The Reality of Evil Omens in Islam: Lessons from the Book of Tawheed

Chapter: What has come concerning evil omens

54th-56th Lesson from the Book of Tawheed by Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad bin Abdil-Wahhaab

بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم

From the commentary on the Book of Tawheed by Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad bin Abdil-Wahhaab may Allaah have mercy on him, 54th-56th, Lesson

By our Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu ‘Abdirrahmān Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajūri – may Allāh preserve him – on the 7th, Dhul-Qi’dah, 1443H

Chapter: What has come concerning evil omens

And His statement:

(ُأَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَٰٓئِرُهُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُون) 

"Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allah, but most of them do not know." 

[Al-A’raaf: 131] 

And His statement:

(قَالُوا۟ طَٰٓئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْۚ أَئِن ذُكِّرْتُمۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ) 

"They said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people."

[Yaa Sin: 19]

And from Abi Hurairah may Allaah be pleased with him that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "There is no contagion, nor any evil omens/bad luck, neither in owls or in (the month of) Safar."

[Reported by Bukhaari and Muslim]

And Muslim added: “Nor is there (things occurring due to) stars or (the existence of) ghosts/zombies.”

And they have from Anas, he said: "The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "There's no contagion nor is there evil omens/bad luck, and I like optimism." They said: "And what is optimism?" He said: "(Speaking things into existence through) good words."

And with Abi Daawud with an authentic chain from 'Uqbah bin' Aamir, he said: "I mentioned evil omens to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, so he said: "The best thing is being optimistic, and don't chase away a Muslim, and if any of you sees what he dislikes then let him say: "Allaahumma none comes with good things except You, and none repels the evil except You, and there is no might nor power except with You."

And they have from Ibn Mas'ood, he said: "(Believing) in evil omens/bad luck is Shirk, evil omens is Shirk, and there is none of us except...., but Allaah makes it go with Tawakkul. "

[Reported by Abu Daawud and Tirmidhi and he authenticated it, and made the end of it the statement of Ibn Mas’ood]

And with Ahmed from the Hadeeth Ibn 'Amr: "Whoever is repelled from fulfilling his need due to evil omens has committed Shirk, they said: "So what's the expiation of that?" He said: "To say: Allaahumma there is no good except Your good, and there is no evil omen except Your evil omen, and there is no god other than You."

And he has a Hadeeth of Al-Fadhl bin Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with him: “Verily evil omen is what stalls you or repels you.”

In it are Masaa’il (topics):

The First: Bringing attention to his statement:

(ُأَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَٰٓئِرُهُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ) 

"Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allah, but most of them do not know." 

[Al-A’raaf: 131] 

Along with:

(طَٰٓئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْۚ) 

"They said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people."

[ Ya Sin: 19]

The Second: Negating contagion.

The Third: Negating evil omens/bad luck.

The Fourth: Negating owls being evil omen.

The Fifth: Negating (the month of) Safar being an evil omen.

The Sixth: That optimism is not from that, rather recommended.

The Seventh: The explanation of optimism.

The Eighth: That what falls into the heart from that along with hating it doesn’t harm, rather Tawakkul rids it.

The Nineth: The mentioning of what to say from whoever finds it.

The Tenth: Explicitly stating that evil omens are Shirk.

The Eleventh: The explanation of blameworthy evil omens.