Who says the truth, guides to the right path and is able to reform Muslims, provide them with useful religious knowledge and protect them from deception and from the confusion created by satanic agents, and may His peace and prayers be upon Prophet Muhammad صلى اله عليه وسلم.
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Chapter Three: Possession(by Jinn) The Attempt to Bewitch the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمand How He Reacted It is true. Aishah reported that magic was worked on the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلم. As a result, he started to imagine having done things he had not really done. One day he told her, “Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, ‘What is the disease of this man?’ The other replied, ‘He is under the effect of magic.’ The first one asked, ‘Who has Worked the magic on him?’ The other replied, ‘Labid Ibn-Al-A’sam, using a comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm in the well of Dharwan.’” According to Ibn-AlQayyim, there are those who reject that story; they maintain that such a thing cannot happen to the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلم, for it is considered as a defect. However, their view is not valid, for the symptoms were not any different from those of the ordinary diseases, even from the poisoning he had had before. Qadi Iyadh argues that the incident does not in any way undermine the credibility of prophethood. The fact that the Prophet’s credibility is entirely unquestioned and that he is undoubtedly infallible with regard to matters of divine revelation is sufficient to discard any significance that some may attach to the incident. However, in day-to-day common activities, not related to divine revelation, it would not be unusual for the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلمto have imagined something he had not done, then realized what actually had happened. As a human being, he was likely to experience such matters. When the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلمlearned he was under the effect of magic, he invoked Allah, Who guided him to where the spell was placed. Once found, it was destroyed, the effect of magic stopped, and the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمfelt as if nothing had happened to him. However, he did not punish the magician. In fact, when asked to have the magician killed, he said, “Allah has cured me and I hate to circulate the evil among people.”
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Symptoms of jinn possession Those who have written on this topic have listed several symptoms of jinn possession. These symptoms may be real, but we must point out that some of these symptoms may also occur for other reasons, such as staying up all night, or confusion and uncertainty. So we must try to protect ourselves from the whispers that the Shaytan tries to instill in our hearts, when reading this list of symptoms. These symptoms have been divided into two categories: those which occur when one is awake, and those which occur when one is asleep. A - Symptoms when one is awake: 1 - Turning away, in particular, from acts of worship and obedience, the remembrance of Allah (Dhikr) and reading the Qur'an. Allah says: (And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) (i.e. this Qur'an and worship of Allah), We appoint for him Shaytan (Satan - devil) to be a Qarin (a companion) to him. And verily, they (Satans/devils) hinder them from the path (of Allah), but they think that they are guided aright!)(Al-Zukhruf 43:36-37) 2 - Erratic behaviour in one's words, deeds and movements. Allah says: (Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytan (Satan) leading him to insanity.) (Al-Baqarah 2:275) 3 - Seizures (with no medical cause); there are signs to indicate that a seizure has devilish causes. 4 - Paralysis of a limb (with no medical cause). 5 - Being quick to get angry or weep with no apparent cause. 6 - Sitting in the toilet for a long time, and talking to oneself. 7 - Constant headache (on one or both sides of the head) with no medical cause, which is not eased by painkillers. 8 - Irregular menstruation in women. 9 - Not producing children although both husband and wife are medically sound and able to reproduce. There are other signs when one is awake, but they may be caused by other life circumstances, such as not succeeding in efforts to get married, repeatedly failing to do so, or a wife becoming very distressed when her husband has intercourse with her. B - Symptoms when one is asleep: 1 - Frightening nightmares, which includes seeing various kinds of creatures such as ghosts or apparitions, seeing oneself falling from a high place, seeing people in strange forms, and snakes. A man may see a woman who wants him to have intercourse with her (and vice versa) constantly in his dreams, or he may see someone threatening him. 2 - Insomnia, anxiety and fear upon waking. 42
3 - Talking loudly in one's sleep, or moaning and groaning. Note: A person should not be regarded as being possessed by the jinn if any of these symptoms occur. No one can be certain that a person has been possessed by the jinn until after the Qur'an has been recited over him, so these symptoms cannot be taken as definitive evidence of jinn possession.
Kinds of sickness and harm caused by the jinn The jinn may cause many different types of sickness and harm to humans, affecting their psychology, moods, body, wealth, possessions, business, relations with others or studies. The sicknesses that we are going to discuss may happen either because of the human being overpowered by the jinn, or because of witchcraft. We will discuss the remedies for these sicknesses in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. These sicknesses include the following: 1. Intense fear 2. Psychological and nervous diseases (insanity, depression, anxiety, tension, epilepsy, waswas (whispers from the Shaytan), personality disorders) 3. Physical sickness (i.e., physical sickness that human medicine is unable to treat, and for which there is no medical cause) 4. Hallucinations 5. Stirring up hatred between people, causing enmity and division between people such as husband and wife, business partners, friends, family 6. Female diseases (infertility, heavy bleeding and menstrual irregularities, infections) 7. Sexual problems (impotency, premature ejaculation) 8. Tampering with and causing damage to houses and material possessions (causing fires, throwing furniture about, throwing stones at the house)
Devil Possession and Treatment Introduction: In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, Praise be to Allah, Who has created the Jinn and humans to worship Him, Who has made legal according to His Wisdom whatever is necessary to judge their deeds. I bear witness that there is Deity but Allah, to Whom everything belongs and Praise is due, and Who has the power to do anything. I also bear witness that Muhammad صلى اله عليه وسلمis His slave and Messenger, who has been sent by Allah as a warner and conveyer of glad tidings to the humans and Jinn — may Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, his kin, his companions and whoever follows rightly in their footsteps. Reality of the Jinn: Allah, the Most High, says, “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might 43
worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Lo! Allah! He it is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable might.” The Jinn are invisible beings created from fire. They were created before humans. In this regard, Allah says, “Verily We created man of potter’s clay of black mud altered, And the jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire.” Like humans, the Jinn are Islamically accountable in terms of musts and must-nots. Accordingly, they are believers or disbelievers, and obedient or disobedient; Allah says, “And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully. And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell.” He also says, “And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.” Thus, regarding the matter of punishment and reward, the Jinn and humans are alike: disbelievers go to Hell, while believers go to Heaven; Allah says, “But for him who feareth the standing before his Lord there are two gardens. Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?” Also injustice is forbidden among the Jinn as well as among humans; in the Holy Hadith Allah says, “O My slaves! I have forbidden injustice unto Myself, and I have forbidden it amongst you, so do not be unjust to each other.” Nonetheless, The Jinn sometimes commit acts of injustice against humans, and vice versa. Of the injustices humans do to the Jinn is cleansing after stools with bones and dung; according to the Hadith narrated by Ibn-Mas’ud, the Jinn asked the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلمabout their food, and he said to them, “Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited is your provision. The time it falls in your hand it shall be covered with flesh, and the dung (of the camels) is fodder for your animals.” Therefore, he says to us, “Don’t do Istinja (cleansing after stools) with dung or with bones for that is the food of your brothers.” Also, of the injustices the Jinn do to humans is whispering into their hearts. For this reason, Allah commands us to seek refuge in Him from their whispers, “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The King of mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind, Of the jinn and of mankind.” As mentioned in the Annass Sura, the order of the refuge sought is against the Jinn followed by humans; this order implies that the Jinn’s whispers are more dangerous and can reach humans stealthily and much more easily. One may ask: how can the Jinn reach the human hearts to whisper? Here is the answer from the Prophet لمddه وسddه عليddلى الdd صwhen he says to two people from Al-Ansar (the Prophet’s supporters from Medina), “Satan travels in the human body within the blood streams, and I fear lest he should cast evil into your hearts.” In another version of the Hadith, “Satan goes in the human body wherever the blood reaches.” Of the other acts of the Jinn aggression against humans is terrorizing them, particularly if humans resort to and seek refuge in them. In such cases, they but added to their terror, 44
confusion and fear; Allah says, “And indeed (O Muhammad )صلى اله عليه وسلمindividuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn so that they increased them in revolt (against Allah).” The Jinn sometimes put humans in such epileptic fits that a human can be thrown to the ground moving compulsively till he faints, and he may die by being thrown into a ditch, or into water to drown, or into fire to burn. This image of the possessed in epileptic fits is used in the Qur’an to portray the state of the usurer on the Day of Resurrection; Allah says, “Those who swallow usury cannot rise up save as he ariseth whom the devil hath prostrated by (his) touch.” In his Musnad, Imam Ahmad Ibn-Hanbal mentions the Hadith narrated by Ya’la Ibn-Murra, who reported that a woman brought her possessed son to the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلم, who said to the possessor within the boy, “O you, Allah’s enemy! Get out. I am the Messenger of Allah.” The boy was healed, and the woman gave to the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمa present consisting of two sheep, some butter and some Ukt (dried dough made from flour and sour milk). He returned one sheep to her, but kept the butter and the. Ukt. In his Zad-A 1-Ma ‘ad, Ibn-Al-Qayyim mentions tow types of epileptic or mad fits: spiritual (that which is caused by earthly evil spirits), and physical (that which is caused by physical things). The latter type is the concern of medical doctors in terms of causes and treatment. Regarding the spiritual type, professional doctors acknowledge that type, but do nothing about it. However, there are some high-ranking people in the medical profession who are so ignorant and mean that they consider blasphemy a virtue. It is such people who deny spiritual epilepsy and its effects on the body. This denial is out of pure ignorance. There is nothing in medicine to support it. Besides, practical experience demonstrates the reality of spiritual convulsions. Rational people, who are aware of such spirits and their effects, realize the mental weakness and ignorance of those who deny spiritual epilepsy. Combating spiritual epilepsy or madness involves prevention and treatment. Prevention can be realized by saying relevant prayers and supplications in accordance with the Qur’an and the Prophet’s established Sunnah. This requires one’s resolution and strong will not to pursue Satan’s whisperings and fantasies, which, if not dismissed, will grow worse causing real trouble. As for treatment, medical experts admit the futility of material medications in cases of spiritual epilepsy. Appropriate treatment is by supplications, prayers, Ruqyas and religious counseling. For example, Ibn-Taymiyah used to treat such cases with Ruqyas; he would recite Al-Kursi Ayah and A1-Falaq and Annass Suras. He would often recite in the ear of the patient this Ayah, “Deemed ye then that We had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned unto Us?” On one occasion, as reported by Ibn-AlQayyim, when Ibn-Taymiyah recited that Ayah into a patient’s ear, the possessor spirit replied with a long ‘Yeeeeeeeeesss’. Ibn-Taymiyah related, “I immediately responded by giving such a good beating to the spirit (on the neck veins of the possessed patient) that my hands became tired. During the beating, the spirit said, ‘I love him.’ I replied, ‘But he does not love you.’ The spirit said, ‘I want to do Haj (go on pilgrimage to Makkah) 45
with (in) him.’ I replied, ‘But he does not want to do Haj with you.’ The spirit said, ‘I’ll exit for your sake.’ I replied, ‘Not for my sake, but for Allah’s sake and His Prophet’s.’ The spirit said, ‘I am getting out.’ The patient, then, sat up looking right and left, and he said, What has brought me here in the Sheikh’s (Ibn-Taymiya’s) presence? !‘ ” In his AlFuru’, Ibn-Muflih mentioned what Ibn-Taymiyah used to do with possessed cases. Whenever a possessed patient was brought to Sheikh Ibn-Taymiyah, he would first advise the possessor Jinni to get out, by reminding him of what is prohibited and what is permitted. If the possessor heeded the advice and agreed to exit, the Sheikh took his word not to return. If the possessor did not listen, the Sheikh never stopped beating him till he got out. By appearance the beating is done unto the patient, but in fact, it is the possessor that is getting it. According to one report, when Imam Ahmad Ibn-Hanbal sent for a possessed patient to be brought to him, the possessor Jinn got out. When the Imam died, the possessor came back. Thus, it is evident from the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, supported by practical experience, that the Jinn can possess humans, but the Mu‘tazilah deny it. But for the controversies that have been raised about the Jinn-human possession issue and that are tantamount to the undermining of Allah‘s Book and of the credibility of the Imams and Ulamas of AhlAssunna, I would not be speaking about this issue right now. In fact, the issue belongs to what is known by material observation, and what can be materially observed does not need further evidence. Being materially observable is sufficient evidence, whose denial is absolute arrogance or an exercise in futility. Therefore, one need not deceive oneself. Instead, one must seek refuge in Allah from the evil of both the Jinn and humans, and one must repent and ask Allah for forgiveness, for He is the One Who forgives, accepts repentance and has mercy on His creatures.
Mental and nervous illnesses Delusion Delusion is a serious mental illness. If a person is overcome by delusions, it is difficult to escape from them. No person is free of delusions that sometimes come to him, and in some cases life is delusion upon delusion, to such an extent that the delusions have a greater influence on a person than does reality. With the spread of treatment by means of the Qur'an and people seeing cases of epilepsy, and the spread of stories, whether from people who have gone for treatment or from books, delusions have started to encroach upon the minds of many people as a result of the many problems of life. Even those who are righteous and upright in their religious commitment are not free from the problems of delusion. In fact if the disease of delusion strikes a man, it is one of the most serious kinds of 46
disease, for jinn possession may be dealt with by reciting the Qur'an as a Ruqyah, but the disease of delusion is a vicious circle. Similarly, some people may imagine that they have been bewitched or that so-and-so has put a spell on them because of some problem between them, so their thinking becomes confused and their lives become chaotic, and they tell themselves that they have been bewitched. If the delusion of having being possessed by the jinn or having been bewitched takes hold of a person, then his thinking becomes confused and his life becomes chaotic; his glands start to malfunction and the signs of possession or bewitchment appear in him. He may suffer convulsions or lose consciousness as the result of what modern psychology calls autosuggestion.Then anxiety accompanied by intense fear starts to take over his life. His nervous system begins to malfunction, the muscles of the heart tense up and physical symptoms appear. The sick person feels pain in the area of the heart and the pain increases as the fear grows. Other symptoms appear as the result of the malfunction in the nervous system, and there is no part of the body which is not affected by this case of anxiety. The heart rate increases and may become irregular, the blood pressure rises, the digestive system malfunctions, pains develop in the stomach and the patient's sexual desire may be affected so that he feels no attraction towards his wife; The muscles of the body become tense, and muscle tension in the head leads to migraines. In fact many of those who go to those who offer treatment using the Noble Qur'an are suffering from delusions. Very few of them are actually possessed by the jinn, even though they may show symptoms of jinn possession. The fact of the matter, as supported by psychology, is that ongoing anxiety does indeed cause real physical illness, so the pain becomes a physical reality, not just tension. Anxiety may cause stomach ulcers, angina and other problems, which changes a person's life and causes him to lose ambition and neglect his work; it also causes disruption in his marital life, and he becomes a prisoner to delusion and fear. There is a real remedy for this problem, to be found in psychology if the person has been overtaken by delusions for a long time. If the problem has only recently begun, however, he must recite prayers for protection.
