Excerpt from the book "Āʾīnah Tawḥīd wa Sunnat – A Refutation of Shirk and Clarification of Bidʿah" by Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah Muḥammad Jāwēd Salafī
Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"I was shown the past nations. I saw a prophet who had only a few followers, and a prophet with only one or two men, and a prophet who had no followers at all. Then suddenly, I saw a large group. I thought they were my Ummah, but it was said to me: 'This is Mūsā and his nation.' Then I was told to look at the horizon, and there I saw a massive crowd. I was told: 'This is your Ummah, and among them are seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment.'
Then the Prophet ﷺ stood and went to his home. The Companions began discussing who those seventy thousand might be. Some said: 'Perhaps they are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' Others said: 'They may be those who were born in Islam and never committed shirk.' Others speculated differently.
The Prophet ﷺ returned and asked:
“What are you discussing?”
They informed him. The Prophet ﷺ then said:
"They are those who do not perform ruqyah (spiritual healing), nor ask for ruqyah, nor seek omens (ṭiyarah), and they place their full trust in their Lord."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3410, 5705, 5752; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 220]
Sayyidunā ʿUkkāshah bin Miḥṣan رضي الله عنه stood up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, make duʿāʾ to Allah that He includes me among them."
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"You are among them."
Then another man stood and requested the same, but the Prophet ﷺ replied:
"ʿUkkāshah has preceded you."
Relying solely upon Allah is the essence of tawakkul (trust in Allah). Seeking lawful medical treatment, while trusting Allah, does not contradict tawakkul. However, those who completely abandon treatment while depending solely upon Allah — they are worthy of such great virtue.
May Allah include us among such fortunate souls and protect us from shirk. Āmīn.
Superstition is when a person intends to do something, but changes their mind due to seeing or hearing something ominous.
For example, in the days of Jāhiliyyah, people would scare away a bird before travel. If it flew to the right, they’d proceed. If to the left, they’d cancel the trip due to bad omen.
Modern-day equivalents include:
Islam strictly forbids taking bad omens and even labels it as shirk, because such a person abandons reliance on Allah and instead depends on meaningless signs.
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما reported:
"Whoever is turned away from his need because of a bad omen, has indeed committed shirk."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ by al-Albānī رحمه الله: 6264]
Many people consider certain individuals to be a source of bad luck. For example:
This is a widespread disease, especially among Muslims in India and Pakistan, and must be actively avoided.
Similarly, attributing events to stars and horoscopes is also harshly condemned in Islam.
Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani رضي الله عنه said:
“The Prophet ﷺ led us in prayer at Ḥudaybiyyah after it had rained the night before. He ﷺ asked:
‘Do you know what your Lord said?’
The Companions replied: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’
The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘This morning some of My slaves have become believers in Me, and some have become disbelievers.
Whoever said:
“We were given rain by the bounty and mercy of Allah,”
— he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars.
But whoever said:
“We were given rain by such-and-such star,”
— he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 846; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 71]
Complete reliance must be placed solely upon Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn. As for amulets (taʿwīdhāt), their ruling has already been clarified from the Qur'an, Sunnah, and statements of the Companions.
While some scholars allow amulets containing Qur'anic verses or authentic supplications, the majority of Companions and scholars after them consider all amulets impermissible, including those with Qur'anic text.
From the Companions:
From the Successors and later scholars:
Refer to:
Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah (7/374)
Al-Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Bayhaqī (9/216)
Al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim (5/216)
Fatāwā Ibn Bāz (1/820)
Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (1/585)
Maʿārij al-Qabūl (1/382)
Al-Qawl al-Jalī, p. 38
✔ The first group (those who permit amulets) has no strong evidence.
✔ The second group, which prohibits all types of amulets, adheres to the general prohibitions mentioned in the Sharīʿah, with no authentic exceptions recorded.
✔ If amulets were legislated, the Prophet ﷺ would have clearly taught their use — just as he did with ruqyah (blowing after reciting), where he said:
"Show me your ruqyahs; if there is no shirk in them, then there is no harm."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with al-Nawawī’s Sharḥ, Book of Salām (14/187)]
But the Prophet ﷺ never said anything like this about taʿwīdh.
It is best to avoid all forms of amulets and place complete trust in Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ never instructed anyone to wear a taʿwīdh. Even hanging a Qur'anic taʿwīdh may lead to disrespect, such as entering the toilet while wearing it.
Though the Qur'an is indeed a source of healing and mercy:
﴿وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
[Surah al-Isrāʾ: 82]
— this verse doesn’t specify the method of treatment. The method has been clarified by the Prophet ﷺ: recitation and implementation, not merely hanging.
Just like honey is called a cure in the Qur'an, yet wearing a bottle of honey around the neck will not heal anyone — it must be consumed.
Similarly, merely hanging verses without understanding, reciting, or following them will not bring healing.
Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein — trust in Him is far more powerful than threads and papers.
“A single word of wisdom suffices the intelligent,
but neither volumes nor manifestos benefit the ignorant.”
✿ The Virtue of Those Who Refrain from Ruqyah (Spiritual Healing Practices):
Sayyidunā Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"I was shown the past nations. I saw a prophet who had only a few followers, and a prophet with only one or two men, and a prophet who had no followers at all. Then suddenly, I saw a large group. I thought they were my Ummah, but it was said to me: 'This is Mūsā and his nation.' Then I was told to look at the horizon, and there I saw a massive crowd. I was told: 'This is your Ummah, and among them are seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment.'
