Source: Sermons of Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq Zahid, compiled by: Tauheed.com
Brothers in Islam! Every Muslim must have firm belief that the owner of profit and loss is only Allah Almighty. No one else has this authority. Neither any saint nor any elder. Neither any spiritual guide nor any prophet, even the Chief of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who is the leader of all mankind and the Imam of all the Prophets and Messengers, was the owner of anyone’s profit and loss, let alone his own.
Command of Allah Almighty
﴿قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٨٨﴾
Say, "I do not possess for myself any harm or benefit except what Allah should will. And if I had knowledge of the unseen, I could have acquired much good, and no harm would have touched me. I am not but a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe."
Reference: Surah Al-A'raf:188
In this noble verse, consider that when the Imam of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, does not have control over benefit and harm, then how can anyone lesser than him, whether a saint or a spiritual guide, whose graves people deliberately visit, have the authority to cause benefit or harm to anyone?
And regarding those from whom people hope to gain benefit and fear harm from, Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُلْ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَاشِفَاتُ ضُرِّهِ أَوْ أَرَادَنِي بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَاتُ رَحْمَتِهِ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾
Say, "What do you think about those whom you call upon besides Allah? If Allah intends for me harm, can they remove His harm? Or if He intends for me mercy, can they withhold His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; in Him those who trust should put their trust."
Reference: Surah Az-Zumar: 38
In this noble verse, it is as if Allah Almighty has challenged that if anyone other than Allah has the power to benefit or harm, then let those whom Allah wishes to harm protect them from that harm, or those whom Allah wishes to bestow His mercy upon prevent that mercy! Meaning, they cannot do so. And when they cannot do so, it means that they do not have the authority to benefit or harm anyone.
Similarly, Allah Almighty says:
﴿مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٢﴾
Allah! There is no one to prevent His mercy from reaching people, and whoever He withholds it from, there is no one to grant it after Him. And He is All-Powerful, Most Wise.
Reference: Surah Fatir: 2
And for this reason, Allah Almighty has forbidden calling upon anyone other than Him.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿ وَلَا تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ ۖ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِّنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٠٧﴾
And do not call upon anyone besides Allah who neither benefits you nor harms you. If you do so, then you will be among the wrongdoers. And if Allah intends any harm to you, there is none who can remove it except Him; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can withhold His favor. He bestows His favor upon whom He wills among His servants. And He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Reference: Surah Yunus:106-107
In this noble verse, where Allah Almighty has forbidden calling anyone other than Allah as 'the owner of benefit and harm,' and has also stated, "O Muhammad, if you do so, then (may Allah protect us) you will be among the wrongdoers," Allah Almighty has also made it clear that if anyone wishes to harm His beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), no one can remove that harm, and if He wishes to bestow favor upon him, no one can prevent that favor. This is clear evidence that this authority belongs solely to Allah Almighty. And just think! If the Imam of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), has no protector from harm except Allah, then who among ordinary Muslims can protect anyone from harm except Allah?
Therefore, one should neither hope for benefit from anyone other than Allah nor fear any harm from them, because fearing that anyone other than Allah can harm whom He wills by His will and power is major shirk. That is why Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said:
﴿وَلَا أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ رَبِّي شَيْئًا ۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا﴾
And I do not fear those whom you associate with Allah, but only fear my Lord. And He encompasses all things in knowledge. Do you not then take admonition? And how should I fear those whom you associate with Allah while you do not fear that you have associated with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority?
Reference: Surah Al-An'am: 80-81
From this verse, it is understood that one should not be afraid of any spiritual guide, ascetic, or elder, and one should have firm belief that no one can cause harm to anyone except by the will of Allah Almighty. Such fear should only be of Allah Almighty because He alone is the One who is capable of causing harm by His will. And if He does not intend to cause harm, then no elder, spiritual guide, or shrine caretaker in the world can cause any harm.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥١﴾
Say, "Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has destined for us. He is our protector." And in Allah let the believers put their trust.
Reference: Surah At-Tawbah: 51
Similarly, the honorable saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is:
(( وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلٰی أَنْ یَّنْفَعُوْكَ بِشَیْئٍ،لَمْ یَنْفَعُوْكَ إِلَّا بِشَیْئٍ قَدْ کَتَبَہُ اللّٰہُ لَكَ ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوْا عَلٰی أَنْ یَّضُرُّوْكَ بِشَیْئٍ لَمْ یَضُرُّوْكَ إِلَّا بِشَیْئٍی قَدْ کَتَبَہُ اللّٰہُ عَلَیْكَ ))
And be certain that if the entire Ummah were to gather to benefit you, they would not be able to benefit you except with what Allah has already written for you. And if the entire Ummah were to gather to harm you, they would not be able to harm you except with what Allah has already written against you.
Reference: Sunan Tirmidhi:2516
Brothers in Islam! The fundamental belief we mentioned regarding profit and loss is related to this: many people consider the month of Safar to be an unlucky month and do not consider it appropriate to start any work in it because they believe that any work started in this month will have no goodness or blessing and will ultimately fail. That is, they fear this month, thinking that it will only bring loss and damage. However, the belief we have just mentioned in the light of the Quran and Hadith is that it is completely wrong to consider any month unlucky and fear starting any work in it. All months belong to Allah Almighty, and profit and loss in every month come only from Allah.
Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
(( لَا عَدْوَی وَلَا طِیَرَۃَ وَلَا ہَامَةَ وَلَا صَفْرَ ))
No disease is contagious by itself. Neither is it correct to believe in bad omens nor to consider any bird as unlucky. Nor is it correct to take bad omen from the month of Safar.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari:557
Therefore, Muslims should not hold this ignorant belief. On the contrary, there should be trust and reliance only on Allah Almighty, that every kind of benefit and harm is in His hands. And benefit and harm have no connection with any month.
What is bad omen?
Bad omen means that a person has firmly decided to do something, but after seeing or hearing something, he does not do that work. In the time of ignorance, when a person wanted to leave home for some work, he would release a bird and observe it; if it flew to the right, he would proceed. And if it flew to the left, he would take it as a bad omen and return. The Shariah has prohibited such bad omens, and even considers taking bad omens and fortune-telling as shirk (associating partners with Allah). Because a person who does this is not relying on Allah but is relying on something that has no status.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
(( مَنْ رَدَّتْہُ الطِّیَرَۃُ عَنْ حَاجَتِهِ فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ))
Whoever is prevented from doing something because of bad omen has indeed committed shirk. Musnad al-Bazzar: 2316
Some people take bad omen from a person. For example, if early in the morning while going somewhere for their work, they encounter a poor or a beggar, they say, "I have met him early in the morning; today is not a good day." Or if some loss occurs at home, they say, "This happened because of that unlucky woman," or taking bad omen from one of their children, they say, "This is the reason for the loss!" Thus, taking bad omen from a person is not correct.
Allah Almighty, in the Holy Quran, where He mentions the first nations, has informed that many nations used to take bad omen from their prophets, and when any calamity befell, they would say that it happened because of that prophet.
For example, regarding the people of Prophet Musa (Moses) عليه السلام, Allah Almighty says: __ARABIC_N__
﴿فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَٰذِهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٣١﴾
So when they received any good, they said, "We are indeed deserving of it." And if any harm befell them, they would take it as ill omen from Moses and those with him, even though their misfortune was from Allah. But most of them do not know.
Reference: Surah Al-A'raf:131
Similarly, Allah has mentioned the same behavior regarding many other nations, that they took ill omen from their prophets and those who believed in them and considered them unlucky.
In summary, it does not befit a believer to take ill omen from anyone or consider anyone unlucky in case of harm. Rather, it should be that even before harm occurs, he firmly believes that no harm can happen without Allah's command. And after harm has occurred, he should say that this was decreed by Allah and it was destined to happen.
Some people predict fortunes and take omens through stars. For example, they say about someone that your star is such-and-such and it is currently in transit, therefore the business you start now will incur a loss, or if you marry now, it will not be blessed... whereas a person's fate or future matters have no connection with stars. That is why the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
(( أَرْبَعٌ فِیْ أمَّتِیْ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاھِلِیَّةِ لَا یَتْرُکُوْنَہُنَّ : اَلْفَخْرُ فِیْ الْأحْسَابِ ، وَالطَّعْنُ فِیْ الْأنْسَابِ،وَالْإِسْتِسْقَاءُ بِالنُّجُوْمِ،وَالنِّیَاحَةُ))
Among the acts of ignorance, there will be four among my Ummah which they will not be willing to give up: pride based on lineage (tribalism), insulting someone's lineage, seeking knowledge of fate through stars (or seeking rain through stars), and wailing.
Reference: Silsilat al-Sahiha:944
In this noble hadith, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, counted seeking knowledge of fate through stars among the acts of ignorance. That is, it has no connection with Islam. Therefore, Muslims should avoid it.
Similarly, Hazrat Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led the morning prayer after the night rain at Hudaybiyyah, then he said:
(( ہَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّکُمْ ؟ ))
Do you know what your Lord has said today?
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Allah and His Messenger know best.
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
(( قَالَ :أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِیْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِیْ وَکَافِرٌ ۔ فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ:مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللّٰہِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِیْ وَکَافِرٌ بِالْکَوَاکِبِ،وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ:مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ کَذَا وَکَذَا فَذَلِكَ کَافِرٌ بِیْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْکَوَاکِبِ))
Allah Almighty has said that today among My servants, some woke up in a state of faith and some in a state of disbelief. So whoever said that rain has fallen upon us by the grace and mercy of Allah, he is a believer in me and denies the influence of the stars. And whoever said that rain has fallen upon us because of such and such star, he has disbelieved in me and believed in the stars.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari:846
From this hadith, it is proven that a person who believes in the influence of stars on weather conditions is one who disbelieves in Allah Almighty. Similarly, such a person is one who believes in the influence of stars on someone's fate.
Regarding astrologers, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clearly stated that these people have no connection with Islam and Muslims. Likewise, those who go to them and narrate their problems so that they find solutions through stars, etc.
