Fortune Telling, Magic, and Disbelief: Lessons from Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdil-Wahhaab’s Book of Tawheed

Lessons on Fortune Telling and Magic in Tawheed: Belief and Disbelief

51st-52nd 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, 51-52nd, Lesson

By Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu ‘Abdirrahmān Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajūri – may Allāh preserve him – on the 2nd, Dhul-Qi’dah, 1443H

Chapter: What has come concerning the fortune tellers and the likes of them

Muslim reported in his Sahih from some of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever comes to a fortune teller and asks him about something so he believes him, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days."

And from Abi Hurairah may Allaah be pleased with him from the Prophet ﷺ: Whoever comes to a fortune teller and asks him about something so he believes him, then indeed he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ." 

[Reported by Abu Daawud, and the Four Imaams and Al-Haakim]

And he said: Sahih upon the condition of them both from Abi Hurairah: "Whoever comes to a fortune teller and asks him about something so he believes him, then indeed he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ."

And Abi Ya’la has the likes with a Jayyid chain from Ibn Mas’ood Mawqoof.

And from 'Imraan bin Hussein may Allaah be pleased with him Marfoo': "He is not from us the one who (believes) in evil omens, or one who fortune tells or a fortune is told for him, or one who does magic or magic is done for him; and whoever comes to a fortune teller and so believes in what he says, then indeed he has disbelieved in what was revealed upon Muhammad ﷺ." 

[Reported Al-Bazaar with a Jayyid chain. And At-Tabaraani reported it in Al-Awsat with a Hasan chain from the Hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas other than the statement “And whoever comes to” until the end]

Al-Baghawi said: Al-Arraaf: Is the one who claims he knows things through signs, he uses to lead him to the place of a stolen item and the place of a lost item, and the likes of that. And it’s said: He is a Kaahin. And a Kaahin: Is the one who informs of the affairs of the unseen which will occur in the future. And it’s said the one who informs of what is in ones concience.

And Abul-Abbaas bin Taymiyyah: Al-Arraaf: Is the name of the Kaahin and Munajjim and Rammaal and their likes, from those who speak concerning the affairs by these means. And Ibn ‘Abbaas said – concerning a people who writes Abaa Jaad and look into the stars: “I don’t see the one does that has a share with Allaah.”

In it are Masaa’il (topics):

The First: There doesn’t combine believing in a fortune teller with believing in the Quraan.

The Second: Explicitly stating that it’s Kufr.

The Third: The disbelief of the one whom fortune telling is done for.

The Fourth: For disbelief of one who believes in evil omens.

The Fifth: The disbelief of the one whom magic is done for.

The Sixth: The disbelief of the one who learns the Abaa Jaad.

The Seventh: The difference between Al-Kaahin and Al-Arraaf.

Transcribed to Arabic by:

Thaabit Al-Hadhrami 

may Allaah reward him with good

on the 2nd, Dhul-Qi’dah, 1443H

Translated by:   

Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi

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