Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
2
Table of Contents
PREFACE______________________________________________________________________2
INTRODUCTION_______________________________________________________________3
AL GHAIB_____________________________________________________________________5
What is Al Ghaib?____________________________________________________________________________5
FORTUNE-TELLERS__________________________________________________________18
The Jinn______________________________________________________________________________________20
Du’a -al-Istikhara___________________________________________________________________________35
Al-Istikhara_________________________________________________________________________________37
Temporal World_____________________________________________________________________________39
BIBLIOGRAPHY______________________________________________________________42
3
Preface
It is a guide
for those
who are God conscious, who believe in [the existence
of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception,
and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of
what We provide for them as sustenance;
Ayah 2-3, Suratul Baqarah
Tawheed is a vast subject and I set foot in this undertaking – which falls within the
realm of Tawheed – with the prayer that Allah (swt) guides and maintains me on the
right path. Many Ulama have written and expounded on the subject. Yet people
constantly fall into the welcoming hands of deceptive soothsayers in the guise of
scholars, leaving their Imanbehind. As an Ummah of learning, we should ask
ourselves, where did we leave this noble heritage to find ourselves in the middle of
Jahiliyya (period of ignorance)?
I pray this book will be of help to fellow Muslims in avoiding these deceptive
distractions from the one and only path of guidance through the Qur’an and the
Sunnah of the last Prophet and Messenger of Allah (swt), Muhammad B regarding the
exclusivity of Al Ghaib to Allah (swt) alone.
The majority of people that seek out the knowledge of al Ghaib through illegal means
do so either to benefit by doing or avoiding an action and to avoid grief or anxiety.
Grief is caused by things that have happened or are happening, while anxiety is caused
by worrying about events in the future. This is where soothsayers in various garbs
cash in.
4
If we understand al Ghaib and its exclusive ownership by Allah (swt), we avoid all
entrapment by the assortment of fortune-tellers, soothsayers or anyone that falls into
these categories owing to their actions.
Introduction
Suratul Ikhlas is a potent Surah and common on many Muslim lips. Yet for many,
following its commandments is an entirely different matter. Many people today say
they do not associate Allah with His creations (Tawheed) – as Islam requires – but
unknowingly or otherwise, there actions do not coincide with what they profess.
This book gives particular emphasis to the following and refutes them:
• Believing that certain people possess the power to know Al Ghaib, the Unseen
Knowledge of Allah (swt). That is to say, the knowledge of future events or the
knowledge of past or present events that are naturally impossible to know due
to the person not been in attendance at the time and scene of such event.
• Using items i.e. amulets and charms that are supposed to make one more
appealing, have mental control over someone else, protect one from harm, etc.
5
Essentially these ways represent a vain attempt to escape Qadr or in other words, fate.
Ignorance leads to the belief that if one knows what is in store for him or her
tomorrow, he or she can prepare for it today. In that way, one may avoid the bad and
ensure the good. Yet, Allah commanded His Messenger B:
6
Al Ghaib
What is Al Ghaib?
Literally, Al Ghaib in Arabic means “a thing not seen”. In the commentary of the
Noble Qur’an by Hilali and Khan this is further expatiate on:
Al Ghaib: literally meansa thing not seen. But this word includes vast
meanings: Belief in Allah, Angels, Holy Books, Allah’s Messengers, Day of
Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Pre-ordainments). It also includes what
Allah and his Messenger B informed about the knowledge of the matters of
past, present, and future e.g., news about the creation of the heavens and earth,
botanical and zoological life, the news about the nations of the past, and about
Paradise and Hell. 1
Physically, man acquires knowledge through the sense organs endowed on him by
Allah (swt).
Al Ghaib is that which is impossible for one to know within the normal operations of
these senses, events that are beyond human perception. It includes:
• the knowledge of the past that has not been revealed by Allah (swt) through any
of His messengers,
• knowledge of events in the present that do not occur in the presence of the
person claiming such awareness without prior information and
The last is the most popular with fraudsters, as it entails potential benefit that will
supposedly accrue to the unsuspecting victim.
1
The Noble Qur’an, English Translation, Hilali/Khan.
2
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003.
7
Allah has informed us of al Ghaib in the Qur’an in very clear commands to his
Messenger Band several examples. We learn from the beginning of Suratul Baqarah,
Allah (swt) declares:
In essence, the absence of facilities to perceive that which Allah (swt) informs us in
the Qur’an or that which the Prophet Bhas mentioned in Ahadith, does not negate the
existence of entities belonging to the al Ghaib category. For instance, the existence of
Angels and there form. We do not “perceive” Angels through sight, touch or smell.
These are faculties the majority of humanity takes for granted. Yet a believer must
acknowledge these sense organs as a gift from Allah (swt). If we believe in earnest,
then where is the difficulty in accepting the limitations set by Allah (swt) on such
faculties?