Then the Prophet ﷺ stood and went to his home. The Companions began discussing who those seventy thousand might be. Some said: 'Perhaps they are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' Others said: 'They may be those who were born in Islam and never committed shirk.' Others speculated differently.
The Prophet ﷺ returned and asked:
“What are you discussing?”
They informed him. The Prophet ﷺ then said:
"They are those who do not perform ruqyah (spiritual healing), nor ask for ruqyah, nor seek omens (ṭiyarah), and they place their full trust in their Lord."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3410, 5705, 5752; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 220]Sayyidunā ʿUkkāshah bin Miḥṣan رضي الله عنه stood up and said:
"O Messenger of Allah, make duʿāʾ to Allah that He includes me among them."
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"You are among them."
Then another man stood and requested the same, but the Prophet ﷺ replied:
"ʿUkkāshah has preceded you."
A Note for the Reader:
Relying solely upon Allah is the essence of tawakkul (trust in Allah). Seeking lawful medical treatment, while trusting Allah, does not contradict tawakkul. However, those who completely abandon treatment while depending solely upon Allah — they are worthy of such great virtue.
May Allah include us among such fortunate souls and protect us from shirk. Āmīn.
✿ The Meaning and Danger of Superstition (ṭiyarah):
Superstition is when a person intends to do something, but changes their mind due to seeing or hearing something ominous.
For example, in the days of Jāhiliyyah, people would scare away a bird before travel. If it flew to the right, they’d proceed. If to the left, they’d cancel the trip due to bad omen.
Modern-day equivalents include:
- Saying, “A black cat crossed my path, so it’s not good to travel now.”
- “I saw a certain person early in the morning and my whole day was ruined.”
✖ Prohibition of Superstition in Islam:
Islam strictly forbids taking bad omens and even labels it as shirk, because such a person abandons reliance on Allah and instead depends on meaningless signs.
◈ Ḥadīth on Superstition and Shirk:
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما reported:
"Whoever is turned away from his need because of a bad omen, has indeed committed shirk."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ by al-Albānī رحمه الله: 6264]Many people consider certain individuals to be a source of bad luck. For example:
- Seeing a poor person or beggar in the morning and saying: “This is a bad sign.”
- Suffering a loss and blaming a woman as being unlucky.
This is a widespread disease, especially among Muslims in India and Pakistan, and must be actively avoided.
Similarly, attributing events to stars and horoscopes is also harshly condemned in Islam.
◈ A Stern Warning from the Prophet ﷺ:
Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani رضي الله عنه said:
“The Prophet ﷺ led us in prayer at Ḥudaybiyyah after it had rained the night before. He ﷺ asked:
‘Do you know what your Lord said?’
The Companions replied: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’
The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘This morning some of My slaves have become believers in Me, and some have become disbelievers.
Whoever said:
“We were given rain by the bounty and mercy of Allah,”
— he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars.
But whoever said:
“We were given rain by such-and-such star,”
— he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 846; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 71]✿ Conclusion: Trust in Allah Alone in All Matters
Complete reliance must be placed solely upon Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn. As for amulets (taʿwīdhāt), their ruling has already been clarified from the Qur'an, Sunnah, and statements of the Companions.
While some scholars allow amulets containing Qur'anic verses or authentic supplications, the majority of Companions and scholars after them consider all amulets impermissible, including those with Qur'anic text.
◈ Scholars Who Oppose the Use of Taʿwīdhāt:
From the Companions:
- ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
- ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه
- Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān رضي الله عنه
- ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir رضي الله عنه
From the Successors and later scholars:
- Ibn Ḥakīm رحمه الله
- Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī رحمه الله
- Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله
- Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz bin Bāz رحمه الله
Refer to:Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah (7/374)
Al-Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Bayhaqī (9/216)
Al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim (5/216)
Fatāwā Ibn Bāz (1/820)
Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (1/585)
Maʿārij al-Qabūl (1/382)
Al-Qawl al-Jalī, p. 38
Key Points:
✔ The first group (those who permit amulets) has no strong evidence.
✔ The second group, which prohibits all types of amulets, adheres to the general prohibitions mentioned in the Sharīʿah, with no authentic exceptions recorded.
✔ If amulets were legislated, the Prophet ﷺ would have clearly taught their use — just as he did with ruqyah (blowing after reciting), where he said:
"Show me your ruqyahs; if there is no shirk in them, then there is no harm."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with al-Nawawī’s Sharḥ, Book of Salām (14/187)]But the Prophet ﷺ never said anything like this about taʿwīdh.✿ Final Advice:
It is best to avoid all forms of amulets and place complete trust in Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ never instructed anyone to wear a taʿwīdh. Even hanging a Qur'anic taʿwīdh may lead to disrespect, such as entering the toilet while wearing it.
Though the Qur'an is indeed a source of healing and mercy:
﴿وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
[Surah al-Isrāʾ: 82]— this verse doesn’t specify the method of treatment. The method has been clarified by the Prophet ﷺ: recitation and implementation, not merely hanging.
Just like honey is called a cure in the Qur'an, yet wearing a bottle of honey around the neck will not heal anyone — it must be consumed.
Similarly, merely hanging verses without understanding, reciting, or following them will not bring healing.
Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein — trust in Him is far more powerful than threads and papers.
❖ Wise Ending:
“A single word of wisdom suffices the intelligent,
but neither volumes nor manifestos benefit the ignorant.”
