Ruling on Abandoning Work Due to Considering Something Inauspicious
Source: Fatawa al-Deen al-Khalis, Vol. 1, p.111
Question:
Is it permissible to abandon a particular job (means of livelihood) if one fears that it might cause loss to something else, such as a horse or a child dying?
(Your brothers: Noor-ul-Haq and Shaukat)
All praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
This belief is invalid, because the Prophet ﷺ prohibited superstition (ṭiyarah).
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"There is no contagious disease, no bad omen (ṭiyarah), no haamah, and no Safar. And flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5776, Mishkāt: 2/391)
Belief in bad omens and inauspiciousness is a pre-Islamic belief of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah).
Two individuals from Banu ‘Āmir came to ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) and said that Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrates from the Prophet ﷺ:
"Bad omen is found in the house, the woman, and the horse."
Upon hearing this, ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) became upset and said:
"By the One who revealed the Qur’an upon Muhammad ﷺ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never said this. Rather, this was the belief of the people of Jāhiliyyah."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 6/50, Mushkil al-Āthār li al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/311, al-Ḥākim: 2/479, al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 2/734, Ḥadīth no. 993)
She then recited the following verse:
﴿مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُصيبَةٍ فِى الأَرضِ وَلا فِى أَنفُسِكُم إِلّا فِى كِتَابٍ مِن قَبلِ أَن نَبرَأَهَا﴾
(Surah al-Ḥadīd: 22)
"No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being."
This verse clearly indicates that the belief in inauspiciousness is entirely false, because everything occurs by the decree of Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"There is no inauspiciousness in anything, but blessings can be found in three things: a woman, a horse, and a house."
(Tirmidhī: 2/125, al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 4/564, Ḥadīth no. 1930)
This means that if goodness and blessings are found in something, it is by the will of Allah, and if a trial occurs, it is also by Allah’s decree — not due to the inauspiciousness of any object or being.
To consider any object inauspicious or to abandon a work due to it is a mindset rooted in Jāhiliyyah and is not permissible in Islamic law.
In Islam, it is not permissible to abandon a means of livelihood (kāsb) without a compelling necessity.
Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (1/243, Ḥadīth no. 2785) includes a narration that supports this understanding, although its chain is weak.
Therefore, it is incorrect to abandon any job (kāsb) merely considering a specific month, day, or object to be inauspicious.
◈ It is impermissible to consider anything inauspicious and to abandon work on that basis.
◈ All occurrences are by the divine decree of Allah; hence, one must not act upon baseless superstitions.
◈ A Muslim should avoid such false beliefs and live in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
Waṣallallāhu ʿalā Nabiyyinā Muḥammad wa ālihi wa ṣaḥbihi ajmaʿīn.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب۔
Source: Fatawa al-Deen al-Khalis, Vol. 1, p.111
Question:
Is it permissible to abandon a particular job (means of livelihood) if one fears that it might cause loss to something else, such as a horse or a child dying?
(Your brothers: Noor-ul-Haq and Shaukat)
❖ The Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
This belief is invalid, because the Prophet ﷺ prohibited superstition (ṭiyarah).
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"There is no contagious disease, no bad omen (ṭiyarah), no haamah, and no Safar. And flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5776, Mishkāt: 2/391)
Belief in bad omens and inauspiciousness is a pre-Islamic belief of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah).
❖ Clarification by Umm al-Mu'mineen ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
Two individuals from Banu ‘Āmir came to ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) and said that Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrates from the Prophet ﷺ:
"Bad omen is found in the house, the woman, and the horse."
Upon hearing this, ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) became upset and said:
"By the One who revealed the Qur’an upon Muhammad ﷺ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never said this. Rather, this was the belief of the people of Jāhiliyyah."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 6/50, Mushkil al-Āthār li al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/311, al-Ḥākim: 2/479, al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 2/734, Ḥadīth no. 993)
She then recited the following verse:
﴿مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُصيبَةٍ فِى الأَرضِ وَلا فِى أَنفُسِكُم إِلّا فِى كِتَابٍ مِن قَبلِ أَن نَبرَأَهَا﴾
(Surah al-Ḥadīd: 22)
"No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being."
This verse clearly indicates that the belief in inauspiciousness is entirely false, because everything occurs by the decree of Allah.
❖ Can Anything Truly Be Inauspicious?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"There is no inauspiciousness in anything, but blessings can be found in three things: a woman, a horse, and a house."
(Tirmidhī: 2/125, al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 4/564, Ḥadīth no. 1930)
This means that if goodness and blessings are found in something, it is by the will of Allah, and if a trial occurs, it is also by Allah’s decree — not due to the inauspiciousness of any object or being.
To consider any object inauspicious or to abandon a work due to it is a mindset rooted in Jāhiliyyah and is not permissible in Islamic law.
❖ The Ruling on Abandoning Work
In Islam, it is not permissible to abandon a means of livelihood (kāsb) without a compelling necessity.
Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (1/243, Ḥadīth no. 2785) includes a narration that supports this understanding, although its chain is weak.Therefore, it is incorrect to abandon any job (kāsb) merely considering a specific month, day, or object to be inauspicious.
Conclusion:
◈ It is impermissible to consider anything inauspicious and to abandon work on that basis.
◈ All occurrences are by the divine decree of Allah; hence, one must not act upon baseless superstitions.
◈ A Muslim should avoid such false beliefs and live in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
Waṣallallāhu ʿalā Nabiyyinā Muḥammad wa ālihi wa ṣaḥbihi ajmaʿīn.ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب۔