The advance of technology allows us to believe in the existence of radio waves since
we now have equipment that indicates there existence, e.g. radio receivers, television
3
The Message of the Qur'an, Muhammad Asad.
8
sets, etc. We still cannot see or hear these waves without the conversion of equipment
from waveform to sound, in the case of radio or visual content as in TV. We easily
believe in the existence of radio waves because we can now perceive their converted
form through our sense organs.
Allah (swt) requires that we believe unreservedly and entirely, in what He (swt) has
hidden from us, yet we are aware of through the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We should
not follow the trend of western thinking were by “if I can’t see it, it isn’t there”. We
as Muslims are required only to accept and believe:
Allah (swt) has informed us about the position of al Ghaib in the Qur’an:
9
This is a categorical declaration by Allah (swt) to the effect that al Ghaib is known to
him exclusively. Even the Prophet Muhammad B is excluded in this knowledge,
except that which Allah (swt) informs him:
Say
[O
Prophet]: “I do not say unto you, ‘God’s treasures are
with me’; nor [do I say], ‘I know the things that are
beyond the reach of human perception’ (al Ghaib); nor
do I say unto you, ‘Behold, I am an angel’: I but follow
what is revealed to me.” Say: “Can the blind and the
seeing be deemed equal? Will you not, then, take
thought?”
Surah Al An am, 50
And also:
Say
[O
Prophet]: “It is not within my power to bring benefit to,
or avert harm from, myself, except as God may please.
And if I knew that which is beyond the reach of human
perception (al Ghaib), abundant good fortune would
surely have fallen to my lot, and no evil would ever have
touched me. I am nothing but a warner, and a herald of
glad tidings unto people who will believe.”
Surah Al A'raf, 188
The Messenger does not know the Unseen, and He cannot bring benefit or harm
even to himself.
10
Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform,
about himself, that he does not know the unseen future, but he knows of it only
what Allah informs him. Allah said in another Ayah,
(He Alone is) the All-Knower of the Ghaib (Unseen Knowledge), and He
reveals to none His Ghaib.) (Surah Al Jinn, 26) 4
The elaboration by Asad on the same Ayah is definitive of the reasoning regarding the
sole ownership of al Ghaib by Allah (swt):
The possessive pronoun “His” in the phrase ‘ala ghaybihi’ evidently indicates
God’s exclusive knowledge of “that which is beyond the perception of any
created being” (al-Ghaib)…5
We shall elaborate further on the Prophet B’s response to any claim on his behalf for a
share in the knowledge of al Ghaib. The Prophet B’s interpretation of the Qur’an al
Karim is – quite rightly – the most accurate as evident in the following Ahadith
relating to Allah (swt)’s unshared power over al Ghaib, to the exclusion of all.
Narrated Masruq:
'Aisha said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his
Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says: 'No vision can grasp Him.'
(6.103) And if anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen the
Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says: "None has the knowledge of
the Unseen but Allah."8
The above ahadith speak for themselves. Given that al Ghaib is beyond the
jurisdiction of any human being, as attested to by these Ayahs and Ahadith, and the
fact that the Prophet B, being the final Messenger of Allah (swt) and the best of all
humanity, was commanded to declare his limitation with regard to it, who then can
claim otherwise?
The tendency of man is to be overly impressed with the supernatural and forget the
content of the fulfilment of the Messenger of Allah’s B mission. Some may try to
point at the fact that the Prophet B predicted numerous events, and that he also told
his Sahaba(the Companions) and even the Jews residing in Madina about past peoples
and events and about the Hereafter. All this is true. We shall elaborate on this further.
7
Sahih Bukhari 2.149
8
Bukhari 9.477
9
Bukhari 9.476
12
Others still present the miracles performed by Allah’s Messenger Bas evidence of his
knowledge of al Ghaib. The fact remains that the Qur'an and Hadith tell us Allah’s
Messenger B performed these feats by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'Ala’s leave.
All this does not mean that Allah’s Messenger Bknows al Ghaib. Miracles and
prophecies are signs of messengership; they in themselves are not certification of
partnership to the attributes of Allah (swt). It may have occurred to some of us that
some of Allah (swt)’s other prophets are even more famous than Prophet Muhammad
Bas regards miraculous feats. Prophet Musa (as) and Isa (as) for instance. Thus if we
follow this line of reasoning, the more miracles one performs the greater he is! Of
course, we know that is not so.
Allah reminds us that the unbelievers of the Messenger B’s era asked:
Here, the Creator declares “you were not with them”, i.e. the Messenger Bwas not
there in relation to time nor physically when the events related in the Ayah took place.
Italso defines another facet of Al Ghaib; news of the past can also be Al Ghaib – it is
not limited to the future. Again in Surah An-Najm Ayahs 2-5:
This explicitly indicate that Allah informs his Messenger B only what He (swt) wishes
from al Ghaib.
