❀ Shar‘i Ruling on Spider Webs, Mirrors at Night, and Ruqyah ❀
⎯ Referenced from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 123 ⎯
What is the Islamic ruling on the following widely held beliefs among people?
① Spider webs in homes cause poverty and are a source of misfortune.
② Looking into a mirror at night turns the face dark.
③ Some claim to have received special permission for ruqyah (spiritual healing) and use unclear phrases in the process.
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allāh. To proceed:
This is based merely on people’s imagination and anecdotal experience—there is no evidence in Sharī‘ah to support such a belief.
Taking bad omens (ṭiyarah) from things is prohibited, as the ḥadīth states:
"لَا عَدْوَى وَلَا طِيَرَةَ"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5717, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2220)
“There is no contagious disease by itself, and there is no bad omen.”
However, maintaining cleanliness is a noble habit, and Islam strongly encourages it. A Muslim’s clothing, home, and surroundings should remain clean and tidy.
There is no Islamic evidence stating that looking into a mirror at night causes one's face to turn dark or brings about any harm.
Such beliefs are superstitions and baseless traditions that must be avoided.
Using a mirror is permissible, but one should avoid extravagance or indulgence in vanity.
According to Qur’ān and Sunnah, every Muslim is allowed to perform ruqyah (spiritual healing).
There is no need for exclusive permission, as the Prophet ﷺ himself taught the method of ruqyah to the Ummah.
If someone claims to have been granted special permission from a certain individual and uses ambiguous or suspicious phrases, then:
➤ If the ruqyah includes any non-Shar‘ī elements, it must be avoided.
Burhān al-Islām al-Zarnūjī (a student of the author of al-Hidāyah) mentions various causes of poverty in his book Ta‘līm al-Muta‘allim Ṭarīq al-Ta‘allum, such as:
However, none of these claims are supported by any authentic ḥadīth.
Similarly, Ibn Wahb al-Mālikī, in Hadiyyat al-Abrār ilā Ṭarīqat al-Akhbār, listed fifty things that allegedly lead to poverty and attributed them to ‘Alī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu), but no reliable chain of transmission exists for these attributions.
Thus, such reports are fabricated and baseless.
✦ Associating spider webs with poverty or misfortune is incorrect; cleanliness is commendable, but superstition is not.
✦ There is no prohibition against looking into mirrors at night; such beliefs are superstitious.
✦ Performing ruqyah according to Qur’an and Sunnah requires no special permission, and if non-Shar‘ī practices or unknown phrases are used, they must be avoided.
✦ Beliefs about poverty linked to unauthenticated practices or narrations should not be accepted unless verified by authentic evidence.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
⎯ Referenced from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 123 ⎯
❖ Question:
What is the Islamic ruling on the following widely held beliefs among people?
① Spider webs in homes cause poverty and are a source of misfortune.
② Looking into a mirror at night turns the face dark.
③ Some claim to have received special permission for ruqyah (spiritual healing) and use unclear phrases in the process.
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allāh. To proceed:
① Spider Webs and the Claim of Poverty or Misfortune
This is based merely on people’s imagination and anecdotal experience—there is no evidence in Sharī‘ah to support such a belief.
Taking bad omens (ṭiyarah) from things is prohibited, as the ḥadīth states:
"لَا عَدْوَى وَلَا طِيَرَةَ"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5717, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2220)
“There is no contagious disease by itself, and there is no bad omen.”
However, maintaining cleanliness is a noble habit, and Islam strongly encourages it. A Muslim’s clothing, home, and surroundings should remain clean and tidy.
② Looking in a Mirror at Night
There is no Islamic evidence stating that looking into a mirror at night causes one's face to turn dark or brings about any harm.
Such beliefs are superstitions and baseless traditions that must be avoided.
Using a mirror is permissible, but one should avoid extravagance or indulgence in vanity.
③ Claiming Special Permission for Ruqyah (Spiritual Healing)
According to Qur’ān and Sunnah, every Muslim is allowed to perform ruqyah (spiritual healing).
There is no need for exclusive permission, as the Prophet ﷺ himself taught the method of ruqyah to the Ummah.
If someone claims to have been granted special permission from a certain individual and uses ambiguous or suspicious phrases, then:
➤ If the ruqyah includes any non-Shar‘ī elements, it must be avoided.
✿ On Narrations Concerning Causes of Poverty:
Burhān al-Islām al-Zarnūjī (a student of the author of al-Hidāyah) mentions various causes of poverty in his book Ta‘līm al-Muta‘allim Ṭarīq al-Ta‘allum, such as:
- Sleeping unclothed
- Eating in a state of major impurity (janābah)
- Eating while reclining
- Leaving garbage in the home
- Calling parents by name
- Leaving the masjid quickly after Fajr
However, none of these claims are supported by any authentic ḥadīth.
Similarly, Ibn Wahb al-Mālikī, in Hadiyyat al-Abrār ilā Ṭarīqat al-Akhbār, listed fifty things that allegedly lead to poverty and attributed them to ‘Alī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu), but no reliable chain of transmission exists for these attributions.
Thus, such reports are fabricated and baseless.
Conclusion:
✦ Associating spider webs with poverty or misfortune is incorrect; cleanliness is commendable, but superstition is not.
✦ There is no prohibition against looking into mirrors at night; such beliefs are superstitious.
✦ Performing ruqyah according to Qur’an and Sunnah requires no special permission, and if non-Shar‘ī practices or unknown phrases are used, they must be avoided.
✦ Beliefs about poverty linked to unauthenticated practices or narrations should not be accepted unless verified by authentic evidence.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