Epilepsy Definition of epilepsy: Doctors have not been able to give a comprehensive and definitive definition of epilepsy, because of the numerous clinical manifestations of epilepsy, including convulsions. 47
Epileptic seizures: Doctors use the phrase "epileptic seizure" to describe the sudden attack that happens to a patient, characterized by tension and snaking, accompanied by loss of consciousness. Doctors divide epileptic seizures into two types, grand mal and petit mal. Grand mal seizures are accompanied by a loss of consciousness, whereas petit mal seizures may occur in the early stages and may not be noticed by the patient or by those around him. They last for 3-10 seconds and are not usually accompanied by convulsions. They usually occur suddenly, whereby you will see the patient stop speaking for a moment and then carry on with some loss of focus, or moving from speaking in detail to mumbling. The patient may stare into space for a moment and the go back to what he was doing. Causes of epilepsy Doctors link epileptic seizures to three factors, namely: 1 - Individual potential and heredity 2 - Problems in the brain 3 - Changes in neurological activity But there is another important cause of epilepsy which is that it may be caused by jinn possession. This is something which many doctors do not wish to acknowledge, despite the fact that they admit that there are some kinds of epilepsy for which modern science cannot discover the cause. What is even stranger is that many of those who deny this are from among our own people, whereas many doctors in the West acknowledge this kind of epilepsy.
Depression Depression refers to intense sadness. It is a widespread mental illness, indeed one of the most widespread. As for mild sadness or feeling "blue", this is a normal and natural emotion which hardly anyone can escape, not even a believer. Allah says: (Secret counsels (conspiracies) are only from Shaytan (Satan), in order that he may cause grief to the believers.) (Al-Mujaddilah 58:10) If that sadness increases and takes over a person, it becomes depression. Signs of depression: 1 - Feeling distressed and sad 2 - Loss of appetite 3 - Lack of focus, forgetfulness 48
4 - Sleep disturbances, weight loss 5 - Lack of sexual desire Causes of depression: 1 - External causes 2 - Internal causes 1 - External causes These are factors that are outside a person, such as life events like losing a loved one, or losing money or social standing. If this person does not have the protection of faith, he will go through several stages until he reaches the stage of depression. 2 - Internal causes These have to do with the person's physical make-up, such as brain cells, a lack of thyroid hormones or a lack of certain vitamins.
Anxiety Anxiety refers to fidgeting and restlessness; it is the opposite of tranquillity. Anxiety is a type of psychological illness that is characterized by tension, fear and dread, whether that is related to specific matters or is unclear. It may also become chronic. Anxiety is something that all people go through when faced with certain circumstances, but people vary with regard to how well protected they are psychologically and in the degree of individual potential and feelings of anxiety. The circumstances and events surrounding each individual also vary. Symptoms of anxiety 1 - Pain in the heart; irregular heartbeat 2 - Feelings of doom and loss of equilibrium 3 - Continuous, intense headache 4 - Tossing and turning; insomnia 5 - Poor memory and difficulty in thinking And there are many other symptoms of anxiety. Main causes of anxiety 1 - Apprehensiveness and expecting the worst with regard to things, specific or otherwise. 2 - Conflict between one's inclinations and the restrictions that prevent him from 49
fulfilling those inclinations. 3 - Mental or physical exhaustion, which are connected to one another.
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Chapter Four: Fortune-Telling Seeking the Jinn’s Help to Know the Unseen Knowledge of the unseen is under Allah‘s control. None of His creatures, be it Jinn or others, know it; they know only what He permits. If and when He wills, He reveals it by His inspiration to angels or messengers of His choice. Allah says, ―Say (O Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah…. About the Prophet Sulaiman and the Jinn Allah assigned for his service, He says, ―And when We decreed death for him, nothing showed his death to them save a creeping creature of the earth which gnawed away his staff. And when he fell the jinn saw clearly how, if they had known the unseen, they would not have continued in despised. toil. Allah also says, (He is) the knower of the Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret, Save unto every messenger whom he hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him. Annawwas Ibn-Sam‘an reported that the Prophet صلى ا عليه وسلمsaid, ―When Allah wants to reveal some matter, He communicates it through inspiration, which causes the heavens to tremble fiercely in fear of Allah - pride and glory be to Him. On hearing this, residents of the heavens are shocked and fall to the ground in prostration. The first to raise his head is Jibreel, to whom Allah communicates the revelation He wants. Jibreel, then, passes by angels. In each heaven, the angels ask him, O Jibreel, what has Allah said?‘ Jibreel replies, He has said the Truth, and He is the High, the Great.‘ They all repeat what Jibreel says. Jibreel reaches where the revelation is to be delivered as commanded by Allah - pride and glory be to Him. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Abu-Hurayrah reported that Allah‘s Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsaid, ―When Allah decrees some order in the heaven, the angels flutter their wings indicating complete surrender to His saying which sounds like chains being dragged on rock. And when the state of fear disappears, they ask each other, What has your Lord ordered? They say that He has said that which is true and just, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.‘ Then the stealthy listeners (devils) hear this order, and these stealthy listeners are like this, one over the other. (Sufyan, a sub-narrator demonstrated that by holding his hand upright and separating the fingers.) A stealthy listener hears a word which he conveys to that which is below him and the second conveys it to that which is below him till the last of them conveys it to 51
the sorcerer or foreteller. Sometimes a flame of fire may strike the devil before he can convey it, and sometimes he may convey it before the flame strikes him, whereupon the sorcerer adds to that word a hundred lies. The people will then say, Didn‘t he (i.e. sorcerer) tell such-and-such a thing on such-and-such date?‘ So that magician is said to have told the truth because of the statement which has been heard from the heavens. Thus, it is not allowed to seek help from the Jinn or other creatures to learn the unseen, nor is it allowed to pray to them or invoke them or do the Mandal; this is an act of Shirk, for it involves worship of other than Allah, who commands his creatures to worship none but Him by saying, ―Thee alone we worship, and thee alone we ask for help. The Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمwas reported to have said to Ibn-Abbass, ―If you ask (for help), ask Allah, and if seek support, seek Allah‘s support.
Going to Fortune-Tellers, Asking Them Questions and Believing Them Praise be only to Allah. Peace and prayers be upon His Prophet لمddه وسddه عليddلى الdd صand Messenger, Muhammad, his kin and companions all. It is common knowledge that some people have been frequently visiting fortune-tellers, astrologers and sorcerers in order to know the future and fortune and to seek marriage and academic success. All future matters are known only to Allah, Who says, ―(He is) the knower of the Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret, Save unto every messenger whom he hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him. He also says, Say (O Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah…. Allah - glory and praise be to Him - points out to us the aberration and damned end of sorcerers and fortune-tellers in the Hereafter. He has also revealed how they have no knowledge whatsoever of the unseen, how they blatantly lie to people and how they deliberately say about Allah what is not true while knowing the truth. This is evident in His saying, ―Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, in Babel. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no one save by Allah‘s leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew. In the Moses- Pharaoh encounter, Allah says, ―Lo! that which they have made but a wizards artifice, and a wizard shall not be successful to whatever point (of skill) he may attain. In the same encounter, He also says, ―And We inspired Moses (saying): Throw thy staff! And lo! it swallowed up their lying show. Thus was the Truth 52
vindicated and that which they were doing was made vain. The above-quoted Qur‘anic verses, like many others, show what a loser the sorcerer is, and how powerless he is in this life and the Hereafter; he is never a source of good, and whatever he learns or teaches is harmful, not useful. Allah describes his products as falsehood. Warning against witchcraft - among other things - the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsaid, ―Avoid the major seven deadly sins. They (the people) asked, ―O Allah‘s Messenger! What are they? He said, ―To join partners in worship with Allah; to practice sorcery; to take a human life, which Allah has forbidden except for the administration of justice; to eat up usury (Riba); to eat up the property of an orphan; to desert the battlefield at the time of fighting and to defame chaste, innocent female believers.The fact that sorcery is associated with Shirk, that it is one of the major seven deadly sins and that it is an act of Kufr demonstrates what a grave crime it is. As for sorcerers‘ Kufr, Allah says, ―Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). According to the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلم, ―The penalty of a sorcerer is a strike with the sword. Aisha reported that some people asked the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمabout soothsayers, and he replied, ―They are nothing. The people said, ―Sometimes they tell us things that come true. The Prophet لمddه وسd صلى اله عليsaid to them, ―The devil takes a particular statement that is true and pours it into the ears of his human agent (soothsayer), who mixes it with a thousand lies. On the authority of Ibn-Abbass, the Prophet لمddه وسddلى ال عليdd صsaid, ―If one acquires knowledge of astrology, he acquires sorcery, and the more astrology the more sorcery. On the authority of Abu-Hurayrah, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsaid, ―If one ties a knot and does Nafth into it, he has performed sorcery, and consequently has had associates with Allah. Whoever wears something (an amulet), he will be entrusted to it. This shows, as indicated earlier, that sorcery is Shirk, for it involves invocation and worship of Jinn. Soothsayers are those who claim to know some unseen matters in a variety of ways. Some study the stars in order to know the events that are taking place. Others utilize the Jinn who eavesdrop conversations in the heavens. There are also those who claim to know the unseen by means of drawing lines in the sand, reading the cup or the palm, and opening the book‘. The fact that they claim to know the unseen is in itself Kufr, for it means sharing with Allah one of His Own attributes, i.e., knowledge of the unseen. It represents a challenge to His sayings: ―Say (O Muhammad): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah ―And with Him are the keys of the invisible. None but He knoweth them and, ―Say (O Muhammad, to the disbelievers): I say not unto you (that) I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I have knowledge of the Unseen; and I say not unto you: Lo! I am an angel. I follow only that which is inspired in me. Those who consult soothsayers and believe what they claim to be from the unseen are Kuffar (disbelievers), as stated in the Hadith, ―Whoever consults a soothsayer and believes what he tells him disbelieves in what has been revealed to Muhammad. In In another Hadith the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلمsays, ―If one 53
goes to a soothsayer and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days. In a third Hadith, he says, ―He who draws omen from birds, does soothsaying or has it done to himself, or does witchcraft or has it done to himself is not one of us. Whoever consults a soothsayer and believes what he tells him disbelieves in what has been revealed to Muhammad صلى اله عليه وسلم. Thus, in the light of the Ayahs and Hadiths mentioned above, all the claims and practices of astrologers, soothsayers and sorcerers are forbidden. Muslims are warned against their grave consequences of the practices of those evil practitioners and their seekers, particularly those who believe them. All those involved in such forbidden practices are advised to refrain once and for all from them, to repent, to ask Allah for forgiveness and to put their trust in Him alone. They are also advised to abide by available allowed means, Shar‘i as well as material. They should also alert others to the grave consequences of dealing with such evil practitioners and believing them. If this advice is heeded, one can retain his faith, can be obedient to Allah and to His Messenger صلى ال عليه وسلم, can avoid Allah‘s wrath and can be saved from Shirk and Kufr, which cause the loss of both this life and the Hereafter. We beg Allah - praise be to Him - to save and protect us from all that violates His Shari‘ah or angers Him and to guide us and all Muslims to understanding and adhering to His religion. We seek refuge in Him from misleading distracters, from our own evils and our bad deeds. He is the only One Who can answer these prayers.
Sihr, Kahanab, Tanjeem and ‘Arafah: Differences and Verdicts Sihr (magic / witchcraft / sorcery) is spells, Ruqyas and knots done by a sorcerer with the deliberate intention of harming people. The harm can be in the form of killing, diseases or separation of spouses. Therefore, Sihr is considered an act of Kufr (disbelief in Allah), an abominable activity and a grave social illness that must be eradicated so that people can be safe from its evil. Kahanah (fortune-telling / soothsaying) is alleged knowing of the unseen. It involves the employment of the Jinn. In Fat-h Al-Majeed, Abdurrahman Ibn-Hassan says that the Jinn tell their human agents the news of events of which people are unaware, so people believe that to be some kind of divine revelation to a ‘man of Allah’; the truth is this is nothing but devil’s work, and the human agent (soothsayer) who reports the news is not a man of Allah, but a devil’s companion. It is forbidden to consult soothsayers, for the Prophet صلى ال عليه وسلمsaid, “If one consults a soothsayer and believes him, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days. He also said, “Whoever consults a soothsayer and believes him disbelieves in what has been revealed to Muhammad لمddه وسddه عليddلى الdd ص.” The Arraf or Kahin is the Arabic for the soothsayer, who claims to know matters by untestable means; for example, he claims to know mysteriously where stolen things are hidden. Ibn-Taymiyah puts all those who claim knowing by such untestable means, such as the Kahin, the Munajjim (astrologer), etc., under the name Arraf. The Munajjim is the one who does Tanjeem, the alleged 54
prediction of life events on earth by means of knowledge of the stars. Tanjeem is an exercise in ignorance and an act of major Shirk, as it presumes belief in stars as directors of events and behaviour.
Islamic ruling regarding hypnotism Hypnotism belongs to soothsaying by the invocation of a devil that the hypnotist uses to control a medium. The devil speaks and does some acts through the controlled medium, who is made to obey the commands of the hypnotist. In return for his part of the bargain, i.e., putting the medium under the hypnotist‘s control, the devil receives some offerings or sacrifices. Thus, the utilization of hypnotism as such to obtain information (about, for example, something stolen or lost, treating a patient or doing some other acts demanded by the hypnotist) is not allowed. In fact, it is an act o Shirk, for it is invocation of other than Allah to seek means beyond the natural ones permitted by Him.
Islamic ruling on the saying, ―By ... (name of a person) The expression ―By (such and such a person) could mean a kind of oath or mean the invocation of that person‘s self or status. If it is meant to be an oath, it is forbidden to take an oath by other than Allah. The Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsays, ―Whoever takes an oath by other than Allah has committed an act of Shirk. If it is meant as invocation of self or status, it is not allowed either. Never did the Sahaba (the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلمCompanions) invoke the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلمself or status during his life or after his death even though they were the most aware of his status and position in Allah‘s eyes and the most aware of Shari‘ah. When they went through afflictions during his lifetime and after his death, they sought Allah‘s help. If the invocation of the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلمself or status were allowed, he would have instructed them to do that as dictated by his mission, and they would have followed his instructions as dictated by their typical commitment. Therefore, the fact that the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمdid not guide them to do it and that the Sahaba never did it verifies that it is not allowed. What the Sahaba actually did in times of affliction was to invoke Allah through the prayers of the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلم, who said the prayers at their request, as in the case of rain-invoking prayers. When seeking rain after the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلم 55
death, Umar used to pray, ―O Allah, whenever we had droughts, we invoked You through the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلمprayers. Now we invoke You through his uncle‘s prayers. This demonstrates that if invocation of self or status were legitimate, they would rather have invoked the Prophet‘s صلى اله عليه وسلم. Besides, practical experience demonstrates that status invocation of prophets and the righteous can easily lead to Shirk. Therefore, banning it is a preventive measure that safeguards Tawheed (oneness of Allah).
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Chapter Five: Evil Eye The evil eye The evil eye refers to when one person harms another by means of the eye. Ibn Al-Qayyim said: The origin of the evil eye is liking something, then the evil soul follows it, pursues it and seeks to do harm to it, seeking help to apply its poison by looking at the object. Zad Al-Mi'ad by Ibn Al-Qayyim, 4/167 Ibn Manzur said: It is said "So-and-so was struck by the evil eye" if an enemy or an envious person looks at him and he is affected by that and becomes sick as a result. Lisan Al-'Arab by Ibn Manzur, 13/301 Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar said: What is meant by the evil eye is looking at something with admiration contaminated with envy from one who is evil in nature so it results in harm. Fath Al-Bari, by Ibn Hajar, 10/200.
Evidence for the existence of the evil eye from the Qur'an and Sunnah 1 - Evidence from the Qur'an The Verse in Sura Yusuf: (And he said: 'O my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates, and I cannot avail you against Allah at all. Verily, the decision rests only with Allah. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him.) (Yusuf12:67) The majority of Mufassirin are agreed that the brothers of Yusuf were handsome and good looking, and Ya'qub feared that the people might affect them with the evil eye, for the evil eye is something real. Tafsir Ibn Kathir —Al-Tabari - Al-Qurtubi - Al-Alusi - AlSuyuti — Al-Fakhr Al-Razi. The passage in which Allah says: 57
"And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred) when they hear the Reminder (the Qur'an), and they say: "Verily, he (Muhammad) is a madman!" But it is nothing else than a Reminder to all the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).) (Al-Qalam 68:51-52) Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and others said: "Make you slip with their eyes" means, they will put the evil eye on you. This Verse is evidence that the effect and impact of the evil eye is something real and happens by Allah's will. ' 2 - Evidence from the Sunnah It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The evil eye is real," and he forbade tattoos. It was narrated from 'Aishah (RA) that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Seek refuge with Allah from the evil eye, for the evil eye is real." It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, the evil eye would do so. If you are asked to wash (to treat someone for the effects of the evil eye) then do so." Imam Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This Hadith affirms that both the divine decree and the evil eye are real; it is powerful, but neither the evil eye nor anything else can cause harm or do any good or any bad except by the decree of Allah. It was narrated that Asma bint 'Umays said: "O Messenger of Allah, the sons of Ja'far are smitten with the evil eye; should I recite Ruqyah for them?" He said: "Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye." It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The evil eye may follow a man by Allah's Leave, until he climbs up a high mountain then falls from it." It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The evil eye is real and can bring down a person from a high mountain.''^ 58
What is meant here is that the evil eye follows a person by Allah's will, until it causes him to fall from a high mountain. Musnad Ahmad; Al-Tabarani; Al-Hakim in AlMustadrak. Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is Hasan It was narrated that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Most of those who die of my Ummah, after the will and decree of Allah, will die because of the evil eye." Narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Tarikh, and by Al-Bazzar. Shaykh Al-Albani said: a Hadith Hasan - Sahih Al-Jami', 1217 It was narrated that Jabir (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The evil eye will put a man into his grave and a camel into the cooking pot." Hilyat AlAwliya' by Abu Na'im. Shaykh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is a Hasan Hadith - Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, 1250. Imam Ahmad, Al-Nasa i, and Ibn Majah narrated, in a report that was classed as Sahih by Ibn Hibban, that Abu Umamah Sahl ibn Hanif said: Abu Sahl ibn Hanif did Ghusl in Al-Kharar (Al-Kharar: it is said that this was a well in Madinah, or one of its valleys). He took off his cloak, and 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah was looking at him. Sahl was very white, with beautiful skin. 'Amir said: "I have never seen anything (as beautiful) as this, not even the skin of a virgin." And Sahl fell to the ground and became very sick. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) was told about his sickness, and it was said to him: "He cannot raise his head." He said: "Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?" They said, "'Amir ibn Rabi'ah." The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) called him and rebuked him strongly, then he said: "Why would one of you kill his brother? Why did you not pray for blessing for him? Wash yourself for him." So 'Amir washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his Izar (lower garment) in a vessel, then it was poured over him from behind, and Sahl recovered straight away. Muwatta' Malik, 2/938.
The evil eye is real From the evidence quoted above from the Qur'an and Sunnah, it is clear that the evil eye is real and that its effects are proven and do exist. It can follow a man until it makes him fall from a high mountain, and if it is able to overpower a healthy man it can kill him and put him in his grave, and if it overpowers a camel, it will fall and be injured, and its owner will slaughter it and cook it in a pot. So the evil eye is real and its effects are real. It may kill, or it may affect the spot or the things that the envier likes in the body of the 59
person affected, or in himself or his possessions. This is the view of the scholars of this Ummah, such as Malik, Al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and others.
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Chapter Six: Envy Envy (Hasad) Envy (Hasad) means resenting the blessings of Allah that are enjoyed by the one who is envied, and wishing that it be taken away. In other words, the envier wishes that the blessing be taken away from the one whom he envies, whether the blessing comes to him or not. So the envier resents the blessing of Allah and wishes that it be taken away, and he may even make efforts to take it away.
Evidence for the existence of envy Evidence from Qur'an Allah says: (Many of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their ownselves, even after the truth (that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them.) (Al-Baqarah 2:109) And Allah says: (Or do they envy men (Muhammad and his followers) for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? Then, We had already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah - Divine Revelation to those Prophets not written in the form of a book), and conferred upon them a great kingdom.) (Al-Nisa 4:54) And He says: (And from the evil of the envier when he envies.) (Al-Falaq 113:5) Evidence from the Sunnah Al-Tirmidhi narrated that the freed slave of Al-Zubayr (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among you: 61
jealousy and hatred. This is the 'shaver' (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair, but that it shaves (destroys) faith. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of that which will strengthen love between you? Spread (the greeting of) Salam amongst yourselves." It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "My Ummah will be stricken with the disease of the other nations." They said: "What is the disease of the other nations?" He (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Insolence, arrogance, accumulation (of wealth), competition in worldly gains, mutual hatred and envy, until there will be wrongdoing and then killing."
The difference between the evil eye and envy The word Hasid (envier) is more general in meaning than the word 'Ain (one who puts the evil eye on another), hence in Sura Al-Falaq mention is made of seeking refuge with Allah from the evil of the one who envies. The Hasid (envier) is an envious man whose envy is accompanied by resentment, so he wishes that the blessing be taken away, whereas the 'A'in (the one who puts the evil eye on another) simply likes a thing. Hence the evil eye may come from a righteous man or woman, and a man may put the evil eye on his own wealth, child or family without realizing it. But the evil eye and envy have the same effect, which is causing harm to the thing that is liked or envied.
Characteristics of the envier - so that they may be avoided The issue of the evil eye includes all people, even those who are righteous if they do not pay attention to it, whereas envy is limited to certain people. Hence the envious person has certain characteristics by which he may be distinguished, such as the way he looks and smiles, the expression on his face, and the way he speaks. All of that points to what is in his heart. Whatever a person conceals in his heart will inevitably show on his face and through slips of the tongue, in the way he looks and smiles, and in all his movements and expressions. By His wisdom, Allah has made man's face a mirror which reflects the thoughts that are hidden in his mind and heart. The effects of sickness are seen in the sick man's face, and the sorrow of one who is grieving and depressed shows on his face, and the good health of one who is sound is reflected on his face. If a person is happy and content, his hidden thoughts show on his face and through slips of the tongue. If a believer is true and sincere in his faith and humble before the Most Merciful, and reads the Qur'an 62
frequently, that joy and light will show on his face; his nature will be humble and kind, and his speech will be polite and noble. The opposite is also true: the effects of an evildoer's immoral actions and sin will be reflected in his face and in slips of the tongue, even if he outwardly resembles those who are righteous. By the same token, the envier who resents the good things that people have and wishes that the blessings of Allah be taken away, is sick at heart and lacking in faith. No matter how much he tries to conceal what he feels inwardly, he will soon let out the envy that he feels.
What are the characteristics of the envier? 1 - The envier is always angry at the decrees of Allah. 2 - The envier always complains and rarely thanks Allah even if he owns the whole world. 3 - He follows up the mistakes of the one whom he envies, and tries to seek out his faults, and exposes them and exaggerates about them before others. 4 - He conceals or ignores or belittles the good qualities and distinguishing characteristics of the person whom he envies. 5 - So you will notice that the envier cannot speak in front of the one whom he envies without addressing him in a laughing, jocular manner, but deep down he is filled with hatred and resentment that is clear from the way in which he looks at him. 6 - He clearly criticizes the one whom he envies, with or without evidence. 7 - He looks for opportunities and makes the most of any chance to harm the one whom he envies in himself or his wealth. 8 - Finally, the envier is a troubled man, due to the resentment that is always festering in his heart, so depression and dullness show on his face.
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Chapter Seven: Tawheed Definition Islam believes in 'Tawheed' which is not merely monotheism I.e belif in one unique god, but much more. Tawheed literally means “unification” i.e “asserting oneness” and is derived from arabic verb 'Wahhada' which means to unite, unify or consolidate. Tawheed can be divided into three categories. 1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah 2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-sifaat 3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah a. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship) The first category is 'Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah'.'Ruboobeeyah' is derived from the root verb”Rabb” meaning Lord, Sustainer and cherisher. Therefore 'Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah' means maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamntal concept that Allah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universeand all between it, without any need from it or for it. b. Tawheed al-Asmaa was-sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah's name and attributes) The second category is 'Tawheed as Asmaa-was-Sifaat' which means maintaining the unity of Allah's name and attributes. This category is divided into five aspects: 1. Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet: Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His Prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings. 2. Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name of al-Ghaadib(the Angry One), despite the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this 64
name. 3. Allah is referred to without iving Him the attributes of His creation, In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving Him the attributes of those He has created. For instance in the Bible, God is potrayed as repenting for his bad thoughts in the same way as humans do when they realize their errors. This is completely aganist the principle of Tawheed. God does not repent and He does not commit any mistakes or errors. The Key principle when dealing with Allah's attributes is given in the Holy Qur'an in Surah Ash-Shurah: “There is nothing Whatever like unto Him, And He is the one That hears and sees (all things).” Although hearing and seeing are human qualities, when attributed to the Divine Being they are without comparison in their perfection, unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing. 4. Men should not be given any attribute of god: To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also aganist the principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to a person as one who has no beginning or end (eternal). 5. Allah's name cannot be given to his creatures: Some divine names in the indefinite form, like 'Raoof' or 'Raheed' are permissible names for men as Allah has used them for Prophets; but 'Ar-Raoof' (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem(the most meriful) can only be used used if prefixed by'Abd' meaning “slave of” or “servant of”. i.e 'Abdur-Raoof' or 'Abdur-Raheem'.[Holy Qur'an(42:11)] c.Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship): 1. Definition and meaning of 'Ibadaah': 'Tawheed al-Ibaadah' means maintaining the unity of worship or 'Ibadah'. Ibaadah is derived from Arabic word 'Abd' meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadah means servitude and worship. Salaah is one of the highest forms of Ibaadah i.e worship but is not the only form. People misunderstand that worship of Almighty God only means ritual prayers but the concept of worship in Islam includes total obedience, submission and servitude. Following the commandments of God and abstaining from things He has forbidden is Ibaadah(worship) and this worship is only due to allah alone and to no one else. 2. All three categories to be followed simultaneously. Only believing n the first two categories of Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. The Qur'an gives the examples of “Mushrikeens”(idolaters) of the Prophet's time who confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: Say:”Who is it that Sustains you(in life) From the sky and From the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the 65
dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs? They will soon say,”Allah”. Say, “will you not the show piety(o him)?””[Holy Qur'an 10:31] A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of the Holy Qur'an: “If thou ask them, Who created them, they will certainly say, Allay:how them are they deluded Away(from the Truth)?”[Holy Qur'an 43:87] The pagan Meccans knew that Allah was their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they were not muslims because they also worshipped other gods besides Allah. Allah categorized them as “Kuffaars” (disbelievers) and “Mushrikeen” (idol worshippers and those who associate partners with God). “And most of them Believe not in Allah without associating(others as partners) with him!”[holy qur'an 12:106] Thus Tawheed al-Ibaadah i.e. maintaining the unity of worship is the most important aspect of Tawheed. He alone deserves worship and He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship.
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Chapter Eight: Shirk Definition The omission of any of the above mentined categories of Tawheed or deficiency in the fulfillment of any criteria of Tawheed is referred to as 'shirk'. Shirk literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry. b. Shirk is the greatest sin which allah will never forgive: The Holy Qur'an describes the greatest sin in Surah Nisa: “Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him; but he forgives anything else, to whom he pleasesl; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most henious indeed”[Al-Qur'an 4:48] The same message is repeated in Surah Nisa: “Allah forgives not (The sin of) joining other gods with him; but he forgives whom he pleases other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, has strayed far, far away(from the right).”[Al-Qur'an 4:116] c. Shirk leads to hell fire: The qur'an says in Surah Maidah: “They do blaspheme who say: 'Allah is christ the son of Mary.' But said christ:'O children of Israel! Worship allah, my Lord and your Lord'.Whoever joins other gods with Allah – Allah forbid him the garden, and the fire will be his abode. There will for he wrongdoers be no one to help'.”[Al-Qur'an 5:72] d. Worship and obedience o none but Allah: Say:”O people of the book ! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship None but Allah; That we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back, say ye:”Bear witness That we (at least) are muslims (bowing to Allah's will)”.[Al-Qur'an 3:64] The following analysis of shirk will correspond to the three broad categories developed in the study of tawheed. Hence, we will first look at the main ways in which shirk can occur in the area of ruboobeeyah (lordship), then asmaa’ wassifaat (divine names and attributes), and finally in ‘Ibaadah (worship). 67
Shirk in Ruboobeeyah This category of shirk refers to either the belief that others share Allaah’s lordship over creation as His equal or near equal, or to the belief that there exists no lord over creation at all. Most religious systems fall into the first sub-category of shirk in Ruboobeeyah while it is the philosophers and their man-made philosophies that tend to fill the second one. (a) Shirk by Association: Beliefs that exemplify shirk by association are ones in which a main God or Supreme Being over creation is recognized, though His dominion is shared by other lesser gods, spirits, mortals, heavenly bodies or earthly objects. Such belief systems are commonly referred to by theologians and philosophers as either monotheistic (having one god) or polytheistic (having more then one god). According to Islaam, all of these systems are polytheistic, and many represent various stages in the degeneration of divinely revealed religious systems, which were all originally based on tawheed. Within Hinduism the Supreme Being, Brahman is conceived as indwelling, all pervading, unchangeable and eternal, the abstract, impersonal Absolute, in which all things have their origin and end. On the other hand the god Brahma is the personified creator of the universe who forms a trinity with the preserver god, Vishnu and the destroyer god, Shiva. Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is-expressed in Hiduism by the delegation of God’s creative, destructive and preservative powers to other gods. Christian belief states that the one God reveals himself in the three persons of Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Sprit. These three persons are nevertheless regarded as a unity, sharing one ‘substance.’ Prophet Jesus is elevated to divinity, sits on the right hand of God and judges the world. The Holy Spirit, which in the Hebrew Bible is the means by which God exercises His creative power, in Christian thought becomes a part of the God-head. Paul made the Holy Spirit the alter ego of Christ, the guide and help of Christians, first manifesting itself on the day of Penetecost. Consequently, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah occurs in the Christian belief that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God’s partners in all of His dominion, in their belief that Jesus alone pronounces judgement on the world, and in their belief that Christians are helped and guided by the Holy Spirit. Zoroastrians (Parsis) conceive of God, Ahura Mazda, as being the creator of all that is good, and is alone worthy of absolute worship. Fire is one of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda and is considered his son or representative. But they also commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by conceiving of evil, violence and death ad being the creation of another god called Angra Mainyu whom they represent by the symbol darkness.6 Hence, God’s sovereignty over all creation (i.e. His ruboobeeyah) is shared with an evil spirit elevated 68
to the level of an opposing god due to man’s desire not to attribute evil to God. In the Yoruba religion, followed by over 10 million people in West Africa (mainly Nigeria), there is one supreme God, Olorius (Lord of Heaven) or Olodumare. Nevertheless, modern Yoruba religion is characterized by a great many forms of Orisha worship, so that it appears as strict polytheism. Consequently, Yorubas commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by turning over all of God’s functions to minor gods and spirits. The Zulus of South Africa believe in one God, Unkulunkulu, meaning the ancient, the first, the most revered one. The principal specific titles for God are Nkosi yaphezulu (Lord of the Sky) and Muvelingqanqi (the first to appear). Their supreme Being is represented as a male, who along with the earth female, brings forth the human world. Thunder and lightening are in the Zulu religion acts of God, whereas sickness and other troubles in life may be caused by ancestors, the idlozi or abaphansi (those under the earth). The ancestors also protect, punish, or neglect the living, ask for food, are pleased with ritual and sacrifice, and take possession of fortune tellers (inyanga). Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah occurs in the Zulu religion not only in their concept of the creation of the human world, but also in their attribution of good and evil in human life to the work of ancestral spirits. Among some Muslims people, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is manifested in their belief that the souls of saints and other righteous humans can affect the affairs of this world, even after their deaths. Their souls, it is believed, can fulfil one’s needs, remove calamities, and aid whoever calls on them. Thus grave worshippers assign to human souls the divine ability to cause events in this life which in fact only Allaah can cause. Common among many Sufis (Muslim mystics) is the belief in “ Rijaal al- Ghayb” (men of the unseen) the chief of whom occupies the station called “Qutub” from which the affairs of this world are governed. (b) Shirk by Negation This sub-category represents the various philosophies and ideologies which deny the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. That is, in some cases God’s non-existence is stated (atheism), while in other cases His existence is claimed, but the way in which He is conceived actually denies His existence (pantheism). There are a few ancient religious systems in which God does not exist, foremost among them being the system attributed to Gautama Buddha. Buddhism, a reformist movement in Hinduism opposed to the caste system, was founded in the 6th century B.C. during the same period as Jainism. During the 3rd century B.C. it became the state religion. 69
Eventually it was assimilated by Hinduism, Buddha himself becoming one of the avatars (incarnations of God). It disappeared from India but became dominant in China and other Eastern nations. Hinayana Buddhism (400-250 B.C.), the earlier and more strict of the two interpretations of Buddhism which arose after Gautama Buddha’s death, makes it clear that there is no God; hence the burden of salvation belongs to the individual alone. Thus, this ancient strain of Buddhism may be cited as an example of Shirk in Ruboobeeyah wherein God’s existence is explicity denied. Similarly, in the teachings of Jainism as systematized by Vardhamana, there is no God, but liberated souls achieve something of this status, having immortality and omniscience; and the religious community treats the liberated ones as though they were divine, building temples to them and venerating their images. Another ancient example is that of the Pharaoh of Prophet Moses’ time. Allaah mentioned in the Qur’aan that he negated the existence of God and claimed to Moses and the people of Egypt that he, Pharaoh, was the only true lord of all creation. Allaah quoted him as saying to Moses, “If you choose a god besides me, I will surely imprison you.”and to the people “he proclaimed, ‘I am your Lord, the Most High.”
Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat Shirk in this category includes both the common pagan practice of giving Allaah the attributes of His creation as well as the act of giving created beings Allaah’s names and attributes. (a) Shirk by Humanization In this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat, Allaah is given the form and qualities of human beings and animals. Due to man’s superiority over animals, the human form is more commonly used by idolaters to represent God in creation. Consequently, the image of the Creator is often painted, moulded or carved in the shape of human beings possessing the physical features of those who worship them. For example, Hindus and Buddhists worship countless idols in the likeness of Asian men and consider them manifestations of God in creation. Modern day Christian belief that the Prophet Jesus was God incarnate — that the Creator became His creation — is another good example of this type of Shirk. There have been many reckoned Christian painters like Michaelangelo (d. 1565), who painted pictures of God as a naked old European man with long flowing white hair and beard on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. These pictures have, in turn, been held by the Christian world in the highest esteem. 70
(b) Shirk by Deification This form of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat relates to cases where created beings or things are given, or claim, Allaah’s names or His attributes. For example, it was the practice of the ancient Arabs to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allaah. Their three main idols were: al-Laat, taken from Allaah’s name al-Elaah; al-‘Uzza, taken from al- ‘Azeez; and al-Manaat, taken from alMannaan. During the Prophet Muhammad’s era there was also a false prophet in a region of Arabic called Yamaamah, who took the name Rahmaan which only belongs to Allaah. Among the Shi‘ite sects is the Nusayreeyah of Syria, who believe that the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, was a manifestation of Allaah and give him many of Allaah’s qualities. Among them too are the Ismaai‘ils, also known as Agha Khanis, who consider their leader, the Agha Khan, to be God incarnate. Also include in this category are the Druze of Lebanon who believe that the Faatimid Caliph al-Haakim bi Amrillaah, was the last manifestation of Allaah among mankind. Claims of Sufis (Muslim mystics) like al-Hallaaj that they have become one with God and as such exist as manifestations of the Creator within His creation may also be included in this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat. Modern-day spiritualists and mediums, such as Shirley Maclaine and J.Z. Knight, often claim divinity for themselves as well as mankind in general. Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2, energy is equal to mass times the square of the speed of light) taught in all schools, is in fact an expression of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ waas- Sifaat. The theory states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it merely transforms into matter and vice versa. However, both matter and energyare created entities and they both will be destroyed, as Allaah clearly states: “Allaah is the creator of all things...” “Everything in (the world) will perish...”
Shirk in al-‘Ebaadah In this category of shirk, acts of worship are directed to other than God and the reward for worship is sought from the creation instead of the Creator. As in the case of the previous categories, Shirk in al-’Ibaadah has two main aspects. (a) Ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk) This form of shirk occurs when any act or worship is directed to other than Allaah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry, which the prophets were specifically sent by Allaah to call the masses of mankind away from. This concept is supported by Allaah’s statement in the Qur’aan: “Surely we have sent to every nation a messenger saying, worship Allaah and avoid 71
taaghoot (false gods).” Taaghoot actually means anything which is worshipped along with Allaah or instead of Allaah. For example, love is a form of worship which, in its perfection, should only be directed to Allaah. In Islaam, the love of God is expressed by total obedience to Him. It is not the type of love which man naturally feels toward creation; towards parents, children, food, etc. To direct that type of love towards God is to lower Him to the level of His creation which is Shirk in al-Asmaa’ was- Sifaat. Love that is worship is the total surrender of one’s will to God. Consequently, Allaah told the Prophet (s.a.w.s) to tell the believers: ‘Say: If you love Allaah, follow me and Allaah will love you.” The Prophet (s.a.w.s) also told his companions, “ None of you is a true believer until I become more beloved to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind. Love of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) is not based on his humanity but on the divine origin of his message. Thus, like the love of Allaah, it is also expressed by total obedience to his commands. Allaah said in the final revelation: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allaah.” and “Say: Obey Allaah and obey the Prophet...” If man allows the love of anything or anyone to come between himself and Allaah, then he has worshipped that thing, In this way, money can become one’s god or even one’s desires could become a god. The Prophet (s.a.w.s) said, “ The worshipper of the dirham will always be miserable,” and Allaah said in the Qur’aan, “Have you not seen the one who takes his desires as his god?” Much emphasis has been placed on the evils of Shirk in ‘Ibaadah (worship) because it contradicts the very purpose of creation as expressed in Allaah’s statement: “I have not created Jinn or mankind except for My worship.” Major shirk represents the greatest act of rebellion against the Lord of the Universe, and is thus the ultimate sin. It is a sin so great that it virtually cancels out all good a person may do and guarantees its perpetrator eternal damnation in Hell. Consequently, false religion is based primarily on this form of shirk. All man-made systems in one way or another invite their followers to the worship of creation. Christians are called upon to pray to a man, a Prophet of God named Jesus, whom they claim to have been God incarnate. Catholics among Christians pray to Mary as the “mother of God”, to angels like Michael who is honored on September 29 (Michaelmas Day) as well as to human saints, whether real or fictitious.
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Muslims whose acts of worship fall into this category of shirk are those who pray to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) or to mystics in the Sufi hierarchy of saints, believing that they can answer their prayers, though Allaah has clearly said in the Qur’aan: “Say: Think to yourselves; if there came upon you Allaah’s punishment or the Final Hour, would you then call on other than Allaah? (Reply) if you are truthful.” (b) Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk) Mahmood ibn Lubayd reported,“Allaah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s) said: The thing I fear for you the most is ash-shirk alasghar(minor shirk). The companions asked O Messenger of Allaah, what is minor shirk? He replied, ‘Ar-Riyaa’ (showing off), for verily Allaah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, “Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.’” Mahmood ibn Lubayd also said, “ The Prophet (r) came out and announced, ‘O people, beware of secret shirk!’ The people asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is secret shirk?’ He replied, ‘When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him, that is secret shirk.’ Ar-Riyaa’ Riyaa’ is the practice of performing any of the various forms of worship in order to be seen and praised by people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in righteous deeds and brings on the one who commits it a serious punishment. It is particularly dangerous, because it is natural for man to desire and enjoy the praise of his fellow men. Doing religious acts to impress people or in order to be praised by them is, therefore, an evil which deserves man’s utmost caution. This danger is really significant to the believers, whose goal is to make all of the acts of their lives religious acts dedicated to God. In fact, the likelihood that knowledgeable true believers would commit ash-shirk al-akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious.. However, for the true believer like everyone else, the chance of committing riyaa’s is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act of changing one’s intention. The motivating forces behind it are also very strong, since it comes from man’s inner nature. Ibn ‘Abbaas alluded to this reality when he said, “ Shirk is more hidden than a black ant creeping on a black stone in the middle of a moonless night.” Thus, great care has to be taken to ensure that one’s intentions begin pure and remain pure whenever righteous deeds are being done. In order to ensure this, the saying of Allaah’s name is enjoined in Islaam before all acts of importance. A series of du’aas (informal prayers) have also been prescribed by the Prophet (s.a.w.s) before and after all natural habits like eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, and even going to the toilet, in order to turn these everyday habits into acts of worship and develop in Muslims a keen awareness of Allaah. It is this awareness, called taqwaa, 73
which ultimately insures that intentions remain pure. The Prophet (s.a.w.s) also provided protection against the inevitable acts of shirk by teaching certain specific prayers which may be said anytime. Abu Moosaa said, “One day Allaah’s Messenger delivered a sermon, saying, ‘O people, fear shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.’ Those whom Allaah wished asked, ‘And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He replied, ‘Say: Allaahumma innaa na‘oodhu bika an nushrika bika shay’an na‘lamuh, wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na‘lamuh. (O Allaah, we seek refuge in your from knowingly committing shirk with you, and we ask your forgiveness for what we do not know about).”
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Chapter Nine: Ruqyah Definition Ruqyah (plural: ruqa) derives from the past-tense verb raqa. It consists of words said or written in the form of dud or Dhikr for the purpose of protection or cure. It is sometimes accompanied with other actions, such as blowing or wiping over the thing to which it is applied. A synonym for ruqyah in Arabic is "ta'with" and "ta’withah", from which derives the description "al-Mu’awwidhat" (the protecting ones) for the last three suras of the Qur’an, and "al-Mu’awwidhatan" (the two protecting ones) for the last two suras only (cited below). People from most cultures and religions use various forms of ruqa. They are usually referred to in English as spells, charms, incantations, and so on. Most of those ruqa contain magic, shirk, senseless words, lies, etc. Because of this, the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) prohibited using ruqa at first. Ibn Masud (RA) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: ‘Indeed, ruqa, amulets, and tiwala*, are all acts of shirk.’ Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani in as-Sahihah no. 331. (*Tiwala: Beads or other objects, usually worn around the neck, believed by some people to have the power of making a husband love his wife.) Later on, he (Peace and Blessing upon Him) allowed people to use only the ruqa that he approved, or that did not contain shirk. Jabir Bin 'Abdillah (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) prohibited ruqa. Then, some people from the tribe of 'Umr Bin Hazam came to him and said, "We have a ruqyah that we used to use for scorpion and snake stings; but you have now prohibited using ruqa." And they showed it to him. He (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: ‘I do not see anything wrong in it. Anyone among you who can benefit his brother should do so.’ Muslim.
Conditions for a Permissible Ruqyah There are some important conditions that must be satisfied in a ruqyah to make it permissible. They were summarized by Ibn Hajar (AR): "There is a consensus among the 'ulama that ruqa are permissible when they satisfy three 75
conditions: 1 - To be with Allah's words or His names and attributes 2 - To be in Arabic or of an intelligible meaning 3 - And to believe that they do not have effect by themselves but by Allah ('Azza wa Jalla)." Fath ul Bari 10/240 In what follows, we discuss each of these conditions: 1. Must Be with Allah's Words, Names, or Attributes As we will see below, all forms of ruqa reported in the Sunnah satisfy this condition. They either consist of specific portions of the Qur’an, such as al-Fatiha or Ayat ulKursiy, or contain a praise of Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) and an invocation of His help and protection. 2. Must Be with Clearly Understood Words This is an important condition that must be satisfied in order to eliminate any magic factors from the ruqyah. 3. Believing That the True Benefit Is from Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) Similar to our earlier discussion of medicines, one must always believe that the true and ultimate protector is Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) alone, and that ruqa and medications are means that He created and He controls as He wills. Thus trust must be put in Him and not in the means that He created. Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) commands His Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him): «So seek refuge with Allah (only); verily, it is He who is all-Hearer, all-Seer.» (Al Ghafir 40:56).
Additional Guidelines In what follows, there are additional guidelines that should be taken into consideration what performing a ruqyah. 1. Adhering to What Is Reported in the Sunnah Ruqyah is a form of supplication. As is the case with other supplications, it is permissible to use any words that fulfill the above conditions. This is approved by Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) who said: ‘There is nothing wrong with ruqa as long as they do not involve shirk.’ Muslim However, rather than experimenting with ruqa that may or may not be useful, and rather than being doubtful as to whether a specific ruqyah fulfills the correct conditions and guidelines, it is best to adhere to the ruqa that have been reported in the Sunnah.