Allah (swt) also instructs His Messenger to declare his humanity in several places in
the Qur’an, I will quote one:
In the Hadith of Abdullah bin Salam’s conversion to Islam, the Prophet attests to the
Ayahs further:
14
first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by
the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father,
and why does it resemble its maternal uncle" Allah's Apostle
said, "Gabriel has just now told me of their answers."…11
And proceeds to enumerate the answers in this long Hadith. Our point of concern is
the Prophet’s B mentioning that “Gabriel has just now told me of their answers”. He
B did not claim any mystical knowledge relating tothe questions of Abdullah bin
Salam. He plainly admits to being informed of the answers by Allah (swt) through
Angel Gabriel (as), elucidating further on Ayahs 2-5 above.
This indicates that the Prophet B declared his capacity to make a mistake – as a
human being due to misinformation – and thus warns the Sahaba. If our Leader, the
Noble Prophet B, new in advance who was in the right he would not have uttered this
cautionary statement.
The Messenger of Allah (swt) did not condone anyone overstepping the bounds of
Allah (swt), which is why he cautioned the girl concerning her saying he B was aware
of what is to happen tomorrow.
He then said: I have come to ask you about the child. He (the
Holy Prophet) said: The reproductive substance of a man is
white and that of a woman (i.e. ovum central portion) is yellow.
When they have sexual intercourse and the male's substance
(chromosomes and genes) prevails upon the female's
substance (chromosomes and genes), it is the male child that is
created by Allah's Decree. When the substance of the female
16
prevails upon the substance contributed by the male, a female
child is formed by the Decree of Allah. The Jew said: What you
have said is true; verily you are an Apostle. He then turned
round and went away. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) said: He asked me about such and such things of which I
had no knowledge until Allah gave it to me.14
The Prophet and Messenger of Allah has spoken the truth, with wisdom and humility.
14
Sahih Muslim, 146
17
The Understanding of the Sahaba
The Sahaba, or companions of the Prophet B, also understood that the Messenger of
Allah B knew only what Allah (swt) has taught him. This is evident from several
Ahadith narrated by them from the context of experiences during the lifetime of the
Messenger B and after his death.
Let us start with the Hadith regarding the martyrdom of 70 companions whom the
Messenger of Allah B had sent to the tribes of Ril, Dhakwan and some other tribes,
with whom he Bhad concluded a treaty. Afterwards the tribes plotted and killed the
70 companions. Anas bin Malik narrates through Asim Al Ahwal:
…The Prophet had sent some people called Al-Qurra who were
seventy in number, to some pagan people who had concluded
a peace treaty with Allah's Apostle. But those who had
concluded the treaty with Allah's Apostle violated the treaty
(and martyred all the seventy men). So Allah's Apostle said Al-
Qunut after Bowing (in the prayer) for one month, invoking evil
upon them…15
One of the 70 companions prayed to Allah (swt), asking Him to inform His Messenger
B regarding the hypocrisy of the tribes:
------------------ Bukhari 5.412 – on Asim martyrdom ---------------
Note that As-Sa'ib’s aunt asked Allah’s Apostle B to invokeAllah (swt). She did not
offer any invocation towards the Prophet Bhimself. The next Hadith also sheds
further light on this premise.
15
Sahih Bukhari, 5.422, truncated for relevance.
16
Sahih Bukhari, 4.740
18
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "From my followers there will
enter Paradise a crowd, seventy thousand in number whose
faces will glitter as the moon does when it is full." On hearing
that, 'Ukasha bin Mihsan Al-Asdi got up, lifting his covering
sheet, and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah that He may
make me one of them." The Prophet said, "O Allah, make him
one of them." Another man from the Ansar got up and said, "O
Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The
Prophet said (to him), "'Ukasha has preceded you." 17
These Ahadith clearly indicate that when the Sahaba ask, they only ask the Prophet B
to invokeAllah (swt) on their behalf. They do not ask from anyone for what they
know is Allah (swt)’s alone to give. Naturally, what they do ask from the Prophet B
is his invocation to Allah (swt) because of his exalted position.
17
Sahih Bukhari, 8.550
19
Fortune-tellers
There are people among the Zalimun (wrongdoers) that profess a mystical
understanding of al Ghaib, either through some holier-than-thou means or through
claimed super-intellect. Some even refer to themselves as scholars. We must seek to
differentiate real Ulama and these fortune-tellers or soothsayers.
Many have fallen into the traps of fortune-tellers, some knowingly and others
unknowingly. In both cases it demonstrates the serious ignorance of such Muslims, an
ignorance that would finally lead to Hell Fire, may Allah (swt) guide and protect us.
