Islamic View on Bad Omens

Islamic View on Bad Omens

Question: What is the Shari’ah status of bad omens (badfali), bad luck (badshuguni), and misfortune (nahusat)? What is the method to avoid bad omens etc.? Also, is it true that the Prophet ﷺ said that there is misfortune in a woman, a house, and a horse…?

Answer:

Alhamdulillah:

• Before the religion of Islam, people were involved in various types of false beliefs, polytheism (Shirk), innovations, customs, bad omens, and superstitions. Accordingly, they used to decide on travel by flying birds. If the bird went towards the right, they would consider that task or journey a good omen and continue it; and if it went to the left, they would abandon that task or journey, considering it a sign of misfortune and bad luck. Similarly, they viewed certain days and months with an eye of misfortune and bad luck.
  ((As we studied in detail in the previous series number-296))
• However, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, out of His mercy, sent Muhammad Al-Arabi ﷺ to eradicate all polytheistic beliefs, corrupt thoughts, superstitions, and nonsense of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), granting a correct creed and a proper methodology. Through him ﷺ, the religion was perfected, and it was announced that this religion of Islam is pure and free from all wrong beliefs, thoughts, superstitions, nonsense, and false paths, and there remains no room for any alteration or addition in this religion until the Day of Judgment!

And he ﷺ said to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all):

ترَكْتُ فيكم أَمرينِ، لَن تضلُّوا ما تمسَّكتُمْ بِهِما: كتابَ اللَّهِ وسنَّةَ رسولِهِ

“I am leaving among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ).”

(Muwatta Malik | Book: Al-Jami | Prohibition of speaking about Qadr, Hadith No-2618)

(Al-Albani Takhrij Mishkat al-Masabih 184 • Isnad Hasan)

(Sahih al-Jami 2937 • Sahih)

(Mustadrak al-Hakim-319)

But after his ﷺ passing, people remained steadfast on the religion of Islam correctly for a few centuries until the best of generations passed. Then, various false sects began to emerge. The enemies of Islam, especially the Jews and Christians, intensified their conspiracies. Distance from the Prophetic era grew, negligence towards religion and ignorance became widespread, and Shirk, Bid’ah, false beliefs, non-religious customs, and various types of whims and nonsense began to appear among people. The religion of Islam, which Muhammad Al-Arabi ﷺ had purified from all kinds of nonsense, began to appear murky and turbid. Among these false beliefs, whims, nonsense, and innovations are bad omens and misfortune, which have entered among some so-called Muslims in the current era due to ignorance of religion and blind imitation. Whereas Islam had declared these beliefs of the Age of Ignorance as false and stated that there is no bad omen or misfortune in Islam, nor is any disease contagious [by itself].

• But today we see that the same false beliefs of the polytheists of Makkah have taken root among Muslims again. Today, Muslims are facing various false beliefs, a few of which are:

1. Sweeping the house after Asr or at night tightens sustenance.
2. Cutting nails at the shop or at night causes financial loss.
3. The mother should not leave the house for 40 days after childbirth; hanging specific leaves of a tree on houses upon a child’s birth.
4. A cat crossing the path is considered bad; the hooting of an owl on houses is a warning bell… etc.
5. Stopping the groom from leaving the house after the marriage is fixed and telling him to keep an iron object with him.
6. The mother dying at the time of birth is considered a sign of the child being wretched/unlucky.
7. Considering certain days like Tuesday, Wednesday, and the month of Safar, etc., as unlucky or heavy.
8. If a utensil breaks when a new bride arrives, she is taunted for being unlucky.
9. Good or bad omens are taken from the twitching of an eye or itching on the palm.
   Etc., etc., etc.

These were just a few examples; many other such superstitions have become the identity of every region, whereas the Shari’ah completely denies all these things.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ، وَلاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ،)

“No disease is contagious [by itself], nor is there any reality to bad omens/bad luck. Neither does the owl’s hooting (have any bad effect), nor is the month of Safar (unlucky).”

