❖ Clarifying the Concept of “Nahoosat” (Bad Omen) in Light of the Prophetic Ḥadīth ❖
❀ The Confusion Around a Commonly Misunderstood Ḥadīth
Narrated by ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“Bad luck is in three things: woman, house, and horse.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 5093)
Similarly, a similar narration is attributed to Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
(al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ by al-Ṭabarānī, Ḥadīth: 7710)
At first glance, these reports seem to affirm superstition (nahoosat), but other ḥadīths and clarifications by the Companions reveal the true meaning and refute this notion.
❖ Clarification by Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها)
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) responded to the narration attributed to Abū Hurayrah by explaining:
“The Prophet ﷺ actually said: ‘May Allah curse the Jews! They say that bad luck lies in a woman, a house, and a horse.’”
(Musnad al-Ṭayālisī, Ḥadīth: 1630; al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah, 3/67)
✅ This shows that Abū Hurayrah only heard the latter portion of the statement and missed the critical introduction — which attributed this belief to Jewish superstition, not Islam.
❖ Further Clarifications from Other Ḥadīths
Narrated by ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“If there were any bad omen, it would be in the woman, the house, and the horse.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 5094)
The use of the word “if” (لَوْ) in this narration makes it conditional and hypothetical, not a statement of truth. This grammar construction indicates rejection, not affirmation.
Similarly, Sahl ibn Saʿd (رضي الله عنه) narrated a version of this ḥadīth found in:
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 2, Ḥadīth: 132)
❖ Islamic Belief: Rejection of Superstition
Islam fundamentally rejects the belief in bad omens (nahoosat):
✔ The Prophet ﷺ married multiple women and treated them with honor and kindness
✔ He lived in homes and used horses and other mounts — clearly demonstrating no belief in bad luck from such things
❖ A Clear Prophetic Statement Against Nahoosat
“There is no bad omen in anything. Rather, blessings may be found in three things: in a woman, a horse, and a house.”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ḥadīth: 1993; al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah, Ḥadīth: 1930)
☑ This directly refutes superstitious thinking, affirming that these are sources of comfort and blessing, not misfortune.
❖ Superstition in Pre-Islamic Cultures
During Jāhiliyyah (the Age of Ignorance), both Jews and pagan Arabs considered:
- Women as the cause of misfortune
- Houses as unlucky if deaths or troubles occurred there
- Horses or mounts as a cause of calamity
❌ The Prophet ﷺ corrected these misguided beliefs and eliminated superstition from Islamic thought.
❖ Conclusion: The Real Message of the Ḥadīths
✅ A comprehensive study of the ḥadīths shows that:
- The Prophet ﷺ did not affirm “nahoosat” in women, houses, or horses
- Incomplete narrations have caused misunderstandings
- The Prophet ﷺ’s true intent was to refute Jewish superstition and warn Muslims against adopting similar notions
✔ Islam teaches that nothing possesses inherent bad luck
✔ Blessing and trial are both from Allah, not from objects or people