Also, our emotional attachment to deceased family members is a driving force in this
regard. Some of us attempt to find out the condition of loved ones after death or
believe that the dead can shed light on some future event in this world, which they
have now left behind. Subsequently, they close their eyes to the truth and invite
fortune-tellers to ‘intercede’ with their dead relatives.
The fact that some predictions of soothsayers come true is not a criterion for believing
them. Neither is the multitude of people that heed the words of soothsayers a reason,
nor the important social standing of such followers, or their apparent worldly
scholarship. There is no imperative that permits one to believe in the ramblings of a
soothsayer or fortune-tellers. The only decisive factors for a Muslim to believe or
disbelieve in anything are the Al Qur’an and the words of our beloved Prophet,
Muhammad B.
This Ayah refutes the idolators who worshipped others besides Allah and
associated the Jinns with Him in worship. Glory be to Allah above this Shirk
and Kufr. If someone asks, how did the idolators worship the Jinns, although
they only were idol worshippers The answer is that in fact, they worshipped the
20
idols by obeying the Jinns who commanded them to do so. Allah said in another
Ayat:
(They invoke nothing but female deities besides Him, and they invoke nothing
but Shaytān, a persistent rebel! Allāh cursed him. And he [Shaytān] said: ``I will
take an appointed portion of your servants. Verily, I will mislead them, and
surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit
the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by
Allāh.'' And whoever takes Shaytān as a protector instead of Allāh, has surely
suffered a manifest loss. He [Shaytān] makes promises to them, and arouses in
them false desires; and Shaytān's promises are nothing but deceptions. 18 (An-
Nisaa, 117 – 120)
Narrated Aisha:
Some people asked the Prophet regarding the soothsayers. He
said, "They are nothing." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Some of
their talks come true." The Prophet said, "That word which
happens to be true is what a Jinn snatches away by stealth
(from the Heaven) and pours it in the ears of his friend (the
foreteller) with a sound like the cackling of a hen. The
soothsayers then mix with that word, one hundred lies."19
There are among mankind, people who claim knowledge of the unseen and the
future. They are known by various names, among them: fortune-teller,
soothsayer, foreseer, augur, magician, prognosticator, oracle, astrologer,
palmist, etc. Fortune-tellers use various methods and mediums from which they
claim to extract their information, among them: reading tea-leaves, drawing
lines, writing numbers, palm-reading, casting horoscopes, crystal ball gazing,
rattling bones, throwing sticks, etc.
18
Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
19
Sahih Bukhari 9.650
21
Practitioners of occult arts, which claim to reveal the unseen and predict the
future, can be divided into two main categories:
1. Those who have no real knowledge or secrets but depend on telling their
customers about general incidences which happen to most people. They often
go through a series of meaningless rituals, then make calculatedly general
guesses. Some of their guesses, due to their generality, usually come true. Most
people tend to remember the few predictions that come true and quickly forget
the many which do not. This tendency is a result of the fact that after some time
all the predictions tend to become half-forgotten thoughts in the subconscious
until something happens to trigger their recall. For example, it has become a
common practice in North America to publish, at the beginning of each year the
various predictions of famous fortune-tellers. When a survey was taken of the
various predictions for the year 1980, it was found that the most accurate
fortune-teller among them was only 24% accurate in her predictions!
2. The second group are those who have made contact with the Jinn. This group
is of most importance because it usually involves the grave sin of Shirk, and
those involved often tend to be highly accurate in their information and thus
present a real Fitnah (temptations) for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.20
We shall devote the next section to the Jinn due to the importance of these beings as
regards there association with human beings to falsely mislead yet others into
believing that a combination of Jinn and Man can unlock the secrets of al Ghaib. May
Allah (swt) protect us from the evil of shayateen and their hosts.
The Jinn
The noun Jinn comes from the verb Janna or Yajunnu which denotes “to cover, to hide
or conceal”21. That is to say the Jinn are hidden from our perception. While there is
sufficient evidence in the Qur'an and Sunnah for their existence, some chose not to
believe in Jinns but are quite ready to believe in the dead returning as ghosts and
poltergeists.
20
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Fortunetelling.
21
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Fortunetelling.
22
Ibn Taimiyah, Al Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah.
23
The Jinn in the Qur’an and Sunna, Mustafa Ashour.
22
‘It is obligatory to believe in the judgements of the deen in unseen matters. It
does not matter that we do not fully understand them. Belief has a peak and its
peak is to believe in Allah. If you believe in Allah by choice and reach the peak
with your intellect, then you accept all that Allah tells you whether or not your
intellect can grasp it.’24
Both Man and Jinn were created by Allah (swt) for one purpose: to worship Him.