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Medicine, Chapter: La Hama, H:5757)

And in Sahih Muslim, the words are:

لَا عَدْوَى، وَلَا طِيَرَةَ، وَلَا هَامَةَ، وَلَا صَفَرَ، وَلَا نَوْءَ، وَلَا غُولَ، وَلَا يُورِدُ مُمْرِضٌ عَ

“No disease is contagious [by itself], nor is there any reality to bad omens/bad luck. Neither does the owl’s hooting (have any bad effect), nor is the month of Safar (unlucky), and the belief in the influence of stars is false, and ghosts (ghoul) have no existence.”

(Sahih Muslim | Book: As-Salam | Chapter: La ‘Adwa wa la Tiyarah… 2222)

It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ، وَيُعْجِبُنِي الفَأْلُ قَالُوا: وَمَا الفَأْلُ؟ قَالَ: كَلِمَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ)

“No disease is contagious [by itself], nor is there any reality to bad omens/bad luck, however, I like Fa’l (good omens).” The Companions (RA) asked: “What is Fa’l?” He said: “A good word (hearing it and hoping for a good outcome).”

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Medicine, Chapter: La ‘Adwa, Hadith No- 5776)

(Sahih Muslim, As-Salam, Chapter: Tiyarah and Fa’l, Hadith No-: 2224)

It is narrated from Urwah bin Amir (RA):

“Bad omens and bad luck were mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so he said: ‘The best of it is Fa’l (good omen), and it should not prevent a Muslim from his objective. So when one of you sees something he dislikes, he should say:

( اللَّهُمَّ لَا يَأْتِي بِالْحَسَنَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَلَا يَدْفَعُ السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ)

‘O Allah! None brings good things except You, and none averts evil things except You. And there is no power to do good nor strength to avoid evil except through Your help.'”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Divination and Omens, Chapter regarding Omens, Hadith No-3919)

Although this narration is Mursal, it reaches the level of Hasan Lighayrihi when combined with other narrations.

(Al-Nawawi (676 AH), Tahqiq Riyad as-Salihin 537 • Sahih)

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut (1438 AH), Takhrij Sunan Abi Dawud 3919 • Hasan Lighayrihi)

(Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1206 AH), Al-Aqidah wa al-Adab al-Islamiyyah 81 • Its Isnad is Sahih)

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Masood (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ

“Taking bad omens is Shirk, taking bad omens is Shirk. And there is none among us but (human nature suggests some superstition), but Allah removes it through Tawakkul (reliance on Him).”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Divination and Omens, Chapter regarding Omens, Hadith No_: 3910)

(Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith No-3538)

Clarification:

Meaning, relying on Allah will make this whim go away. A person should not express it if such a whim enters the heart, nor let it out of their mouth, and should rely on Allah; whatever He wills shall happen. Imam Bukhari said: Sulaiman bin Harb used to say that in my view, the saying “Wa ma minna…” to the end is the statement of Ibn Masood (RA); rather, most Huffaz have called it the speech of Abdullah bin Masood (RA).

Abdullah bin Masood (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Taking bad omens is Shirk.”

(Ibn Masood says) There is none among us in whose heart this whim and thought does not arise, but Allah Almighty removes this whim and thought due to Tawakkul.

Imam Tirmidhi says:

This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

(Jami Tirmidhi, Book: Jihad / Chapter: Regarding Tiyarah. Hadith No: 1614)

Sheikh Al-Albani said Sahih.

Meaning, to hold the belief that “Tiyarah” (bad omens) is effective in bringing benefit or harm—this belief is Shirk. And acting upon it with this belief is committing Shirk with Allah. Therefore, upon having such a thought, it is better to recite “La ilaha illa Allah”, because whoever gets a thought of a bad omen, due to reciting this and relying on Allah, Allah will remove this thought from him.