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Things to Avoid in a Ruqyah 1. Shirk 'Awf Bin Malik al-Ashja'i (RA) narrated that he said to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him), "O Allah's Messenger! We used to apply ruqa during Jahiliyyah. What do you think of that?" He (Peace and Blessing upon Him) replied: ‘Present your ruqa to me. There is nothing wrong with them as long as they do not involve shirk.’ (Muslim) Ibn Mas’ud's wife Zaynab (RA) narrated that he saw on her neck a string and asked her, "What is this?" She replied, "It is a string on which a ruqyah was made for me." He cut it off her neck and said:"You, family of Ibn Mas’ud, are in no need for shirk. Truly, I heard Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) say: ‘Indeed, ruqa, amulets, and tiwala, are all acts of shirk.’ She said, "Why do you say this? I was having spasms of pain in my eye; so I went to such and such a Jewish man, and whenever he treated it with ruqyah, it soothed it." He replied: "That is the doing of Satan. He (Satan) pinches it with his hand; and when the ruqyah is applied to it, he removes his hand. It would have been sufficient for you to say what Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) used to say:‘Athhib il-ba's, rabb annas, washfi ant ash-shafi, la shifa illa shifa uk, shifaan la yughadiru saqama.’ Meaning: ‘Remove the affliction, Lord of the people, and cure - You are the one who cures, and there is no cure except from You—a cure that will not leave any sickness.’ Recorded by Abu Dawud; judged hasan by al-Albani (Mishkat ul-Masabih no. 4552). The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) explicitly prohibited all magical ruqa. Jabir reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: ‘Nashrah is of the doing of Satan.’ Recorded by Ahmad and Abu Dawud. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani (as-Sahihah no. 2760). (A magical spell done to counter another magical spell.) 2. Seeking It from Magicians or Soothsayers One may never go to a magician for help, regardless of whether the magician were true or false. False magicians are liars who pretend things to attract people's awe, money, or both. True magicians rely on jinns and the devil, and apply procedures containing kufr to produce their spells. Thus all of their spells, including ruqa, are prohibited, and any Muslim who seeks their help belies his belief in the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him). Abu Hurayrah (RA) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: ‘Whoever goes to a soothsayer or fortuneteller and believes in what he says has indeed rejected that which has been revealed to Muhammad.’ Recorded by Ahmad and alHakim. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami no. 5939). As indicated in the Qur’an, (the magicians can never be successful) (Taha 20:69), nor 77
(can they benefit anyone) (al-Baqarah 2:102). Because of all of this, and from the rule established earlier that Allah did not make our cure in anything that He prohibited, we clearly conclude that it is not permissible at all to seek a ruqyah from a magician. 3. Using Unintelligible Words or Phrases As has been indicated earlier, a ruqyah must be in intelligible and well-understandable words. Otherwise, it could contain shirk, magic, or other evils covered by cryptic characters and mysterious words. 4. Applying It in Prohibited or Strange Situations Some people require that a ruqyah be accompanied with bizarre actions or conditions, such as applying it in a graveyard or bathroom, or applying it to a person who is unclean or covered with najasah. These and other similar requirements, beside conflicting with what has been reported in the Sunnah, demonstrate a devilish tendency that must be totally avoided. As for writing a ruqyah on a piece of paper and attaching it to the body of the patient, or soaking the paper in water and making him drink that water, or blowing and spitting over a water container while reading it and then making him drink that water, all of this has no basis in the Sunnah (There are some authentic reports indicating that Imam Ahmad (AR) and some other 'ulama of the salaf have allowed some of these actions, but this by no means gives them a stamp of approval without a supportive evidence from the Sunnah.), and should therefore be totally avoided. 5. Using Prohibited Words or Phrases A ruqyah may not include evil words, such as cursing, offensive descriptions, or profanity. All of this is prohibited, and, as has been indicated earlier, Allah did not make our cure in anything prohibited. 6. Relying on the Power of the Ruqyah Neither the person applying a ruqyah, nor the person to whom it is applied may assume that it has an independent power of cure or protection. They must both put their full trust in Allah, rely fully on Him, and believe that the ruqyah is a means that He created for them. As Ibn Al-Qayyim indicates (Al Jawab Al Kafi), one should view a ruqyah like one does a sword: it can be of no use without three conditions: a) It should be strong and sharp. b) The person using it should be well versed and experienced. c) There should be no obstacles hindering it from being most effective.
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The Profession of Ruqyah-Giving Some people have turned ruqyah-giving into a profession for which they devote their full time, and from which they earn a lot of money. This conflicts with the Sunnah and the practice of the salaf. It should be avoided by both the giver (called a reciter or a raqi) and the seeker of ruqyah. Some of the reasons for its prohibition are the following: 1. The common people think that the reciter has a special healing power, thereby turning their minds from the True Healer and His words to the one who recites them. This is a clear source of shirk. 2. We have no reports of any of the sahabah and salaf devoting their time to offer this service. This makes it a bid’ah in the Din. 3. When the devils realize the common people's fascination by a particular person, they do things to cause deviation to him and them. This is clearly expressed in the above discussion that took place between Ibn Mas’ud and his wife. 4. When a reciter finds the people gathering at his door seeking his help, he would imagine that he has a high status before Allah, and would be drawn into vanity and conceit. 5. Most of the reciters have a poor knowledge of the Sunnah, which makes them claim or do things that have no basis in Islam. 6. Since this profession is a good source of income, it attracts many impostors and liars who claim that they can treat people, thereby adding to the spread of ignorance, falsehood, and shirk.
Ruqa from the Sunnah Various forms of supplications for prevention or healing, some of which may be classified as ruqa, have been presented in this site. In what follows, we include some more, or refer to earlier ones, as the discussion warrants.
Ruqyah with Allah's Name Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported that Jibril came to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and said:, "O Muhammad, are you sick?" He replied, ‘Yes.’ He said: "Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shayin yuthik, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ayni hasid - With Allah's Name I shelter you (give you ruqyah), from all that ails you, from the evil of every soul, or that of the envious eyes. May Allah cure you; with Allah's Name I shelter you." Muslim and others.
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Ruqyah with Allah's Book 'Aishah (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) came into her house and saw with her a woman who was treating her with ruqyah. He told her: ‘Treat her (only) with Allah's Book.’ Recorded by Ibn Hibban; verified to be authentic by al-Albani in as-Sahihah no. 1931. In what follows, we present ruqa with specific suras or ayat as is recorded in the Sunnah. 1. Ruqyah with al-Fatiha Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that a number of the Prophet's (Peace and Blessing upon Him) companions were on a journey. They stopped one night by the dwellings of a bedouin tribe who refused to host them and give them food. The chief of that tribe was then stung (by a snake or scorpion). His people tried everything possible to treat him, but to no avail. One of them suggested to seek help from the travellers. When they came to them, one of them said, "By Allah, I can perform ruqyah; but you have refused to host us. So I would not perform the ruqyah until you pledge to give us an offering." They agreed to give them a flock of thirty sheep, and the companion started blowing (with light spit) on the stung man's sting and reading al-Fatiha. He was immediately cured, like one who was tied and then set free. He stood and walked as if nothing happened to him, and they gave them their pledged offering. Some of the companions said, "Let us divide this flock among us." Others said, "No, you may not take any pay for reading Allah's Book! Let us not divide the goats until we reach the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him), tell him what happened, and see what he commands us." When they reached al-Madinah, they came to the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and told him what happened. He said (approvingly): ‘How did you know that it (al-Fatiha) is a ruqyah? You have done well! And indeed, the best thing to be paid for is Allah's Book*. So, divide it among you; and allot a share for me.’ Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and others. (One may not be paid for praying or reading Qur’an, because these are acts of worship that should be done purely for Allah ('Azza wa Jalla). However, it is permissible to be paid a compensation for the time or effort that one sometimes puts into matters associated with these acts of worship in order to serve the Muslim community. For example, a regular imam in a masjid should be compensated for devoting his time to that position, otherwise he would have to work in a profession that would prevent him from fulfilling all of the services needed from him. Furthermore, based on this hadith, some scholars conclude that it is also permissible to be paid for a benefit that reaches others because of one's reading Qur’an.)
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2. Ruqyah with al-Muawwidhat As explained earlier, al-Muawwidhat are the last three suras of the Qur’an. The last two of them carry a clear meaning of ruqyah, and are presented below. Surat ul-Ikhlas (112) does not carry such meaning in an explicit manner, but contains concise and strong words of praise for Allah ('Azza wa Jalla), making it an important introduction to the succeeding two suras: (Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of what he created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.") 113 (Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of the people, the King of the people, the God of the people, from the evil of a retreating whisperer, who whispers (evil) in the breasts of the people, (whether he is) from among jinns or the people.") 114 ‘Aishah (RA) reported: "When Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) went to bed, he would bring the palms of both hands together, and blow into them while reading "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" 112, "Qul a’udhu bi rabb il-falaq" 113, "Qul a’udhu bi rabbi n-Nas" 114. He would then rub with them whatever he could reach of his body, starting with his head, face, and the front part of his body. He would do this three times. When he got very ill, he asked me to do that for him." Al Bukhari and Muslim ‘Aishah (RA) also reported: "In the final sickness in which he passed away, the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) used to blow over himself with al-Mu’awwidhat. When he became very ill, I blew with them for him, rubbing over him with his own hand because of the blessing in it." Al Bukhari and Muslim We can use these suras for scorpion stings like it as been reported in ahadith. 3. Ruqyah with Ayat ul-Kursi Ubayy Bin Ka'b narrated that he had a harvest of dates. He noticed that it shrunk every day, and decided to watch it at night. He did and noticed a beast that looked like a boy who attained puberty. He gave him salam, and it responded to him with salam. He asked it, "Are you human or jinn" It replied, "Jinn." He told it, "Show me your hand." It showed him its hand, and he saw that it looked like a dog's, with fur like that of a dog covering it. He exclaimed, "Is this how jinn are like!?" It then told him, "All jinns know that there is no one among them stronger than me." He asked it, "What brought you here?" It replied, "We have been informed that you like to give charity, so we came to get some of your food." He asked it, "What would protect us from you?" It replied, "This ayah from Surat ul-Baqarah: (Allahu la ilaha illa huwa Al-Hayy ul-Qayyum,) (2/255) whoever says it in the 81
evening will be protected from us until the morning, and whoever says it in the morning will be protected from us until the evening." In the morning, Ubayy came to Allah's Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and told him of that incident. He told him, ‘The evil one has said the truth!’ Recorded by anNasa i and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani.
Cure from generic witch crafting Recite the following ruqyah verses: Al-Fatiha Sura(chapter 1) Annas Sura(chapter 114) Al-Ikhlas Sura(chapter 112) the end of Al-Baqara Sura(2 verses) the beginning of Ala-Imran(10 verses) the end of Ala-Imran Sura(10 verses) Al-Kursi Ayah(2:255) the end of Al-Tawaba Sura(10 verses) the beginning of Yunus Sura(10 verse) the beginning of Annal Sura(10 verse) the end of Al-Israa Sura(10 verse) the beginning of Ta-Ha Sura(10 verse) the end of Al-Muminun sura(3 verse) the beginning of As-Saffat Sura(10 verse) the beginning of Al-Mu‘min/Ghafir Sura(1-3 verses) the end of Al-Jathiya Sura(10 verse) the end of Al-Hashr Sura. (3 verse)
Cure from witch crafting (separation) The following can be a beneficial treatment for a Marboot (a man so bewitched that he cannot get an erection for sexual intercourse). Grind seven green Sidr (Lote tree) leaves. Put the ground leaves in a clean bowl, and then add an amount of water enough to wash the bowl with. On the bowl of water and ground leaves recite: AlKursi Ayah and the Suras of Al-Kafiroon, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas. Also recite the Ayahs on magic in Al-‘Araf, Yunus and Ta-ha Suras: In Al-A‘raf Sura: ―(117-122), In Yunus Sura: ―(7982
82), In Ta-Ha Sura: ―(65-69). After the recitation has been done on the bowl‘s content, the patient is to drink some of the water and wash his body with the rest. This will get rid of the impediment by Allah‘s permission. If the need arises, this can be repeated till healing occurs.
Cure from pain Place your hand at the place where you feel pain in your body and say Bismillah (in the name of Allah) three times and seven times A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa ukhdhiru (I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear).
Other Ruqyas One of the most important ways to prevent magic before happening is protecting oneself with Qur'an and the prophetic supplication, like reciting Aayat ul Kursi(AlBaqara:255).This verse should be recited after each obligatory prayer after the regular recommended supplications, and also at bedtime.This verse is the greatest verse in the entire Qur'an. Also reciting surah Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and An-Naas once after each obligatory prayer,but thrice after the dawn and sunset prayer. The prophet(s.a.w.s) encouraged us to say three times in the early part of the day(before sunrise) and in the evening, "Bismillaah-illadhi laa yadurru ma' ismihi shay'un fil ardi wa laa fissamawati wa huwas-Samee'-ul-'Aleem (By the name of Allaah with whose name nothing is harmed on earth nor in the heavens, and He is The All-Hearing AllKnowing)." and said that these words will protect him from all evil. There are authentic supplications said by the prophet(s.a.w.s) to cure from magic and sickness in general, such as the one he used with his companion, "Allaahumma Rabb-anNaas. Adh-hib il-ba's. washfi antash-Shaafi, laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uk, shifa'an la yughaadiru saqaman (O Allaah! The Lord of all people, take away the harm; cure (from the sickness) You are he Only One Who can bring cure, there is no cure but Your cure, a cure which does not leave out any sickness; by the name of Allaah I seek to treat you). " One should say this three times. Also the supplication with which Jibreel used to treat the Prophet(s.a.w.s),"Bismillahi 83
arqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheek, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw'aynin haasidin Allaahu yashfeek, bismillahi arqeek (By the name of Allaah I seek to treat you from all that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye Allaah cures you; in the name of Allaah I seek to treat you)." One should say this three times. At the beginning of night one can recite the last two Ayahs of Al-Baqara Sura, About theses two Ayahs, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمsays, ―If you read the last two Ayahs of Al-Baqara Sura at night, they keep all evil away from you Night and day, and on arrival at any place, one can frequently seek refuge in Allah‘s perfect words from the evil of what He has created. One useful way of treating witchcraft effects is to locate the place where the spell is placed. Once found and destroyed, the spell effects vanish. For Ruqya treatment, you can recite unto yourself the Suras of Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas three times, and do Nafth into your palms after each recitation, then pass them over your face and the parts of your body you can reach. You can do that as many times as possible day and night and when you go to bed. You can recite also Al-Fatihah unto yourself any time, day or night. For further prayers, one can read supplication books, such as Ibn-Al-Qayyim‘s Al-Wabil Assayyib and Zad-Al-Ma ad, Ibn-Taymiya‘s Al-Kalim Attayyib and Annawawi‘s AlAdhkar and Hisnul Muslim and Sheikh Uthaymeen's Precious rememberance and Forty Rabbana(www.fisabilillah.org). Thus, we have given some illustrations of the prevention and treatment of witchcraft effects. Allah is the Provider of success. As for treating the effects of sorcery with sorcery, it is forbidden, for it involves offering sacrifices to the Jinn, which is satanic. In fact, it is an act of major Shirk, and must be shunned altogether. It is also forbidden to get it treated by soothsayers, who are absolute liars for claiming knowledge of the unseen and for being disbelievers. As mentioned earlier, the Prophet صلى اله عليه وسلمhas alerted us to guard ourselves against them. When asked about Annashrah (treating sorcery with counter-sorcery), he said, ―It is Satan‘s work. The right way to cure the effects of sorcery is by means of legal Ruqyas, by refuge seeking in Allah and by allowed medications.
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Cure from evil eye Evil eye can be cast on factories, houses, trees, artifacts, cars, wild animals, etc. In such cases treatment is conducted as follows: the eye- caster is to do ablution or wash all his body or a part of it; this water, used in ablution or washing, is to be poured onto the cast receiver, animate or inanimate. On the other hand, if a person realizes his eyes can cast evil, he should accompany his looks with such prayers as /maashaa-allaah!/ (How admirable what Allah has willed!), /laa-hawla wa-laa-quwwata illaa-billaah/ (There is no might or power, except with Allah).
Cure from envy Envy is a dangerous disease and a serious defect. Concerning treatment, on the one hand, the envier has to seek refuge in Allah from envy, and to pray for his own healing, and to remember Him a lot whenever he sees an object he finds admirable. On the other hand, the envied have to seek refuge in Allah from the evil of enviers, to regularly recite Al-Falaq and Annas Suras, to pray a lot for Allah‘s protection and to trust in Him.