The Jinn share certain qualities with man; they have intellect, the freedom to choose
from right and wrong or truth from falsehood.25
‘A company of Jinns’indicates that the listeners from among the Jinn became
believers. An aside in the first Ayah says, “It is revealed unto me…” indicates the
Prophet B’s reliance on Allah (swt) for that information also. Within the same Surah
it is further clarified that the Jinn can choose from right and wrong:
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari speaks about the revelation of Suratul Jinn and how the
Jinn used to listen in on the news of heaven.
The Prophet set out with the intention of going to Suq 'Ukaz
(market of 'Ukaz) along with some of his companions. At the
same time, a barrier was put between the devils and the news
of heaven. Fire commenced to be thrown at them. The devils
went to their people, who asked them, "What is wrong with
you?" They said, "A barrier has been placed between us and
the news of heaven. And fire has been thrown at us." They said,
"The thing which has put a barrier between you and the news
of heaven must be something which has happened recently. Go
24
The Jinn in the Qur’an and Sunna, Mustafa Ashour.
25
Ibid.
23
eastward and westward and see what has put a barrier
between you and the news of heaven."
The Ayahs and Ahadith above, prove at least 2 things we are concerned with; a) the
existence of the Jinn as a separate, created entity and b) the fact that they also know
nothing of al Ghaib save what Allah (swt) allows them to grab from the heavens.
The futile study of heavenly bodies to learn what influence they may have on human
life is called astrology. Ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Greeks studied the
regular movements they saw in the sky.
The divisions of the zodiac are called signs because ancient astrologers assigned
descriptive names, mostly of animals, to various constellations and devised
26
Sahih Bukhari 1.740
24
abstract symbols to fit these names. The position of the sun in one of these 12
constellations at the moment of birth determines an individual's sun sign. 27
Mulk 67.6
This means whomsoever believes in fortune-telling has fallen into disbelief. Dear
brothers and sisters, the road to kufr is more accessible than the one true path of
Hidayah (guidance). This is further proven by the narration of Abu Hurairah:
Like the Westerners, our local newspapers carry sections on horoscopes. Knowing
your Gregorian birth date, you are supposed to lookup predictions for your specific
birthday that fall into categories such as Sagittarius, Pisces, etc. Some may think this
harmless and a mere pass time as long as you do not actually believe in what you read.
To those I say consider the following Hadith narrated Safiyyah:
27
Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 98.
28
Sunan Abu Dawood Book 29, Number 3895 – as quoted in Al-Hidaayah Publication.
29
Fiqh-us-Sunnah.
30
Sahih Muslim, 1041.
25
We have already established that it is haram to believe in the sayings of soothsayers
and their like. The key in the above Hadith is “He who visits a diviner and asks him
about anything…”and it does not require that you believe what he says before your
prayers are not accepted for forty nights. They are vitiated for merely asking him
something to foretell.
The use of items like key chains and teacups that carry signs of the Zodiac should also
be avoidedby Muslims. One should not associate himself with things that clearly
proclaim their origins of kufr. There is no such thing as “harmless” shirk. Anything
or anyone that leads to associating Allah (swt) with his creations should be rejected.
Allah (swt) knows best.
Difficult times it seems have begotten a slew of ways to shirk. Charms for various
worldly luxuries and needs are sold to unwary, ignorant Muslims. These requirements
are always worldly; we pay so much attention to the attainment of pleasure in this
world that it sometimes leads us to shirk. Allah (swt), Most Exalted warns:
And know that your worldly goods and your children are
but a trial and a temptation, and that with Allah there is
a tremendous reward.
Surah Anfal, 28
26
Inasmuch as love of worldly goods and a desire to protect one’s family may
lead a person to transgression (and, thus, to a betrayal of the moral values
postulated in Allah’s message), they are described as fitnah – which, in this
context, is best rendered by the words “trial and temptation”. This reminder
connects with verse (Al Anfal 25), “beware of that temptation to evil which
does not befall only those who are bent on denying the truth,” since it is
acquisitiveness and a desire to confer benefits on one’s family which often
tempt an otherwise good person to offend against the rights of his fellow-men.
It is to be borne in mind that, contrary to the New Testament, the Qur’an does
not postulate a contempt for worldly attachments as apre-requisite of
righteousness: it only demands of man that he should not allow these
attachments to deflect him from the pursuit of moral verities.31
With total disregard for these Ayahs, many Muslims resort to what they consider a
mubah(allowed) tradition, of seeking out charms and methods of gaining the favour of
their husbands, employers, etc by magical or supernatural means. This is haram.
Some unfortunate and misguided individuals forget that it is Allah (swt) that places
them in positions of importance like governors, ministers and chief executives and
thus expend money, time and effort seeking kufr ways of maintaining their coveted
positions. They forget Allah Subhanahu wa Ta 'Ala’s warning and counsel that the
world is but a trial and temptation.
The use of amulets and charms with the excuse that “it is for a good cause” is also
prohibited.
There are women that go from house to house, selling soaps, local perfumes and other
paraphernalia. It is within these items that you find charms & amulets sold to wives
with audacity. Several items will come with instructions as to time of application,
concealment of charms in victims vicinity, incantations of doubtful origin and so on.
31
The Message of the Qur'an, Muhammad Asad.
32
Fiqh-us-Sunnah.
27
These all fall into the category we have already mentioned: the most heinous of sins,
i.e. shirk. So husbands beware! For Allah, Most Merciful has rendered the
responsibility of wives and children squarely on your shoulders, and surely you will
account for them:
Do you pray the five fard (obligatory) prayers in mosques but you remain unaware of
whether your wife has observed hers at home? Do you relate to your wife what you
have been taught in the mosque? Are you afraid of your wife’s anger if you are to
correct her mistakes? My advice: Be afraid of Allah’s (swt) very real punishment and
not the stern stare of your wife.
Abdullah narrated:
It will not be fair to categorize all the activities of people that sell local medication as
haram; some items, like herbs that aid in normal medical treatments are allowed in
Islam, as long as they are not associated with anything that fall into the categories of
shirk. Though it is crucial to consider the Prophet’s B Hadith narrated by An Numan
bin Bashir:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are
evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious)
things and most of the people have no knowledge about them.
So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves
his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these
suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals)
near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any
33
Bukhari 3.730.
34
Sahih Bukhari 9.611.
28
moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king
has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal
(forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body
if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good
but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the
heart. 35
35
Sahih Bukhari 1.49.
29
Qadr: Allah (swt)’s Divine Decree
Qadr, or Divine Decree of Allah (swt), is a subject that has been interpreted by many
in various ways. We shall continue to try to stay with evidence from Qur’an and
Sunnah.
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: The first thing which Allah created was
the Pen. He commanded it to write. It asked: What should I write? He said: Write the
Decree (al-Qadr). So it wrote what had happened and what was going to happen up to
eternity. 36
The first principle which Islam lays down in regard to Taqdir (derived from Qadr,
Divine Decree/Destiny) is that man is neither completely the master of his fate nor is
he bound to the blind law of predestination. So far as the sovereignty of Allah's Will is
concerned, it is all-pervading and nothing falls outside its orbit. Not even a leaf,
therefore, stirs without His Will:
For, with Him are the keys to the things that are beyond the reach of a created
being’s perception: none knows them but He. And He knows all that is on land
and in the sea; and not a leaf falls but He knows it; and neither is there a grain
in the earth’s deep darkness, nor anything living or dead, but is recorded in
[His] clear decree.
Suratul An’am Ayah 59
If they were truly rightly guided they would know that we have been commanded to
be contented with Al-Qadar (the Measure of Allah) and be patient with its injunction
only in the calamities which afflict us such as poverty, sickness, and fear. Allah Ta'aala
said:
No calamity can occur but with the leave of Allah, and whosoever believes in Allah,
He guides his heart (aright). [At-Taghaabun:11]
Some of the righteous predecessors said about this: "It is the man who was afflicted
with a calamity, but he knows it is from Allah (AWJ) and therefore contentedly
accepted it."
Allah Ta'aala said:
No misfortune can happen on earth or in yourselves but it is recorded in a Scripture
before We bring it forth into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you
may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has
been given to you. [Al-Hadeed:22-23] 37
His mighty grasp is, therefore, over everything. The Almighty Lord, Who has created
everything and has determined its nature and course, has in His infinite wisdom and
mercy conferred upon man a limited autonomy according to which a man is free to do
36
Transmitted by Ahmad and Tirmidhi, also in Al – Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah by Ibn Taimiyah.
37
Al Uboodiyyah, Ibn Taimiyyah.
30
or not to do a certain thing. It is because of this autonomy enjoyed by man that he is
held accountable for his deeds. The concept of human responsibility and that of his
answerability for his deeds and misdeeds becomes meaningless if he is supposed to be
deprived of this autonomy. There are a large number of verses in the Holy Qur'an
which make a pointed reference to the autonomy conferred upon man.
Man shall have nothing but that what he strives for (liii. 39).
Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (viii.
53; xiii. 11).
Those who strive in His path, are guided in the right path, while those who persist in
denial and sinful living have their hearts sealed against faith (ii. 7, 26; iv. 155; v;. i.
102).
Allah does not compel belief and leaves the people free to believe or disbelieve (vi.
35, 150; xvi-. 9).
Whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall meet with its reward and whoever
has done an atom's weight of evil shall meet with its consequences (xcix. 7-8).