“

In a Hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Amr (RA), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ رَدَّتْهُ الطِّيَرَةُ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ “. قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا كَفَّارَةُ ذَلِكَ ؟ قَالَ : ” أَنْ يَقُولَ أَحَدُهُمُ : اللَّهُمَّ لَا خَيْرَ إِلَّا خَيْرُكَ، وَلَا طَيْرَ إِلَّا طَيْرُكَ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ ،

“Whoever is turned back from his need by a bad omen has committed Shirk.” The Companions (RA) asked: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the expiation for that?”

He said: “The expiation for it is this Dua:

(اَللَّهُمَّ لاَخَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُكَ، وَلاَطَيْرَ إِلاَّ طَيْرُكَ، وَلاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُكَ)

‘O Allah! There is no good except Your good, no omen except Your omen, and there is no deity besides You.'”

(Musnad Ahmad Hadith No-7045)

Ruling on Hadith: Hasan.

(Al-Albani Islah al-Masajid 117 • Sahih)

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut Takhrij al-Musnad 7045)

(Ahmad Shakir Musnad Ahmad 12/10 • Its Isnad is Sahih)

(And Al-Tabarani-14/35/14622)

• In all the above-mentioned Hadiths, taking bad omens is forbidden. One should always have Tawakkul (trust) and reliance on Allah and hold a good opinion of Allah even regarding bad news, that whatever Allah Pure does will Insha’Allah be for the best. No person should take a bad omen from anything, because this is Shirk.
• If there is fear of bad omens, read this Dua:
  And if there is ever a fear of bad omens arising in one’s heart, read the Dua mentioned in the above Hadith:
  اللَّهُمَّ لَا يَأْتِي بِالْحَسَنَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَلَا يَدْفَعُ السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ)“
  “O Allah! None brings good things except You, and none averts evil things except You. And there is no power to do good nor strength to avoid evil except through Your help.”
• Expiation for Bad Omens:
  And if a person believes in a bad omen out of ignorance, he should repent to Allah and recite this Dua as expiation:
  اَللَّهُمَّ لاَخَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُكَ، وَلاَطَيْرَ إِلاَّ طَيْرُكَ، وَلاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُكَ
  “O Allah! There is no good except Your good, no omen except Your omen, and there is no deity besides You.”
• Are Women, Houses, and Horses Unlucky?

It is objected by some deniers of Hadith that:

“The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Three things are unlucky: the horse, the woman, and the house’ … The purpose of this statement could be that people should avoid these unlucky things, but how can people avoid them when the Prophet himself kept one horse, eleven wives, and nine houses in his possession? If someone were to ask us, is this the saying of the same Messenger… who said ‘Marriage is my Sunnah’ … then what answer will we give? … ‘Are the women who gave birth to hundreds of thousands of Prophets and Saints, in whose laps Luqman and Plato played… are they unlucky, and are we lucky?'”

(Do Islam, p. 314)

Similarly, some Christian missionaries and atheists, to prove that Islam considers women inferior and considers them unlucky or something synonymous, quote specific narrations. Translation: Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said: Misfortune is in the woman, the house, and the horse.

(Bukhari Hadith 5772)

Similar (narrations) are reported from a few other Companions, including Hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (7710) in Mu’jam Awsat Tabarani.

• The Reality and Correct Meaning of These Narrations

Hadith deniers pick a summarized (Mujmal) Hadith from the collection of Hadith and then start drawing their own conclusions to inflame public sentiments against Hadith. In this objection too, the objector has used exaggeration and color based on a specific narration. The reality is that these noble Companions heard a part of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement; their misunderstanding was cleared later through other Companions, and this mention is also present in the Hadith.

Just as one verse explains another verse, the same is the case with Hadith; the explanation of one Hadith is found elsewhere. If a Hadith is summarized, there is certainly a possibility of misunderstanding, but its removal can be done through other Hadiths present before or after it, but this requires research.

• The first point is that regarding the Hadith of Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that there is misfortune in a woman, a house, and a horse, the answer is present within the Hadith itself.

Please observe:

[عن عائشة أم المؤمنين:]

قيل: لعائشةَ إنَّ أبا هريرةَ يقول قال رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ: الشُّؤمُ في ثلاثٍ في الدّارِ والمرأةِ والفرسِ فقالت عائشةُ: لم يحفظْ أبو هريرةَ لأنه دخل ورسولُ اللهِ ﷺ يقول: قاتَل اللهُ اليهودَ يقولون: إنَّ الشَّؤمَ في الدّارِ والمرأةِ والفرسِ فسمع آخرَ الحديثِ ولم يسمع أولَه،

It was mentioned to Aisha (Mother of the Believers) regarding what Abu Huraira says, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Misfortune is in three things: in the house, the woman, and the horse.” Aisha (RA) said: “Abu Huraira did not preserve (memorize) it correctly because he entered while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was saying: ‘May Allah fight the Jews, they say: Indeed, misfortune is in the house, the woman, and the horse.’ So he heard the end of the Hadith and did not hear the beginning.”

(Musnad Abu Dawood Tayalisi 3 Vol/124 Hadith-1630)

(Musnad al-Shamiyyin by Tabarani 4/ 342)

Although there is a break (Inqita) in the chain of this narration as Imam Makhool’s hearing from Aisha (RA) is not proven, Allama Al-Albani (RA) places it in the grade of Hasan in Silsilah Sahihah due to the support of other narrations.

(Al-Albani Silsilah Sahihah 2 Vol/690) / Its Isnad is Hasan.

A Hadith from Musnad Ahmad also supports this narration:

أَنَّ رَجُلَيْنِ دَخَلَا عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ، فَقَالَا : إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ : ” إِنَّمَا الطِّيَرَةُ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّابَّةِ وَالدَّارِ “. قَالَ : فَطَارَتْ شِقَّةٌ مِنْهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَشِقَّةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ. فَقَالَتْ : وَالَّذِي أَنْزَلَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ مَا هَكَذَا كَانَ يَقُولُ، وَلَكِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ : ” كَانَ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَقُولُونَ : الطِّيَرَةُ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّارِ وَالدَّابَّةِ “. ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ عَائِشَةُ : { مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ } إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ

Two men entered upon Aisha Siddiqa (RA) and said: “Indeed, Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to say: ‘Indeed, bad omens are in the woman, the animal (horse), and the house.'”

(Upon hearing this) she looked towards the sky and sometimes towards the earth (meaning Aisha Siddiqa RA became very angry) and Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (RA) said: “By the One who revealed the Quran to Abu Al-Qasim (Muhammad ﷺ), he did not say it like this. Rather, the Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to say: ‘(The people of Jahiliyyah used to say: Bad omens are in the woman, the house, and the animal).'”

Then Aisha Siddiqa (RA) recited this verse:

مَاۤ اَصَابَ مِنۡ مُّصِيۡبَةٍ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَلَا فِىۡۤ اَنۡفُسِكُمۡ اِلَّا فِىۡ كِتٰبٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ نَّبۡـرَاَهَا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰ لِكَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ يَسِيۡرٌۚ ۞(Surah Al-Hadid-22)

"No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy."

(Musnad Ahmad- Hadith No-26088)

(And Ishaq bin Rahwayh in his “Musnad” 1365)

(And Tabarani in Musnad al-Shamiyyin 2702)

(And Tabari in “Musnad Ali 37”)

(And Tahawi in “Sharh Mushkil al-Athar 786”)

Ruling on Hadith:

Its Isnad is Sahih on the condition of Muslim.

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut has called its Isnad Sahih on the condition of Muslim in Takhrij al-Musnad 26034)

(Allama Al-Albani (RA) has included this narration in Silsilah Sahihah)

(Allama Al-Haythami (807 AH), Majma al-Zawaid 5/107 • Its men are the men of Sahih)

(Allama Al-Ayni (855 AH), Nukhab al-Afkar 14/119 • Its Isnad is Sahih)

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut Takhrij Mushkil al-Athar 786 • • Its Isnad is Sahih on the condition of Muslim, its men are the men of the two Sheikhs except Abu Hassan Al-A’raj who is from the men of Muslim)

• Apart from Abu Huraira (RA), this same last part is also narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (RA) in a narration

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : الشُّؤْمُ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّارِ وَالْفَرَسِ .

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that misfortune is in the woman, the house, and the horse.

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No-5093)

(Sahih Muslim Hadith No-2225)

But in another place, the correction and explanation of this is also present from the tongue of Ibn Umar (RA) himself:

عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، قَالَ : ذَكَرُوا الشُّؤْمَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِنْ كَانَ الشُّؤْمُ فِي شَيْءٍ ، فَفِي الدَّارِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْفَرَسِ .

Abdullah bin Umar (RA) narrates that misfortune was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, so the Prophet ﷺ said: “If misfortune were to be in anything, it would be in the house, the woman, and the horse.”

(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No-5094)

(Sahih Muslim Hadith No-2225)

Similarly, this narration is reported with the same words from other noble Companions (RA) as well:

[عن جابر بن عبدالله و عبدالله بن عمر:]

إنْ كان الشُّؤْمُ في شيءٍ ففِي الدّارِ، والمرأةِ، والفَرَسِ

(Al-Albani (1420 AH), Sahih Al-Jami 1427 • Sahih •)

[عن عبدالله بن السائب:]

إن كان الشُّؤمُ في شيءٍ ففي المرأةِ والفرسِ والمسكنِ

(Al-Albani (1420 AH), Sahih Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 704 • Sahih)

[عن حمزة بن عبدالله عن أبيه:] إنْ كان الشُّؤْمُ في شيءٍ ففي ثلاثةٍ: في الفَرَسِ، والمَسْكَنِ، والمرأةِ.

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut (1438 AH), Takhrij Mushkil al-Athar 779 •) Its Isnad is Sahih, its men are trustworthy men of the two Sheikhs, except Yazid bin Sinan, who is from the men of Nasa’i and is trustworthy.

[عن سهل بن سعد:] إنْ كان الشُّؤْمُ في شيءٍ ففي ثلاثةٍ: في المرأةِ، والفَرَسِ، والدّارِ.

(Shuaib Al-Arna’ut (1438 AH), Takhrij Mushkil al-Athar 780 • Its Isnad is Sahih on the condition of Muslim, its men are men of the two Sheikhs except Yunus who is Ibn al-A’la al-Sadafi, who is from the men of Muslim),

In all these narrations coming from the noble Companions (RA), they are reported with the words (أن کان الشؤم)… meaning all the Companions are stating it with these words, the meaning of which is “If misfortune existed, it would be in these three things”…! Whereas the narration without the word “If” has come from only a few Companions.

• And then the clarification is also present from the Imams:

قال ابن قتيبة قي “تأويل مختلف الحديث” (ص170) :” وَأَمَّا الْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:( الشُّؤْمُ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّارِ وَالدَّابَّةِ ) ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ يُتَوَهَّمُ فِيهِ الْغَلَطُ عَلَى أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، وَأَنَّهُ سَمِعَ فِيهِ شَيْئًا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمْ يَعِهِ ” انتهى

Ibn Qutaybah (RA) says regarding the Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (RA) from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “Misfortune is in the house, the woman, and the animal,” indeed this is a Hadith in which a mistake is suspected on the part of Abu Huraira, that he heard something regarding this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but did not retain it (properly).

قال الشيخ الألباني في “السلسلة الصحيحة” (1/408) :” والحديث يعطي بمفهومه أن لا شؤم في شيء ، لأن معناه: لو كان الشؤم ثابتا في شيء ما ، لكان في هذه الثلاثة ، لكنه ليس ثابتا في شيء أصلا.

Allama Al-Albani (RA) says:

The concept of the Hadith provides that there is no misfortune in anything, because its meaning is: If misfortune were established in anything, it would be in these three, but it is not established in anything at all.

وقال الطبري في “تهذيب الآثار” (3/34) :” وأما قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم:( إن كان الشؤم في شيء ففي الدار والمرأة والفرس ) : فإنه لم يثبت بذلك صحة الطيرة ، بل إنما أخبر صلى الله عليه وسلم : أن ذلك ، إن كان في شيء ؛ ففي هذه الثلاث .