It is stated:
(( لَیْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ تَطَیَّرَ أَوْ تُطِیِّرَ لَہُ،أَوْ تَکَہَّنَ أَوْ تُکِہِّنَ لَہُ،أَوْ سَحَرَ أَوْ سُحِرَ لَہُ))
The person is not one of us who brings bad omens or for whom bad omens are brought, or who practices divination (through astrology) or for whom divination is practiced, or who practices magic or for whom magic is practiced.
Reference: Majma' al-Zawa'id:8480
And that is why going to such people and asking them about matters of fate is forbidden, indeed it is minor shirk, those who predict fate through stars or by looking at the lines of the hands. Going to such people and asking such questions is such a grave sin that the prayers of the one who does so for forty days are not accepted by Allah Almighty.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
(( مَنْ أَتٰی عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَہُ عَنْ شَیْئٍی لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَہُ صَلاَ ۃُ أَرْبَعِیْنَ لَیْلَةٌ ))
Whoever goes to a soothsayer or astrologer and asks about something, his prayers for forty nights will not be accepted.
Reference: Sahih Muslim: 2230
And the person who goes to such people, asks them questions, and confirms whatever they say is like one who has denied the revealed Shariah of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him.
The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
(( مَنْ أَتٰی عَرَّافًا أَوْ کَاہِنًا فَصَدَّقَہُ بِمَا یَقُوْلُ فَقَدْ کَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ صلي الله عليه وسلم ))
Whoever goes to a soothsayer (a practitioner claiming knowledge of the unseen) and then confirms his words, has disbelieved in the divine religion revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad:9532
Therefore, one should never trade their religion by going to such people. For the protection of religion, it is necessary that we neither go to such people nor ask them any questions. Rather, in all matters, place complete trust in Allah Almighty and consider Allah alone as the owner of profit and loss. This is a very important issue of Islamic belief in which many Muslims have gone astray today. May Allah guide everyone and grant us the ability to reform our belief and practice. Ameen.
Respected gentlemen! Having complete trust in Allah Almighty and considering Him as the sole owner of benefit and harm is such a great deed that the Prophet of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ, included among those fortunate ones who will enter Paradise without reckoning, a person who does not go to anyone for ruqyah (spiritual healing) but recites Quranic verses and Sunnah supplications on himself. He does not believe in superstition and relies solely on Allah Almighty.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Previous nations were shown to me. I saw a prophet with only a few people (less than ten) with him. One prophet had only one or two people with him. And one prophet had no one with him. Then suddenly, I was shown a very large group. I thought that perhaps this is my nation. Then I was told that this is Moses, peace be upon him, and his people. You look towards that horizon. I saw a great multitude (a very large group of people). Then I was told to look towards the other horizon. I saw another great multitude. I was told that this is your nation, and among them are seventy thousand people who will enter Paradise without any reckoning.
Then the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stood up and went to his house. The people (the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) began to ponder over those seventeen thousand individuals who would enter Paradise without any reckoning. Some of them said that perhaps they were the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Others said no, they meant those who were born into Islam and never committed shirk. Some expressed other opinions as well. Suddenly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned. He asked: What are you pondering about? The people told him that they were thinking about who those seventeen thousand individuals might be who would enter Paradise without any reckoning. The Prophet ﷺ said:
(( ہُمُ الَّذِیْنَ لَا یَرْقُوْنَ ، وَلَا یَسْتَرْقُوْنَ،وَلَا یَتَطَیَّرُوْنَ ، وَعَلٰی رَبِّہِمْ یَتَوَکَّلُوْنَ ))
These will be the people who neither practice ruqyah (spiritual healing) nor have it practiced on them, nor do they believe in superstition, and they only place their trust in their Lord, the Exalted.
Upon hearing this, Hazrat Ukasha bin Mihsan (RA) stood up and said: Pray to Allah to include me among them. The Prophet (PBUH) said: You are among them. Then another man stood up and said: Pray for me as well to be included among them. The Prophet (PBUH) said: (( سَبَقَكَ بِہَا عُکَاشَةُ))
Reference: “Ukasha (RA) has preceded you.”
In a narration in Sahih Muslim, whose narrator is Hazrat Imran bin Husain (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) described the characteristics of those seventy thousand people as follows:
(( ہُمُ الَّذِیْنَ لَا یَسْتَرْقُوْنَ، وَلَا یَتَطَیَّرُوْنَ،وَ لَا یَکْتَوُوْنَ،وَعَلٰی رَبِّہِمْ یَتَوَکَّلُوْنَ ))
They do not practice ruqyah, do not believe in superstition, do not mark their bodies with fire, and only place their trust in their Lord, the Exalted.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 5705
Therefore, if we want Allah Almighty to admit us into Paradise without reckoning, then we too must adopt these great qualities that the Noble Prophet ﷺ mentioned in this Hadith. May Allah Almighty grant us all the ability to do so.
We conclude today's sermon with the prayer that Allah Almighty grants us all the ability to walk on the Straight Path until our last breath. Ameen