Ali (ra) reported: We were in a funeral in the graveyard of Gharqad that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to us and we sat around him. He had
a stick with him. He lowered his head and began to scratch the earth with his
stick, and then said: There is not one amongst you whom a seat in Paradise or
Hell has not been allotted and about whom it has not been written down
whether he would be an evil person or a blessed person. A person said: Allah's
Messenger, should we not then depend upon our destiny and abandon our
deeds? Thereupon he said: Acts of everyone will be facilitated in, that which
has been created for him so that whoever belongs to the company of the blessed
will have good works made easier for him and whoever belongs to the
unfortunate ones will have evil acts made easier for him. He then recited this
verse (from the Qur'an):" Then, who gives to the needy and guards against evil
and accepts the excellent (the truth of Islam and the path of righteousness it
prescribes), We shall make easy for him the easy end and who is miserly and
considers himself above need, We shall make easy for him the difficult end".
(Suratul – al-Lail, 5-10).38
It is narrated on the authority of Yahya ibn Ya'mar that the first man who
discussed Qadr (Divine Decree) in Basrah was Ma'bad al-Juhani. Humayd ibn
AbdurRahman al-Himyari and I set out for Pilgrimage or for Umrah and said:
Should it so happen that we come into contact with one of the Companions of
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) we shall ask him about what is
talked about Taqdir (Division Decree).
Accidentally we came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, while he was
entering the mosque. My companion and I surrounded him. One of us (stood)
on his right and the other stood on his left. I expected that my companion would
38
Sahih Muslim, Kitab ul Qadr (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/smtintro.html)
31
authorize me to speak. I therefore said: AbuAbdurRahman! There have
appeared some people in our land who recite the Holy Qur'an and pursue
knowledge. And then after talking about their affairs, added: They (such people)
claim that there is no such thing as Divine Decree and events are not
predestined.
He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: When you happen to meet such people tell them
that I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. And
verily they are in no way responsible for my (belief). Abdullah ibn Umar swore
by Him (the Lord) (and said): If any one of them (who does not believe in the
Divine Decree) had with him gold equal to the bulk of (the mountain) Uhud and
then spent it (in the way of Allah), Allah would not accept it unless he affirmed
his faith in Divine Decree. He further said: My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told
me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon
him) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his
hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst
us recognized him. At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt
before him placed his palms on his thighs and said: “Muhammad, inform me
about al-Islam.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Al-Islam implies that you
testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and
perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the
expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He
(Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and
then he would himself verify the truth. He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about
Iman (faith). He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah,
in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you
affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil. He (the inquirer)
said: You have told the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-
Ihsan (performance of good deeds). He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you
worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He,
verily, sees you. He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the
Doom). He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more
than the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of
its indications. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to
her mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds
vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings. He (the
narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but
I stayed with him (the Holy Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me:
Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Apostle
knows best. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel). He
came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.39
39
Sahih Muslim, 1218.
32
The Hadith informs us that one’s Iman is not complete until he believes in six things
as outlined and which include belief in Qadr(Destiny/Divine Decree). We have to
understand that voicing out belief in something is negated by acting out it’s opposite.
For instance, one does not believe in Qadr if he tries to change its outcome by visiting
a fortune-teller.
33
Du’a: The Solution to the Unknown
Allah (swt) did not leave us with a paucity of methods for asking for His protection,
provision and guidance. This is provided through the Qur'an al Karim and explained
and practiced by the Prophet of Islam B in his Sunnah.
Allah’s Messenger Badvised his cousin Abdullah ibn Abbas to rely on Allah (swt)
alone. Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) relates it to us:
34
been set aside and the writings of the book of fate have
become dry. 40
Allah (swt) has set conditions for His acceptance of the du’a (supplication) of his
servants:42
Sincerity in supplication
Supplicate only to Allah (swt), through no intermediary, neither man, jinn or angel.
“Partake of the good” means only the halal or lawful things, as clarified by the Hadith
narrated by Abu Hurairah:
Many ignore this important point. The Prophet Binforms us in numerous Ahadith that
Allah (swt) does not accept the supplication of one who breaks ties with his blood
relations. We shall give one example:
Ahmad records that Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace
be upon him, said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication
containing nothing that is sinful and nothing that involves
breaking ties of blood relationships, will be given for it by Allah
one of these three things: He may accept his request, or assign
its reward for him in the next world, or turn away from him an
equivalent amount of evil." Those who heard it said, "We would,
then, make many supplications." The Prophet, peace be upon
him, replied, "Allah is more than ready to answer what you
ask."45
Do not ask Allah (swt) for something that is haram; for instance asking Allah (swt) for
the ability to steal. Refer to the above Hadith.
43
Saheeh Muslim, no. 500.
44
Muwatta Malik.
45
Fiqh-us-Sunnah.
36
Do not be impatient
Do not be in a haste for Allah (swt)’s resolution of a matter. Refer to the Hadith
regarding trusting in Allah (swt) above.
Du’a -al-Istikhara
Allah (swt), has not left us to our own designs, which will always fall either short or
be completely off-course – which is usually the case. Through our beloved Prophet,
may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the Almighty bestowed du’a al-
Istikharafor our requirements concerning choices of the unknown. Choices ranging
from marriage partners to jobs fall into the domain for performing al-Istikhara. Since
only Allah (swt) knows what is best for us, it is only natural to pray to Him for the
right choice in matters of selection. Matters for what we usually become anxious and
desirous for there resolution are usually of al Ghaib substance.
Qatadah said:
"Every people who seek the pleasure of Allah and consult with one another are
guided to the best course in their affairs."
Ibn Taimiyyah said, "He who seeks guidance from the Creator and consults the
creatures (other people) will never regret it."46
Visiting a fortune-teller vitiates our good deeds and is an exercise not in futility alone
but in a matter even worse: an exercise that leads to Hell Fire.
Al-Istikhara is a most comprehensive du’a as narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah that the
Messenger of Allah used to teach the Sahaba as he taught them the Ayahs of the
Qur’an47. Please note the association of Istikharaand the Qur’an in this Hadith. This
shows the importance the Messenger of Allah (swt) attaches to Du’a-Il-Istikhara.
The author of Fiqh -us-Sunnah elaborates further on this most vital Du’a:
He said: 'If one of you is deliberating over an act, he should pray two non-
obligatory rak'at and say:
"O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me
power as You are Omnipotent, I ask You for Your great favour, for You have
power and I do not, and You know all of the hidden matters. O Allah! If you
know that this matter (then he should mention it) is good for me in my religion,
my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter, (or he said: 'for my present and
future life,') then make it (easy) for me. And if you know that this matter is not
good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my life in the Hereafter, (or he
said: 'for my present and future life,') then keep it away from me and take me
away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it is and please me with
it."
An-Nawawi holds that "after performing the istikharah, a person must do what
he is wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not
insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the istikharah. And if
his feelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, otherwise he is
not completely leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking
aid from Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice,
means that one should completely leave what he himself had desired or
determined.”48
48
Fiqh-us-Sunnah
38
Al-Istikhara
If one desires something, let him seek it from Allah, ArRahmaanir-Raheem. Anas
reports that the most frequent invocation of the Messenger of Allah (swt) is part of
Ayah 201 in Suratul Baqarah:
49
Sahih Bukhari 8.398
39
Conclusion : The Purpose of Man’s Creation
The Qur’an informs us that the Almighty did not put us on earth as mere sport – we
are here for a purpose: to worship Him.
We are not put on earth for entertaining Allah (swt), He has no need for being
entertained. Note the word need. To connote need by Allah (swt) is to suggest a
deficiency on His part, may He protect us from this unwholesome thought!
Know that those that attribute the opposite to the declarations in the Ayahs above are
the disbelievers as mentioned in Surah Sad:
We have not created the heaven and the earth and all
that lies between them in vain. That is the fancy of the
unbelievers. Such disbelievers should be aware of the
hellfire.
Surah Sad, 27
Temporal World
Another perspective is drawn to our attention about this world in comparison to the
Hereafter through this ayah:
“Lures of this world and its fleeting pleasures often make man forget that the
lifehereafter is an imminent reality. Many of those who claim to believe in the
life to come act and behave as if it belonged to a distant future, and had no
relevance to their present activities and mode of living. The Qur’an repeatedly
reminds man that the Hour of Reckoning is not a distant possibility, but very
close to man, and could come to pass any moment. The wisest course for man,
therefore, is to be always alert and watchful and steer clear of all forms of sin
and impiety, for when the Promised Hour comes it will come all of a sudden
and without any prior notice.”50
For those that had previously believed in fortune-telling, astrology and horoscopes,
one should pray for Allah’s (swt) forgiveness. Allah (swt) has declared that the only
50
Yusuf Ali.
41
unforgivable offence is to die a mushrik (one who associates Allah [swt] with His
creations).
51
Saheeh International.
42
In conclusion, one should avoid anyone that claims the ability to see into the future, or
the past. Avoid those that claim ability to know of things that are otherwise naturally
hidden from them that is without any scientific or other proven method. For example
if someone in New York declares: “your brother is having tea while reading the
evening paper in his pyjamas, in London right now” without recourse to a telephone
or any tangible evidence of similar facility for communicating over such large
distances, then that should not be accepted, even if it turns out to be true. Al-Ghaib is
Allah’s (swt) reserve.
Neither Prophet Muhammad B or all the other prophets and messengers of Allah
before him claimed the knowledge of Ilmul Ghaib. And since there is none else that is
elevated to their blessed ranks, it is folly for anyone to claim this knowledge.
May Allah (SWT) guide us away from hellfire towards his mercy and Jannah.
43
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