Imam Al-Tabari (RA) says: As for the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “If misfortune were in anything, it would be in the house, the woman, and the horse”: The validity of bad omens is not proven by this; rather, the Prophet ﷺ only informed that if that were to be in anything, it would be in these three.

Therefore, from all the above-mentioned Hadiths and the clarification of the Imams, it becomes clear that he ﷺ did not declare the woman to be unlucky; rather, he ﷺ criticized this thought of the Jews and called it wrong, stating that misfortune is not a thing, and if it were, it would be in these three things. And there were a few Companions who heard a part of his ﷺ statement or heard it completely but could not remember it correctly, which caused issues even during the era of the Companions, and the Mother of the Believers Sayyida Aisha (RA) cleared them up, and the original words are also proven from the group of the remaining noble Companions (RA).

• And then contrary to this, in a Sahih and clear Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ expressed this opinion about the woman:

Makhmar bin Muawiyah (RA) says:

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:‏‏‏‏ لَا شُؤْمَ وَقَدْ يَكُونُ الْيُمْنُ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَالْفَرَسِ وَالدَّارِ

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: Misfortune is nothing.

There is Barakah (blessing/good fortune) in three things: in the woman, the horse, and the house.

(Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith No-1993)

Allama Al-Albani has declared it Sahih.

(Al-Albani Sahih Ibn Majah 1633)

(Sahih Al-Albani (1420 AH), Silsilah Sahihah 2/692 • Sahih al-Isnad)

SubhanAllah!!

• In this blessed Hadith, not only did the Prophet ﷺ refute the saying of the Jews that there is no reality to misfortune, but contrary to their beliefs, he made it clear that the three things you consider to contain misfortune, according to Islam, there is blessing in these three things. Although blessing exists in many other things too, the purpose of specifically naming these three things was likely to oppose the belief of those Jews.
• The second point is that even if we hypothetically accept that the above-mentioned narrations of Aisha Siddiqa (RA) are weak and the narrations of Abu Huraira and Ibn Umar (RA) are stronger, even then, combining all Hadiths about the woman, house, and horse being unlucky, their meaning results in the fact that misfortune does not exist in anything. And if the existence of misfortune were real, it would be in the horse, the woman, and the house.

It is just like this Hadith:

Asma bint Umays (RA) submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! The sons of Ja’far at-Tayyar (RA) are very quickly affected by the evil eye; should I perform Ruqyah (incantation/blowing) for them?”

فقال: نعم، فإنَّهُ لو كانَ شيءٌ سابقَ القدرِ لسبقتْهُ العينُ

He ﷺ said: “Yes, for if anything could overtake Qadr (Divine Decree), the evil eye would overtake it.”

(Sunan Tirmidhi Hadith No-2059)

Ruling on Hadith: Hasan Sahih.

Allama Al-Albani has called it Sahih.

This means that there is no real existence of anything that overtakes Qadr; yes, if there were such a thing, it would be the evil eye because the evil eye is a very dangerous thing.

• The third point is, why were only the horse, the woman, and the house chosen for this purpose? What is common among these three?

It is that usually, a human has love for the mount, the woman (meaning wife), and the house (meaning home or wealth). These things are the cause of a human’s trial in this world. The reason for attributing misfortune to them is not that these things are inherently unlucky in themselves, because it is proven from Hadith that misfortune does not exist.

Rather, the words of the Hadith from Sahih Bukhari mentioned above are:

La Tiyarah: There is no misfortune and bad omen [Sahih Bukhari: 5754]

Therefore, here misfortune refers to these things being a Fitnah (trial) for humans. And who can disagree that a woman is a trial, or a mount or house (wealth) are trials? And the reason for them being a trial is that they are heart-alluring, full of adornment and decoration. Allah Almighty has placed great attraction in them for humans. And this very attraction is the cause of them being a trial.

