Divination and Omens (Kitab Al Kahanah Wa Al Tatayyur)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone resorts to a diviner and believes in what he says (according) to the version of Musa), or has intercourse with his wife (according to the agreed version) when she is menstruating, or has intercourse with his wife through her anus, he has nothing to do with what has been sent down to Muhammad (ﷺ) - according to the version of Musaddad.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ حَكِيمٍ الأَثْرَمِ، عَنْ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏‏ مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُوسَى فِي حَدِيثِهِ ‏"‏ فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا ‏"‏ أَوْ أَتَى امْرَأَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ ‏"‏ امْرَأَتَهُ حَائِضًا أَوْ أَتَى امْرَأَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ ‏"‏ امْرَأَتَهُ فِي دُبُرِهَا فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone acquires any knowledge of astrology, he acquires a branch of magic of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so.

‏ مَنِ اقْتَبَسَ عِلْمًا مِنَ النُّجُومِ اقْتَبَسَ شُعْبَةً مِنَ السِّحْرِ زَادَ مَا زَادَ ‏"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in the morning prayer at al-Hudaibiyyah after rain which has fallen during the night, and when he finished, he turned to the people and said: Do you know what your Lord has said ? They said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He said: This morning there were among mt servants one who believes in me and one who disbelieves. The one who said: "We have been given rain by Allah's grace and mercy" is the one who believes in me and disbelieves in the star ; but the one who said: "We have been given rain by such and such a rain star," is the one who disbelieves in me and believes in the star.

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ فِي إِثْرِ سَمَاءٍ كَانَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ ‏‏ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ قَالَ أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏"

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Augury from the flight of birds, taking evil omens and the practice of pressomancy pertain to divination. Tarq: It is used in the sense of divination in which women threw stones. 'Iyafah: It means geomancy by drawing lines.

‏ الْعِيَافَةُ وَالطِّيَرَةُ وَالطَّرْقُ مِنَ الْجِبْتِ ‏"

On the authority of 'Awf: 'Iyafah means to makes the birds fly by threatening them. Tarq means lines drawn on the earth.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ عَوْفٌ الْعِيَافَةُ زَجْرُ الطَّيْرِ وَالطَّرْقُ الْخَطُّ يُخَطُّ فِي الأَرْضِ ‏.‏

I said: Messenger of Allah! among us there are men who practice divination by drawing lines. He said: There was a Prophet who drew lines, so if anyone does it as he drew lines, that is right.

‏ كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاكَ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Taking omens is polytheism; taking omens is polytheism. He said it three times. Every one of us has some, but Allah removes it by trust (in Him).

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَاَصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرِّ بْنِ حُبَيْشٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏‏ الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثَلاَثًا ‏"‏ وَمَا مِنَّا إِلاَّ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying : There is no infection, no evil, omen or serpent, in a hungry belly and no hamah. A nomadic Arab asked: How is it that when camels are in the sand as if they were gazelles and a mangy camel comes among them and it gives them mange ? He replied: Who infected the first one ? Ma'mar, quoting al-Zuhri said: A man told me that Abu Hurairah narrated to him saying that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: A diseased camel should not be brought with a healthy camel to drink water. He said: The man then consulted him and said: Did you not tell us that Prophet (ﷺ) had said: There is no infection, no serpent in a hungry belly and no hamah? He replied: I did not transmit it to you. Al-Zuhri said: Abu Salamah said: He had narrated it and I did not hear that Abu Hurairah had ever forgotten any tradition except this one.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ الْعَسْقَلاَنِيُّ، وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏‏ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ وَلاَ هَامَةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ مَا بَالُ الإِبِلِ تَكُونُ فِي الرَّمْلِ كَأَنَّهَا الظِّبَاءُ فَيُخَالِطُهَا الْبَعِيرُ الأَجْرَبُ فَيُجْرِبُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ فَمَنْ أَعْدَى الأَوَّلَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ فَحَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ لاَ يُورِدَنَّ مُمْرِضٌ عَلَى مُصِحٍّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَرَاجَعَهُ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ حَدَّثْتَنَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ صَفَرَ وَلاَ هَامَةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ لَمْ أُحَدِّثْكُمُوهُ ‏.‏ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَدْ حَدَّثَ بِهِ وَمَا سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ نَسِيَ حَدِيثًا قَطُّ غَيْرَهُ ‏.‏"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is no infection, no hamah, no other promising rain, and no serpent in a hungry belly.

‏ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ نَوْءَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no ghoul.

‏ لاَ غُولَ ‏"

Malik was asked about the meaning of his saying: There is no safar. He replied: The people of pre-Islamic Arabia used to make the month of safar lawful (for war). They made it lawful in one year and unlawful in another year. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no safar.

قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قُرِئَ عَلَى الْحَارِثِ بْنِ مِسْكِينٍ وَأَنَا شَاهِدٌ، أَخْبَرَكُمْ أَشْهَبُ، قَالَ سُئِلَ مَالِكٌ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ ‏‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يُحِلُّونَ صَفَرَ يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏"

I asked Muhammad b. Rashid about the meaning of the word hamah. He replied: The pre-Islamic Arabs used to say: When anyone dies and is buried, a bird comes forth from his grave. I asked: What did he mean by safar ? He said: I heard that the pre-Islamic Arabs used to take evil omen from safar. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no safar. Muhammad (b. Rashid) said: We heard someone say: It is a pain in the stomach. They said that it was infection. Hence he said: There is no safar.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُصَفَّى، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِمُحَمَّدٍ - يَعْنِي ابْنَ رَاشِدٍ - قَوْلُهُ ‏‏ هَامَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ كَانَتِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ تَقُولُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَمُوتُ فَيُدْفَنُ إِلاَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ هَامَةٌ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَقَوْلُهُ صَفَرَ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَسْتَشْئِمُونَ بِصَفَرَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَقَدْ سَمِعْنَا مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ وَجَعٌ يَأْخُذُ فِي الْبَطْنِ فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ هُوَ يُعْدِي فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: There is no infection and no evil omen, and I like a good omen. Good omen means a good word.

‏ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَيُعْجِبُنِي الْفَأْلُ الصَّالِحُ وَالْفَأْلُ الصَّالِحُ الْكَلِمَةُ الْحَسَنَةُ ‏"

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a word, and he liked it, he said: We took your omen from your mouth.

‏ أَخَذْنَا فَأْلَكَ مِنْ فِيكَ ‏"

People said: safar is a pain within the belly. I asked: What is hamah ? He said: People said (believed) that hamah which is an owl or a nightbird and which shrieks is the spirit of men. It is not the spirit of men. It is an animal.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، قَالَ يَقُولُ النَّاسُ الصَّفَرُ وَجَعٌ يَأْخُذُ فِي الْبَطْنِ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَمَا الْهَامَةُ قَالَ يَقُولُ النَّاسُ الْهَامَةُ الَّتِي تَصْرُخُ هَامَةُ النَّاسِ وَلَيْسَتْ بِهَامَةِ الإِنْسَانِ إِنَّمَا هِيَ دَابَّةٌ ‏.‏

When taking omens was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ), he said: The best type is the good omen, and it does not turn back a Muslim. If one of you sees anything he dislikes, he should say: O Allah, no one brings good things except You, and no one averts evil things except You and there is no might and power but in Allah.

‏ أَحْسَنُهَا الْفَأْلُ وَلاَ تَرُدُّ مُسْلِمًا فَإِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ يَأْتِي بِالْحَسَنَاتِ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَلاَ يَدْفَعُ السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِكَ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not take omens from anything, but when he sent out an agent he asked about his name. If it pleased him, he was glad about it, and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face. If he disliked his name, his displeasure on that account was visible in his face. When he entered a village, he asked about its name, and if it pleased him, he was glad about it, and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face. But if he disliked its name, his displeasure on that account was visible in his face.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ لاَ يَتَطَيَّرُ مِنْ شَىْءٍ وَكَانَ إِذَا بَعَثَ عَامِلاً سَأَلَ عَنِ اسْمِهِ فَإِذَا أَعْجَبَهُ اسْمُهُ فَرِحَ بِهِ وَرُئِيَ بِشْرُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ وَإِنْ كَرِهَ اسْمَهُ رُئِيَ كَرَاهِيَةُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ وَإِذَا دَخَلَ قَرْيَةً سَأَلَ عَنِ اسْمِهَا فَإِنْ أَعْجَبَهُ اسْمُهَا فَرِحَ بِهَا وَرُئِيَ بِشْرُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ وَإِنْ كَرِهَ اسْمَهَا رُئِيَ كَرَاهِيَةُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no hamah, no infection and no evil omen; if there is in anything an evil omen, it is a house, a horse, and a woman.

‏ لاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَإِنْ تَكُنِ الطِّيَرَةُ فِي شَىْءٍ فَفِي الْفَرَسِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّارِ ‏"

"An omen is in a dwelling, a woman or a horse." Abu Dawud said: This tradition was read out to al-Harith b. Miskin and I was witness. It was said to him that Ibn Qasim told him that Malik was asked about evil omen in a horse and in a house. He replied: There are many houses in which people lived and perished and again others lived therein and they also perished. This is its explanation so far as we know. Allah knows best. Abu Dawud said: 'Umar (ra) said: A mat in a house better than a woman who does not give birth to a child.

‏ الشُّؤْمُ فِي الدَّارِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْفَرَسِ ‏"

Messenger of Allah! we have land called Abyan, which is the land where we have our fields and grow our crops, but it is very unhealthy. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Leave it, for destruction comes from being near disease.

‏ دَعْهَا عَنْكَ فَإِنَّ مِنَ الْقَرَفِ التَّلَفَ ‏"

A man said: Messenger of Allah! we were in an abode in which our numbers and our goods were many and changed to an abode in which our numbers and our goods became few. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Leave it, for it is reprehensible.

‏ ذَرُوهَا ذَمِيمَةً ‏"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took a man who was suffering from tubercular leprosy by the hand; he then put it along with his own hand in the dish and said: Eat with confidence in Allah and trust in Him.

‏ كُلْ ثِقَةً بِاللَّهِ وَتَوَكُّلاً عَلَيْهِ ‏"