How to Do Nafth on Getting Satan’s Whispers During Salat Firstly, at the beginning of Salat and recitation one must seek refuge from Satan. Secondly, one must be wholeheartedly aware of what he is saying during Salat. One must reflect on whatever he is reciting and whatever he is praying for. When he remembers Allah, he must reflect on the meanings of his prayers. This way, one becomes absorbed by such reflections instead. Thirdly, in case Satan‘s whispering does occur, one has to pray for seeking refuge afresh - even if silently, i.e. with one‘s heart — and do Nafth three times to his left. Nafth is the blowing of a puff of air mixed with little saliva from the mouth. It is this Nafth that a Raqi does on patients, hoping to keep Satan away.
Bad Omens in Houses Sometimes a bad omen may be in a house, a means of transport or a wife. As destined by Allah, such things may be associated with some harm or loss, etc. Therefore, one can, for example, sell the house or move to another one. May Allah bring about good things into the new house. The Prophet was reported to have said, ―A bad omen is in three things: a house, a woman and a horse. It is true that there can be a bad omen in some transport means, some wives and some houses. One must be aware that this is so by Allah‘s destiny for bringing about change, moving to another house. 85
Chapter Ten: Reprehensible innovations Going to Church for Treating Insanity Going to church, to sorcerers or to charlatans for insanity treatment is forbidden. The allowed treatment is by non-Shirk Ruqyas, i.e. by Qur‘anic recitations,
Warning Against Non-Shar’i Ruqyas In your areas there is a prevalent Ruqya for treating stings of scorpions and other poisonous insects, and that it contains Shirk elements. Therefore, it is my duty to alert you to it and warn you not to use it. What follows is an extract from that Ruqya: ―In the name of Allah, O reading of Allah, in the name of the seven heavens, the sent Ayahs, which control, but are never controlled, O you Sulaiman A1-Rifa‘i, who suppresses the poison of snakes in the name of Al-Rifa‘i, both male and female, long and short, yellow and black, red and white, big and small and crawling at night or by day, I hereby seek against them the help of Allah, Allah‘s Ayahs, ninety-nine apostles, Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet , and her offspring.... The above extract is some of what I have heard. It takes a variety of forms and contains elements of Shirk, such as: ―in the name of the seven heavens, ―O you Sulaiman Al-Rifa‘i, who suppresses the poison of snakes, call the snakes in the name of Al-Rifa‘i and, ―I hereby seek against them the help of Allah, Allah‘s Ayahs, ninety-nine apostles, Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet , and her offspring. The Glorious Qur‘an and the Prophet‘s Sunnah state that Allah is the only One Who rightly deserves to be worshipped, that none but He must be invoked, none but He must be asked for help. In the Fatihah we read, ―(5) Thee (alone) we worship; Thee we ask for help. Allah says, ―(8) And the places of worship are only for Allah, so pray not unto anyone along with Allah. The Prophet says, ―Prayers are acts of worship. He also says, ―If you want to ask, ask none but Him, and if you seek help, seek from none but Him. There are many more Ayahs and Hadiths that express that meaning. There is consensus among the Ulama that it is not allowed to seek help from non-living things, such as the heavens, planets, idols, trees, etc. In fact to do that is a kind of Shirk. It is not allowed to invoke the dead, seek their help or ask them to rescue you, etc., even if they are prophets or saintly people. As the Prophet says, ―Once one dies, one‘s deeds cease, except three. things: a working 86
charity, knowledge being used (by people after one‘s death) and a righteous son / daughter who prays for him I her. The above-mentioned Ruqya involves seeking help from the heavens, from a lot of dead people, prophets as well as others, and from AlRifa‘i, which is all Shirk. Therefore, all Mus1ims have to guard against such a Ruqya and other Shirk Ruqyas, to encourage each other to stop them and to warn people against them. Instead, they must use legitimate Ruqyas and invocations, which are rich in content and are appropriate, such as: Al-Kursi Ayah, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas Suras, as well as other Qur‘anic verses. Examples of legitimate invocations and prayers are: ―I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created. ―In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens or earth can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing. This can be repeated three times in the morning, and-. three times in the evening. ―O Allah, Lord of mankind, I beg You to remove the suffering; I beg You, as You are the Healer, and there is no healing but Yours, to bring about a healing that leaves behind no ailment. ―In the name of Allah I am doing this Ruqya unto you to get rid of all that is harming you and of the evil of all spirits and eyes. May Allah cure you; in His name I am doing this Ruqya unto you. This can be repeated three times. For stings and bites recitation of Al-Fattha unto the patient is considered a treatment most effective, particularly, when sincerely repeated, and faithfully intended to invoke Allah, being the only One Who cures all diseases, to bring about healing. May He be exalted.
Writing Qur’anic Verses on Utensils for Treatment Purposes We must be fully aware that Allah‘s Book has such dignity and pride that it must not be undermined by having it written on such things. How can a believer be at ease as Qur‘anic verses, particularly, its greatest Ayah, are written on utensils to be thrown around and played with?! What a degrading position! Indeed this is not to be allowed. If you have such utensils with Qur‘anic writings, you must have them erased. If they cannot be erased, they have to be buried in a clean place. This is safer than having Qur‘anic verses degraded, even if the intention is seeking cure. It has never been reported that the good Salaf - may Allah be pleased with them - did such writings.
Reciting unto Zamzam Water by a Specific Person for Healing Purposes The prophet is reported to have drunk Zamzam water, carried it and encouraged Muslims to drink it. He said, ?Zamzam water is (good) for what one intends to achieve by drinking it.? As narrated by Ibn-Abbas, the Prophet came to some Saqis (drinkingwater providers) and asked for a drink of water, at which time Al-Abbas instructed Fadhl, ?O Fadhl, go to your mother and get the Prophet a (good) drink,? but the Prophet said to the Saqis, ?Give me a drink of water.? Al-Abbas said, ?O Messenger of Allah, 87
they put their hands in it.? The Prophet repeated, ?Give me a drink.? When given the water, he drank it, then went to the Zamzam well, where the Saqis were drawing water, with their hands dipped into it. He said to them, ?Carry on. What your are doing is good work,? and added, ?If I did not see that it would inconvenience you, I would come down and put the rope (on my shoulder and pull to draw water with you). Also, as narrated by Ibn-Abbas, the Prophet said, ?Zamzam water is good for the drinker‘s intention. If you drink it seeking healing, Allah will give you healing. If you drink it to satisfy your hunger, Allah will satisfy your hunger. If you drink it to quench your thirst, Allah will quench your thirst. Jibreel dug it (the Zamzam well) for Isma‘il (Ishmael) to drink from. As reported by Aisha, she used to carry water from Zamzam, and so did the Prophet . The qualities and blessings of Zamzam water are cited in a number of other Hadiths as well. For example, the Prophet is reported to have said, ?It (Zamzam water) is blessed water and good food.? Abu-Dawood‘s version of this very Hadith says, ?It is blessed water, good food and healing from ailment.? Though some of the Hadiths on Zamzam water are questionable, they have judged by some Ulama as Sahih (sound), and they have been applied since the Companions‘ time. Despite the Prophet‘s blessed status, his love and concern for people, and his visits to Zamzam before and after Hijrah, there is no evidence to suggest that the Prophet did any recitations on water from Zamzam for any of his companions to drink, or massage with, for the sake of healing or other purposes. He is not reported to have instructed any of his companions to do recitation on it; otherwise, they would have done that and communicated it to others. Thus, it can be concluded that if recitation on Zamzam water for the mentioned purposes were allowed, the Prophet would have done it and communicated it to his Ummah as usual. However, since recitation is allowed in the case of ordinary water for healing purposes, Zamzam water, because of its blessed and healing qualities reported in the above- mentioned Hadiths, must be more deserving of such recitation.
This Statement about Az-Zalzalah Sura Is False The statement that Az-Zalzalah Sura causes either healing or death and causes miscarriage is unfounded. In fact, it is a myth.
The Ruling on Qur’anic Amulets and Incantations Hanging written Qur‘anic verses for protection or treatment purposes has been judged differently by the Salaf. There is a ruling that bans it as belonging to amulets in general, which are banned by the Hadith, ―Ruqyas, amulets and love charms are acts of shirk. Ahmad and Abu-Dawood argue that there is no exception to the general ban even if the amulet is from the Qur‘an. A license to hang Qur‘anic amulets will lead to hanging non88
Qur‘anic ones, so the general ban prevents Shirk ones. Besides, it will likely expose Qur‘anic verses to degrading situations. The general ban is advocated by Ibn-Mas‘ud and his students as well as the Muta‘ akhkhirun. However, there is a ruling that allows hanging amulets with writings from the Qur‘an or Allah‘s Names and Attributes. Abdullah Ibn-Amr Ibn-il-Aas is of this view. Abu-Ja‘far AlBaqir and Abmad explain this position on a different understanding of the Hadith banning amulets they restrict the ban to Shirk Ruqyas and Shirk amulets. We favour the general ban, which is stronger, as it safeguards pure faith and has preventative implications. As for what has been attributed to Ibn-Amr, it was in connection with writing slates hung around kids‘ necks for learning the Qur‘an, not as amulets for protection purposes.
Protection against the evil eye People have introduced many innovations having to do with protection against the evil eye, and they believe that they ward off its evil and the evil of envy. These include the following: 1 - Amulets: these are things that the Arabs used to tie onto their children to protect them against the evil eye, or so they claimed. This is a form of Shirk, because the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said, according to a Hadith narrated by Ahmad: "Whoever ties on an amulet has committed Shirk." 2 - Wearing Hijabs (amulets) containing words other than the Qur'an and Sunnah, from those who seek the services of the jinn. This is also Shirk. 3 - Hanging up shells and the like; these are shells that come from the sea, which are used for protection against the evil eye. 4 - Putting necklaces adorned with blue beads and metal pieces in the shape of crescents, or animal teeth and bones, on children and animals. 5 - Hanging up the shoe of a horse or donkey, or ears of wheat, or putting a hand made of copper with an eye in the middle, on the doors of houses, around the necks of riding animals and in cars. 6 - Wearing rings adorned with blue beads on which are written some words, in order to ward off the evil eye and protect oneself against its evil. 7 - Hanging up the skulls of animals in houses and on farms.
Selling Ruqyas and Amulets A Fatwa has already been issued, banning the writing of Qur‘anic verses, prayers from the Sunnah or prayers from other established sources, on paper or plates, then wiping the writing with water to be drunk by patients seeking healing from diseases. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that the Prophet or his Companions did that. Therefore, the best thing to do is to follow his guidance and that of his companions. This is the Fatwa: The Prophet allowed the Ruqya treatment with Qur‘anic verses and with supplications, 89
provided that they are void of Shirk and incomprehensible statements. According to Sahih Muslim, Ibn-Awf narrated: ―We used to perform Ruqyas at the Jahili (preIslamic) times. We asked the Prophet , O Allah‘s Messenger, What do you think of that (Ruqya performance)?‘ He replied, Show me your Ruqyas. Ruqyas are valid so long as they are void of Shirk. There is a consensus among the Ulama (Muslim religious scholars) that Ruqya treatment with Qur‘anic verses and non- Shirk supplications is valid on condition that it is firmly believed that no healing can take place without Allah‘s Will. As for wearing something around the neck, or other body parts, this is forbidden if it is non-Qur‘anic - in fact it is considered Shirk. According to Musnad AL-Imam Ahmad, Ibn-Hussain narrated: ―Seeing a man wearing a copper ring around his wrist, the Prophet said, Take it off, for it will do nothing for you except make you weaker. If you die wearing it, you will have no success at all . As narrated by Uqbah Ibn-‘Amer, ―If one wears an amulet, may Allah not grant him his wish, and if one wears a shell, may Allah grant him no peace. Another Hadith in Musnad AlImam Ahmad says, ―Whoever wears an amulet has committed an act of Shirk. Also, on the authority of Ibn-Mas‘ud, the Prophet said, ―(Shirk) Ruqyas, amulets and love charms are Shirk. On the other hand, if what is worn has Qur‘anic writings, it is banned for three reasons: (a) the Hadiths banned amulets in general without exception, (b) closing the door of wearing Shirk ones; (c) preventing putting Qur‘anic verses in degrading places and situations, such as toilets. As for writing Qur‘anic Suras or verses for example, with saffron - on a slate, plate or paper, then washing it with water to be drunk for the purpose of gaining blessing, knowledge, wealth or health, etc., there is no evidence to suggest that the Prophet did such a thing to himself or to others, or that he gave permission to anyone to do it. There is no evidence in the sound Athar (heritage) to suggest that any of the Prophet‘s Companions did or permitted such conduct. Thus, the safest thing is avoid it, and to recite, instead, the legally established Ruqyas. These Ruqyas use Qur‘anic verses, Allah‘s Fairest Names and the Prophet‘s established supplications as well as other non-Shirk comprehensible prayers. They must be meant to please Allah and to seek His reward, help in affliction and relief of his suffering, and to ask Him useful knowledge. Suffice one to do that, for adherence to Allah‘s Shri‘ah makes one in need of nobody else, and it He Who grants success. Thus, the sale of amulets and incantations must be banned.
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Chapter Eleven: Protection against witchcraft The doctors say that prevention is better than cure. We say: The best cure for witchcraft is to protect yourself from it before it happens. If the evil witch who has sold his soul to the Shaytan seeks the help of the Shaytan to achieve his evil aims, Islam has told us how the Muslim may protect himself and his family from the Shaytan. The Muslim must follow the means described below in order to protect himself from the evil of witchcraft and its practitioners.
Strengthening oneself with faith The Muslim must strengthen himself and affirm his belief in Tawhid. In this manner he strengthens his faith and dispels fear of anything other than Allah from his heart, and reinforces the belief that benefit and harm are both in the hand of Allah alone. The Muslim should understand that these means are like the movements of the wind, which are in the hand of their Controller and Creator, and cannot cause any harm or bring any benefit except by Allah’s Leave. Allah says concerning the witches: (But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave.) (Al-Baqarah 2:102) And Allah says: (And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour.) (Yunus 10:107) Whoever is a slave to Allah, following His commands at times of hardship and of ease, focusing all his fear on Allah, is included in the Verse in which Allah says: (Is not Allah Sufficient for His slave?) (Al-Zumar 39:36) Attaining complete submission and servitude to Allah ('Ubudiyyah) brings complete protection, and the Shaytan has no authority over them, as Allah says: (Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves.) (Al Hijr 15/42) 91
The one who is strong in faith, protected by Allah and under His care, is rarely affected by witchcraft. The witches themselves know that their spells can ortly affect those who are weak.