Just as misfortune in a house does not mean that the house itself is unlucky, so one should become an ascetic instead of living in houses and go live in huts, jungles, or caves. Rather, misfortune in a house means that every person has a desire for a house. This creates pride, arrogance, and a sense of superiority, or shame and a sense of inferiority in the heart. And this very desire ultimately compels him to commit forbidden acts or becomes a cause of negligence in obligations. Therefore, ultimately the house, mount, or wealth become a cause of trial and tribulation for people, becoming a cause of being engrossed in the world and forgetting the Hereafter. And this is the correct meaning of attributing misfortune to the house, that the house is intrinsically an object of worldly comfort and luxury, and for this reason, it is a cause of trial for people.

Exactly in the same way, misfortune in a woman does not mean that the woman’s being is unlucky, so one should not marry at all and mourn the birth of a daughter thinking an unlucky thing has been born. Forgetting the Paradise under the mother’s feet, one considers her unlucky too. Those who derive such meanings are themselves twisted-minded people, who are accustomed to seeing every straight thing upside down in the black mirror of malice and hatred. Here too, the attribution of misfortune is in the sense of Fitnah (trial), and this is the correct meaning that since the woman herself is an object of adornment, Allah Almighty has placed attraction in her, made her a thing of beauty and decoration. Therefore, due to her, a human falls into trial.

Sheikh Saleh Al-Muslah (Hafizahullah) writes in response to a question:

Scholars have several opinions regarding these Hadiths: Thus, a group of scholars says that this Hadith does not inform about the existence of misfortune in anything in reality, but rather it is merely a notification that if hypothetically Allah Almighty had created misfortune in anything, it would be in these three things; in this regard, it is not an affirmation of misfortune in these three things.

And some say that attributing misfortune to these three things is metaphorical, and it means that misfortune is not originally obtained from these things but sometimes it is close to it.

One opinion is that misfortune in the house refers to a bad neighbor, misfortune in the woman refers to her being barren, and misfortune in the horse refers to not performing Jihad on it.

And some say that this is among the Hadiths that negate misfortune, as in the previously mentioned narrations of Ibn Umar and Abu Huraira (RA), Imam Bukhari (5755) and Imam Muslim (2223) narrated through the path of Imam Zuhri from Abdullah bin Abdul Barr bin Utba that the Prophet ﷺ said: There is no reality to bad omens, and the best in it is Fa’l (good omen).

And some said that the misfortune of taking omens in these things will fall upon the one who considers it unlucky and does not rely on Allah Almighty; and whoever relies on Allah Almighty and turns to Him with a sincere heart, then it will not cause him any harm.

And some say that it is not a negation of the positive aspects within misfortune, but a negation of the misfortune existing in its essence itself. As for the positive thing, sometimes it is Allah Almighty’s decision that it becomes a cause of misfortune for its owner and brings him harm; this last meaning is what appears to be the opinion of Imam Malik (RA).

Scholars have debated this at great length, but the most comprehensive opinion I found is what Ibn al-Qayyim (RA) mentioned in Miftah Dar al-Sa’adah (254), and Hafiz bin Hajar (RA) mentioned in Fath al-Bari (6/60-63), and Ibn Abdul Barr (RA) mentioned in Tamhid (278/9), and the answer to what they all mentioned is present in our previously mentioned and quoted answer.

As for the rest, the answer that seems closest to the truth (Aqrab ila al-Sawab) to me among all these answers is that the news given about the lack of contradiction regarding the negation of taking omens, and the misfortune attributed to the woman, horse, and house, means that misfortune, loss, and harm in these three things happen according to the decision and will of Allah Almighty, not because of these things. Because everything happens according to the will and pleasure of Allah Almighty, so this illusion is not correct that the source and cause of misfortune are these things when some unpleasant event occurs through them. And Allah knows best.

(https://almosleh.com/ur/44750)

The summary of all this is:

Regarding what has been said in the Hadith that if misfortune were in these three things, understand well what is meant by misfortune.

