❖ Scientific Refutation of the Claim that Amulets Are Proven from Qur’an and Sunnah
Compiled by: Abu Hamzah SalafiIn this Episode No. ②, we present a scholarly refutation of the false claim made by “Nu‘man Media” that amulets (ta‘wīdh) are established from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn.
The reality is that explicit Marfū‘ aḥādīth, statements of the Companions, and reports of the Tābi‘īn clearly indicate that amulets are impermissible and constitute shirk. Furthermore, leading Imams of the religion (Imam Mālik, Imam al-Ṭaḥāwī, Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī, and others) have declared such amulets to be shirk and contrary to the rank of the Awliyā’ of Allah.
◈ 01 – Marfū‘ Ḥadīth
‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه narrates:17422 –
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ دُخَيْنٍ الْحَجْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ،
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ رَهْطٌ، فَبَايَعَ تِسْعَةً وَأَمْسَكَ عَنْ وَاحِدٍ، فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، بَايَعْتَ تِسْعَةً وَتَرَكْتَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: إِنَّ عَلَيْهِ تَمِيمَةً، فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فَقَطَعَهَا، فَبَايَعَهُ، وَقَالَ:
مَنْ عَلَّقَ تَمِيمَةً فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ.
Reference: Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad 4/154
Translation:
A delegation of ten men came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He accepted the pledge of allegiance from nine and withheld from one.When the Companions asked, he said: “He is wearing an amulet.”
He then placed his hand, cut it off, accepted his pledge, and said:
“Whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk.”
Ruling: Authentic chain; all narrators are trustworthy.◈ 02 – Another Marfū‘ Ḥadīth
‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir رضي الله عنه said:7501 –
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ:
مَنْ عَلَّقَ تَمِيمَةً فَلَا أَتَمَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ، وَمَنْ عَلَّقَ وَدَعَةً فَلَا وَدَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ.
Reference: al-Mustadrak 4/418
– al-Ḥākim said: Authentic chain; al-Dhahabī agreed.Also reported in:
Reference: Musnad Aḥmad 4/156
,
Reference: Abū Ya‘lā 4/1549
,
Reference: Majma‘ al-Zawā’id 5/103
(narrators trustworthy)Translation:
“Whoever hangs an amulet, may Allah not complete (his affairs) for him; and whoever hangs a shell, may Allah not grant him peace.” Ruling: Authentic chain; declared ṣaḥīḥ or jayyid by multiple scholars.◈ 03 – Practice of ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه
6090 –يَحْيَى بْنُ الْجَزَّارِ قَالَ: دَخَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ وَفِي عُنُقِهَا شَيْءٌ مُعَوَّذٌ، فَجَذَبَهُ فَقَطَعَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ:
لَقَدْ أَصْبَحَ آلُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَغْنِيَاءَ عَنْ أَنْ يُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 13/450
Translation:
Ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه entered upon his wife and saw an amulet around her neck. He pulled it off and cut it, then said:“The family of ‘Abdullāh has no need to commit shirk with Allah.”
He then mentioned the statement of the Messenger ﷺ:
الرُّقَى وَالتَّمَائِمَ وَالتِّوَلَةَ شِرْكٌ
“Incantations, amulets, and love-charms are shirk.”
Ruling: Authentic chain.◈ 04 – Ḥadīth of Abū Bashīr al-Anṣārī رضي الله عنه
3005 –لَا تَبْقَيَنَّ فِي رَقَبَةِ بَعِيرٍ قِلَادَةٌ مِنْ وَتَرٍ أَوْ قِلَادَةٌ إِلَّا قُطِعَتْ.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jihād
Translation:
“Let no necklace of string or any hanging object remain on the neck of a camel except that it is cut.”◈ Explanations of the Imams
① Imam Mālik رحمه الله said:"كانوا يعلّقونها لدفع العين، فأمر النبي ﷺ بقطعها، ليعلمهم أن الأوتار لا ترد من أمر الله شيئاً.”
Reference: Kashf al-Mushkil 1/408
Translation: They used to hang strings to repel the evil eye. The Prophet ﷺ ordered them cut so they would know that such strings do not repel anything from Allah’s decree.
② Imam al-Baghawī رحمه الله wrote:
"كانوا يعلّقون القلائد والتمائم يظنون أنها تعصمهم من الآفات، فنهاهم النبي ﷺ.”
Reference: Sharḥ al-Sunnah 12/158
Translation: They believed these necklaces and amulets protected them from harm, so the Prophet ﷺ prohibited them.
◈ 05 – Ḥadīth of Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما
6472 –يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ...
هُمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَسْتَرْقُونَ، وَلَا يَتَطَيَّرُونَ، وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6472
,
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 218
Translation:
“Seventy thousand from my Ummah will enter Paradise without reckoning… They are those who do not seek ruqyah, do not practice omens, and place their complete trust in their Lord.”Explanation – Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī (d. 1014 AH)
"هذا من صفة الأولياء المعرضين عن الأسباب الدنيوية… والأكمل تركها.”
Reference: Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ 8/3591
Translation: This describes the Awliyā’ who refrain from worldly means (such as amulets). Though concessions exist for common people regarding treatment and supplication, the more complete way is to avoid them.
◈ Statements of Companions and Tābi‘īn
✔ ‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir رضي الله عنه
مَوْضِعُ التَّمِيمَةِ مِنَ الْإِنْسَانِ وَالطِّفْلِ شِرْكٌ.
Reference: al-Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 5/439
“The place of an amulet on a person or child is shirk.”
✔ Ḥudhayfah رضي الله عنه
He cut a thread from a sick man’s arm and recited:وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُمْ مُشْرِكُونَ
“And most of them do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him.” (Yūsuf: 106)
Reference: Tafsīr Ibn Abī Ḥātim 7/2252
✔ ‘Alī رضي الله عنه
After cutting a thread from a man’s hand, he said:لَوْ مِتَّ وَأَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ مَا صَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْكَ.
Reference: al-Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 5/439
“If you had died while wearing it, I would not have prayed your funeral prayer.”
✔ Statements of Tābi‘īn
① Ibrāhīm al-Nakha‘ī رحمه الله:"كَانُوا يَكْرَهُونَ التَّمَائِمَ كُلَّهَا، مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرِ الْقُرْآنِ.”
Reference: al-Muṣannaf 5/439
“They disliked all amulets, whether from the Qur’an or otherwise.”
◈ Conclusion
✔ Authentic Marfū‘ aḥādīth explicitly declare amulets as shirk.✔ Numerous Companions destroyed amulets and declared them shirk.
✔ Many Tābi‘īn disliked them entirely, even if from the Qur’an.
✔ The evidences presented by innovators for permissibility are weak, fabricated, or transmitted through unreliable narrators.
Therefore, reliance upon amulets is shirk and bid‘ah, and abandoning them is from the qualities of the Awliyā’ of Allah.