Regularly reciting the Adhkar for morning and evening One of the greatest means of protecting oneself against witchcraft is to persist in regularly reciting the Adhkar for morning and evening. They prevent against witchcraft before it happens, protecting one against it and warding off its evil, and remedying it if it does happen. Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Among the most effective divinely-prescribed remedies for witchcraft, indeed the only thing that works, for the effects of evil souls and warding off their effects can only be by means of that which opposes and resists them, namely Dhikr, the Qur'anic Verses and Du'as which cancel out their actions and effects. The stronger they are the further they will spread. This is like the meeting of two armies, each of which has its equipment and weapons with it; whichever of them overpowers the other and subdues it will emerge the victor. If the heart is filled with remembrance of Allah and has Du'as, Dhikrs, prayers for refuge and a Wird which it never fails to recite, in which the person focuses with his heart and mind, this will be one of the greatest means of warding off witchcraft before it strikes and it is one of the greatest remedies for it after it has struck. The witches know that their witchcraft can only fully have an effect on hearts which are weak and easily influenced, those that are ruled by whims and desires and attached to trivial matters. Hence those who are usually affected are women, children and those who are ignorant and those who live in remote regions, or whose faith, trust in Allah and belief in Tawhid are weak, and who do not have a Wird, Du'as and prayers for refuge which they recite regularly. In conclusion, their influence usually affects those who are weak and easily influenced, and are inclined towards trivial things. They said: The victim is the one who allows witchcraft to affect him, for we find his heart is attached to things on which he focuses a great deal, so they control his heart by means of the things towards which he is inclined. The evil souls are only able to gain control over souls which are ready to be overpowered because their hearts are already inclined towards something that is convenient for those evil souls and because they are devoid of spiritual strength and are not prepared to resist. So you find them empty, with no strength or means to fight, inclined towards something convenient, so they overpower them and are able to influence them by witchcraft and other means. Imam Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi narrated a lengthy Hadith from Al-Harith Al-Ash'ari, in which the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: 92
"... and I enjoin you to remember Allah, for this is like a man who is being pursued by the enemy, then he comes to a strong fortress and saves himself from them. Similarly a man cannot save himself from the Shaytan except by means of Dhikr." Narrated by Ahmad in Al-Musnad, 408/202; Al-Tirmidhi, no.2867. This is a Sahih Hadith.
Eating 'Ajwah dates on an empty stomach 'Ajwah: a kind of date grown in Madinah Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih from 'Amir ibn Sa'd that his father said: The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Whoever eats 'Ajwah dates every morning will not be harmed by poison or witchcraft all that day until night comes." Fath Al-Bari, 10/249. Someone else said: "Seven dates." And according to another report: "Whoever eats seven 'Ajwah dates in the morning, will not be harmed that day by poison or witchcraft." Whoever persists in eating 'Ajwah dates on an empty stomach, with the proper intention and with trust in Allah and the words of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) will be as it were inoculated against witchcraft, and neither witchcraft nor poison will harm him. Some of the scholars explained that one of the characteristics of dates is that they are "hot", and that this is sufficient to ward off disease, but the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) mentioned specific protection against witchcraft. It seems, and Allah knows best, that dates contain something unknown to us that protects against poison and witchcraft. We believe in the word of the truthful one (the Prophet #§), even if we do not know how that works. There is no doubt that the dates of Madinah possess special qualities, but if dates of Madinah are not available, then any dates will do Insha Allah.
One of the greatest means of protecting oneself against the evil of witchcraft is not going to witches Because no benefit can come from them for the one who has been harmed, and the one who has nothing wrong with him will not be safe from their harm. The devils who work with the witch know full well that the Muslim man or woman who knocks at the door of the witch is weak in faith and does not put his or her trust in Allah, so it is easy for them to possess them.
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Protective Measures against Sihr in general Below are twelwe protective measures: The First Measure Eating Dates Eat seven pressed dates in the morning before eating any food if you can. Dates should preferably be from Al-Madinah. If this is not possible, then eat any pressed dates. The Prophet m said, "Whoever eats seven pressed dates every morning before eating any food, will not be affected by poison or sihr!" Al-Bukhari: 10/249, the Book of Medicine, Chapter: Treatment of sorcery with ‘Ajwah. The Second Measure Al-Wudhu Sihr does not affect a person in a state of wudhu, for he is protected by an angel sent by the Merciful (Allah). Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: 'Wash these bodies, and Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) will wash you. There is not a servant who sleeps in a state of wudhu, but that an angel accompanies him in his clothes; and there is not a moment that he moves in bed, but that the angel says: 'O Allah! Forgive Your Servant, for he has slept in a clean s Transmitted by At-Tabarani in Al-Awsat. According to Al-Mundiri, the chain of transmission is very good (At-Targhib: 2/13). The Third Measure Observing congregational salat Observing salat in congregation secures a Muslim person from Satan, and neglecting it makes Satan dominate him. And if Satan dominates a person, he harms him with sihr and other things which he can easily do. Abu Ad-Darda (RA) reported: "I heard the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) say: 'There are not three people in a town or in the countryside who do not observe congregational salat, but that Satan dominates them. Remain with the community, for the wolf seizes the solitary sheep moving away from the flock.'" Al-Bukhari: (Fath Al-Bari 3/34) and Muslim: (An-Nawawi: 6/63). The Fourth Measure: Qiyyamu Al-layl (Observing optional salat during the night) Whosoever wishes to protect himself against sihr should observe salat during the night. Neglecting it allows Satan to dominate a man. If he does, then you will make yourself a hotbed for the effect of sihr on you. Ibn Mas'ud (RA) reported: "When the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) was asked about his opinion of a man who slept until salatul Fajr, without waking up for qiyyamul-layl, he said that Satan urinated in the man's ear.'" Abu Dawud: 1/150 (a sound chain of transmission). 94
Sa'id Ibn Mansur reported : "Ibn 'Umar (RA) said, 'Not a man wakes up in the morning without having observed salatul-witr, but that a rope measuring approximately seventy cubits will be put over his head in the morning."' According to Al-Hafiz, a very good chain of transmission (Fath: 3/25) . The Fifth Measure: Isti'da - Seeking refuge with Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) upon entering the toilet A Muslim should seek refuge with Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) upon entering the toilet, because Satan takes advantage of the Muslim's presence in the toilet in order to harm him in this filthy place which is the home of Satanic Jinn. One day, a Jinn informed me that he entered and possessed a person because he did not seek refuge in Allah upon entering the toilet. However, Allah supported me in driving him out of that person. Furthermore, one Jinn told me that Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) has given us a strong weapon to conquer them, but we do not use it. I asked him what was it, and he said, 'the invocations laid down by the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him). It is confirmed that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) used to say the following invocation upon entering the toilet: "Allahumma inni a'udu bika minal-khubti wal-khba'iti (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the male female Satans.)" Al-Bukhari. (Fath Al-Bari: 1/292) and Muslim: (An-Nawawi: 4/70) . The Sixth Measure Protection from the Satan during intercourse Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said, 'If you say the following invocation during sexual intercourse, and a baby is conceived, Satan would never harm that baby." (Allahumma jannibna ash-shaytan wa jannibi ash-shytan ma razaqtana.) (O Allah! Keep us away from Satan, and keep Satan away from any blessing you bestow on us.) Al-Bukhari (Fath Al-Bari: 1/291) and Muslim. The Seventh Measure Make Wudhu before going to bed, recite Ayatul kursiy Make Wudhu before going to bed, recite Ayatul kursiy and invoke Allah in bed until you fall asleep. It is confirmed that Satan told Abu Hurayrah (RA): "Whosoever recites Ayatul kursiy before going to bed, he will be guarded by Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) and no Satan will approach him throughout the night." The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) confirmed the Satan's statement and told Abu Hurayrah "Satan told you the truth, but he is a liar." Al-Bukhari (Fath Al-Bari: 6/338) and Muslim (An-Nawawi: 17/17) .
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The Eighth Measure La ilaha illallah Say: (la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu lahulmuk wa lahulhamd wa huwwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir) 100 times after salatul Fajri. The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said that whosoever says it will have a reward equal to the manumission of 10 slaves, will have ten good deeds added to and ten bad deeds erased from his register, and will be protected by this supplication the Satan throughout the day until the evening. No one is better than he who says this supplication except a man who says more." The Nineth Measure Entering the mosque Upon entering the mosque, say: Allahumma-f-tahli abwaaba rahmatika(O Allaah, open the gates of Your mercy for me.) The Tenth Measure Invocation Say the following invocation, three times in the morning and three times in the evening: (Bismillahi al-lazi la yadhurru ma'asmihi shay'un filardhi wala fis-sama i wa huwwa assami'u al-'alim). (In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name nothing harms, on earth and in Heavens, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Aware.) At-Tirmidhi: 5/133 . The Eleventh Measure Leaving the house Upon leaving the house say: (Bismillahi tawakkaltu 'ala Allahi wala hawla wala quwwata illa billahi.) When you say it, you will be told (without your awareness): "You have been spared, protected and guided" The Satan will keep away from you and will tell another: "What can you do to a man who has been guided, protected and spared?" Abu Dawud: 4/325 and At-Tirmidhi: 5/154. The Twelveth Measure Say, ‘A 'uzu bikalimati Allahi at-tammati min sharri ma khalaq,’ in the morning and in the evening. Muslim: (An-Nawawi: 17/32) These are just few interesting protective measures against sihr in general and in particular if applied sincerely and truthfully. These are just few interesting protective measures against sihr in general and in particular if applied sincerely and truthfully.
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Chapter Twelve:Protection against Jinn Ten ways of avoiding the harm of the Jinn and protecting oneself against the devils 1 - Seeking refuge with Allaah from the traps of the devils 2 - Reciting Al-Falaq and An-Nas, because it was narrated that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) used to seek refuge with Allah from the jinn and the evil eye of people, until these two Surahs were revealed 3 - Reciting Ayat Al-Kursiy 4 - Reciting Sura Al-Baqarah 5 - Reciting the last two verses of Sura Al-Baqarah 6 - Reciting the first part of Sura Ghafir 7 - Frequently repeating the words: ‘La ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa sharika lahu, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir’ (There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, to Him be all praise, and He has power over all things)." 8 - Frequently remembering Allah (Dhikr), which includes regularly reciting the Adhkar which are to be said in various situations and when doing certain things 9 - Wudu and prayer 10 - Refraining from unnecessary looking, speaking, eating and mixing with people, because going to extremes in these four matters weakens one's spirituality and makes it easy for the evil ones among mankind and the jinn to gain power over you.
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Protective Measures against the evil devils Saying Bismillah when eating and drinking It was narrated that 'Umar ibn Abi Salamah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Say Bismillah and eat with your right hand." Fath Al-Bari, 7/88. Muslim, 3/1599, no. 108. It was narrated that Jabir (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) say: "When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and when eating, the Shaytan says: 'You have no place to stay and no dinner.' If he enters and does not remember Allah upon entering, the Shaytan says: 'You have found a place to stay.' And if he does not remember Allah when eating, he says: 'You have found a place to stay and dinner.'" Sahih Muslim, 3/1598, no. 103. What should be said when entering the house It is Mustahabb to say when entering one's house: ‘Bismillah-lahi walajna, wa bismil-lahi kharajna, wa alaa rabbana tawakkalna’ (In the Name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we leaveand upon our lord we place our trust),' whether there are any humans in the house or not, because Allah says: "But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i .e. say: As-salamu 'alaykum — peace be on you), blessed and good." (Al-Nur 24:61) It was narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "O my son, when you enter upon your family, greet them with Salam; it will be a blessing from Allah upon you and upon the people of your household.' Sunan AlTirmidhi, Bab Maja'a Fi'l-taslim Idha Dakhala Baytihi. It was narrated that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) say: "When a man enters his house and mentions Allah when he enters and when he eats, the Shaytan says: '(You have) no place to stay and no supper.' If he enters and does not mention Allah when he eats, (the Shaytan) says: 'You have found a place to stay and supper.'" Sahih Muslim, 3/1598, no. 103. What a person should do and say if he gets angry Anger is one of the evil whispers of the Shaytan. Allah says: (And if an evil whisper from Shaytan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Knower.) (Fussilat 41:36) It was narrated that the Companion of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) 98
Sulayman ibn Surad (RA) said: I was sitting with the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and two men traded insults. One of them turned red in the face and became furious, and the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "I know a word which, if he said it, what he is experiencing would go away. If he said, A'udhu billahi min As-shaytan il-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan),' what he is experiencing would go away." They said to him: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan." He said: "Am I insane?" Fath Al-Bari, Kitab Bad' Al-Khalq, Bab Sifat Iblis, 6/151; Sahih Muslim, 4/5/20, no. 109 It was narrated that the Companion of the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) 'Atiyyah ibn 'Urwah Al-Sa'di (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Anger comes from the Shaytan, and the Shaytan was created from fire. Fire is extinguished by water, so if one of you becomes angry, let him do Wudu." Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab Al-Adab, 5 It is Mustahabb for the one whom the Shaytan provokes to anger to suppress his anger and to seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan. Then he should hasten to do Wudu, and remember that the reward with Allah for suppressing his anger is great. What is to be said by one who is suffering from loneliness The best that can be said by one who is suffering from loneliness is: "A'udhu billah il-sami' il-'alim min Al-shaytan il-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytan)." Allah ('Azza wa Jalla) says: (And if an evil whisper from Shaytan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the AllKnower.) (Fussilat 41:36) It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "The Shaytan will come to one of you and say: 'Who created such and such? Who created such and such?" until he says, 'Who created your Lord?' If it comes to that, then seek refuge with Allah(say:A'udhu billahi mina shaytani rrajeem) and stop thinking about it." According to a version narrated in Al-Sahih: "The people will continue to ask questions until it is said: 'This is the creation of Allah, but who created Allah?' Whoever sees any of that, let him say, I believe in Allah and His Messengers."(say: Aamantu billahi wa rasoolihi)[1] Fath Al-Bari, Bab Sifat Iblis, 4/149 It was narrated that 'Uthman ibn Abi'l-'As (RA) said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, the Shaytan has interfered between me and my prayer and recitation, and has confounded 99
me." The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "That is a devil called Khinzab. If you notice that, then seek refuge with Allah from him and spit drily to your left three times." I did that, and Allah took that away from me. Sahih Muslim, Kitab As-Salam, Bab AlTa'awwudh Min Shaytan Al-waswasah Fil-salah, 4/1728, no. 68. In Sahih Muslim it is narrated with his Isnad in the letter of Abu'l-Qaaim Al-Qushayri that Ahmad ibn 'Ata' Al-Rawdhabari Al-Sayyid Al-Jalil said to me: I am experiencing Waswas with regard to purification (Taharah); I felt anxious one night because I had used so much water, and my heart would not rest. I said: O Lord, Your forgiveness, Your forgiveness. Then I heard a voice crying out: Forgiveness is in knowledge. Then that (anxiety) left me. One of the scholars said that it is Mustahabb for the one who suffers from Waswas with regard to Wudu or prayer to say La ilaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah), for if the Shaytan hears Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), he withdraws and goes away, and the phrase La ilaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah) is the best of Dhikr. And they (the scholars) said that the most effective remedy for warding off waswas is to remember Allah a great deal (Dhikr). One of the Imams said that that it is only those who are most perfect in faith who are tested with Waswas, for the thief does not target a ruined house. Al-Sayyid Al-Jalil Ahmad ibn Abi'l-Hawari said: I complained to Abu Sulayman AlDarani about Waswas and he said: If you want it to stop, then whenever you notice it, rejoice, for if you rejoice in it, it will stop, because there is nothing more annoying to the Shaytan than the happiness of the believer. What should be said by one to whom the Shaytan appears or who is frightened by him. (And if an evil whisper from Shaytan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the AllKnower.) (Fussilat 41:36) (And when you (Muhammad) recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not). (Al-lsra 17:45) The one to whom the Shaytan appears should do the following: 1 - He should say: "A'udhu billahi'l-sami' il-'alim min Al-shaytan il-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytan)." 2 - He should constantly read the Qur'an (he should have a daily Wird) It was narrated that Abu'l-Darda' said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) stood up to pray, and we heard him say: 100
"I seek refuge with Allah from you." Then he said: "I curse you with the curse of Allah," three times, and he stretched out his hand as if to take something. When he had finished praying, we said: "O Messenger of Allah, we heard you say during the prayer something that we have never heard you say before, and we saw you stretching out your hand." He said: "The enemy of Allah Iblis came with a brand of fire to throw it in my face, and I said, I seek refuge with Allah from you,' three times. Then I said: I curse you with the complete curse of Allah' and he retreated three times. Then I wanted to seize him, and by Allah, were it not for the prayer of my brother Sulayman, this morning he would have been tied up and the children of the people of Madinah would be playing with him." Sahih Muslim, Bab Jawaz La’n As Shaytan, 1/385 . What should be said by one who hears the crowing of a rooster, the braying of a donkey and the barking of a dog. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "If you hear the braying of a donkey then seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan, for it has seen a devil. If you hear the crowing of a rooster, then ask Allah of His bounty, for it has seen an angel." Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad' Al-khalq, 4/155. It was narrated that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "If you hear the barking of a dog and the braying of a donkey at night, then seek refuge with Allah, for they see what you do not see." Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab Al-Adab, 5/332, no. 5103 . What should be said by one to whom ghouls appear. Ghouls (Arabic Ghul, pl. Ghilan) are a type of jinn, and it is said that they are the sorcerers of the jinn. They may appear in various forms, but their evil may be warded off by reciting qur’an and supplications. What should be said by one who stops in a new place It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakim (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) say: "Whoever stops in a place and then says: A'udhu bi kalimat-illah il-tammaati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of that which He has created),' nothing will harm him until he moves on from that stopping-place." Sahih Muslim, 4/2080, no. 54.