Some commentators say that misfortune of the house refers to the tightness of the house and bad neighborhood, meaning a house that is tight and dark and its neighborhood is bad, that house becomes a cause of pain and distress. Misfortune of the woman refers to the excessiveness of dowry, her bad temper, sharp tongue, and infertility; meaning a woman whose dowry is set high, who is ill-tempered, sharp-tongued, and barren, such a woman becomes a source of pain and vexation instead of comfort and peace. Similarly, misfortune of the horse refers to it being mischievous, slow-paced, and not being used for Jihad while mounted; meaning a horse that troubles due to its playfulness, is slow, and is not used for Jihad, that horse holds no value for its owner.

As the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

عن سعد بن أبي وقاص ، قال: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

( أَرْبَعٌ مِنَ السَّعَادَةِ: الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ ، وَالْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ الْهَنِيءُ ، وَأَرْبَعٌ مِنَ الشَّقَاوَةِ: الْجَارُ السُّوءُ ، وَالْمَرْأَةُ السُّوءُ ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الضِّيقُ ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ السُّوءُ )

Narrated by Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Four things are from happiness: A righteous wife, a spacious house, a righteous neighbor, and a comfortable mount. And four things are from misery: A bad neighbor, a bad wife, a bad mount, and a narrow house.”

(Ibn Hibban in his “Sahih” 4032)

(And the Hadith was authenticated by Sheikh Al-Albani in “Silsilah Sahihah” 282)

Some scholars say that the purpose of expressing misfortune in these three things is actually to state that if hypothetically the existence of misfortune in anything had any reality, it would be in these three things. Thus, this explanation makes it clear that the existence of misfortune in anything is meaningless. Therefore, saying that such and such thing is unlucky or there is misfortune in such and such thing is only a matter of illusion which has no relation to reality. Because if misfortune were actually to be in anything, it would definitely be in these three things because these three things could be capable of misfortune. Thus, this saying is similar to what has been said in a narration that if anything were outside the circle of Qadr (Decree), it was the evil eye. Meaning, every movement and motion of the universe and every atom here is bound by Qadr; in this world, only that appears which has already been decreed; nothing is outside Qadr. And if, hypothetically, anything were outside the circle of decreed matters, it is the evil eye (what is commonly called ‘nazar lagna’). Therefore, just as the purpose of this saying is not to show that the evil eye is outside the scope of Qadr, similarly, the purpose of mentioning misfortune with the above three things is not that there is misfortune in these three things.

And some scholars say that through this noble saying, the people of the Ummah have actually been taught that if someone has a house in which he dislikes living, or someone has such a wife with whom companionship and intimacy are unpleasant to him, or someone has a horse that does not seem good to him, then in these cases, these things should be abandoned. Meaning, the house owner should move from that house, the one with the wife should divorce her, and the one with the horse should sell that horse!

• In the light of these explanations of the Hadith, it has become clear that this noble saying is not contrary to the prohibition of taking bad omens, nor does it mean that the woman, house, or horse are inherently unlucky.

Rather, firstly: According to the Hadith of Aisha Siddiqa (RA), this was the belief of the Jews that the woman, house, and horse are unlucky, which the Holy Prophet ﷺ refuted, saying that misfortune has no reality. And opposing them, he stated that Barakah (blessing) is in these three things: the house, the horse, and the woman.

Secondly: Even if it is understood from these Hadiths that these three things can be unlucky, even then their misfortune is not in their essence but is taken in the sense of misfortune due to some cause. It is usually these three things that a human loves more, these three things become a greater trial for a human, and these are the three things from which a human also suffers more pain because a human spends more time with them. And this misfortune, in the sense of pain, is included in these three things when these three things become a cause of pain instead of bringing comfort to the human. Otherwise, inherently, neither is there any misfortune in these three things, nor is misfortune found in anything other than them. And generally, what people say, that this house is unlucky, or such a woman, or such a horse, or such a day, or such a month, or such a place, etc… this matter is not proven from any Hadith, nor is holding such a belief Islamically permissible.

( And Allah Almighty knows best the truth )

Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/1192