This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, whose Urdu translation has been done by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
Demands of Halal and Haram in the Present Era
Correct Islamic belief is the foundation of any society, and Tawheed is the essence of that belief and the spirit of the entire religion. The protection of correct belief and pure Tawheed is the foremost objective that Islam has always kept in view in its explanation and teachings. Alongside this, it is also necessary to oppose those Jahili beliefs and innovations that idolaters have established so that the Muslim society can be kept free from the impurities of shirk and the effects of misguidance.
Respect for Divine Laws
The first belief that Islam firmly establishes in the hearts of its followers is that the system of this great universe, in which humans live on the earth and under the sky, is not a matter of guesswork running without guidance, nor is it possible that it operates according to the desires of any creature, because desires are mutually contradictory:
وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ
If the truth were to follow their desires, the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them would be in disorder.
Reference: Surah Al-Mu’minun: 71
The reality is that this universe is connected and linked to the laws of nature and divine laws in which no change or alteration is possible, as the Quran has made clear at many places:
وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا
You will never find any change in the way of Allah’s Sunnah.
Reference: Surah Fatir: 43
The teaching of the Book and Sunnah is that Muslims should respect these Sunnahs and try to achieve results through causes. Because Allah Almighty has linked causes with results. And they should not pay absolute attention to those alleged hidden causes which the attendants of places of worship, professional deceivers, and those running the business of religion use as a means of exploitation.
War Against Superstitions and Myths
When the Prophet ﷺ was sent, there was a group of deceivers and magicians in society who were called soothsayers or astrologers. These people claimed to know past or future unseen matters through jinn. Against this deception and fraud, which had no connection with knowledge, guidance, or the Divine Book, the Prophet ﷺ declared war and recited to these deceivers the Word of Allah:
قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
“Say, None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.”
Reference: Surah An-Naml: 65
In fact, neither angels, nor jinn, nor humans possess knowledge of the unseen. The Prophet ﷺ recited the command of his Lord:
وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And if I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of good tidings to those who believe.”
Reference: Surah Al-A’raf: 188
And regarding the jinn of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty clearly stated:
أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ
“If they had knowledge of the unseen, they would not remain in humiliating punishment.”
Reference: Surah Saba: 14
Therefore, whoever claims that he truly has knowledge of the unseen is trying to deceive Allah, the people, and in reality, himself.
A delegation came to the Prophet ﷺ who thought that he too would claim knowledge of the unseen. So these people hid something in their hand and asked the Prophet ﷺ: Tell us, what is in the hand? The Prophet ﷺ clearly said: I am not a soothsayer. Soothsayers, soothsaying, and those who practice soothsaying will all be in the fire.
Reference: Narrated by Abu Nu'aym in Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, Hadith: 781, 190 as in Al-Durr al-Manthur: 776, and added by Al-Suyuti and Al-Salafi in Al-Tuyuriyat, and said in 5-334 by Al-Hakim, Al-Tirmidhi 4211 without chain from Ibn Abbas, and its wording: This is only done by the soothsayer and soothsaying, and let them be in the fire. In its chain Abu Nu'aym, Al-Hakam bin Zuhayr is abandoned, accused of rejection and blame by Ibn Ma'in, Taqrib p. 79
Confirming the claims of soothsayers is disbelief
Islam not only opposed soothsayers and charlatans but also held equally sinful those who went to them, asked questions, and confirmed their delusions and misleading statements. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء فصدقه بما قال لم تقبل له صلاة أربعين يوما
"Whoever goes to a soothsayer and asks questions, then confirms what he says, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Peace, Chapter on the Prohibition of Soothsaying and Visiting Soothsayers, Hadith: 2230
He also said:
من أتى كاهنا فصدقه بما قال فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد
"Whoever goes to a soothsayer and confirms his words has disbelieved in the guidance revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him)."
Reference: Musnad al-Bazzar, Hadith: 3045 and similarly in Musnad Ahmad: 429/2 - Abu Dawood: 3904 - Tirmidhi: 135 - Ibn Majah: 639
Disbelief is due to the fact that guidance was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the unseen is only for Allah alone, even Muhammad (peace be upon him) does not have knowledge of the unseen except what is revealed to him through revelation, and no one else has it to a greater degree.
قُلْ لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ
"Say, I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me."
Reference: Surah Al-An'am: 50
Despite knowing this explicit and clear truth of the Quran, if a Muslim confirms that, God forbid, some people can remove the veil of the unseen and directly see destiny and know the hidden secrets of the unseen, then he disbelieves in the guidance revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