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Chapter Thirteen: Our creed Our creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Fate whether good or bad.
List of qualities that lead to completeness of faith The branches of faith: 1 - Belief in Allah: in His existence and Oneness, in the perfection of His Essence and Attributes; belief that everything other than Him is created by Him 2 - Belief in the Messengers of Allah 3 - Belief in the Books of Allah 4 - Belief in the angels 5 - Belief in the divine decree 6 - Belief in the Last Day 7 - Love of Allah 8 - Fear of Allah 9 - Hope in Allah 10 - Trust in Allah 11 - Loving the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) 12 - Venerating the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) and following his Sunnah 13 - Sincerity and not showing off 14 - Repentance 15 - Gratitude for the blessings of Allah 16 - Patience 17 - Mercy, compassion 18 - Hay a' (modesty, shyness) 19 - Reading and venerating the Qur'an 20 - Seeking knowledge and teaching others 21 - Spreading knowledge and teaching others 102
22 - Du'a (supplication) 23 - Dhikr (remembering Allah) and praying for forgiveness 24 - Guarding one's tongue and avoiding idle speech 25 - Purifying oneself physically and spiritually 26 - Offering obligatory and Nawafil prayers 27 - Giving obligatory and Nawafil Zaka28 - Observing obligatory and Nawafil fasts 29 - Performing obligatory and Nawafil Hajj 30 - I’tikaf 31 - Jihad for the sake of Allah 32 - Guarding the borders for the sake of Allah 33 - Being careful of one's religious commitment 34 - Offering expiation 35 - Fulfilling vows 36 - Keeping promises 37 - Fulfilling trusts 38 - Prohibition of crimes against people 39 - Refraining from Haram sources of wealth 40 - Moderation in spending 41 - Protecting honour 42 - Being happy when doing good and sad when doing bad 43 - Obeying the ruler 44 - Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil 45 - Cooperating in righteousness and piety 46 - Adhering to the way of the Jama'a (the mainstream of Islam) 47 - Being just 48 - Honouring one's parents 49 - Upholding the ties of kinship 50 - Having a good attitude 51 - Reconciling between people 52 - Keeping away from the set limits 53 - Establishing the commands of Allah 54 - Honouring one's neighbour 55 - Returning the greetings of Salaam 103
56 - Visiting the sick 57 - Saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes 58 - Honouring one's guest 59 - Asceticism (Zuhd) 60 - Protective jealousy (Ghirah) 61 - Generosity 62 - Compassion towards the young and respect towards the old 63 - Loving for one's brother what one loves for oneself 64 - Being careful in spending by spending appropriately 65 - Proper dealing by ensuring that all one's earnings are Halal 66 - Refraining from harming people 67 - Offering the funeral prayer for the dead etc. 68 - Concealing those who have committed sin 69 - Protecting children's rights 70 - Loving for the sake of Allah 71 - Hating for the sake of Allah 72 - Humility 73 - Avoiding idle pursuits 74 - Shunning the Kuffar 75 - Drawing close to people of religious commitment 76 - Accepting the divine decree 77 - Removing harmful things from the road This list has been selected from a number of Ahadith which speak of the branches of faith.
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Chapter Fourteen: Major sins Abu Hurayra (RA) reported: "The Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon him) said: 'Avoid the seven serious sins (As-sa' Al-Mubiqat)" People asked, 'What are they?' The Prophet Peace and Blessing upon him) replied, 'Shirk (polytheism), sihr (sorcery), unlawful killing of a person, living on money from usury, usurping an orphan's wealth, retreat at the time of Jihad, and accusing innocent married women of fornication'" AlBukhari (in FathAl-Bari 5/393) and Muslim (in Sharh An-Nawawi 2/83).
List of major sins that have to do with one's inward attitude 1 - Associating others with Allah (Shirk) 2 - Minor Shirk (showing off) 3 - Hidden anger, grudges and envy 4 - Arrogance, self-admiration and showing off 5 - Deceit 6 - Hypocrisy 7 - Wronging others 8 - Turning away from people out of arrogance and scorning them 9 - Indulging in that which is of no benefit 10 - Greed 11 - Fear of poverty 12 - Being angry with the divine decree 13 - Looking at the rich and venerating them because of their richness 14 - Mocking the poor because of their poverty 15 - Stinginess 16 - Competing in worldly gains and showing off 17 - Adorning oneself for others with things with which it is forbidden to adorn oneself 18 - Compromising religious principles 19 - Loving to be praised for what one has not done 105
20 - Being reoccupied with the faults of others whilst ignoring one's own faults 21 - Forgetting blessings 22 - Strong feelings for religions other than the religion of Allah 23 - Not accepting the decree of Allah 24 - Not taking the rights and commands of Allah seriously 25 - Mocking the slaves of Allah, looking down on them and despising them 26 - Following whims and desires, and turning away from the truth 27 - Cheating and deceiving 28 - Desiring the life of this world 29 - Being stubborn in rejecting the truth 30 - Thinking badly of Muslims 31 - Not accepting the truth because it goes against one's own whims and desires, or hating those who speak the truth 32 - Rejoicing in sin 33 - Persisting in sin 34 - Loving to be praised for doing acts of worship 35 - Being content with the life of this world 36 - Forgetting Allah and the Hereafter 37 - Being angry when one is offended and avenging oneself even when one is in the wrong 38 - Feeling safe from the plot of Allah by getting carried away in sin and relying on Allah's mercy 39 - Despairing of the mercy of Allah 40 - Thinking badly of Allah 41 - Despairing of the mercy of Allah 42 - Acquiring knowledge for worldly gain (showing off) 43 - Concealing knowledge 44 - No acting upon one's knowledge 45 - Showing off one's knowledge out of pride 46 - Undermining the position of the scholars and belittling them. 47 - Deliberately telling lies about Allah 48 - Deliberately telling lies about the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessing upon Him) 49 - Introducing bad ways 50 - Abandoning the Sunnah 106
51 - Not believing in the divine decree 52 - Not fulfilling promises 53 - Loving wrongdoing or evildoing 54 - Hating the righteous 55 - Offending the close friends of Allah and taking them as enemies 56 - Cursing time 57 - Saying a word that could cause a great deal of mischief and harm 58 - Being ungrateful for blessings 59 - Showing evil behaviour and foul language so as to make people fear you and avoid your evil
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Chapter Fifteen: Forbidden The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whatever Allaah has permitted in His Book is allowed, and whatever He has prohibited is forbidden; whatever He has remained silent about is a concession, so accept the concession of Allaah, for Allaah is never forgetful.” Then he recited the aayah: “. . . and your Lord is never forgetful” [Maryam 19:64]. (Reported by al-Haakim, 2/375; classified as hasan by al-Albaani in Ghaayat al-Maraam, p. 14) The things which have been prohibited are the boundaries or limits set by Allaah: “. . . And whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allaah, then indeed he has wronged himself . . .” [al-Talaaq 65:1] Allaah has issued a threat to the one who transgresses His set limits and violates His prohibitions, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment.” [alNisaa’ 4:14]
List of things that are forbidden in general terms Characteristics that are forbidden in the Noble Qur'an in general terms, in the order in which they were selected by Al-Shatibi: 1 - Zulm (wrongdoing, oppression) 2 - Immorality 3 - Consuming the wealth of orphans 4 - Following misleading paths 5 - Extravagance and waste 6 - Stinginess 7 - Sin 8 - Negligence 9 - Arrogance 10 - Being content with this world rather than the Hereafter 108
11 - Feeling safe from the plot of Allah 12 - Splitting into factions on the basis of whims and desires 13 - Transgressing and despairing of the mercy of Allah 14 - Being ungrateful for blessings 15 - Rejoicing in this world 16 - Being proud of worldly accumulation 17 - Loving this world 18 - Giving less in weights and measures 19 - Spreading corruption on earth 20 - Following one's forefathers blindly 21 - Tyranny 22 - Feeling at ease with wrongdoers 23 - Turning away from Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) 24 - Breaking promises 25 - Doing evil 26 - Disobeying one's parents 27 - Extravagance 28 - Following conjecture 29 - Walking on the earth with conceit and arrogance 30 - Obeying one who follows his whims and desires 31 - Associating others in worship with Allah 32 - Following whims and desires 33 - Preventing others from following the way of Allah 34 - Committing crimes 35 - Forgetfulness 36 - Transgression 37 - Bearing false witness 38 - Lying 39 - Religious extremism 40 - Despair 41 - Showing off 42 - Being content with this world 43 - Following whims and desires 44 - Overburdening oneself 109
45 - Mocking the signs of Allah 46 - Seeking a hasty response in Du'a 47 - Praising oneself 48 - Name calling 49 - Greed 50 - Panic 51 - Confusion 52 - Reminding others of favours 53 - Miserliness 54 - Slandering and backbiting 55 - Being careless about prayer 56 - Showing off 57 - Not lending to others 58 - Selling the signs of Allah for a small price 59 - Dressing truth as falsehood 60 - Concealing knowledge 61 - Hardheartedness 62 - Following in the footsteps of the Shaytan 63 - Deliberately taking risks that could be fatal 64 - Following charity with reminders and annoyance 65 - Following ambiguous texts 66 - Taking Kafirs as close friends 67 - Loving praise for what one has not done 68 - Envy 69 - Refusing to accept the laws of Allah 70 - Accepting the rule of a tyrant 71 - Feeling weak before enemies and traitors 72 - Accusing an innocent person of sin 73 - Opposing Allah and His Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) 74 - Following a path other than that of the believers 75 - Turning away from the straight path 76 - Uttering evil in public 77 - Cooperating in sin and transgression 78 - Ruling by something other than that which Allah has revealed 110
79 - Accepting bribes to avoid ruling according to Shari'ah 80 - Enjoining evil 81 - Forbidding good 82 - Forgetting Allah 83 - Hypocrisy 84 - Worshipping Allah as it were upon the edge (i.e. in doubt) 85 - Thinking badly of others 86 - Spying 87 - Backbiting 88- False oaths
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Chapter Sixteen: Commands Al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) gave a list of commands and prohibitions which included every good characteristic that is enjoined in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and every bad characteristic which is forbidden in the Qur'an and Sunnah, but the list does not include what is of a specific nature, such as prayer and Zakah, avoiding sins that are punishable by the Hudood punishments, and specific things that are prohibited. What I wanted to include is every command and prohibition in general. This list draws up a way of reforming and purifying souls, and it calls us to draw closer to Allah by means of Nawafil acts of worship.
List chosen by Al-Shatibi of general commands: 1 -Justice 2 -Kindness 3 -Fulfilling promises 4 -Showing tolerance and forgiveness 5 -Turning away from one who is ignorant 6 -Patience 7 -Gratitude 8 -Helping relatives and the poor and needy 9 -Being moderate in abstaining and spending 10 -Responding in the way that is better 11 -Fear (of Allah) 12 -Hope (in Allah) 13 -Devotion to Allah 14 -Being fair in weighing and measuring 15 -Following the Straight Path 16 -Remembering Allah (Dhikr) 17 -Righteousness 18 -Responding to the call of Allah 112
19 -Fearing Allah 20 -Being humble towards the believers 21 -Da'wah for the sake of Allah 22 -Making Du'a for the believers 23 -Sincerity 24 -Delegating one's affairs to Allah 25 -Turning away from idle speech 26 -Keeping trusts 27 -Praying at night (Qiyam Al-layl) 28 -Supplication and beseeching 29 -Putting one's trust in Allah 30 - Not being too concerned with worldly things 31 -Seeking the Hereafter 32 -Turning to Allah 33 - Enjoining what is good 34 -Forbidding what is evil 35 -Taqwa 36 -Humility 37 -Expressing one's need of Allah 38 -Purity of heart 39 -Ruling according to the truth 40 -Following that which is good 41 -Repentance 42 -Fear of Allah 43 -Testifying when required to do so 44 -Shunning the ignorant 45 -Seeking refuge with Allah from the whisper of the Shaytan 46 -Venerating Allah 47 -Reminding others 48 -Speaking of blessings 49 -Reading the Qur'an 50 -Cooperating in truth 51 -Fear of punishment 52 -Hope of reward 113
53 -Always being sincere 54 -Remembering that Allah is watching 55 -Speaking words of truth 56 -Hastening to do good 57 -Controlling one's anger 58 -Upholding the ties of kinship 59 -Referring to Allah and His Messenger (Peace and Blessing upon Him) in cases of dispute 60 -Submitting to the command of Allah 61 -Being steadfast 62 -Keeping silent 63 -Relying on Allah 64 -Reconciling between people 65 -Loving for the sake of Allah 66 -Being harsh with the Kuffar 67 -Being compassionate towards the believers 68 - Charity Al-Muwaafaqaat by Al-Shaatibi, 3/135
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Conclusion We will close with the words of light spoken from the mouth of the noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessing upon Him). It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: I was riding behind the Prophet (Peace and Blessing upon Him) one day when he said: "O young man, I will teach you some words (of advice). Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would benefit you only with something that Allah has already decreed for you, and if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something that Allah has already decreed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." Sunan AlTirmidhi, 4/667, no. 2516. According to another report He (Peace and Blessing upon Him) said: "Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. Remember Allah in prosperity and He will remember you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by could not have befallen you, and what has befallen you could not have passed you by. Know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction and ease with hardship." We ask Allah to guard us and protect us, and to keep us in His care, for He is Able to do that.
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Reference 1. (Golden Fatwas on Legal Ruqyas) Al-Fatawa Aththahabiyyah Fir-Ruqa Ashshar’iyyah, published 1996 A.D. It is a selection of Fatwas by Ibn-Baz, IbnUthaimeen, Ibn-Jibreen and others; the Fatwas are selected and compiled by Khaled alJaraisy, and are translated by Mohamed Atif Mogahed Mohamed. 2. The ruling on magic and fortunetelling by 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz 3.Concept of god in major religions by Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 3.www.ruqyah.org
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