The Messenger of Allaah said:
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him something and believes in his words, will have his prayer (Salaat) rejected for forty days."(Muslim).
He also said:
"Whoever visited a soothsayer and believed in his words, has denied the Revelation to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)" (Abu Dawud)
Jabir (RA) narrated that "Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about an-Nushrah (the act of seeking cure from magical spells/incantation), he(peace and blessings be upon him)said:
"It is one of the deeds of Satan.'' (Abu Dawud)
Ibn Qaiyim wrote that an-Nushrah is removing the effects of sorcery/spell from the affected one, and is of two types:
1) The use of magic and it is an act of Satan. The one who performs sorcery and the patient both get closer to Satan by that which he loves. Satan then removes the effect of magic from the afflicted.
2) The effects of magic can be removed by making recitation of verses of the Noble Quran, by offering legitimate prayers (Ruqyah) as well as by using pharmaceutical preparations. This type of Nushrah is Permissible.
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allaah's Messenger said:
"(There is) no 'Adwa (contagion of disease without Allaah's permission), nor is at-Tiyarah (any bad omen from birds), nor is there any Hamah (the omen of the night bird), nor is there (any bad omen in the month of Safar." (Bukhari)
Uqbah bin 'Aamir (RA) said:
"At-7iyarah (taking bad omens) was once mentioned before Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and he said:
"The best form of it is al-Fa'l (optimism or the expectation that an event will occur by AIlaah's Permission). It does not prevent a Muslim from his object. Whenever any of you sees something he dislikes, he should pray: 'O Lord, none but You bring good things! None but you prevent evil things! There is no power and no strength except in You."(Abu Dawud)
Ibn 'Amr said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Whoever is turned back by at-Tiyarah (bad omens) has committed shirk". They asked, “What makes the atonement for such a sin? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answered, "To say: '0 Lord, there is no good except the good which You bestow. There is no evil which. You decree. And there is no true God except You."(Ahmad)
Fadl bin Abbas (RA) said:
"At-Tiyarah is that which causes you to carry something out or turns you back (from your mission)." (Ahmad).
Important Issues
1. Belief in a soothsayer and faith in the Quran cannot coexist.
2. Declaration that to belief in a soothsayer is disbelief
3. Prohibition of an-Nushrah
4. The difference between the prohibited one and what is permitted for the removal of such problem
5. Negation of bad omen (at- Tiyarah)
6. Explanation of al-Fa'l in detail
7. What to say if one sees what one dislikes.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited