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Islam: Questions And Answers: Volume 2: Basic Tenets of Faith (Belief) - Part 2

by Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman

PAGES: 452 (6 in x 9 in)
ISBN: 1861790880

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Basic Tenets of Faith (Belief) - Part 2

Belief in the Jinn, witchcraft and the evil eye

48967: Undoing witchcraft by using witchcraft like it

Question:

Is it permissible to undo witchcraft by using witchcraft?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah and his family and companions.

Undoing the effects of witchcraft on one who has been bewitched means that one of the following two scenarios must apply:

1 _ That the ruqyahs prescribed in sharee'ah and the prayers for refuge with Allaah that are narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and permissible medicines are used. There is nothing wrong with that, but one must be careful to adhere to the guidelines prescribed in Islam with regard to ruqyah. See question no. 12918.

2 _ That the witchcraft is treated by means of witchcraft, which means getting close to the jinn by means of offering sacrifices and other kinds of acts of worship. This is not permissible, because this is a devilish action, and indeed it is major shirk and we must avoid it. Similarly it is not permissible to treat the problem by asking fortune-tellers, soothsayers and magicians for help and doing what they say, because they are not believers and they are liars and evildoers who claim to have knowledge of the unseen and who deceive people. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against going to them and believing what they say. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days." And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)." The practitioners of witchcraft are kaafirs and it is not permissible to go to them or to ask them about anything or to believe them.

It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about nashrah. He said: "It is the work of the Shaytaan." Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, 3/294; Abu Dawood in his Sunan, 3868, with a jayyid isnaad. Nashrah means undoing witchcraft by means of witchcraft. What the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant by nashrah is that which the people of the Jaahiliyyah used to do, when they would ask the practitioners of witchcraft to undo spells, or undoing witchcraft by means of a spell from another practitioner of witchcraft.

With regard to undoing witchcraft by means of ruqyah and prayers for refuge with Allaah as prescribed in sharee'ah, and permissible kinds of medicine, there is nothing wrong with that. This was stated by Ibn al-Qayyim and Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan in Fath al-Majeed, and also by other scholars. Allaah is the One Whom we ask to keep the Muslims safe from all evils and to preserve their religious commitment and help them to understand their religion, and to keep them safe from everything that goes against His laws. May Allaah send peace and blessings upon His slave and Messenger Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

See Majmoo' Fataawa Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him, 3/280.

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39736: What is meant by the devils being chained up in Ramadaan?

Question:

What do you say about the devils being chained up in Ramadaan?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Al-Bukhaari (1899) and Muslim (1079) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up."

The scholars differed as to the meaning of the devils being chained up in Ramadaan.

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said, quoting al-Haleemi: It may be interpreted at meaning that the devils are not able to tempt the Muslims as they are at other times because they are busy with the fast which controls their desires, and with reading Qur'aan and dhikr (remembrance of Allaah). Another scholar _ someone other than al-Haleemi _ said that what is meant by the devils is some of them, namely the maarids (strong devils), who are chained up.

`Iyaad said: it may be interpreted in a literal sense, and that is as a sign to the angels that the month has begun, and in veneration of its sanctity, and so as to prevent the devils from harming the Muslims. And it may be interpreted as referring to the great amount of reward and forgiveness, and that the devils tempt people less, so it is as if they are chained up. This second interpretation is supported by the fact that according to a report narrated by Yoonus from Ibn Shihaab which is recorded by Muslim it says "the gates of mercy are opened". The chaining up of the devils may also be understood as a metaphor for them being unable to tempt people and make their whims and desires attractive to them. Al-Zayn ibn al-Muneer said: The first view is most likely to be correct, and there is no need to try to understand it in anything other than the literal sense.

Fath al-Baari, 4/114.

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) "and the devils are chained up," _ yet we still see people suffering from epilepsy during the day in Ramadaan, so how can the devils be chained up when some people are suffering epileptic fits?

He replied: In some versions of the hadeeth it says "and the strong devils (maarids) are chained up" _ this is narrated by al-Nasaa'i. This hadeeth is speaking of matters of the unseen, so we have to accept it and not discuss it any further. This is safer for a person's religious commitment. Hence when `Abd-Allaah, the son of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to his father, "Some people suffer epileptics fits during the day in Ramadaan," the Imam said: "This is what the hadeeth says and we do not discuss this."

Moreover it seems that what is meant by their being chained up is that they are prevented from tempting people, based on the fact that there is a great deal of goodness and many people turn to Allaah during Ramadaan.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 20.

Based on this, the chaining up of the devils is something that happens in a real sense, about which Allaah knows best. This does not mean that evil things do not happen or that people do not commit sin. And Allaah knows best.

See also question no. 12653.

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45659: How can a person know who has envied him, and how should the one who has been envied be treated?

Question:

Is it possible for a person who has been affected by envy (hasad) to know whether the envy came from himself or from another person? What is the remedy in either case?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

If a person looks at something he has with admiration and he does not pray for barakah (blessing) for it, by saying "Baarik Allaahu fihi (may Allaah bless it)" and the like, and this thing is then affected in some way, then it is possible to know that he has inflicted hasad on himself.

It is not possible to know that a specific person is the one who has envied you, except in circumstances such as those described above, such as if a person enters your shop and starts to admire it but does not pray for it to be blessed, then things in the shop get broken or damaged.

This applies in cases where the effect is seen straightaway. But if a long time passes before something happens, then we cannot be certain that a specific person has envied him.

There are means that some people use to find out who has put the evil eye on something or someone, but these are not prescribed or approved of in sharee'ah, rather they are devilish means, such as imagining (the person who caused it) during recitation of Qur'aan as a remedy, or seeking the help of the jinn and devils (shayaateen) to find out such things.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

With regard to imagining (the person who caused it) during recitation of Qur'aan as a remedy, this is a devilish procedure which is not permitted, because it is seeking the help of the devils (shayaateen), who appear to the sick person in the form of the one who afflicted him. This is something that is haraam, because it involves seeking the help of the devils, and because it stirs up enmity between the people, and spreads fear and mistrust among people, so it comes under the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression"

[al-Jinn 72:6]

They said: It is not permissible to seek the help of the jinn in order to find out what has been done and how it should be treated, because seeking the help of the jinn is shirk. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression"

[al-Jinn 72:6]

And He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): `O you assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men,' and their Awliyaa' (friends and helpers) amongst men will say: `Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us.' He will say: `The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allaah may will. Certainly your Lord is AllWise, AllKnowing'"

[al-An'aam 6:128]

What is meant by benefiting from one another is that the humans venerated the jinn and humbled themselves to them and sought their help, so the jinn served them and did what they wanted, and brought them what they asked for _ including telling them the nature and causes of sickness, things which the jinn can see but humans cannot. But they may tell them lies because they cannot be trusted and it is not permissible to believe them.

Majallat al-Da'wah, no. 1682.

Secondly:

With regard to treating one who has been affected by envy, there are two ways of doing this:

If the person who envied him is known, he may be asked to do ghusl and the water used should then be poured on the "victim". If he is not known then the remedy is by means of ruqyah and the dhikrs prescribed in sharee'ah.

For more details on the evil eye and envy (hasad), and the differences between them, and how to protect oneself against them, please see the answers to questions no. 20954. 7190, 11359, 12205.

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42073: There is a jinni in his house

Question:

I was living in flat in sharjah,after some month passed i realised the fingure print with blood was on the wall and on the floor and the same day the noise started coming, so i left that flat and move to another one, in that also the same thing happened, then i send my family back hone, now i am staying with my freind,their also i realise the noise, but if i stayed alone, then it trouble me lot, i used to prayer 5 time and receit the quran in morning and while going to bed i read shura al-muzzammil 7 time & shura al-mulk. Now slowing its reducing. Please could u tell me what step i should take.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

These noises and actions may come from the jinn. The jinn are part of the creation of Allaah whose existence we must believe in, because Allaah mentions them in many verses of the Qur'aan, and there is even a soorah named for them, namely Soorat al-Jinn. Their existence is a matter upon which there is consensus.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

All nations believe in the jinn and they have had many encounters with them, which it would take too long to describe. No one denies the existence of the jinn except for a very few ignorant philosophers and doctors and the like.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 19/32

Their powers are greater than those of man, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"An `Ifreet (strong one) from the jinn said: "I will bring it [the throne of the Queen of Saba'] to you before you rise from your place"

[al-Naml 27:39]

There was a great distance between Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) and the Queen of Saba' (Sheba).

Allaah has enabled the jinn to change shape and to fly, etc, but despite their great powers they have no control over the righteous slaves of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And AllSufficient is your Lord as a Guardian"

[al-Isra' 17:65]

"And he (Iblees Satan) had no authority over them, except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is in doubt about it"

[Saba' 34:21]

Even the Shaytaan acknowledged this and said: "[Iblees (Satan)] said: `O my Lord! Because You misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.

Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them'"

[al-Hijr 15:39-40 _ interpretation of the meaning]

Rather he has control over those people who agree with his kufr and follow him willingly, as Allaah tells us (interpretation of the meaning):)

"Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghaawoon (Mushrikoon and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evildoers)"

[al-Hijr 15:42]

Allaah may give them [the jinn] power over believers because of their sins, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah is with the qaadi (judge) so long as he is not unjust; if he is unjust then Allaah has nothing to do with him and will cause the Shaytaan to stay with him." Narrated by al-Haakim and al-Bayhaqi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 1823.

The Muslim must, above all else, arm himself with the weapon of faith and righteous deeds, for these are the best provision he may have and the best means of foiling the plots of the devils among mankind and the jinn.

You have to strengthen your relationship with Allaah, for He is the One on Whom you should depend. Remember Allaah a great deal in all situations, and strive to keep your tongue busy constantly with dhikr (remembrance of Allaah). No one can find any better protection against the Shaytaan than the remembrance of Allaah. It was narrated in a saheeh report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that Allaah enjoined five things upon Yahya ibn Zakariya, which he was to do and to command the Children of Israel to do, one of which was: "I command you to remember Allaah, for the likeness of that is that of a man whose enemy comes after him, until he comes to a strong fortress where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect himself against the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Constantly recite the dhikrs narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as the dhikr when entering the toilet, when having intercourse, when hearing the braying of a donkey, when entering the house, in the morning and the evening, when going to sleep, and in other circumstances and at other times for which a specific dhikr has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

These dhikrs have been compiled in books such as al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi, al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah, and Husn al-Muslim by al-Qahtaani [the later is available with English transliteration and translation under the title "Fortress of the Muslim _ Invocations from the Qur'an and Sunnah", published by Darussalam, Riyadh _ Translator].

You should also read a lot of Qur'aan in the house, especially Soorat al-Baqarah. Ahmad (7762) and Muslim (780) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not make your houses (like) graveyards, for the Shaytaan flees from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is read."

You should also purify your house of everything in which there is disobedience towards Allaah, such as keeping images and dogs. Abu Talhah (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3322; Muslim, 2106.

If there are no angels in the house, it will become a dwelling for the devils.

With regard to reading Soorat al-Muzzammil and al-Mulk when going to sleep, there are reports that indicate that it is mustahabb to recite Soorat al-Mulk before sleeping. Al-Tirmidhi (2892) narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used not to sleep until he has recited Alif-Laam-Meem Tanzeel (al-Sajdah) and Tabaarak alladhi bi yadihi'l-mulk (Soorat al-Mulk). Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

With regard to Soorat al-Muzzammil, there is no report to indicate that it is mustahabb to recite it when going to sleep. And Allaah knows best.

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9574: Frightening dreams

Question:

I am a young sister who got married recently to a man with very good character and deen, masha-Allah. Since I have got married, I frequently have very frightening dreams about my husband and others I love.
Before marriage I never had frightening dreams as I always make my adhkaar at bedtime. Sometimes I see that there are jinns inside other people and I am trying to fight them by reciting ayatul-Kursi, but they are stopping me from doing so. I cannot sleep at night and wake up several times. One good sister suggested to me that it may be the evil eye brought on by others who are jealous. If that is the case, then please could you guide me as to what I can do about this problem as it is very distressing. May Allah Reward you greatly for your advice.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Undoubtedly the frightening dreams that this sister sees are from the accursed Shaytaan who is trying his hardest to prevent people from following the true religion and keep them away from their Lord Whom they worship, and he wants to cause grief to the believers. But his plots against the pious close friends of Allaah are weak and insignificant, especially against those who fortify themselves with ruqya as prescribed in sharee'ah day and night.

Secondly:

You should note that the best way in which the Muslim can protect himself against the Shaytaan is to remember Allaah. According to the hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2863), Allaah commanded Yahya ibn Zakariyya (peace be upon him) to tell the Children of Israel to do five things, including the following:

"I command you to remember Allaah, for the likeness of that is that of a man who enemy comes after him, until he comes to a strong fortress where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect himself against the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah."

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmdihi.

If the Muslim fears Allaah in all his affairs, and adheres to that which Allaah has commanded and avoids that which He has forbidden, and he constantly remembers Allaah, praying and fasting and other kinds of worship, and he fortifies himself by reading Qur'aan night and day, out loud and silently, and he regularly recites the wirds and dhikrs prescribed in Islam for the morning and evening, and when eating, drinking, getting dressed and going to sleep, then the Shaytaan will go away from him, blameworthy and defeated, and will have no power to do anything to him. How can it be otherwise when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allaah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taaghoot (Satan). So fight you against the friends of Shaytaan (Satan); ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan (Satan)" [al-Nisa' 4:76]?

The Shaytaan only comes close to those who are far away from their religion and Qur'aan. The Shaytaan may try to divert the righteous from the straight path, in order to ruin their lives and religious commitment and worldly interests. But protection may be sought against him in the manner described above. You can also refer to the books of dhikr such as al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi; `Aml al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah by al-Nasaa'i; `Aml al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah by Ibn al-Sunni; and other books of dhikr that deal with this topic, or books of Sunan in general. If you do that we hope that your situation will improve and you will find peace of mind, and Allaah will change your situation to a better one.

Among the dhikrs with which we advise you to recite regularly are the following:

1 _ Adhkaar for morning and evening.

(a) Reciting every evening the words, "A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created)."

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, I am suffering because of a scorpion that stung me yesterday." He said, "If you had said in the evening, A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),' it would not have harmed you. Narrated by Muslim.

Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to say that in every place where we stop (when travelling).

It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakeem al-Salamiyyah said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "Whoever makes a stop in some place, then says, `A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),' nothing will harm him until he moves on from that place." Narrated by Muslim, 2708.

(b) It was narrated that `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no person who says in the morning and evening of each day, `Bismillaah illaahi laa yadurru ma'a ismihi shay'un fi'l-ard wa la fi'l-sama' wa huwa al-samee' ul-`aleem (In the name of Allaah with Whose name nothing is harmed on earth nor in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing)' three times, but nothing will harm him."

Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, 3388; also narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3869. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

(c) Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and al-Mu'awwidhaat before going to sleep.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started grabbing handfuls of the food. I took hold of him and said, `I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).' He said, `I will teach you some words by means of which Allaah will benefit you.' I said, `What are they?' He said, `When you go to your bed, recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…" [al-Baqarah 2:255] _ until he completed the aayah. Then Allaah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night?' I said, `O Messenger of Allaah, he taught me something, and claimed that Allaah would benefit me by it.' He said, `What was it?' I said, `He taught me to recite Aayat al-Kursiy when I go to bed, and said that no shaytaan would come near me until morning, and that Allaah would appoint a guard for me who would stay with me.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `He told you the truth, although he is an inveterate liar. That was the Shaytaan.'" Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101; Muslim, 505.

There are many such dhikrs; we do not have room to mention them all here.

Thirdly:

With regard to the hasad (envy) and the evil eye of which you speak, it may be that this harm has come to you through hasad. Protection against that is to be sought by reciting the dhikrs prescribed in sharee'ah.

It was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn. He said: `Your father [i.e., Ibraaheem] used to seek refuge with Allaah for Ismaa'eel and Ishaaq with these words: A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli `aynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every bad eye).'"

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3191.

With regard to the remedy:

It was narrated from Ibn `Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The evil eye is real, and if anything were to overtake the divine decree (al-qadar) it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath"

Narrated by Muslim, 2188.

If you know that the evil eye has been put on you by a certain person, then you should ask him to do ghusl and wudoo', then you should pour the water of his ghusl or wudoo' over yourself. The way in which this should be done has been explained by Ibn al-Qayyim, who said:

In Sunan Abi Dawood it is narrated that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The `aa'in (the one who put the evil eye on another) would be ordered to do wudoo', then the ma'een (the one on whom he had put the evil eye) would do ghusl with that water.

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that `Aa'ishah said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me or he commanded us to recite ruqyah for protection against the evil eye."

Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Sufyaan ibn `Uyayanah from `Amr ibn Dinaar from `Urwah ibn `Aamir from `Ubayd ibn Rafaa'ah al-Sarqi that Asma' bint Umays said: "O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja'far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?" He said, "Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the evil eye." Al-Tirmidhi said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth. Then he mentioned the hadeeth which described how `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah afflicted Sahl ibn Hunayf with his eye, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded `Aamir to do ghusl.

So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him, then Sahl got up and joined the people.

Al-Tibb al-Nabawi, p. 127-129.

For more information on the evil eye and the ways of dealing with it and protecting oneself against it, please see question no. 20954.

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12578: Is witchcraft real? Is it permissible to seek treatment from practitioners of witchcraft

Question:

Is there anything such as witch doctors? What should we do if someone says "I don't believe in magic" because "this is just an illusion"?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Sihr (witchcraft or magic) is a word referring to something hidden. It is real and there are kinds of witchcraft that may affect people psychologically and physically, so that they become sick and die, or husbands and wives are separated. Its effects happen by the will of Allaah. It is a devilish action, most of which is only achieved by means of shirk and drawing close to the jinn and shayaateen (devils) by means of that which they love, and it is based on associating others with Allaah (shirk).

There are doctors who are also practitioners of witchcraft, who treat people by means of seeking the help of the jinn. They claim to have knowledge of the sickness with no need to identify it, and they prescribe for the patient foods and drinks that bring him closer to his allies among the devils. He may tell them to slaughter a pig whilst saying "Bismillaah" over it, or to slaughter a permissible animal without saying "Bismillaah", or when saying the name of one of the devils.

This is kufr or disbelief in Allaah, and it is not permissible under any circumstances to go to people like these. The hadd punishment for these people is execution. It has been proven from three of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) that the practitioners of witchcraft are to be put to death.

The Standing Committee was asked a question about this matter, in which it was said:

Please note that in Zambia there is a Muslim man who claims that he has with him a jinn, and the people come to him and ask him to treat their sicknesses, and this jinn states what their treatment should be. Is that permissible?

They replied:

It is not permissible for that man to use the jinn, and it is not permissible for the people to go to him seeking treatment for sickness through his using the jinn, or to meet any other need by this means.

Seeking treatment through human medical doctors and using permissible medicines is sufficient and means that there is no need for that, and it keeps people safe from the sorcery of the magicians.

It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days." Narrated by Muslim.

And it was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan and by al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad."

This man and his companions from among the jinn are regarded as being among the fortune-tellers and soothsayers, so it is not permissible to ask them anything or to believe them.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/408, 409

Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz said:

Given that there are so many charlatans lately, who claim to be doctors and to treat people by means of magic and witchcraft, and they have become widespread in some countries and they exploit the naïveté of the ignorant, I thought that in the spirit of sincerity towards Allaah and His slaves, that I should explain the grave danger that this poses to Islam and the Muslims, because it involves dependence on something other than Allaah and going against His command and the command of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so I say, seeking the help of Allaah:

It is permissible to seek treatment according to scholarly consensus. The Muslim may go to a doctor to seek treatment for internal diseases, injuries, nervous complaints, etc, so that he can identify the disease and treat it in an appropriate manner, using medicines that are permissible according to sharee'ah, based on his knowledge of medicine, because this comes under the heading of using the ordinary means, and it is not contrary to the idea of putting one's trust in Allaah. Allaah has sent down the disease but He has also sent down with it the cure; those who know it know it and those who do not do not. But Allaah has not created the healing for His slaves in that which He has forbidden to them, so it is not permissible for the sick person to go to a soothsayer who claims to know the unseen, in order to find out from them what is wrong with him. And it is not permissible for him to believe what they tell him, because they speak of the unseen without knowledge, or they summon the jinn and seek their help in doing what they want. The ruling on these people is that they are kaafirs and misguided, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen. Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days." And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)." Narrated by Abu Dawood and by the four authors of al-Sunan; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)." And it was narrated that `Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He does not belong to us who observes bird omens or has that done for him, or who seeks divination or who has that done for him, or who practices witchcraft or has that done for him. Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)." Narrated by al-Bazzaar with a jayyid isnaad.

These ahaadeeth demonstrate that it is forbidden to go to soothsayers, fortune-tellers, witches and the like, and ask them questions and believe them, and a warning is issued to those who do that. Community leaders and those in positions of power and authority must forbid going to fortune-tellers, soothsayers and the like, and not allow anyone who deals in such things to operate in the marketplaces or elsewhere. They should denounce them emphatically, and denounce those who go to them. We should not be deceived by the fact that they may get things right sometimes, or by the fact that many people go to them, because they are ignorant and the people should not be deceived by them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to them, asking them questions and believing them, because that is a great evil, a serious danger and leads to bad consequences, and because they are immoral liars. These ahaadeeth also indicate that soothsayers and witches are also kaafirs, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen, which is kufr, and because they only reach their goals by serving the jinn and worshipping them instead of Allaah, which is kufr or disbelief in Him and associating others with Him (shirk). The one who believes them and their claims to have knowledge of the unseen is like them. Everyone who goes to these people and deals with them, is disowned by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is not permissible for the Muslim to accept what they claim is a kind of treatment, such as their muttering mumbo-jumbo or pouring lead and other kinds of nonsense that they do. This is a kind of sorcery and deception of the people. Whoever accepts that is helping them in their falsehood and kufr.

Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 3/274-281.

Secondly:

With regard to witchcraft (sihr), it is real and is not an illusion, and it may have an effect by Allaah's leave.

Al-Quraafi said: Sihr is real, and the person against whom it is done may die, or his nature or habits may be changed, even if he does not deal with it himself. This was the view of al-Shaafa'i and Ibn Hanbal…

Al-Furooq, 4/149.

The Mu'tazalis, Qadaris and some of the scholars held a different view, but no attention should be paid to that. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed that it is real before there appeared those who denied that.

The evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah concerning that is as follows:

1. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not"

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

This verse clearly indicates what we are trying to say, which is that sihr (witchcraft) is real, and that the practitioner of witchcraft may create a division between a man and his wife thereby, and that he may harm people by means of his witchcraft, but he cannot do any harm except by Allaah's leave.

2. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots"

[al-Falaq 113:4]

"those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots" refers to female witches whose witchcraft involved tying knots then blowing into them. If witchcraft were not something real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it.

3. Further evidence is provided by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was bewitched by the Jew Labeed ibn al-A'sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: The witchcraft which can cause sickness, lethargy, mental sickness, love, hatred and delusions is something that does exist and is known by the masses. Many people know it from experience.

Al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571

Thirdly:

There are many kinds of witchcraft, including illusions and deceiving the eyes. But not all sihr is like that. Some of the scholars listed different kinds of witchcraft, and counted eight kinds, the most well known of which are:

1. Knots and incantations

i.e., reciting words and mumbo-jumbo by means of which the witch is able to use the devils to do what he wants of harming the person being bewitched. But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"… but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

2. Sleight of hand.

They become skilled in this by means of practice and training to do things quickly, and bring out something hidden.

For example, the magician may bring a dove and strange it in front of the audience, then he hits it with his hand and it gets up and flies.

But in fact there was a kind of anaesthetic in his hand and he made it smell it and made the audience think that he had strangled it and killed it, then when he hits it, he wakes it up from that stupor.

3. Bewitching the eyes.

This is very common among the liars; the magician does not really put a sword in his body, rather he bewitches the eyes of the audience, and puts the sword by his side, but the bewitched people think that he puts it through his middle.

These tricksters have become well known among us, because among the audience there are those who protected themselves with Qur'aan and dhikr, and remembered Allaah a great deal whilst sitting in the gathering watching the magician, so they saw what really happened, unlike what those who were bewitched saw.

4. Using chemicals

This is done well by those who know how substances react with one another, thus producing a substance that is not affected by some other substances, such as the Sufi Rifaa'iyyah who make people think that they are not affected by fire, when in fact they coat themselves with some fireproof substances. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) challenged them to wash with hot water before entering the fire and they refused because this would have exposed their deceit.

And there are many other things that the practitioners of witchcraft do, which could not happen unless Allaah decreed it.

See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/146; Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/178; al-Sihr by Shaykh `Umar al-Ashqar.

And Allaah knows best.

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23415: Is it permissible to pray that my jinn companion becomes Muslim?

Question:

Every individual among the sons of Adam has a jinn who has been appointed to be his constant companion (Qareen). Ibn Mas'ood reports that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him says: "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, says: There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion. They said, And you too, O Messenger of Allah? He said, Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good." (Reported by Muslim)
Is it possible to pray for our Jinn to become a Muslim?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. The hadeeth you mention is a saheeh hadeeth. It was narrated by Muslim (no. 2714), but there is a difference of scholarly opinion as to the meaning of the word "fa aslama" in this hadeeth. This dispute and the most correct view was mentioned by al-Nawawi in his commentary on this hadeeth. He said:

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "There is none of you who does not have a companion (qareen) appointed for him from among the jinn." They said, "Even you?" He said, "Even me, but Allaah helped me against him fa aslama [or fa aslamu], so he only tells me to do that which is good."

There are two well-known views that have been reported. Those who read the phrase as fa aslamu said that it means, "So I am safe [aslamu] from his evil and temptation." Those who read it as fa aslama said that it means, "The qareen became Muslim [aslama] and became a believer, so he only tells me to do that which is good."

They differed as to which view is correct. Al-Khattaabi said: The correct version is fa aslamu [so I am safe]. Al-Qaadi `Iyaad thought that fa aslama [so he became Muslim] was correct, and this is the preferred version, because he then said, "so he only tells me to do that which is good." And they differed concerning the report that says fa aslama. It was said that it means he submitted in the sense of surrendering, and it appears in this form (fa astaslama _ so he surrendered) in reports narrated elsewhere than in Saheeh Muslim. And it was said that it means that he become a Muslim and a believer. This is the apparent meaning.

Abu Na'eem al-Asbahaani said in Dalaa'il al-Nubuwwah (1/185): It was said aslama meaning he believed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the only one whose qareen became a Muslim and a believer.

Based on this, having one's qareen become a Muslim was something that was unique to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

So it is not prescribed for the Muslim to pray that his qareen become Muslim, because this is overstepping the limits in du'aa' by asking Allaah for something that belongs only to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and because there is no report that the Sahaabah, who were the keenest of all people to do good and the closest to it, asked Allaah to make their qareens become Muslim, and they did not ask the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to pray for that for them when they heard this hadeeth from him. There is no report that Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthmaan and `Ali, who were very keen to do good, or their sons, did that. We have to follow the guidance of these great Sahaabah because they understood this religion properly and learned it directly from its source, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is not permissible for us to follow any path but theirs. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!"

[al-Nisa' 4:115]

This hadeeth was narrated in the context of warning the Sahaabah against the fitnah of the qareen. Al-Nawawi said: This hadeeth is a warning against the fitnah of the qareen and his whispers and temptation. [The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] warned us against him so that we can be as cautious as possible." This is what we must do, according to sharee'ah.

It is sufficient for us to recite the du'aa's that Allaah has taught us, for example:

"And say: `My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayaateen (devils).

And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me'"

[al-Mu'minoon 23:97-98 _ interpretation of the meaning]

And you should recite Soorat al-Ikhlaas and the Mi'wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan) morning and evening, as well as the dhikrs narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). You should also recite Aayat al-Kursiy before going to sleep, and Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem before doing anything, and you should seek refuge with Allaah every time you notice the whispers of the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the AllHearer, the AllKnower"

[Fussilat 41:36]

I ask Allaah to make you more keen to do good and to protect us and you from the Shaytaan and his whisperings. Ameen.

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20954: Definition of the evil eye, and ways of protecting oneself against it and treating it

Question:

What is the evil eye? I've seen this terminology been used so many time on this webpage. Can you please explain in detail?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

These follow some information and fatwas that have to do with the evil eye. We ask Allaah to benefit readers thereby.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

What is the definition of the evil eye? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from the evil of the envier when he envies"

[al-Falaq 113:5]

Is the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saheeh in which it says that "One third of those who are in the grave are there because of the evil eye"? If a person thinks that someone is envying him, what should the Muslim do and say? If the person who put the evil eye on someone washes himself, will the water he used bring healing to his victim? And should he drink the water or wash himself with it?

They replied:

The Arabic word al-`ayn (translated as the evil eye) refers to when a person harms another with his eye. It starts when the person likes a thing, then his evil feelings affect it, by means of his repeated looking at the object of his jealousy. Allaah commanded His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to seek refuge with Him from the envier, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from the evil of the envier when he envies"

[al-Falaq 113:5]

Everyone who puts the evil eye on another is envious, but not every envier puts the evil eye on another. The word haasid (envier) is more general in meaning than the word `aa'in (one who puts the evil eye on another), so seeking refuge with Allaah from the one who envies includes seeking refuge with Him from the one who puts the evil eye on another. The evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies and the one who puts the evil eye on another towards the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye is put; sometimes it hits him and sometimes it misses. If the target is exposed and unprotected, it will affect him, but if the target is cautious and armed, the arrow will have no effect and may even come back on the one who launched it.

Adapted from Zaad al-Ma'aad.

There are ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which speak of the effects of the evil eye. For example it is narrated in al-Saheehayn that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to tell me to recite ruqyah for protection against the evil eye.

Muslim, Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath." This was classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, and also by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1251.

Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi (2059, where he classed it as saheeh) narrated that Asma' bint `Umays said: "O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja'far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?" He said, "Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the evil eye." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Abu Dawood narrated that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The person who had put the evil eye on another would be ordered to do wudoo', then the person who had been afflicted would wash himself (with that water). This was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Imam Ahmad (15550), Maalik (1811), al-Nasaa'i and Ibn Hibbaan narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and traveled with him towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of al-Kharaar in al-Jahfah. There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl, and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah, one of Banu `Adiyy ibn Ka'b looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said: "I have never seen such beautiful skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin," and Sahl fell to the ground. They went to Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, can you do anything for Sahl, because by Allaah he cannot raise his head." He said, "Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?" They said, " `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah looked at him." So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called `Aamir and rebuked him strongly. He said, "Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessing for him." Then he said to him, "Wash yourself for him." So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him, then Sahl got up and joined the people and there was nothing wrong with him.

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Mishkaat, 4562.

The majority of scholars are of the view that people can indeed be afflicted by the evil eye, because of the ahaadeeth quoted above and others, and because of the corroborating reports and other evidence.

With regard to the hadeeth that you mention, "One third of those who are in the grave are there because of the evil eye," we do not know how sound it is, but the author of Nayl al-Awtaar said that al-Bazzaar narrated with a hasan isnaad from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Most of those who die among my ummah die because of the will and decree of Allaah, and then because of the evil eye."

The Muslim has to protect himself against the devils among the evil jinn and mankind, by having strong faith in Allaah and by putting his trust in Him and seeking refuge with Him and beseeching Him, reciting the prayers for protection narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), reciting al-Mi'wadhatayn [the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan], Soorat al-Ikhlaas, Soorat al-Faatihah, and Aayat al-Kursi.

Du'aa's for protection include the following:

A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created).

A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min ghadabihi wa `iqaabihi, wa min sharri `ibaadihi wa min hamazaat al-shayaateeni wa an yahduroon (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from His wrath and punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the evil promptings of the devils and from their presence).

And one may recite the words of Allaah:

"Hasbi Allaahu laa ilaaha illa huwa, `alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabb ul-`arsh il-`azeem

(Allaah is sufficient for me. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne)"
[al-Tawbah 9:129 _ interpretation of the meaning]

And there are other similar du'aa's that are prescribed in sharee'ah. This is what was meant by Ibn al-Qayyim in the words quoted at the beginning of this answer.

If it is known or suspected that a person has been afflicted by the evil eye, then the one who put the evil eye on him should be ordered to wash himself for his brother. So a vessel of water should be brought, and he should put his hand in it, rinse out his mouth into the vessel. Then he should wash his face in the vessel, then put his left hand into the vessel and wash his right knee, then put his right hand in the vessel and wash his left knee. Then he should wash inside his garment. Then the water should be poured over the head of the one on whom he put the evil eye, pouring it from behind in one go. Then he will be healed, by Allaah's leave.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-`Ilmiyyah wa'l-Ifta, 1/186

Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih al-`Uthaymeen was asked:

Can the evil eye afflict a person? How is it treated? Does being on one's guard against it contradict putting one's trust in Allaah?

He replied:

Our opinion concerning the evil eye is that it is real and is proven both by Islamic teachings and by real life experiences. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred)"

[al-Qalam 68:51]

Ibn `Abbaas and others said, commenting on this verse: this means, they put the evil eye on you with their glances. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath." Narrated by Muslim. Al-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah narrated that `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah passed by Sahl ibn Haneef when he was bathing… and he quoted the hadeeth.

Reality confirms that and it cannot be denied.

In the event that you are afflicted by the evil eye, you should use the treatments recommended in sharee'ah, which are:

1 _ Reciting ruqyah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "There is no ruqyah except in the case of the evil eye or fever." al-Tirmidhi, 2057; Abu Dawood, 3884. Jibreel used to do ruqyah for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and say, "Bismillaahi arqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheeka, min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin haasid Allaahu yashfeek, bismillaahi arqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)."

2 _ Asking the person who has put the evil eye on another to wash, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah to do in the hadeeth quoted above. Then the water should be poured over the one who has been afflicted.

With regard to taking his waste, such as his urine and stools, there is no basis for doing so; the same applies to taking any of his belongings. Rather what is narrated is that which is mentioned above, washing his limbs and washing inside his garment, or likewise washing inside his headgear and garments. And Allaah knows best.

There is nothing wrong with taking precautions against the evil eye before it happens, and this does not contradict the idea of tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allaah). In fact this is tawakkul, because tawakkul means putting one's trust in Allaah whilst also implementing the means that have been permitted or enjoined. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn and say: U'eedhukuma bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli `aynin laammah (I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every evil eye).'" Al-Tirmidhi, 2060; Abu Dawood, 4737. And he would say, "Thus Ibraaheem used to seek refuge with Allaah for Ishaaq and Ismaa'eel, peace be upon them both." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3371.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/117, 118

See also the answers to questions no. 7190 and 11359.

And Allaah knows best.

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39214: Possession and the illusions and facts that are connected to it

Question:

I have been suffering from jinn possession for nearly two years, and am not cured. What is strange is that I can feel them in my body and can control them to some degree, such as when I hear Qur'aan, I feel pain from them starting in my stomach but I am able, by Allaah's leave, to make them stop moving.

I believe that they will never leave unless Allaah wills it. So I pray to Allaah and I do not go and look for someone to perform ruqyah by reciting Qur'aan.

Praise be to Allaah, I am righteous by the grace of Allaah, but sometimes I commit some sins. What is the reason for that? What advice can you give?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There are some facts and some illusions connected to the issue of jinn possession, and among most people nowadays the illusions outweigh the facts. The Sunnis are unanimously agreed that the jinn can dwell in the bodies of humans, but that does not mean that everyone who has epilepsy is possessed by the jinn, because epilepsy may have physical causes. The pains etc. that many people feel in their bodies cannot be ascribed for certain to the actions of the jinn, rather they may be illusions or something imaginary.

So you should not pay any attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan that make you think that he has done this and that you can control it. This is one of the ways in which the Shaytaan deceives the Muslim and makes him think that he can control him, and that he has powers that in fact he does not possess. This may lead to bad consequences as has happened to many people.

You have to keep on treating yourself with ruqyah, for the Book of your Lord is available to you. Recite from it and treat yourself with ruqyah. Whether you are possessed or not, you will undoubtedly benefit from this reading and ruqyah.

For more information please see question no. 3476.

If you go to someone who is known for using ruqyah as prescribed in sharee'ah and is also righteous and keeps away from deviance and myths, there is nothing wrong with that and it may be a means of your being healed from this problem.

You have to seek the help of Allaah and pray to Him and beseech Him to prevent the plots of the devils among mankind and the jinn from harming you. Man is always in need of his Lord, and Allaah is Able to rid you of these thoughts, illusions and facts that are harming you.

And Allaah knows best.

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20105: Does Iblees have freedom of will? Why is he eager to mislead people?

Question:

After a lot of thinking I began to question the Shaytaan's character. This question might tend to limits, but I was wondering why, if he knows his final destination is Hell, does he strive to do evil? -As he is, afterall, one among the Jinns. Humans divert to evil under the influence of the Shaytaan, but under what influence does the Shaytaan do evil? Why? -Does he not know, with firm confirmation (as he has communicated with Allah) that he is fuel for Hell? As he is a Jinn, does not he, like Humans, have the freedom of choice?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. Iblees and other jinn, and humans, have free will and freedom of choice, to obey Allaah or to disobey Him, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve"

[al-Kahf 18:29]

"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful"

[al-Insaan 76:3]

Allaah commanded Iblees to prostrate to Adam, but he refused and was arrogant, and was one of the kaafirs. So Allaah expelled him from His mercy, and cursed him until the Day of Judgement.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: `Prostrate yourselves before Adam.' And they prostrated except Iblees (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allaah)"

[al-Baqarah 2:34]

"So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together.

Except Iblees (Satan) — he refused to be among the prostrators.

(Allaah) said: `O Iblees (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?'

[Iblees (Satan)] said: `I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.'

(Allaah) said: `Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajeem (an outcast or a cursed one).

And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)." [al-Hijr 15:30-35]

Then Iblees asked for a respite until the Day of Resurrection, and Allaah granted him that.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they (the dead) will be resurrected.'

Allaah said: `Then verily, you are of those reprieved,

Till the Day of the time appointed'"

[al-Hijr 15:36-38]

When Iblees was certain that he is one of those who are doomed, as well as his being arrogant and being ungrateful to his Lord, he resolved to mislead whomever he could of the slaves of Allaah, so that they would be with him in Hell.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `O my Lord! Because You misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.

Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them.'"

[al-Hijr 15:39, 40]

He is eager to mislead and corrupt, so as to increase the numbers of his followers and worshippers among the doomed who will share his fate.

Iblees knows that his destination is the Fire, and he hopes to take everyone else with him to Hell, out of envy, hatred, kufr and stubbornness.

He hates mankind, who are the children of Adam (peace be upon him), and he is hostile towards them because he is cursed and has been banished from the mercy of Allaah because of his refusal to prostrate to their father Adam. Hence Allaah has warned His slaves against him and has said:

"Surely, Shaytaan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire"

[Faatir 35:6]

Iblees does not need anyone to whisper to him, because he is the source of all evil.

The believer can be saved from his plots and traps by obeying his Lord and adhering to His religion, for the Shaytaan has no power over those who believe, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"So when you want to recite the Qur'aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one).

Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allaah).

His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Satan), and those who join partners with Him (Allaah, i.e. those who are Mushrikoon, i.e., polytheists)"

[al-Nahl 16:98-100]

And Allaah knows best.

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12653: The chaining up of the devils in Ramadaan

Question:

We know that in Ramadaan the devils (we seek refuge with Allaah from them) are chained up. And I would like to know whether the practitioners of sihr (magic, witchcraft) _ may the curse of Allaah be upon them _ practise their craft in this month?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, the devils may whisper to man in Ramadaan, and the practitioners of witchcraft may practise their craft during Ramadaan, but that undoubtedly happens to a lesser extent than at times other than Ramadaan.

It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3277; Muslim, 1079. According to al-Nasaa'i: "The most evil jinn are chained up."

This does not mean that the devils have no influence at all, rather it indicates that they become weaker in Ramadaan and are not able to do what they are able to do at times other than Ramadaan.

It may be interpreted as meaning that the ones who are chained up are the most evil devils, not all of them.

Al-Qurtubi said: If it is said, how come we see many evil actions and sins being committed in Ramadaan, for if the devils were chained up, that would not happen?

The answer is that (evil actions) are reduced on the part of those who fast meeting all the conditions of fasting and paying attention to the etiquette of fasting.

Or some of the devils _ namely the most evil ones _ are chained up, not all of them, as previously mentioned in some reports.

Or it may mean that evil actions are reduced in Ramadaan, which is something that we can see. Even though evil actions happen in Ramadaan, they are less than at other times. Even if all of the devils were to be chained up, that does not mean that no evil action would happen, because there are other causes of evil action besides the devils, such as evil souls, bad habits and the human devils.

From Fath al-Baari.

And Allaah knows best.

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6485: Iblees was not one of the angels

Question:

My friend told me that iblis (shaitan) used to be an angel. My wife says that this is not true. Could you please give me some information.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Iblees was definitely not one of the angels. This is indicated by three things: the clear texts of the Qur'aan, the physical attributes of Iblees and the attitude of Iblees.

1 _ With regard to the clear statements of the Qur'aan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: `Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.' So they prostrated themselves except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn"

[al-Kahf 18:50]

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: Iblees was never one of the angels, not even for an instant. He is the father of the jinn, just as Adam (peace be upon him) is the father of mankind.

This was narrated by al-Tabari with a saheeh isnaad as stated by Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer, 3/89.

2 _ With regard to his physical attributes, Allaah stated that He created him from fire. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery.

And the jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire"

[al-Rahmaan 55:14, 15]

and it was narrated in Saheeh Muslim (2996) from the hadeeth of `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you."

So it is clear that there is a difference between the physical nature of the angels and that of Iblees, and he is definitely not one of them.

3 _ With regard to his attitude, Iblees disobeyed Allaah by not prostrating to Adam, but we know from the Qur'aan that it is impossible for the angels to disobey Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"…angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allaah, but do that which they are commanded"

[al-Tahreem 66:6]

Some reports which are not saheeh have been narrated from some of the salaf, suggesting that Iblees was the best of the angels, that he was one of the keepers of Paradise, etc. Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on that by saying:

Many reports to that effect have been narrated from the salaf, but most of them come from the Isra'eeliyyaat (reports narrated from Jewish sources) which were narrated to be examined. Allaah knows best about the true status of many of them. There are some which can be rejected out of hand because they go against the truth that we have before us. In the Qur'aan there is sufficient information that we have no need of earlier reports, because hardly any of them are free from alterations, additions and subtractions, and many things have been fabricated in them. The earlier nations did not have scholars to examine these reports and eliminate those which are not sound, as this ummah has its imams and scholars who have great knowledge and are pious and righteous, who wrote down the hadeeth and examined it and showed what is sound and what is not, and what is fabricated, identifying the fabricators, liars and those narrators who were unknown, and other Islam & Muslims of narrators. All of that was to protect the status of the Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets and the leader of mankind (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), lest any lie be attributed to him and lest anything be attributed to him that he did not say or do. May Allaah be pleased with them and make them please and make the Paradise of al-Firdaws their abode.

Tafseer al-Qur'aan il-`Azeem, 3/90.

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6846: Interacting with the jinn

Question:

My husband has told me that in his country, many people including shiekhs have gone to talk with the jinn. He told me that when someone has an ailment they go to the jinn for help. I have told my husband that I believe that this is Haraam, but he says that it is halaal because the shiekhs do that. Could you please give me some evidence (daleel) about this matter?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1 _ Seeking the help of the jinn or turning to them to fulfil one's desires to cause harm or bring benefit is shirk or associating others in worship with Allaah, because it is a kind of mutual benefitting whereby the jinni responds to the human's requests and fulfils his needs in return for the human's veneration of the jinni, turning to him and asking for his help to do what he wants.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

"And on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): `O you assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men,' and their Awliyaa' (friends and helpers) amongst men will say: `Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us.' He will say: `The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allaah may will. Certainly your Lord is AllWise, AllKnowing.'

And thus We do make the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) Awliyaa' (supporters and helpers) of one another (in committing crimes), because of that which they used to earn"

[al-An'aam 6:128]

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression"

[al-Jinn 72:6]

If a human seeks the help of a jinni to cause harm to another person, or seeks his help for protection from the evil of a person whose evil he fears, all of that is shirk.

Whoever is like this, his prayer and his fasting are both invalid, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers"

[al-Zumar 39:65]

If a person is known for that, then the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him if he dies, his funeral is not to be attended, and he is not to be buried in the Muslim graveyard.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/407, 408

2 _ The Standing Committee was asked a similar question, which said:

I would like to inform you that in Zambia there is a Muslim men who claims that he has jinn with him, and the people go to him and ask him to heal their diseases, and this jinn prescribes medicine for them. Is that permissible?

The answer is:

It is not permissible for that man to use the services of the jinn, and it is not permissible for the people to go to him, seeking treatment for their diseases through advice from the jinn, or to fulfil any needs in this manner.

Treating disease by means of human doctors and by using permissible medicines means that there is no need for that. This should be enough to free us from the control of these charlatans.

It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days." (Narrated by Muslim)

The four authors of al-Sunan, and al-Haakim in a saheeh hadeeth, narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he said has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad."

This man and his companions from among the jinn are to be regarded as fortunetellers and soothsayers. It is not permissible to ask them anything or to believe them.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/408, 409).

And Allaah knows best.

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21383: Should he read Qur'aan for those who are affected by the jinn or focus on da'wah?

Question:

We need to make da'wah, but one of us is focusing on treating those who are affected by the jinn.
Is it permissible to neglect da'wah in order to do this deed? How should those who are affected by evil whispers from the jinn be treated? Is it permissible to accept payment for this reading?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this question and he said:

Calling people to Allaah (da'wah) is a communal obligation (fard kafaayah); if sufficient people undertake to do it, the rest are then absolved of the obligation. If a person finds that he has to do it and no one else can take his place, then it takes priority over reading Qur'aan over one who is affected by the jinn. That is because the results of da'wah are certain whereas the results of reading Qur'aan over one who is affected by the jinn may not be certain. How many people have had Qur'aan recited over them and have not benefited.

So if this man realizes that he has to do da'wah and no one else can take his place, then he must do da'wah even if that means he does not recite Qur'aan over one who is affected the jinn.

But if it is the matter of fard kafaayah, then you should look and decide what is in people's best interests. If it is possible to combine the two _ which seems to be the case _ by devoting a day for one and day for the other whilst continuing to engage in da'wah, that is better, so that he may benefit his Muslim brothers who are suffering from this affliction and so that the work of calling people to Allaah may continue at the same time.

With regard to the correct treatment of those who are affected by the jinn, that varies from one case to another, but the best is to recite Qur'aan over the person, such as the words (interpretation of the meaning):

"O assembly of jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allaah)!

Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?

There will be sent against you both, smokeless flames of fire and (molten) brass, and you will not be able to defend yourselves.

Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?"

[al-Rahmaan 55:33-36]

Because this reminds them [the jinn] that they cannot flee from Allaah. You should also recite al-Mi'wadhatayn [the last two Soorahs of the Qur'aan] and Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad [al-Ikhlaas 112] and Aayat al-Kursiy [al-Baqarah 2:255]. You may also preach to them as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah used to do, telling them, "It is haraam for you to harm the Muslims or to beat them," etc.

With regard to accepting payment for that: if he does not take money that is better, but if he takes it without stipulating payment beforehand that is acceptable. If those for whom he is reading do not carry out their duties towards the reader and he insists that he will only read for them if he is given something in return, there is nothing wrong with that, as this is what the people of the raiding party sent out by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did. It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, `Why don't you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.' So they went to them and said, `O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?' One of them said, `Yes, by Allaah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allaah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.' Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.' Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-`Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, `Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.' So they went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, `How did you know that it (al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?' Then he added, `You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.' And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled."

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2276; Muslim, 2201)

See Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh, 44. (www.islam-qa.com)

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9117: Is epilepsy caused by the jinn?

Question:

Since epilepsy is caused by jinn, how do we explain the black woman who came to the Prophet (saaws) asking for him to invoke Allah for her cure of her illness of epilepsy and coming uncovered, but there was no mention of jinn possession? Or is there a mistake in translation and it wasn't really epilepsy?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Epilepsy in most cases is caused by the jinn, and in some cases by some defect in the body, brain or nerves, or mood swings, or some weakness in the physical structure. All of these may cause loss of consciousness or unbalanced behaviour. The black woman's epilepsy may have been caused by the jinn, but there was no need to mention the cause, which is why the narrators only mentioned what needs to be done when epilepsy occurs, for whatever reason, of making du'aa' and performing ruqyah, or bearing it with patience and seeking the reward from Allaah.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

The hadeeth about the black woman is narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5652) and Saheeh Muslim (2576). In some versions of the hadeeth there is an indication that her epilepsy was caused by the jinn. For example, in a version narrated by al-Bazzaar, she said, "I am afraid that the evil one may cause me to become uncovered." Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: "It may be understood from some of the different versions of the hadeeth that what Umm Zafar was suffering from was the kind of epilepsy caused by the jinn and not that which results from dysfunction in the brain."

Fath al-Baari, hadeeth no. 5652.

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26226: Every person has a constant companion from among the jinn

Question:

Is there anything in Islam that is called the Qareen? I would like to know whether I have a Qareen. What does Islam say about this, or does it not exist at all?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. Yes, there is something which is called the qareen, which Allaah has caused to accompany every human being. This qareen pushes a person to do evil things and to disobey Allaah, with the exception of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as will be explained below.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"His companion (qareen) will say: `Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, (in disbelief, oppression, and evil deeds), but he was himself in error far astray.'

Allaah will say: `Dispute not in front of Me, I had already in advance sent you the threat.

The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed, and I am not unjust to the slaves'"

[Qaaf 50:27-29]

Ibn Katheer said: " `His companion (qareen) will say' _ Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), Mujaahid, Qutaadah and others said: this refers to the devil who is appointed to accompany him. `Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression' means, he will disown that person on the Day of Judgement, and will say, `Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression' meaning, I did not lead him astray.

`but he was himself in error far astray' means, he was misguided in himself, receptive to falsehood and resistant to the truth _ as Allaah says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning):

`And Shaytaan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: "Verily, Allaah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allaah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)."'

[Ibraaheem 14:22]

The phrase `Dispute not in front of Me' refers to what Allaah will say to the human and his companion from among the jinn, when they dispute before Him, and the human says, `O Lord, this one led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me' and the devil will say, `Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, (in disbelief, oppression, and evil deeds), but he was himself in error far astray' _ i.e., from the path of truth.

Allaah will say, `Dispute not in front of Me' meaning, in My presence. `I had already in advance sent you the threat' means, I sent the warning on the lips of the Messengers, and I sent down the Books, so proof and evidence was established against you.

`The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed' _ Mujaahid said, this means I have passed My judgement.

`and I am not unjust to the slaves' means, I do not punish anyone for the sin of another, and I only punish a person for his sin after proof has been established against him."

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/227

It was narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no one among you but a companion from among the jinn has been assigned to him." They said, "Even you, O Messenger of Allaah?' He said, "Even me, but Allaah helped me with him and he became Muslim (or: and I am safe from him), so he only enjoins me to do that which is good."

According to another report, "… There is assigned to him a companion from among the jinn and a companion from among the angels."

Narrated by Muslim, 2814

Al-Nawawi included this in a chapter which he called: Baab Tahreesh al-Shaytaan wa Ba'thihi Saraayaahu li Fitnat il-Naas wa anna ma'a kulli insaanin Qareen (Chapter on the evil of the Shaytaan and his sending his troops to tempt the people, and the fact that there is a jinn-companion with every human being).

Al-Nawawi said:

"Fa aslamu (and I am safe from him) or fa aslama (and he became Muslim). These are two well known versions. One means `and I am safe from his evil and his temptation.' The other means that `the qareen became Muslim and became a believer, so he does not tell me to do anything but good'.

There was some scholarly dispute as to the form of the word. Al-Khattaabi said that the word was Fa aslamu (and I am safe from him); al-Qaadi `Iyaad said that it was fa aslama (and he became Muslim), which is more correct, because the hadeeth says, `so he only enjoins me to do that which is good'.

They also disputed as to the meaning of the word fa aslama. Some said that it meant that he (the qareen) submitted and surrendered, as it was narrated elsewhere than in Saheeh Muslim, fa astaslama [he gave up and surrendered]. It was also suggested that it means that he became a Muslim and a believer. The latter is the apparent meaning. Al-Qaadi said: Note that the ummah is unanimously agreed that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was protected from the Shaytaan in physically, mentally and with regard what he said. This hadeeth contains a warning against the temptation of the qareen and his whispers and temptations. We know that he is with us so we should beware of him as much as possible.

Sharh Muslim, 17/157, 158

It was narrated from `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If anyone of you is praying, he should not let anyone pass in front of him; if that person insists then he should fight him for there is a qareen with him."

Narrated by Muslim, 506.

Al-Shawkaani said:

"The phrase `for there is a qareen with him'—according to al-Qaamoos [an Arabic-language dictionary] the word qareen refers to a companion; the Shaytaan always accompanies man and never leaves him. This is what is referred to here."

Nayl al-Awtaar, 3/7

And Allaah knows best.

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31216: The evil eye may be given by the kaafirs

Question:

Can the disbelievers give you evil eye?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, the evil eye may be given by a kaafir. The evidence for that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred) when they hear the Reminder (the Qur'aan)…"

[al-Qalam 68:51]

Al-Saddi said: "[This means] they would harm you with their eyes (evil eye)." Tafseer al-Baghawi, 8/202.

This is also indicated by the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "The (evil) eye is real." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5740; Muslim, 2187.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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8285: Is urinary incontinence caused by the jinn, and what should he do when praying?

Question:

I read one question about someone having trouble while making wudoo .I have similar problem, or even worst. When ever I want to pray I feel gas coming out of me, if I go to toilet for urine I spend more than 30 min but urine and other liquid keep on coming from my private part during salaat I have excessive desire to go to toilet, I have to repeat my ablution again and again this situation is really embarrassing me, it makes salaat very difficult for me and this really had affect my faith. I am sure is not a kind of illness because I have seen many doctors but no improvement, and also this problem comes only when I want to pray.

Some people said it could be a jinn which has entered my body.

Please tell me how can I do my salaat easily, can I pray more than one salaat with the same wudoo even when these things are coming out of me. If this is cause by Jinn how can I get ride of it?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Urinary incontinence and similar conditions where liquid etc, is passed involuntarily and one cannot control it, should not be given any attention, rather the person should pray according to his situation, even if that liquid etc. is emitted during prayer, because it is too difficult to avoid it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship"

[al-Hajj 22:78]

But if he fears that his body or clothes may become contaminated, he should wrap it (i.e. the private part) with a cloth or similar, and pray after doing wudoo', and he should not pay attention to anything that comes out that he cannot control. This is an ordinary kind of sickness, which is very common, and it is not caused by the jinn. Tahaarah (purity) is essential so you have to renew it (i.e., renew wudoo') for each obligatory prayer.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)

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20177: How was the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bewitched?

Question:

How was the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bewitched, when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allaah will protect you from mankind" [al-Maa'idah 5:67]? How could he have been bewitched when he was receiving Revelation from His Lord and conveying that to the Muslims? How could he convey it if he was bewitched, and the kaafirs and mushrikeen said:

"You follow none but a man bewitched"[al-Furqaan 25:8 _ interpretation of the meaning]

We hope that you could explain this and clear up these doubts.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It was proven in a saheeh hadeeth that this witchcraft took place in Madeenah, when the Revelation and the Message had become well-established and clear, and after the evidence of Prophethood and the truthfulness of the Message had been confirmed, and after Allaah had supported His Prophet against the mushrikeen and humiliated them. Then a Jewish person called Labeed ibn al-A'sam came to him and did some kind of witchcraft against him, using a comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of pollen of a male date palm. He _ the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) _ started to imagine that he had done something with his wife when he had not done it, but his reason, feelings and ability to distinguish matters remained with him with regard to the things he was telling the people, praise be to Allaah. So he continued to speak to the people of the truth which Allaah had revealed to Him. But he felt that something was affecting him with regard to his wives, as `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "He used to imagine that he had done something in the house with his wife when he had not done it. So Revelation came to him from his Lord via Jibreel (peace be upon him), telling him what had happened. So he sent someone to take that thing [the material used for witchcraft purposes] out of the well of one of the Ansaar, and he destroyed it." Then the effects of that left him, praise be to Allaah, and Allaah revealed to him the two soorahs of seeking refuge with Allaah (al-Mi'wadhatayn, the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan). He recited them and all harm left him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Those who seek refuge can never seek refuge with anything like them." Nothing resulted from this witchcraft that could have harmed the people or undermined the Message or Revelation. Allaah protected him from the people with regard to the matter of receiving and conveying the Message.

But with regard to the kinds of harm that befell the Messengers, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not protected from them, rather some such things befell him too. He was wounded on the day of Uhud, and his helmet was smashed on his head and his cheek was cut, some of the rings from his chain mail pierced his cheeks, he fell in one of the holes that were there, and they subjected him to intense persecution in Makkah. He suffered some of the things that the Messengers before him had suffered, and that were decreed for him, by means of which Allaah raised him in status and multiplied his hasanaat (reward for good deeds). But Allaah protected him from them, so that they were not able to kill him or to prevent him from conveying the Message; they were not able to prevent him from fulfilling his obligation to convey the Message, so he conveyed it and fulfilled the mission with which he had been entrusted. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, and praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

See Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him, 8/149.

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2662: Prescribed means of warding off sihr (witchcraft) before it happens

Question:

What are the prescribed means of warding off sihr before it happens?.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Among the most important means of warding off the danger of sihr before it happens is seeking protection through the adhkaar (dhikr) prescribed in Islam, making du'aa' and reciting prayers seeking refuge that were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These include:

1 _ Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy [al-Baqarah 2:255] after every prescribed prayer, after reciting the adhkaar which are prescribed after the salaam.

2 _ Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy when going to sleep. This is the greatest aayah in the Qur'aan, in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great"

[al-Baqarah 2:255]

3 _ Reciting "Qul huwa Allaahu ahad", "Qul a'oodhu bi Rabb il-Falaq" and "Qul a'oodhu bi Rabb il-Naas" [i.e., the last three soorahs of the Qur'aan] following every prescribed prayer, and reciting these three soorahs (three times) at the beginning of the day after Fajr prayer, and at the beginning of the night after Maghrib prayer.

4 _ Reciting the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah at the beginning of the night. These are the aayahs in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) `We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers' — and they say, `We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).'

Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. `Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawlaa (Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people"

[al-Baqarah 2:285-285]

And it was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites Aayat al-Kursiy at night will have ongoing protection from Allaah and no devil will come near him until morning comes." And it was also narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, that will suffice him." The meaning _ and Allaah knows best _ is that that will be sufficient protection for him against all evil.

5 _ Seeking refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created, night and day and when stopping to rest anywhere, be it in the city, in the desert, in the air or on the sea. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever stops to rest and says, `A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),' nothing will harm him until he moves on from that place."

6 _ The Muslim should say at the beginning of the day and the beginning of the night (three times): "Bismillaah alladhi laa yadurr ma'a ismihi shay'un fi'l-ardi wa laa fi'l-samaa'i wa huwa al-samee' al-`aleem (In the name of Allaah with Whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing)." According to saheeh reports, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to recite this, and this is a means of keeping safe from all evil.

These adhkaar and prayers for refuge are among the greatest means of warding off the evil of sihr (witchcraft) and other evils, for the one who recites them regularly with sincerity and faith, putting his trust in Allaah and depending upon Him, and being content with that.

They are also some of the most effective weapons for warding off sihr after it has happened, along with humbly beseeching Allaah constantly and asking Him to remove the harm and relieve the distress. Among the du'aa's which have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to treat diseases such as sihr and other things is the ruqyah by means of which he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to treat his companions: "Allaahumma Rabb al-naas, adhhib il-ba's, washfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uka shifaa'an laa yughaadir saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no healing except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any disease behind)." There is also the ruqyah by means of which Jibreel treated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Bismillaah urqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheeka, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin haasid Allaah yashfeek, bismillaah urqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from every thing that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)." This should be repeated three times. And Allaah knows best.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat al-Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8 (www.islam-qa.com)

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21124: What are the signs of sorcerers, fortunetellers and soothsayers? How can we tell who they are?

Question:

How can we known the sorcerers and charlatans, and those who use the Qur'aan as a remedy? Is it permissible to ask the Muslim jinn for help? Could you send me some of the du'aa's that are narrated from the Prophet for the one who is suffering poverty or who is finding it hard to make a living? Can you tell me about the magic which causes poverty, and is it possible to avoid it and rid oneself of it?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. The sorcerer and charlatan may be recognized by a number of things, among the most important of which is: his claim to know the unseen; even if he does not state that clearly, you will find that he speaks of matters of the unseen which may all be lies and falsehood. Some of what he says may come true but most of it will be lies, but the lies will be overlooked because of the few things that come true. Similarly, there will be a lack of righteousness, for you will not find them to be keen to worship. They are often exposed, especially in their lies, and in matters that have to do with women. It often comes to light that they have committed haraam actions involving women, such as being alone with them, or touching women using the excuse of healing.

Shaykh Sa'd al-Humayd.

Another sign of the fortunetellers, sorcerers and soothsayers is that they will ask for the name of the person who has come to them; they often use bukhoor (incense) and strange materials; they may write Qur'aan with impure substances and menstrual blood; they may ask a person to offer a sacrifice to someone other than Allaah; they use large rings; they may not do ghusl after janaabah (impurity following sexual activity); they may mutter strange and mysterious words; they may use secret signs and charms; they may pretend to recite Qur'aan in the beginning to deceive the person who has come to them.

We ask Allaah to protect us from their tricks, for He is the Best of protectors and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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13654: Wife practising witchcraft on her husband

Question:

I have divorced my wife and married another one, at the time of intercourse I felt something strange like black magic (siher) was done to me. I have consulted a SHIKH and he gave me a strange prescription. My questions are:

why couldn't I have intercourse with my new wife ? What is the ruling on that SHAIKH who is not using Quran to cure people from black magic (siher) ? I need your FATWA

jazakum Allah khyara


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The answer is: If your old wife admitted doing this or it is definitely proven that she did it, then she has committed a great evil, indeed it is kufr and misguidance, because what she did was forbidden sihr (witchcraft or magic), and the one who does that is a kaafir, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"They followed what the Shayaateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaymaan (Solomon). Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, `We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).' And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew" [al-Baqarah 2:102]

This aayah indicates that witchcraft is kufr and that the one who practices it is a kaafir. Those who practice witchcraft learn that which harms them and does not benefit them. One of their aims is to separate man and wife, and they will have chance before Allaah on the Day of Resurrection _ i.e., they will have no hope of salvation. According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he said, "Avoid the seven things which will lead to doom." He was asked, "What are they, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said: "Associating anything with Allaah; witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allaah has forbidden us to kill unlawfully; consuming riba (usury, interest); consuming the orphan's wealth; fleeing the battlefield; and slandering chaste but innocent believing women."

With regard to the shaykh who gave you the remedy, it appears that he is a practitioner of witchcraft like the woman, because no one knows about actions of witchcraft except others who do the same. He is also one of the fortune-tellers and soothsayers who are known for their claims to know many matters of the unseen. The Muslim must beware of them and not believe their claims to know the unseen, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days." (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to a fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)." So you have to repent and regret what you have done, and tell the head of the organization and the head of the court about this shaykh and your old wife, so that the court and organization will take action to deter them. If something like this happens to you again then ask the scholars of sharee'ah to tell you of the remedy prescribed in sharee'ah. If what happened to you has now gone, then praise be to Allaah, otherwise let us know so that we can tell you of the remedy prescribed in sharee'ah. May Allaah bless you and us with understanding of Islam and steadfastness in our religion, and may He keep us safe from that which goes against it, for He is the Most Generous, Most Kind.

And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol 4, p. 431 (www.islam-qa.com)

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13941: Correct ruling on one who practices magic or witchcraft

Question:

What is the correct ruling on one who practices magic or witchcraft?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Magic in all its forms in haraam according to all divinely-revealed laws, and there is scholarly consensus that magic and learning magic are haraam.

Magic goes against that which the Messengers brought and it opposes the purpose for which the Books were revealed.

Most of the scholars were of the view that the one who practices magic is a kaafir whom the authorities are obliged to execute.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic…"

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

"but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, `We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)'" [al-Baqarah 2:102]

This proves that that magic is kufr

Most of the Shaafa'i fuqahaa' were of the view that the one who practices magic is not a kaafir unless he believes that magic is permitted or he believes something like the people of Babylon believed, that practicing magic would bring them closer to the seven stars [which they used to worship].

This is subject to further debate; there is no evidence to suggest that (describing the one who practices magic as a kaafir) is conditional upon his believing that to be permissible.

The correct view is that the one who practices magic is a kaafir, whether he believes it to be haraam or not. Simply doing magic is kufr. This is the apparent meaning of the evidence, and there are no other texts to contradict this.

Once it is proven that a person is guilty of practicing magic, then he must be killed. This was proven from a group of the Sahaabah, but it is not for individuals to carry out this hadd punishment without the command of the ruler or his deputy, because carrying out the hadd punishments without the authority of the ruler may lead to mischief, and destroy any sense of security in the society, and undermine the position of the ruler.

Shaykh Sulaymaan al-`Alwaan (www.islam-qa.com)

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13378: The jinn

Question:

Who are the jinn? How did Allaah create them?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The jinn are part of the creation of Allaah. He created them from fire before He created Adam, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.

And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire"

[al-Hijr 15:26-27]

Just as Adam had descendents, so Iblees had descendents too, as Allaah says of Iblees (interpretation of the meaning):

"Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zaalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc)"

[al-Kahf 18:50]

Allaah created the jinn and mankind to worship Him. Whoever obeys Him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Him will enter Hell:

"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).

I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures).

Verily, Allaah is the All Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong"

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 _ interpretation]

All of the jinn, like mankind, are accountable. Among them there are believers and kaafirs, those who obey Allaah and those who disobey Him, as Allaah tells us that they said:

"`There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups having different ways (religious sects)'"

[al-Jinn 72:11 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The jinn will be rewarded or punished in the Hereafter just like mankind. Allaah tells us that they said:

"`And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allaah, after listening to this Qur'aan), and of us some are AlQaasitoon (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path)'. And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allaah), then such have sought the Right Path.'

And as for the Qaasitoon (disbelievers who deviated from the Right Path), they shall be firewood for Hell"

[al-Jinn 72:14-15 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The jinn and mankind will all be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection before the Lord of the Worlds. None of them will be able to postpone that or flee from it.

"O assembly of jinn and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allaah)!"

[al-Rahmaan 55:33 _ interpretation of the meaning]

Whoever among the jinn or mankind tries to flee from the Reckoning will never be able to do so, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"There will be sent against you both, smokeless flames of fire and (molten) brass, and you will not be able to defend yourselves

[al-Rahmaan 55:35]

When the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in Makkah, a group of the jinn came to him; they heard the Qur'aan and were moved by it:

"And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad) a group (three to ten persons) of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur'aan. When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: "Listen in silence!" And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners"

[al-Ahqaaf 46:29 _ interpretation of the meaning]

Some of the jinn believed when they heard the Qur'aan, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say (O Muhammad): `It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinn listened (to this Qur'aan). They said: "Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur'aan)!

It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah)"'"

[al-Jinn 72:1-2]

Both Adam and Iblees fell into sin, but Adam regretted it and repented, and Allaah accepted his repentance:

"Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful"

[al-Baqarah 2:37 _ interpretation of the meaning]

But Iblees refused and was arrogant, so he was one of the disbelievers:

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: `Prostrate yourselves before Adam.' And they prostrated except Iblees (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allaah)"

[al-Baqarah 2:34 _ interpretation of the meaning]

Whoever disobeys Allaah out of pride and arrogance, among the jinn and mankind, is following the Shaytaan and will be gathered with him in the Fire of Hell if he does not repent, as Allaah said to Iblees:

"(Allaah) said: `The truth is — and the truth I say

That I will fill Hell with you [Iblees (Satan)] and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together'"

[Saad 38:84-85 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The friends of the Most Merciful (Allaah), among the jinn and mankind, co-operate in righteousness and piety, and the friends of the Shaytaan, among the jinn and mankind, co-operate in sin and transgression. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies — Shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with their fabrications"

[al-An'aam 6:112]

The jinn used to have places near the heavens where they would sit to eavesdrop (on the inhabitants of the heavens), but when Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) they were no longer allowed to do that. Whoever among them tries to listen is burned with a flaming fire, as Allaah tells us that the jinn said:

" `And we have sought to reach the heaven; but found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires.

And verily, we used to sit there in stations, to (steal) a hearing, but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush'" [al-Jinn 72:8-9 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The jinn are with us on this earth, but by the mercy of Allaah they see us and we do not see them, as Allaah says of Iblees and his tribe (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them"

[al-A'raaf 7:27]

Whoever can see you when you cannot see him, and he is your enemy, is more dangerous. So you must always beware of him and protect yourself from the devils among the jinn and mankind.

From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri. (www.islam-qa.com)

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10513: How can we protect ourselves from the harm of the jinn?

Question:

I am having a problem with Jinn. I hve been able to perceive Jinn in diferent ways all my life. I never seemed to be bothered by this until recently. I saw a Jinn in our apartment in the first days we moved in. Off and on I would pick up on a little activity from this jinn or even jinns like doors opening by themselves· seeing it· hearing them ect... However· things seem to be changing a lot. Now something is happening everyday and things which are making me uncomfortable in my home to the point where I do not want to live here anymore. The Jinn(s) open doors· shout my name startling me out of sleep· knock over objects· appear as a cat· are messing with my computer and phones· I see it's shadows and even more. It is very freaky. I am really not sure what to do about this proble. I am hoping moving out of this house will help the situation...? But in the mean time I have tried to recite Al-Baqarah· Al-Iklas· Al-Falaq· An Nas and even play a recording of the recitation in my house. The activity stops when I do so but as soon as I stop the recording the Jinn makes it presence known in some way or other (most of the time). Sometimes· my recording will be shut off and my cmputer reset in the middle of the recitation...which apparently has happened too many times. Jinn even appear to me in dreams very often. I do not know how to end this situation but I wouls seriously appreciste answers or suggestions soon.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The questioner is mistaken in saying that she has seen a jinn, because the jinn can see but they cannot be seen by us.

Al-Shaafa'i said:

"Whoever is of sound character and claims to have seen the jinn, his testimony is no longer valid, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

`Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them' [al-A'raaf 7:27]

_ unless he is a Prophet."

(Ahkaam al-Qur'aan, 2/195, 196)

Ibn Hazm said:

"The jinn are real, and they are creatures created by Allaah. Among them are kaafirs and believers. They can see us but we cannot see them. They eat, have children and die. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

`O you assembly of jinn and Mankind!' [al-An'aam 6:130]

`And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire' [al-Hijr 15:27]

`"And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allaah, after listening to this Qur'aan), and of us some are AlQaasitoon (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path)'. And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allaah), then such have sought the Right Path.

And as for the Qaasitoon (disbelievers who deviated from the Right Path), they shall be firewood for Hell"'[al-Jinn 72:14-15]

`Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them'[al-A'raaf 7:27]

`Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me'[al-Kahf 18:50]

`Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish'[al-Rahmaan 55:26]

`Everyone shall taste death'[Aal `Imraan 3:185]." (al-Muhallaa, 1/34/35)

Hence what the questioner has seen may be just her imagination or an illusion, or it may be jinn appearing in a form other than that with which Allaah has created them.

Secondly:

With regard to the jinn harming humans, this is proven to happen and it does happen. Protection against that is attained by reciting Qur'aan and adhkaar (dhikr) prescribed in sharee'ah.

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"Undoubtedly the jinn can have a harmful effect on humans, and they could even kill them. They may harm a person by throwing stones at him, or by trying to terrify him, and other things that are proven in the Sunnah or indicated by real events. It was reported that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission to one of his Companions to go to his wife during one of the military campaigns _ I think it was the campaign of al-Khandaq _ as he was a young man who had recently got married. When he reached his house, he found his wife standing at the door, and he objected to that. She said to him, `Go inside,' so he went inside and found a snake curled up on the bed. He had a spear with him, so he stabbed it with the spear until it died, and at the same instant as the snake died the man also died. It was not known which of them died first, the snake or the man. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard of that, he forbade killing the harmless kinds of snakes that are found in houses, apart from those which are maimed or are streaked and malignant.

This indicates that the jinn may attack humans, and that they may harm them, as is known from real-life events. There are numerous reports which indicate that a man may come to a deserted area, and a stone may be thrown at him, but he does not see anybody, or he may hear voices or a rustling sound like the rustling of trees, and other things that may make him feel distressed and scared. A jinn may also enter the body of a human, either because of love or with the intention of harming him, or for some other reason. This is indicated in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

`Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity'[al-Baqarah 2:275]

In such cases, the jinn may speak from inside of that person and address the one who is reading verses from the Qur'aan over him; the reciter may take a promise from the jinn never to come back, and other things concerning which there are very many reports which are widespread among the people.

So the protection which will prevent the evil of the jinn is for a person to recite that which is narrated in the Sunnah as being effective in providing protection, such as Aayat al-Kurisy, for if a person recites Aayat al-Kursiy at night, he will continue to have protection from Allaah, and no shaytaan will come near him until morning. And Allaah is the Protector.'"

(Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/287-288)

The Sunnah mentions adhkhaar (dhikr) by means of which one may gain protection from the shayaateen (devils). These include:

Seeking refuge with Allaah from the jinn:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Knower"[Fussilat 41:36]

"And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower" [al-A'raaf 7:200]

It was narrated from Sulaymaan ibn Sard that two men were trading insults in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them), until the face of one of them turned red. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he is suffering from would go away: `A'oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan).'"

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3108; Muslim, 2610)

2 _ Reciting al-Mi'wadhatayn (the last two Soorahs of the Qur'aan, al-Falaq and al-Naas).

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah from the jinn and from the evil eye until the Mi'wadhatayn were revealed, and when they were revealed he started to recite them and not anything else."

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2058; he said it is hasan ghareeb. Also narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 5494; Ibn Maajah, 3511. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jaami', 4905).

3 _ Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started grabbing handfuls of the food. I took hold of him and said, `I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).' He said, `I will teach you some words by means of which Allaah will benefit you.' I said, `What are they?' He said, `When you go to your bed, recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…" [al-Baqarah 2:255] _ until he completed the aayah. Then Allaah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night?' I said, `O Messenger of Allaah, he taught me something, and claimed that Allaah would benefit me by it.' He said, `What was it?' I said, `He taught me to recite Aayat al-Kursiy when I go to bed, and said that no shaytaan would come near me until morning, and that Allaah would appoint a guard for me who would stay with me.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `He told you the truth, although he is an inveterate liar. That was the Shaytaan.'"

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101)

4 _ Reciting Soorat al-Baqarah

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not make your houses like graves, for the Shaytaan runs away from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is recited."(Narrated by Muslim, 780)

5 _ The last verses of Soorat al-Baqarah

It was narrated that Abu Mas'ood al-Ansaari said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `Whoever recites the last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, that will suffice him.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4723; Muslim, 807)

It was narrated from al-Nu'maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah inscribed a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, from which the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah were revealed. If they are recited for three nights, no shaytaan (devil)will remain in the house).

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2882. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 1799).

6 _ Reciting "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadeer (There is no god except Allaah Alone with no partner or associate; His is the Sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things)" one hundred times.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever says "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadeer" one hundred times in the day, will have a reward equivalent to that of freeing ten slaves, one hundred hasanahs (good deeds) will be recorded for him, and one hundred sayi'ahs (bad deeds) will be erased from his record, and it will be protection for him from the Shaytaan for that day, until evening comes. No one could achieve any better than him except the one who does more than he did."

(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 31119; Muslim, 2691)

7 _ Remembering Allaah often (dhikr)

It was narrated from al-Haarith al-Ash'ari that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah commanded Yahyaa ibn Zakariyah (peace be upon him) five things to follow and to enjoin upon the Children of Israel… and he commanded them to remember Allaah, and the likeness of that is a man who was being pursued by the enemy, until he reached a strong fortress in which he found protection; similarly a man cannot find protection from the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah…"

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2863; he said it is hasan saheeh. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 1724)

8 _ The adhaan

It was narrated that Suhayl ibn Abi Saalih said: "My father sent me to Bani Haarithah, and there was with me a slave of ours, or a companion of ours. Someone called out his name from a garden, and the one who was with me looked into the garden and did not see anything. I mentioned that to my father, and he said, `If I had known that this was going to happen to you, I would not have sent you. But if you hear a voice then make the call for prayer, for I heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrating that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When the Shaytaan hears the call to prayer, he runs away fast."'"(Narrated by Muslim, 389).

The word translated here as "runs away fast" may also mean "farting."

9 _ Reciting Qur'aan offers protection against the Shaytaan

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And when you (Muhammad) recite the Qur'aan, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not)[al-Israa' 17:45]

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11359: How to protect oneself against the evil eye

Question:

In the recent years I feel I have been struck with it. Allhamdullila that allah has given me attractive features but see I don't want my life to be in turmoil because of it. See not all people praise Allah for the things they admire especially the kaafirs. Is there anyway a young woman can protect herself from the evil eye without veiling her face? Can wearing Quranic scripture save you from the evil eye? And what about wearing necklaces and charms in the shape of an eye or hands because I heard these can protect you and are they haram? My life is so much better now than before because before I did not practice islam although I always was a muslim, so does this mean that because I am a better muslim the evil eye, if I was unfortunate enough to have it hit me has disappeared from my soul or do I have to have Quran read over me so it will leave me. How can I save and protect myself from happening to me again?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. You should know that hijaab is obligatory, and no one has the right to choose the rulings that they like and leave those for which they feel no inclination, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is to you a plain enemy"[al-Baqarah 2:208]

Ibn Katheer said: "Allaah commands His believing slaves to adhere to all the rulings and laws of Islam, to follow all the commandments and heed all the prohibitions." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/566).

The believing women are forbidden to show any of their beauty to non-mahrams. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"… and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful" [al-Noor 24:31]

Obeying Allaah's command to observe hijaab will protect you from the evil eye by Allaah's Leave in this world, and will protect you from the punishment of Allaah in the Hereafter.

With regard to wearing Qur'aanic verses or certain shapes, Imaam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad from `Uqbah ibn `Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever wears an amulet, may Allaah not fulfil his need, and whoever wears seashells [for protection from the evil eye] may Allaah not protect him." According to another report, a group came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he accepted the bay'ah [allegiance] of nine of them, but not from one of them. They said, "O Messenger of Allaah, you accepted the bay'ah of nine and not from this one." He said, "He is wearing an amulet." Then he took it in his hand and broke it, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted his bay'ah. He said, "Whoever wears an amulet is guilty of shirk." (From Fataawa al-`Ayn wa'l-Hasad, p. 277)

With regard to dealing with the evil eye and hasad (destructive envy), there is no doubt that when a person is close to Allaah, always remembering Him (dhikr) and reading Qur'aan, he is less likely to be affected by the evil eye and other kinds of harm from the devils of mankind and the jinn. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah for himself, and the greatest means of seeking refuge that is available to the Muslim is reading the Book of Allaah, above all the Mi'wadhatayn (the last two Soorahs of the Qur'aan, al-Falaq and al-Naas), Soorat al-Faatihah and Aayat al-Kursiy [al-Baqarah 2:255].

Among the saheeh du'aa's for refuge that have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are:

"A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammaati min sharri maa khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created)."

(Narrated by Muslim, al-Dhikr wa'l-Du'aa, 4881)

It was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn. He said: `Your father [i.e., Ibraaheem] used to seek refuge with Allaah for Ismaa'eel and Ishaaq with these words: A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli `aynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every bad eye).'"(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Ahaadeeth al-Anbiyaa', 3120).

With regard to the meaning of laammah (translated here as "bad"), al-Khattaabi said: "What is meant here is every disease or harm that a person may suffer such as insanity or mental disturbance."

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed that Jibreel came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: "O Muhammad, are you ill?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Bismillaahi arqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheeka, min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin haasid Allaahu yashfeek, bismillaahi arqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)." (Narrated by Muslim, al-Salaam, 4056)

Undoubtedly, when a person persists in reciting the adhkaar (dhikr) for morning and evening, and the adhkaar for going to sleep, and others, this will have a great effect in protecting him from the evil eye, because it will be like a stronghold for him, by Allaah's Leave. So everyone should strive to recite these adhkaar. One of the best treatments is the use of ruqyah, which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) permitted for protection from the evil eye and he instructed people to use it.

It was narrated that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me, or he commanded (the people) to use ruqyah to deal with the evil eye." (narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Tibb, 5297)

And it was narrated that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The man who cast the evil eye would be commanded to do wudoo', and then the man who was affected would wash himself with (the water)."

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Tibb, 3382. Al-Albaani said, in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, its isnaad is saheeh. No. 3282)

These are some of the du'aa's and treatments which offer protection _ by Allaah's leave _ from the evil eye and from destructive envy (hasad). We ask Allaah to protect us from that. And Allaah knows best.

See Zaad al-Ma'aad by Ibn al-Qayyim, 4/162

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8214: Do the jinn help humans in some ways?

Question:

What is the difference between a shaytaan (devil) and a jinn? Do the shayaateen reproduce from males and females? Do the shayaateen interact with humans and serve them in return for the human's disobeying his Lord? Are there Muslim jinn who serve the Muslims as they served Sulaymaan (peace be upon him)? If the shayaateen or jinn are able to serve humans, then why do the Muslim jinn not help the Muslim humans in their wars against the kuffaar, and tell them their secrets and support Islam? Why do the kaafir jinn not help the kaafir humans in some way? Did any examples of such things happen at the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? If there are any books about such matters, please tell me about them so that I can be safe from the evil of the shayaateen. May Allaah keep me and you safe from their evil.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. The shayaateen are from among the jinn; they are the rebellious ones and the most evil among them, just as the devils among mankind are the rebellious ones and the most evil among them. There are among the jinn, as is the case among mankind, devils who are the rebellious ones and the most evil, kaafirs and evildoers. There are also Muslims among them who are righteous and good. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies — Shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with their fabrications"

[al-`An'aam 6:112]

The Shaytaan is the father of the jinn according to many scholars. He is the one who disobeyed his Lord and was too proud to prostrate to Adam, so Allaah expelled him and banished him. Other scholars say that the Shaytaan was one of a group of angels who were called al-jinn; he was too proud to prostrate, so Allaah expelled him and banished him. He became the leader of every evildoer and wicked one, every kaafir and wrongdoer. Every person has a shaytaan and an angel with him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels." They said, "You too, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Me too, but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim."

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that the Shaytaan inspires man to evil and calls man to evil. There are times when he has control over man's heart and can find out, by Allaah's decree, what a person intends to do of good or evil. There are also times when the angel has control over a person's heart. He makes him incline towards good and calls him to good. These are things that Allaah has enabled them to do, i.e., He has enabled the two companions, the jinn-companion and the angel-companion, to do these things. Even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a shaytaan with him, his constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn, as stated above, in the hadeeth which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels." They said, "You too, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Me too, but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim."

The point is that every man has with him a companion from among the angels and a companion from among the shayateen. The believer suppresses his shaytaan by obeying Allaah and adhering steadfastly to His religion, so he humiliates his shaytaan until he becomes weak and unable to stop the believer doing good or make him fall into evil, except what Allaah wills. The sinner, by his disobedience and evil actions, gives his shaytaan the strength to make him do evil and encourageshim to do evil, and discourage him from doing good. The believer has to fear Allaah and strive against his shaytaan by obeying Allaah and His Messenger, and seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan. And he should strive to help his angel by obeying Allaah and His Messenger and heeding the commands of Allaah.

The Muslims help their brothers among the jinn to obey Allaah and His Messenger just as they help their human brothers. Humans may help them in some matters without realizing it. They may help them to obey Allaah and His Messenger by teaching and reminding other humans, for the jinn may attend the lessons of humans in the mosques and elsewhere and benefit from them. Humans may also hear some things from the jinn which benefit them; they may wake them up to pray or draw their attention to things which may benefit them or harm them. All of this happens even though the jinn do not make themselves visible to humans. A jinn may make himself visible to some people when pointing them towards something good or something evil. This may happen, although it is rare. Usually they do not appear to humans, although their voices may be heard on some occasions when they wake a person for prayer or tell him of some things. In conclusion, the believing jinn help the believers even though the believers may not realize it, and they love everything good for them. Similarly, believing humans love everything good for their believing brethren among the jinn, and they ask Allaah to give them everything good. They may attend lessons, and they love to listen to the Qur'aan and knowledge, as stated above. The believers among the jinn attend the lessons of humans, at some times and in some lands, and they benefit from the lessons of humans. All of this happens and is well known. This has been clearly stated by many of the scholars whom the jinn contacted and asked about some issues; they told them that they had attended their lessons. All of this is well-known, and Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.

Allaah has told us that the jinn listened to the Qur'aan from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). At the end of Soorat al-Ahqaaf, He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad) a group (three to ten persons) of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur'aan. When they stood in the presence thereof, they said: `Listen in silence!' And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners.

They said: `O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book (this Qur'aan) sent down after Moosa (Moses), confirming what came before it, it guides to the truth and to the Straight Path (i.e. Islam)"

[al-Ahqaaf 46:29-30]

And Allaah revealed other aayahs in a separate soorah, where He says:

"Say (O Muhammad): "It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinn listened (to this Qur'aan). They said: `Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur'aan)!" [al-Jinn 72:1]

Many books have been written on this matter. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned a great deal on this topic in his books. There is also a book by one of the scholars entitled al-Marjaan fi Bayaan Ahkaam al-Jaan, by al-Shibli, which is a useful book. There are other books written on this topic as well. You can look for them and ask for them in any bookstore. You could also read the books of Tafseer and learn from the commentary on Soorat al-Jinn and the other aayahs from Soorat al-Ahqaaf and elsewhere which speak of the jinn. You can learn a lot from what the mufassireen (may Allaah have mercy on them) said about the jinn, both the good and the bad among them.

Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 373 (www.islam-qa.com)

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11788: Tying a string over which verses of Qur'aan have been recited

Question:

Is it permissible to recite the Qur'an over a piece of string, etc, and tie that over a child's wrist to protect him from the evil eye or other diseases?

Alternatively, is it permissible to place Qur'anic Ayat in a small metal capsule and tie it over the wrist of Muslims to serve as protection from the evil eye or mishaps.
People in my community do both of this very frequently. They get the local masjid imam to provide the service. I do not want to do this for my child unless there is a sound basis for it in the Shari'ah.

Please help me find out the truth.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible to tie this string or any other kind of amulets. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever hangs up an amulet, may Allaah not fulfil his need."

And he said: "Whoever hangs up anything will be abandoned to its care," and, "Whoever hangs up an amulet has committed shirk."

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to tear away these things, as stated in the hadeeth narrated from `Imraan ibn Husayn, which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a man on whose hand was a bracelet of brass. He said, "What is this bracelet?" He said, "It is to prevent weakness." He said, "Take it off, for it will only make you more weak." This was narrated by Ibn Maajah.

Shaykh Waleed al-Firyaan (www.islam-qa.com)

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11809: Ruling on one who thinks that sihr is OK so long as it does not cause any problems

Question:

What do you think about a man who used ruqyah, but he did not think that it helped him, so he turned from that to sihr (magic, witchcraft), and he says, I think that it is OK so long as it does not cause any problems?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Sihr is evil and is kufr. If a sick person is not cured by reading (Qur'aan and du'aa's), then we should note that medicine does not guarantee a cure either, because not every treatment produces the desired result. Allaah may delay the healing for a long time, or the person may die from this sickness. It is not a condition of treatment that the person should be healed. If a person is treated by reading Qur'aan and does not recover, that is not an excuse for turning to sihr, because we are commanded to take the permissible means prescribed in sharee'ah, and we are forbidden to use haraam means. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "O slaves of Allaah, seek treatment but do not seek treatment with that which has been forbidden to you." And it was narrated that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah does not make your healing in that which He has forbidden to you."

All things are in the hand of Allaah, may He be glorified. He is the One Who heals whomsoever He wills, and He decrees sickness and death for whomsoever He wills, as He says (interpretation of the meanings):

"And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things" [al-An'aam 6:17]

"And if Allaah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful [Yoonus 10:107]

So the Muslim must be patient and seek reward with Allaah. He must limit himself to the means that Allaah has permitted, and beware of that which Allaah has forbidden, whilst also believing that the decree of Allaah is beneficial and that His command cannot be put back, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

"Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, `Be!' and it is! [Yaa-Seen 36:82]

"And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists) [al-Takweer 81:29]

And there are many similar aayaat.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 112. (www.islam-qa.com)

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13005: The effect of sihr on the marital relationship

Question:

Can sihr (magic, witchcraft) have an affect on the marital relationship?


Answer:

The saahir (person who practises sihr) does things by which he affects people with sihr. Sometimes this is by illusion or making things appear to be something else, as Allaah said concerning the sorcerers of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):

"and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast" [Ta-Ha 20:66]

They do actions that change how things look in people's eyes, so that they see things other than they really are, as Allaah says in Soorat al-A'raaf (interpretation of the meaning):

"So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic" [al-A'raaf 7:116]

So they do things to bewitch people's eyes, so that they see a rope as a snake or a stick as a moving snake, when it is not a snake at all but only a stick or a rope.

They may also bewitch people in other ways, so that a man becomes hateful to his wife, or vice versa. They may do this by bewitching their eyes, or by giving them evil potions which they get from the shayaateen, or by tying knots on which they blow and pray to the shayaateen instead of to Allaah, and seek their help in harming people. So a man may imagine that his wife is not the wife he knows, and she may appear ugly or hateful to him, or a wife may imagine that her husband is not the husband that she knows, and she sees him as something ugly and terrifying, because of what these criminals have done. So their sihr may be of two types, one of which involves illusions and tricking the eyes, so that they do not see things as they really are.

The other kind includes that which is called al-sarf and al-`atf (spells aimed at creating hatred or love), which is done by tying knots and blowing on them, and using potions which they make by inspiration of the shayaateen. This second kind may make a man love or hate his wife, or a woman love or hate her husband. It may also affect a person's relationship with people other than his or her spouse. Hence Allaah has commanded us to seek refuge with Him from the evil of those who blow onto knots, and to seek refuge with Him from every evil.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 80 (www.islam-qa.com)

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12918: Ways of treating sihr

Question:

What is the treatment for someone who has been affected by sihr (magic or witchcraft, including spells aimed at causing hatred or love)? How can the believer save himself from this or avoid being harmed by it? Are there any du'aa's or dhikrs from the Qur'aan or Sunnah for these things?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There are different kinds of treatment:

1 _ He can look at what the saahir (person who practices sihr) has done. For example, if he has put some of his hair in a place, or in a comb, or somewhere else, if it is discovered that he has put it in such-and-such a place, it should be removed and burnt or destroyed. This will cancel out what has been done and will foil the intentions of the saahir.

2 _The saahir should be forced to undo what he has done, if his identity is known. It should be said to him, "Either you undo what you have done, or you will be executed." After he has undone it, he should still be executed by the authorities, because the saahir should be killed without being asked to repent, according to the correct view. This is what was done by `Umar, and it was narrated that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The punishment of the saahir is to strike him with the sword (i.e., execute him)." When Hafsah Umm al-Mu'mineen (may Allaah be pleased with her) found out that a slave woman of hers was dealing with sihr, she killed her.

3 _ Reciting Qur'aan, for it has a great effect in removing (the effects of) sihr. Aayat al-Kursiy, the aayahs of sihr from Soorat al-A'raaf, Soorat Yoonus and Soorat Ta-Ha, Soorat al-Kaafiroon, Soorat al-Ikhlaas and al-Mi'wadhatayn should be recited over the person who has been affected by sihr, or into a vessel. Du'aa' should be made for healing and good health; in particular the du'aa' which has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

"Allaahumma Rabb al-Naas, adhhib al-ba's wa'shfi, anta al-Shaafiy, laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uka, shifaa'an laa yughaadiru saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the evil and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, which does not leave any sickness)."

One may also recite the words used by Jibreel when he treated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with ruqyah:

"Bismillaah urqeek, min kulli shay'in yu'dheek, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin haasidin Allaah yushfeek, bismillaah urqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)."

This should be repeated three times, as should the recitation of "Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad" and al-Mi'wadhatayn.

He may also recite the above into water, some of which should be drunk by the person who has been affected by sihr, and he should wash with the rest, one or more times as needed. This will remove the sihr by Allaah's Leave. This was mentioned by the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them), and by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Fath al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, in (the chapter entitled) Baab Ma jaa'a fi'l-Nushrah, and by others.

4 _ He can take seven green lotus leaves, grind them up, and put them into water, then recite into it the aayahs and soorahs mentioned above, and the du'aa's. Then he can drink some and wash with the rest. This is also useful for treating a man who is being kept from having intercourse with his wife. Seven green lotus leaves should be placed in water, the verses referred to above should be recited into it, then he should drink from it and wash with it. This is beneficial, by Allaah's leave.

The verses which should be recited into the water and the lotus leaves for those who have been affected by sihr and the one who is being prevented from having intercourse with his wife because of sihr are as follows:

1- Soorat al-Faatihah

2- Aayat al-Kursiy from Soorat al-Baqarah, which is as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great" (al-Baqarah 2:255)

3- The verses from Soorat al-A'raaf, which are as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

"[Pharaoh] said: `If you have come with a sign, show it forth, if you are one of those who tell the truth.'

Then [Moosa] threw his stick and behold! it was a serpent, manifest!

And he drew out his hand, and behold! it was white (with radiance) for the beholders.

The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said: `This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer;

He wants to get you out of your land, so what do you advise?'

They said: `Put him and his brother off (for a time), and send callers to the cities to collect —

That they bring to you all well-versed sorcerers.'

And so the sorcerers came to Pharaoh. They said: `Indeed there will be a (good) reward for us if we are the victors.'

He said: `Yes, and moreover you will (in that case) be of the nearest (to me).'

They said: `O Moosa! Either you throw (first), or shall we have the (first) throw?'

He [Moosa] said: `Throw you (first).' So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.

And We revealed to Moosa (saying): `Throw your stick,' and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehood which they showed.

Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect.

So they were defeated there and returned disgraced.

And the sorcerers fell down prostrate.

They said: `We believe in the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).

The Lord of Moosa and Haaroon (Aaron).'" [al-A'raaf 7:106-122]

4- The verses from Soorat Yoonus, which are as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

"And Pharaoh said: `Bring me every well-versed sorcerer.'

And when the sorcerers came, Moosa said to them: `Cast down what you want to cast!'

Then when they had cast down, Moosa said: `What you have brought is sorcery, Allaah will surely make it of no effect. Verily, Allaah does not set right the work of AlMufsidoon.

And Allaah will establish and make apparent the truth by His Words, however much the Mujrimoon may hate (it).'" (Yoonus 10:79-82)

5- The verses from Soorat Ta-Ha, which are as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

"They said: `O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'

[Moosa] said: `Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.

So Moosa conceived fear in himself.

We (Allaah) said: `Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.

And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain'" [Ta-Ha 20:65-69]

6- Soorat al-Kaafiroon

7- Soorat al-Ikhlaas and al-Mi'wadhatayn (i.e., Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas) _ to be recited three times.

8- Reciting some of the du'aa's prescribed in sharee'ah, such as:

"Allaahumma Rabb al-Naas, adhhib al-ba's wa'shfi, anta al-Shaafiy, laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uka, shifaa'an laa yughaadiru saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the evil and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, which does not leave any sickness)."

This is good, and it may also be accompanied by the du'aa':

"Allaahumma Rabb al-Naas, adhhib al-ba's wa'shfi, anta al-Shaafiy, laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uka, shifaa'an laa yughaadiru saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the evil and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, which does not leave any sickness)."

If the above verses etc. are recited directly over the person who has been affected by sihr, then the reciter blows on his head and chest, these are also among the means of healing, by Allaah's Leave, as stated above.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 144

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7871: Is it possible for the jinn to kidnap a human being?

Question:

I have heard many stories about the jinn kidnapping human beings. I read a story which said that a man of the Ansaar (may Allaah be pleased with him) went out to pray `Ishaa' and the jinn took him prisoner and he was lost for years. Is this possible _ I mean that the jinn could kidnap a human being?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to the question of possibility, it is possible, but it is very rare. Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) answered this question as follows:

That is possible. It is well known that Sa'd ibn `Ubaadah was killed by the jinn when he urinated in a hole in which was their dwelling place, and they said, "We have killed the leader of Khazraj Sa'd ibn `Ubaadah; we struck him with an arrow and we did not miss his heart."

At the time of `Umar, a man was kidnapped by the jinn and stayed with them for four years, then he came back and told the people that some mushrik jinn had kidnapped him, and he stayed with them as a prisoner, then some Muslim jinn launched a campaign against them and defeated them, and brought him back to his family. This was mentioned in Manaar al-Sabeel and elsewhere.

(See Manaar al-Sabeel, 2/88. The story of the kidnapped man was reported by al-Bayhaqi (7/445-446) and its isnaad was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa', 6/150, no. 1709).Manaar al-Sabeel, 2/88. The story of the kidnapped man was reported by al-Bayhaqi (7/445-446) and its isnaad was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa', 6/150, no. 1709

Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (www.islam-qa.com)

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9432: Sihr and its types

Question:

Is sihr (magic, witchcraft) real? Does it have any effect? What are its types?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah, and his family and companions and those who follow his guidance.

Sihr is a serious crime and is one of the kinds of kufr. It is one of things with which people have been tested, in the past and currently, among the nations of the past, during the Jaahiliyyah and in this ummah. The more ignorance increases, the less there is knowledge and awareness of faith, the less attention the authorities pay to this matter _ the more the practitioners of sihr and trickery increase and spread in the land, to take the people's wealth and confuse them and do other things. When knowledge prevails and faith increases, and the Islamic authorities are powerful, the number of these evil people shrinks and they move from one land to another, seeking a place where their falsehood will be accepted and they will be able to engage in their trickery and corruption.

The Qur'aan and Sunnah have described the kinds of sihr and the rulings on these matters.

Sihr is so called because its means are hidden or secret, and because the practitioners of sihr deal with things in secret which enable them to perform illusions to confuse the people and deceive their eyes, and to cause them harm or steal their money, etc., in a secretive manner so that in most cases nobody realizes what is happening. Hence the last part of the night is called sahar, because at the end of the night people are unaware and they do not move about much. And the lungs are also called sahr, because they are hidden inside the body.

According to sharee'ah, the meaning of sihr is what the magicians do to delude and confuse people, so that the one who is watching thinks that it is real when in fact it is not. As Allaah said concerning the magicians of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):

"They said: `O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'

Moosa said: `Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.

So Moosa conceived fear in himself.

We (Allaah) said: `Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.

And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain.'"

[Ta-Ha 20:65-69]

Sihr may involve things that the magician does when tying knots on which he blows, as is referred to in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots"[al-Falaq 113:4]

And it may involve other things which they manage to do through the shayaateen (devils), so they do things that may affect a man's reason or make him sick; they may cause division between a man and his wife, resulting in her looking ugly to him, or by making her hate her husband or be put off by him. This is blatant kufr as the Qur'aan states. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"They followed what the Shayaateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaymaan (Solomon). Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic"

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

Allaah informs us that they (the shayaateen) committed kufr by teaching men magic. Then He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, `We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'"[al-Baqarah 2:102]

Then Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"[al-Baqarah 2:102]

i.e., this magic and any harm that results from it is subject to the prior decree and will of Allaah, for our Lord cannot be overwhelmed and nothing can happen in His Dominion against His Will. Nothing happens in this world or in the hereafter except by His prior decree and His great wisdom, as He wills. So some people may be tested by sihr, and others may be tested by sickness, or by being killed…etc. Allaah is All-Wise in all that He wills and decrees, and in all that He prescribes for His slaves. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave"

[al-Baqarah 2:102]

i.e., by His universal (kawni) will and decree, not by His legislative (shar'i) will [i.e., He wills that it should happen but He does not enjoin it and He is not pleased by such actions]. For sharee'ah does not allow such things, indeed it forbids them, but by His universal leave He already knows and has already decreed that So and so will do sihr, and that So and so will be affected by sihr, just as He already knows and has already decreed that So and so will be killed, or afflicted with a certain sickness, or will die in a certain land, and will receive such and such provision, or will be rich or poor. All of that happens by the will and decree of Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees AlLawh AlMahfooz)[al-Qamar 54:49]

"No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (AlLawh AlMahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah"

[al-Hadeed 57:22]

The evils that come at the hands of the magicians or others do not happen because our Lord is ignorant, for He knows all things and nothing at all is hidden from Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, Allaah is the All-Knower of everything"[al-Anfaal 8:75]

"that you may know that Allaah has power over all things, and that Allâh surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge"[al-Talaaq 65:12]

So Allaah knows all things, and nothing happens in His Dominion that He does not will, but He has perfect wisdom and good aims in whatever He decrees should happen to people of honour or humiliation, losing or gaining power, sickness or health, magic and other things.

Everything that happens to people happens by the will of Allaah and in accordance with His prior decree. These magicians may perform their illusions, as stated in the aayah quoted above (interpretation of the meaning):

"They said: `O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'

Moosa said: `Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. [Ta-Ha 20:65-66]

It appeared to the onlooker as if these sticks and ropes were snakes, moving fast in the valley. They were only sticks and ropes, but the magicians, through what they had learned, made what they demonstrated before the people look different in their eyes to what it really was.

Allaah says (interpretation if the meaning):

"by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast"

[Ta-Ha 20:66]

And in Soorat al-A'raaf Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"He [Moosa] said: `Throw you (first).' So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic"

[al-A'raaf 7:116]

But in fact their sticks and ropes did not change; it was the people's sight which changed because of the sihr, so they thought they were snakes, because of the illusion brought about by the magicians. Some people call this taqmeer, which is when the magician does things to make a person not sense reality as it really is, so his eyes do not see what is really there and things may be taken from his shop or his home without him realizing it, i.e., he does not know what is really happening. So he may see a rock as a chicken or as an egg, and so on, because reality has been changed in his eyes because of the confusion wrought by the magician, and because his eyes have been bewitched. There are things that the magicians do with certain substances to make people's eyes not see what is really happening. This is the kind of magic which Allaah describes as "great" [i.e. serious, powerful] in Soorat al-A'raaf (interpretation of the meaning):

"… So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic"

[al-A'raaf 7:116]

From Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 65

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11447: Jinn dwelling in humans

Question:

Can a jinn enter the body of a human?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Imaam Shaykh al-Islam said in his Fataawa after some introductory comments:

… For this reason, a group of the Mu'tazilah, such as al-Jabbaa'i, Abu Bakr al-Raazi and others, denied that the jinn enter the body of the epileptic, although they do not deny the existence of the jinn, because that is not as clearly mentioned in the reports narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as their existence is mentioned. They were mistaken in this matter. Hence al-Ash'ari mentioned in Maqaalaat Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah that they [Ahl al-Sunnah] believe that the jinn may enter the body of the epileptic, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

`Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity…'

[al-Baqarah 2:275]

`Abd-Allaah ibn al-Imaam Ahmad said: I told my father that some people claim that the jinn do not enter the body of a human. He said, O my son, they are lying, for a jinn may speak with the tongue of a person who is lying on his sick-bed. (Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 19/12). He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him), in vol. 24 of his Fataawa (p. 276, 277):

"The existence of the jinn is proven by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and by the consensus of the salaf and scholars of this ummah. Similarly, the fact that the jinn can enter human bodies is also proven by the consensus of the imaams of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

`Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity…'

[al-Baqarah 2:275]

In al-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `The Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam as his blood flows…

There is no one among the imaams of the Muslims who denies that the jinn enter the body of the epileptic. Whoever denies that and claims that Islam denies that is telling lies about the sharee'ah, for there is no evidence in sharee'ah to say that this is not the case…"

From Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 60 (www.islam-qa.com)

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11290: How to deal with sihr (magic/witchcraft)

Question:

What is the way to deal with sihr (magic/witchcraft)?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Whoever is affected by sihr should not treat it with sihr, because evil cannot be removed by evil, and kufr cannot be removed by kufr. Evil is removed by good. Hence when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about al-nushrah (treating sihr with sihr), he said: "This is the work of the Shaytaan." Nushrah means removing sihr from a person who has been affected by it by using more sihr. But if it is treated by means of the Qur'aan and permissible medicines or good ruqyahs, there is nothing wrong with that, but treating it with sihr is not permitted, as previously stated, because sihr means worshipping the shayaateen (devils). The saahir (magician, practitioner of witchcraft) does sihr or learns sihr only after worshipping and serving the shayaateen, and drawing close to them by means of the things that they like. After that, they teach him the means of sihr. But, praise be to Allaah, there is no reason why the person who has been affected by sihr should not be treated by means of reciting Qur'aan and the prayers for refuge with Allaah that are prescribed in sharee'ah, and permissible medicines, just as patients with all kinds of sicknesses are treated by doctors. The patient does not necessarily recover, because not every sick person does recover. A sick patient might be treated and then recover if his appointed time (of death) has not yet arrived, or he may not recover and may die from this sickness, even though he may be been seen by the most skilled physicians and knowledgeable doctors. When the appointed time of death comes, no medicine or treatment will be of any avail, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And Allaah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes" [al-Munaafiqoon 63:11]

Medical treatment is of benefit when the appointed time has not yet come, and Allaah decrees that His slave should be healed. The same applies in the case of one who has been affected by sihr; Allaah may decree that he should recover, or He may not decree that, as a test and a trial, or for other reasons which are known to Allaah. Among those reasons may be the fact that the one who is treating him does not have the right treatment for this problem. It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "For every disease there is a medicine, and if that medicine is applied to the disease, he will recover by Allaah's Leave." And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down the cure; the one who knows it knows it and the one who does not know it does not know it."

Among the treatments prescribed in sharee'ah is the treatment of sihr with recitation of the Qur'aan. The greatest soorah in the Qur'aan, which is al-Faatihah, should be recited over the person who has been affected by sihr. This should be repeated several times. If it is recited by a believing, righteous reader who knows that everything is subject to the will and decree of Allaah, that Allaah is in control of all things, that when He says to a thing `Be!' it is, if the reciting is based on faith, taqwa and sincerity, and is repeated several times, then the sihr may be removed and the person may recover by Allaah's Leave. Some of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) passed by some Bedouins whose shaykh, i.e., their leader, had been bitten. They had done everything they could but he had not gotten better. They said to one of the Sahaabah, "Is there any raaqi (one who performs ruqyah) among you?" They said, "Yes." So one of them recited Soorat al-Faatihah over him, and he immediately got up full of energy as if nothing had happened; Allaah healed him of the ill-effects of that snakebite. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is nothing wrong with ruqyah so long as it does not involve shirk." He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed ruqyah and had it performed for him. There is a lot of good in ruqyah, and a great deal of benefit. Al-Faatihah, Aayat al-Kursiy, "Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad", al-Mi'wadhatayn and other aayahs may be recited over the person who has been affected by sihr, as well as good du'aa's narrated in the ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as the du'aa' he said when he performed ruqyah for a sick person and said, "Allaahumma Rabb al-naas, adhhib il-ba's, washfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa'a illa shifaa'uka shifaa'an laa yughaadir saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no healing except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any disease behind)." This may be repeated three times or more. And it was also narrated from him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that Jibreel (peace be upon him) performed ruqyah for him and said three times: "Bismillaah arqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheeka, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin haasid Allaah yashfeek, bismillaah arqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from every thing that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)." This is a great ruqyah which was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is prescribed to perform ruqyah for the one who has been bitten or stung, and the one who has been affected by sihr, and the one who is sick. There is nothing wrong with performing ruqyah for one who is sick or has been affected by sihr or bitten or stung, by reciting good du'aa's, even if they were not transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so long as they do not contain anything that is haraam, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "There is nothing wrong with ruqyah so long as it does not involve shirk."

Allaah may heal the sick person and the person affected by sihr, and others, without any ruqyah and without any action on the part of other people, because He is Able to do all things, and He is Wise in all that He does. Allaah says in His Holy Book:

"Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, `Be!' and it is!"[Yaa-Seen 36:82]

To Him be praise and thanks for all that He wills and decrees, for He is wise in all that He does.

The sick person may not be healed if his appointed time has come and it is decreed that he should die from this disease. Among the things that may be used in ruqyah are the verses which speak of sihr, which may be recited into water. These are the verses about sihr in Soorat al-A'raaf, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And We revealed to Moosa (saying): `Throw your stick,' and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehood which they showed.

Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect.

So they were defeated there and returned disgraced

[al-A'raaf 7:117-119]

And in Soorat Yoonus (interpretation of the meaning):

"And Pharaoh said: `Bring me every well-versed sorcerer.'

And when the sorcerers came, Moosa said to them: `Cast down what you want to cast!'

Then when they had cast down, Moosa said: `What you have brought is sorcery, Allaah will surely make it of no effect. Verily, Allaah does not set right the work of AlMufsidoon.

And Allaah will establish and make apparent the truth by His Words, however much the Mujrimoon may hate (it).'" [Yoonus 10:79-82]

And in Soorat Ta-Ha (interpretation of the meaning):

"They said: `O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'

Moosa said: `Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold! their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.

So Moosa conceived fear in himself.

We (Allaah) said: `Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.

And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain.'"

[Ta-Ha 20:65-69]

These aayahs are among the things by which Allaah causes the ruqyah against sihr to be beneficial. If the qaari' (reader) recites these verses into water, and also reads Soorat al-Faatiha, Aayat al-Kursiy, "Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad", and al-Mi'wadhatayn into the water, then pours it over the person who he thinks has been affected by sihr or is being prevented by magic from having intercourse with his wife, then he will be healed by Allaah's Leave. If seven lotus leaves are ground up and added to the water as well, this is appropriate, as was mentioned by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Fath al-Majeed, quoting from some of the scholars in the chapter entitled Ma jaa'a fi'l-Nushrah. It is mustahabb to recite the three soorahs, namely Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, Qul A'oodhu bi Rabb il Falaq and Qul A'oodhu bi Rabb il-Naas. The point is that these and similar treatments which are used to treat this problem of sihr, may also be used to treat the one who is prevented by magic from having intercourse with his wife. This has been tried a great deal and Allaah caused it to yield results. A person may be treated with al-Faatihah alone and be healed, or with Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad and al-Mi'wadhatayn on their own, and be healed. It is very important that the person performing this treatment and the person who is being treated should both have sincere faith and trust in Allaah; they should know that He is control of all things and that when He wills a thing it happens, and when He does not will a thing it does not happen. The matter is in His hand, whatever He wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen. When both the reader and the one who is read over have faith and are sincere towards Allaah, the sickness will disappear quickly by Allaah's Leave, and both physical and spiritual medicine will be beneficial. We ask Allaah to help us all to please Him, for He is All-Hearing and is ever Near.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 70 (www.islam-qa.com)

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4010: Ruling on learning magic and removing spells from a person affected by magic

Question:

Is it permissible to learn how to remove spells from a person affected by magic?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. If that is by doing something permissible, such as reciting du'aa's that are prescribed or permitted in Islam, or by using a ruqyah that is prescribed in Islam, there is nothing wrong with that. But if a person learns magic in order to counteract magic, or for any other purposes, then that is not permitted and in fact is something which nullifies a person's Islam, because it is not possible to learn it without falling into shirk. That happens by worshipping the shayaateen (devils), by offering sacrifices to them and making vows to them, and other kinds of worship, and offering sacrifices to them and seeking to draw close to them with things that they love, until they serve a person and do what he wants. This is the mutual benefit which Allaah refers to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"And on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): `O you assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men,' and their Awliyaa' (friends and helpers) amongst men will say: `Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us.' He will say: `The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allaah may will. Certainly your Lord is AllWise, AllKnowing.'" [al-An'aam 6:128]

Majmoo'ah Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li'l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, p. 118 (www.islam-qa.com)

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11063: Ruling on sick person visualizing the one who put the evil eye on him

Question:

How correct is it for a sick person to visualize the one who put the eye on him as a result of Qur'aan being recited over him, or the raaqi asking his qareen (jinn companion) to show the sick person who put the eye on him?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

For the sick person to visualize the one who put the eye on him as a result of Qur'aan being recited over him, or the qaari' (reciter) telling him to do so, is a devilish action and is not permitted, because it is seeking the help of the shayaateen (devils). The jinn is the one who makes him visualize the person who afflicted him with the evil eye, and this is haraam, because it is seeking the help of the shayaateen, and because it creates enmity among people and causes fear and terror to be spread among people. It comes under the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression" [al-Jinn 72:6]

And Allaah knows best.

[Translator's note: Raaqi means one who does ruqyah i.e., reciting Qur'aan and du'aa's over the sick for the purpose of seeking healing]

Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-`Ilmiyyah wa'l-Iftaa' (www.islam-qa.com)

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4441: Belief that sudden death is because of magic/witchcraft

Question:

i am an american lady married to an arab man and in his town, people seem to believe that when someone dies, especially if they suddenly got sick and passed away, it is because some evil "sahar" or magician placed a spell on that person in order to make every-one believe that he/she died, and then this magician takes the "dead" person and imprisons him/her to become a slave. what is the ruling in islam concerning such beliefs? has this been heard of before? could it really happen? as a foreigner and convert to islam, i don't know what to believe in this aspect and i am real confused. please clear this up for me. thank you


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What is mentioned in the question is completely wrong. The person who dies suddenly is just like anyone else who dies, for whatever reason: his soul leaves his body, and the soul is a matter of the unseen which is known only to Allaah. Some groups of innovators (followers of bid'ah) believe that when a person dies, his soul moves to another body. This is known as tanaasukh (transmigration of souls), and this belief is something which is known to be essentially false according to the religion of Islam.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayri.

This is appalling kufr and falsehood, and is one of the results of denying the torment of the grave. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

(www.islam-qa.com)

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10173: Is it permissible to use witchcraft to achieve a good purpose?

Question:

is it permissable to use witchcraft or black magic for good purposes or stuff like using to convince your parent about something?like marriage to someone?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Witchcraft or magic is knowledge that comes from the shayateen and is something that they do. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"They followed what the Shayaateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaymaan. Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic [al-Baqarah 2:102]

"And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter" [al-Baqarah 2:102]

"and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount (of skill) he may attain" [Ta-Ha 20:69]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Avoid the seven sins which doom a person to Hell." They asked, "What are they?" He said, "Associating anything in worship with Allaah (shirk); witchcraft;…"

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is not one of us who practices witchcraft or has it done for him."

On this basis, it is not permissible to use witchcraft for any purpose whatsoever. Witchcraft or magic is falsehood, and all kinds of falsehood are kufr and evildoing. Sin cannot be a means of achieving something good. Beneficial things have to be sought through the prescribed means which involve no sin and whose consequences are safe. Allaah has given His slaves sufficient means in the things that He has permitted them, so they have no need for the things that He has forbidden. To Him be praise and thanks for His blessings.

Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (www.islam-qa.com)

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10034: Is Iblees still alive?

Question:

If Jinns live and die, would that mean Iblis died or is still alive?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is the way of Allaah in His creation of man to test him and try him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"that Allaah might test what is in your breasts; and to purify that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allaah is AllKnower of what is in (your) breasts"

[Aal `Imraan 3:154]

One of the things with which Allaah tests us is Iblees (may Allaah curse him). Allaah has made him one of those who are given respite, blocking the way of good and commanding evil, forbidding what is good and enjoining what is evil. There are those who believe him; many people among the sons of Adam follow him; he is misled and he misleads others. Iblees vowed to do that, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: `Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.' They prostrated themselves except Iblees (Satan). He said: `Shall I prostrate myself to one whom You created from clay?'

[Iblees (Satan)] said: `See this one whom You have honoured above me, if You give me respite (keep me alive) to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely, seize and mislead his offspring (by sending them astray) all but a few!'

(Allaah) said: `Go, and whosoever of them follows you, surely, Hell will be the recompense of you (all) an ample recompense.

And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allaah's disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, share with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways usury, or by committing illegal sexual intercourse), and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.

Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And AllSufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.'" [al-Israa' 17:60-65]

"And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble shape of a human being); then We told the angels, `Prostrate yourselves to Adam', and they prostrated themselves, except Iblees (Satan), he refused to be of those who prostrated themselves.

(Allaah) said: `What prevented you (O Iblees) that you did not prostrate yourself, when I commanded you?' Iblees said: `I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.'

(Allaah) said: `(O Iblees) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced.'

(Iblees) said: `Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).'

(Allaah) said: `You are of those respited.'

(Iblees) said: `Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your straight path.

Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).'

(Allaah) said (to Iblees): `Get out from this (Paradise), disgraced and expelled. Whoever of them (mankind) will follow you, then surely, I will fill Hell with you all.'"

[al-A'raaf 7:11-18]

From the apparent meaning of these aayaat and others, it is clear that Allaah has delayed the death of Iblees (may Allaah curse him) until an appointed time. Allaah has postponed his death until a day that is known to Him, which no one else knows. Iblees asked Allaah to give him respite, as Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):

"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `My Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are resurrected.'

(Allaah) said: `Verily, you are of those allowed respite

Till the Day of the time appointed.'" [Saad 38:79-81]

The scholars differed concerning the phrase "Till the Day of the time appointed":

· Some said that this means the Day of Resurrection, at the second blast of the Trumpet.

· Some said that it means the decreed lifespan of Iblees.

Most of the scholars said that what is meant by "the Day of the time appointed" is the day when all creatures will die, at the time of the first blast of the Trumpet, not the second blast. They said: because after the Resurrection _ at the second blast of the Trumpet _ there will be no more death. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allaah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and behold they will be standing, looking on (waiting)"

[al-Zumar 39:68]

Al-Baydaawi said in his Tafseer:

"Till the Day of the time appointed" means, the time appointed for you with Allaah, or when all people will die, which is at the first blast of the Trumpet, according to the majority.

(Tafseer al-Baydaawi, 3/370)

Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his tafseer of this aayah:

Ibn `Abbaas said: What He meant by this is the first blast of the Trumpet, i.e., when all creatures will die. Or it was said, the appointed time, the knowledge of which Allaah has kept to Himself and which Iblees does not know. So Iblees will die and then be resurrected. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish"

[al-Rahmaan 55:26]

(Tafseer al-Qurtubi,10/27)

Al-Tabari narrated in his Tafseer from al-Suddi:

"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `My Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are resurrected.'

(Allaah) said: `Verily, you are of those allowed respite

Till the Day of the time appointed.'"

[Saad 38:79-81 _ interpretation of the meaning]

He did not give him respite until the Day of Resurrection, but rather until the day of the time appointed, which is the day when the first blast of the Trumpet will be given and everyone who is in the heavens and on earth will swoon and then die. (8/132)

Imaam al-Shawkaani said in his tafseer of this aayah:

Till the Day of the time appointed.'"

[Saad 38:79-81 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The day which Allaah has decreed for the death of all creatures, which is when the last blast of the Trumpet will be sounded, or it was said the first blast. It was said that Iblees asked to be given a respite until the Day of Resurrection so that he might avoid death, because if he were given respite until the Day of Resurrection, he would not die before the resurrection; when the resurrection came, he would thus have avoided death. But Allaah responded in a manner that denied him his desire and thwarted his aims, which was by giving him respite until the day of the time appointed, which is known only to Allaah, and no one else knows it.

(Fath al-Qadeer, 4/446)

This indicates that Iblees (may Allaah curse him) is still alive and that he is still spreading mischief on earth and misguiding people away from the path of Allaah. But he is not immortal and will not live until the Day of Resurrection, rather there is an appointed time when he will die _ and Allaah knows best when that appointed time will be. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Everyone shall taste death"

[Aal `Imraan 3:185]

"Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.

And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever"

[al-Rahmaan 55:26-27]

There are also reports which indicate that Iblees (may Allaah curse him) was alive at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

· Iblees appeared on the day of Badr in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when Shaytaan (Satan) made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said, `No one of mankind can overcome you this day (of the battle of Badr) and verily, I am your neighbour (for each and every help).' But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he ran away and said `Verily, I have nothing to do with you. Verily, I see what you see not. Verily, I fear Allaah for Allaah is Severe in punishment'"

[al-Anfaal 8:48]

Ibn Katheer said in his tafseer of this aayah:

He (may Allaah curse him) made attractive to them the reason why they came and what they wanted to do. He raised their hopes that they would not be overwhelmed by anybody on that day, and calmed their fears that their homes might be attacked by their enemies Banu Bakr. He said, "and verily, I am your neighbour (for each and every help)" _ because he appeared in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ja'sham, the leader of Banu Mudlij and the leader of that region. All of that came from him, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"He (the Shaytaan) makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaytaan's promises are nothing but deceptions." [al-Nisaa' 4:120]

Ibn Juraij said: Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said concerning this aayah: When the day of Badr came, Iblees marched with his flags and his troops alongside the mushrikeen, and gave the mushrikeen the notion that no one would defeat them and that he was their neighbour. But when the (enemies) met in battle, and the Shaytaan saw the angelic reinforcements (on the Muslims' side), he ran away, i.e., he turned on his heels and fled, saying, Verily, I see what you see not… (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/318)

· He also (may Allaah curse him) appeared on the day of Uhud. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Uhud, the mushrikeen were defeated. Then Iblees shouted out, `O slaves of Allaah! Beware the ones behind you!' So the front ranks attacked the ones behind. Hudhayfah looked and saw his father al-Yamaan. He cried out, `O slaves of Allaah, my father, my father!' By Allaah, they did not stop until they killed him [al-Yamaan]. Hudhayfah said, `May Allaah forgive you.' `Urwah [one of the narrators] said: By Allaah, because of this, Hudhayfah remained in a good state until he met Allaah [i.e., died]. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 3047)

· It was narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw Iblees. It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that Abu'l-Dardaa' (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood up, and we heard him say: "I seek refuge in Allaah from you." Then he said: "I curse you with the curse of Allaah" three times, and he spread out his hand as if reaching for something. When the prayer was over, we said, "O Messenger of Allaah, we heard you saying something in the prayer that we have never heard you say before, and we saw you stretching out your hand." He said, "The enemy of Allaah Iblees came with a flame of fire to throw in my face, and I said, `I seek refuge with Allaah from you' three times. Then I said, `I curse you with the complete curse of Allaah' three times, but he did not retreat. Then I wanted to seize him. By Allaah, were it not for the prayer of our brother Sulaymaan, he would have been tied up this morning and the children of the people of Madeenah would have played with him." (Narrated by Muslim, no. 843; al-Nasaa'i, no. 1200)

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed Subh (Fajr) prayer and he [Abu Sa'eed] was behind him. He recited and got confused in his recitation. When the prayer was over, he said, `If only you could have seen me and Iblees. I grabbed him and kept on trying to strangle him until I felt the coldness of his saliva on these two fingers, the thumb and the one next to it. Were it not for the prayer of my brother Sulaymaan, he would have been tied to one of the pillars of the mosque this morning, and the children of Madeenah would have played with him. Whoever among you can prevent him from coming between him and the qiblah, let him do that." (Narrated by Ahmad, no. 11354).

· It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "The throne of Iblees is on the sea and he sends out his troops to spread mischief (fitnah) among the people. The greatest of them in his sight is the one who causes the most fitnah." (Narrated by Muslim, 5031; Ahmad, no. 1427)

So Iblees (may the curse of Allaah be upon him) is still alive, and he will die on the Day of the time appointed, until which Allaah has given him a respite, which according to the most correct scholarly view is the Day of the first blast on the Trumpet. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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7107: Spiritual paths

Question:

Could you please let me know the status of tariqah - spiritual Paths- in Islam.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. If what is meant is summoning the spirits of jinn or others, this is not permitted, because it can only be achieved by means of shirk. If what is meant is nourishing the soul by believing in Allaah, His Messengers, His angels, His Books, the Last Day and in the divine decree, both good and bad, then this is what Islam requires of every Muslim and asks him to nourish this belief. And Allaah knows best.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)

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8976: Is Iblees a jinn or an angel?

Question:

I was just wondering if Iblis was actually a jinn or an angel. This particular issue recently sparked my curiosity when it was presented to me by a person I know. If he is an angel, then how is it he disobeyed Allah, when Angels have no will of their own and follow only Allah's command. If he is really a jinn, then it would better explain his disobedience as then he actually had the choice to obey or disobey Allah. I would appreciate a response, even if it is a brief one.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. Ibless _ may Allaah curse him _ is one of the jinn. He was not an angel for a single day, not even for an instant. The angels were created noble; they never disobey Allaah when He commands them to do something and they do what they are commanded. This is clearly stated in the Qur'aanic texts which indicate that Iblees is one of the jinn and not one of the angels. These texts include the following:

1. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves unto Adam." So they prostrated themselves except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zaalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc)." [al-Kahf 18:50]

2. Allaah stated that He created the jinn from fire, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire" [al-Hijr 15:27]

"And the jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire" [al-Rahmaan 55:15]

And it was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that `Aa'ishah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from smokeless fire and Adam was created from that which has been described to you." (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, no. 2996; also narrated by Ahmad, no. 24668; by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, no. 18207 and by Ibn Hibbaan, no. 6155).

One of the attributes of the angels is that they were created from light, and the jinn were created from fire. It was mentioned in the Qur'aan that Iblees _ may Allaah curse him _ was created from fire. This is what Iblees himself said when Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, asked him the reason for his refusal to prostrate to Adam when Allaah commanded him to do so. He _ may Allaah curse him _ said:

" `I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay'" [al-A'raaf 7:12; Saad 38:76 _ interpretation of the meaning]. This indicates that he was one of the jinn.

3. Allaah has described the angels in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded"

[al-Tahreem 66:6]

"And they say: `The Most Gracious (Allaah) has begotten a son (or children).' Glory to Him! They [whom they call children of Allaah i.e. the angels, `Eesaa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), `Uzair (Ezra)], are but honoured slaves. They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command"

[al-Anbiyaa' 21:26-27]

"And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allâh) with humility]. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded"

[al-Nahl 16:49-50]

So it is not possbile for the angels to disobey their Lord, because they are protected from sin and they are naturally inclined to obey Allaah.

4. The fact that Iblees is not one of the angels means that he is not compelled to obey Allaah. He has freedom of will just as we humans do. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful" [al-Insaan 76:3]

There are also Muslims and kaafirs among the jinn. It says in Soorat al-Jinn (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say (O Muhammad): `It has been revealed to me that a group (from three to ten in number) of jinn listened (to this Qur'aan). They said: `Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur'aan)! It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah).'" [al-Jinn 72;1-2]

In the same soorah, it states that the jinn said:

"`And indeed when we heard the Guidance (this Qur'aan), we believed therein (Islamic Monotheism), and whosoever believes in his Lord shall have no fear, either of a decrease in the reward of his good deeds or an increase in the punishment for his sins. And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allaah, after listening to this Qur'aan), and of us some are AlQaasitoon (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path)'…"

[al-Jinn 72:13-14]

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer:

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: Iblees was not one of the angels, not even for a single moment. He is the father of the jinn, just as Adam (peace be upon him) is the father of mankind. This was narrated by al-Tabari with a saheeh isnaad (part 3/89).

Some of the scholars said that Iblees was one of the angels, that he was the peacock of the angels, that he was the one among the angels who strove the hardest in worship… and other reports, most of which come from the Israa'eeliyyaat (stories and reports from Jewish sources), and some of which contradict the clear texts of the Qur'aan.

Ibn Katheer said, explaining this:

A lot of these reports were transmitted from the Salaf, and most of them come from the Israa'eeliyyaat, which may be been transmitted in order to be examined [i.e., as opposed to being accepted as is]. Allaah knows best about the veracity or otherwise of many of them. Some of them are definitely to be rejected, because they go against the truth which we hold in our hands. In the Qur'aan we have sufficient so that we have no need of previous reports, because hardly any of them are free of distortions, with things added or taken away. Many things have been fabricated in them, for they did not have people who had memorized things precisely by heart (huffaaz) who could eliminate the distortions created by extremists and fabricators, unlike this ummah which has its imaams, scholars, masters, pious and righteous people, brilliant critics and men of excellent memory who recorded the hadeeths and classified them, stating whether they were saheeh (sound), hasan (good), da'eef (weak), mawdoo' (fabricated), matrook (to be ignored). They identified the fabricators and liars, and those about whom nothing was known, and other kinds of men (i.e., narrators). All of this afforded protection to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Seal of the Messengers and the Leader of Mankind, so that nothing would be attributed to him falsely and nothing would be transmitted from him that he did not say or do. May Allaah be pleased with them and make them pleased [by rewarding them], and make the Paradise of al-Firdaws their eternal abode. (Tafseer al-Qur'aan il-`Azeem, 3/90).

And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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7654: Is it possible to talk to the jinn and use them?

Question:

I spoke with this guy who´s know to e have some powers to talk with Jinn I guess muslim ones), and he told me some stuff about me.those people use words , phrases from Quran to control Jinn. What you think about those people ? And is it ok to speek with them. and those people ( Ahl el-Ketab ) who are they? frankly, I read books, they mention how to make ( TAWEEZ), and how to control Jinn, and see angles, and these books use Quran´s words I like to know more about this... I live away from my family for some years, I faced many problems, And Allah helped me to solve them... I have some ( stupid ) love problem, I need to talk with someone who can really tell me about it.. and how to solve it..


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. It is possible to talk to the jinn, but finding about unseen matters and what is in people's hearts is haraam. Usually those who use words and phrases of the Qur'aan in order to gain control over the jinn use ways that are not Islamic. Using the jinn is a power that was given only to Sulaymaan (peace be upon him). Hence when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to tie up a jinn whom he had overcome during his prayer, he remembered the du'aa' of Sulayman and did not do that.

So you should try to advise these people and if they respond, all well and good; otherwise the safest thing to do is to leave them alone and not speak to them.

Ahl al-Kitaab (the People of the Book) are the Jews and Christians.

It is OK to speak with the jinn if this happens without you seeking it, and in fact it is mustahabb to call them to the religion of Allaah and to adhere to His sharee'ah, just as you call people. It is not advisable to read books or to recite Qur'aan for this purpose, because the Qur'aan was not revealed for such things; it was revealed to be a light and a guide in the life of the Muslim, so that the Muslim can follow it, obeying its commandments and avoiding that which it forbids.

With regard to the angels, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and other prophets saw them, and some of the awliyaa' (close friends of Allaah) spoke with them, as it was reported from `Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the angels used to greet him with salaam until he started to use branding (cauterization for medical purposes), then they stopped. When he stopped using branding, they started to greet him again. And Allaah knows best.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)

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7873: A person claims to know where stolen items are

Question:

One of the liars claims to know about thieves after they have stolen without anybody knowing, and he does that through means with which not many people are familiar. For example, he calls for a dish of water, and a child who has not yet reached puberty, who was breastfed by his mother for two full years, and who has never been scared by a dog. Then he starts to recite something from the Qur'aan, and some unintelligible words, then he asks the child, "Do you see anything in the water that is in the dish?" The child then describes the thief in detail and where he hid the stolen goods. What is the Islamic ruling on this? Is it permissible to pray behind this man and to keep in touch with him in good times and in bad _ knowing that we have tried to advise him, but he did not accept the advice and he says that he is following the truth…


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Undoubtedly this man is a practitioner of witchcraft or magic, and this is the work of the shayaateen (devils), because this is beyond the capabilities of human beings. No one knows the unseen except Allaah, and revelation comes only to the Messengers _ and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the Seal of the Prophets and there is no Prophet after him. No doubt the Shaytaan appears to fortune-tellers and describes the thieves to them, and tells them where stolen goods are, whether this is seen in this dish of water or in some other way. It is not permissible to ask these people anything or to believe them. "Whoever comes to a fortune-teller and believes him has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him". (Saheeh _ narrated by Ahmad, 2/408; Abu Dawood, 3904; al-Tirmidhi, 135; Ibn Maajah, 639; al-Haakim, 1/8). On this basis it is not permissible to appoint him to lead you in prayer, or to pray behind him, or to keep in touch with him in good times and in bad, or to give him anything even if he is in need, until and unless he repents.

And Allaah knows best.

From al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 19

(www.islam-qa.com)

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1023: A person who tells people who are present about private and secret matters

Question:

One of the liars claims to know the Unseen. He recites Qur'aan over people who suffer from epilepsy and tells them to use papers on which he has written as incense, and he gives them amulets to wear. If a person who comes to him for treatment is a wine-drinker, he tells him that he drank wine the day before and that the rest of the wine is to be found in such and such a place, and says that he will not treat him for epilepsy until he gives up drinking wine. Then the person admits it. Please give us a fatwaa (ruling) on this matter. Is it permissible to sit and eat with this person and to greet him with salaam and pray behind him _ as he sometimes leads the people in prayer? We have tried to advise him but he did not accept our advice, and says that he is doing the right thing. Please give us a fatwaa, may Allaah reward you.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly this person is a fortune-teller who uses the shayaateen and gets close to them by doing things that they like so that they will tell him some concealed things. He may be offering sacrifices to them, calling them by name, obeying them by disobeying Allaah and eating haraam or impure things, etc. Of course this is kufr and shirk. He must be asked to repent, and if he repents, all well and good _ otherwise he must be executed. It is not permissible to pray behind him or to greet him with salaam until and unless he repents. And Allaah knows best.

al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 20 (www.islam-qa.com)

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7190: Can a man harm his beautiful wife with the "evil eye"?

Question:

I have a question about ayn. If a man were to say to his wife that she looks beautiful should he always say mashaa'Allaah, or is this excessive?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

the "evil eye" is real, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The evil eye is real, and if anything were to overtake the divine decree (al-qadar) it would be the evil eye." (Narrated by Muslim, 2188, from the hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas).

Al-Bukhaari (5048) and Muslim (2187) narrated the first part of this hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah.

Secondly:

the evil eye usually comes from people who are jealous or envious (hasad).

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Everyone who gives the evil eye is jealous, but not everyone who is jealous gives the evil eye… then he said:

It begins when the person likes something, then his evil soul dwells on the matter, and by continually looking at the person who has the thing of which he feels jealous, he directs his venom towards him. A person may put the evil eye on himself, or he may put the evil eye on someone else without intending to, because it is is a part of his nature. This is the worst type of human being. Our companions and other fuqahaa' said: if someone is known for this, he should be detained by the imaam (leader), who should spend on him and provide for him until he dies. This idea is absolutely correct… (Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/167).

In the hadeeth, it says, "A'oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taamah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli `aynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from every devil and vermin and from every envious eye)." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3191) from the hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas.

The meaning of "vermin" (haammah) is lethally poisonous animals and insects.

The meaning of "envious" (laammah) is that which causes harm because of jealousy (hasad).

Thirdly:

Although it is correct that the evil eye comes from people who feel jealous (hasad), it may also come from a person who is not jealous but merely likes something, because of the hadeeth: "Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for blessing for it, because the evil eye is real." Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni in `Aml al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah, p. 168; and by al-Haakim, 4/216. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Kalim al-Tayyib, 243.

This hadeeth explains that a person may harm himself or his wealth _ and no one feels jealous of himself _ but he may harm himself with the evil eye by admiring himself, so it is even more possible that he may harm his wife in the same way.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

And a man may put the evil eye on himself. (Zaa'd al-Ma'aad, 4/167).

Fourthly:

a man may harm his wife with the evil eye by looking at her and noticing her beauty and admiring her, even if he does not actually say to her "You are beautiful." It is mustahabb for him to say, "Allaahumma baarik fihaa (O Allaah, bless her)."

It was reported from Abu Umaamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf that his father told him that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out and they travelled with him towards Makkah until they reached Shi'b al-Khazzaar in al-Juhfah. Sahl ibn Hunayf washed himself, and he was a white man with a handsome body and skin. `Aamir ibn Rabee'ah, the brother of Bani `Udayy ibn Ka'b, looked at him when he was washing, and said, "I have never seen anything like this, not even the skin of a virgin in seclusion!" (this was a metaphor for the intense whiteness of his skin). Then Sahl suffered a seizure (an epileptic fit, in which he fell to the ground). He was brought to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and it was said, "O Messenger of Allaah, do you know what has happened to Sahl? By Allaah, he cannot raise his head and he will not wake up." He said, "Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?" They said, "`Aamir ibn Rabee'ah looked at him." So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called `Aamir and spoke angrily with him, saying, "Would any of you like to kill his brother? If you see something that you like, why do you not pray for blessing for it?" Then he said to him (`Aamir), "Do ghusl for him." So he washed his face, hands, elbows, the soles of his feet and inside his izaar (lower garment) from a vessel, then that water was poured over him (Sahl) _ a man poured it over his head and back from behind, tilting the vessel. This was done to him, then Sahl went on with the people and there was nothing wrong with him. (Al-Musnad, 3/486. Al-Haythami said: the men of Ahmad are the men of saheeh. Al-Majma', 5/107).

Fifthly:

When they like something, some people say "Ma sha' Allaah laa quwwata illa Billaah (That which Allaah wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allaah)". They take as evidence for this an aayah in Soorat al-Kahf and a hadeeth.

The aayah in question is (interpretation of the meaning):

"It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: `That which Allaah wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allaah!'" [al-Kahf 18:39]. But this is not evidence (daleel), because the subject of the aayah has nothing to do with hasad (envy); in fact, Allaah destroyed his garden because of his kufr and transgression.

The hadeeth in question was reported from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), saying that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Whoever sees something that he likes, and says, `Ma sha Allaah laa quwwata illa Billaah', the evil eye will not affect him." But this hadeeth is da'eef jiddan (very weak)!

Al-Haythami said: this was narrated by al-Bazzaar from the report of Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, who is da'eef jiddan (very weak). (Majma' al-Zawaa'id, 5/21).

And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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1021: People claiming that they can make lots of money by using the jinn

Question:

There is a man who claims that he deals with the jinn, and that he is prepared to pay huge profits to anyone who deals with him. For example, if I give him one million, he will use mercury to deal with the jinn, and then he will give me a profit of approximately five million riyaals. What is your opinion of this man's claims? Is it true that the jinn can bring money to a person who _ as he claims _ uses them?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

In my opinion this is not permissible, because dealing with them usually only comes after getting close to them by means of things that they like. This is the action of the practitioner of witchcraft who gets close to the Shaytaan by doing things that he likes, which cancels out all his good deeds. When he mentioned that he uses mercury, this is deceit and taking people's money under false pretences, and it may come under the heading of gambling and stealing. The shayaateen work by illusions and magic, and it is known that they do not possess any kind of money or currency or goods. If they give anything of that sort to a person, either it is an illusion that is not real, or else it is something that has been stolen from other people. It is not right to deal with them at all.

In fact, many of these fraudsters who claim that they can make money are cheats and liars who deceive the people and destroy their wealth and efforts; it is no more than theft. The newspapers are full of stories like this. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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1000: Is there any connection between tracking skills and marriage to the jinn?

Question:

There are well-known sayings among the people about some tribes who have powers of observation and the ability to follow tracks and know who or what made them. It is said that some of their forefathers married some of the jinn, and this is how they gained this power. How true is this?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This is not true, and I do not think that any half-human, half-jinn person could be born, because the jinn do not have bodies. They are spirits, even though they may appear in different forms. These people who are known for their tracking skills are people who are possess powers of observation, intelligence, knowledge, experience and skill. Allaah has created differences in tracks and footprints, just has He has created differences between people who may be tall or short, white or black, small or big _ so that among one hundred thousand people you will not find two who are the same in all respects. This is the reason why these people can distinguish between things, and they recognize tracks and can tell apart things that look similar. And Allaah knows best.

Al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 15 (www.islam-qa.com)

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7870: When is a practitioner of magic a kaafir?

Question:

Is every practitioner of magic or witchcraft a kaafir?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The practitioner of magic is the person who uses the shayaateen (devils) and gets close to the jinn by doing the things they like _ such as sacrificing to them instead of to Allaah, calling upon them alongside Allaah, obeying them by disobeying Allaah by committing zinaa, drinking wine, eating haraam things, neglecting prayer, covering himself with najaasaat (impure things) and staying in dirty places _ until the shayaateen respond to what he asks them, with a gentle and kind approach, to do, such as harming the people against whom he uses his magic, causing division between a man and his wife, telling him some unseen things, and telling him about stolen items and where lost things are. Such a person is a mushrik and a kaafir, because he worships both Allaah and the Shaytaan, which is major shirk (al-shirk al-akbar). So he is a kaafir, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

"Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic" [al-Baqarah 2:102]

"but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, `We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'" [al-Baqarah 2:102]

It was also commanded that the practitioner of magic should be executed, because of the hadeeth: "The hadd (prescribed punishment) for the practitioner of magic is a blow with the sword (i.e., execution)."

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1460; al-Daaraqutni, 3/114; al-Haakim, 4/360; al-Bayhaqi, 8/136; see al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 3/641, no. 1446)

On this basis, he is a kaafir even if he prays, fasts, reads Qur'aan and makes du'aa', because shirk cancels out all good deeds. And Allaah knows best.

Al-Lu'lu al-Makeen min Fataawa Ibn Jibreen, p. 11. (www.islam-qa.com)

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6530: It is possible for witchcraft to come between a man and his wife?

Question:

I am asking whether it is true that some one makes what we call (Hojob) in Arabic to make other peole fail in their lifes.

I dont know if you understand what I mean or not. I will give you an example, I was told that some people dont like others, so what they do,they go to specialized people and ask them to do something by the help of the (Jin) or whatever and make the life of that person misery,like makes him fail in his life or ....... I dont know whether this is available truley or not .

please give me an answer

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The correct view according to the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah is that witchcraft or magic is real and that it can have an effect _ if Allaah wills and decrees it _ on the body of the one against whom it is directed, and it could even kill him.

Imaam al-Quraafi said: "Witchcraft is real and the person against whom it is directed could die, or his mood and habits could be changed… This was also the view of al-Shaafa'i and Ibn Hanbal…"

(al-Furooq, 4/149)

The Mu'tazilah and Qadariyyah did not agree with this… but that is of no significance. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah agreed that it (witchcraft) is real, before there emerged anybody who denied this.

Among the evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah is:

The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not." [al-Baqarah 2:102]

This aayah clearly indicates what is being asked about here, which is that witchcraft is real and that the practitioner of witchcraft can cause separation between a man and his wife and that he can cause harm to people by his witchcraft _ if that is decreed by the universal will of Allaah.

The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"And from the evil of the witchrafts when they blow in the knots" [al-Falaq 113:4]

`the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots' refers to witches or female practitioners of witchcraft who tie knots as part of their magic and blow on them. If witchcraft were not real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it.

Further proof is to be seen in the fact that witchcraft was directed against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by the Jew Labeed ibn al-A'sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

Further evidence is to be seen in the real-life experiences of many people, which cannot be overlooked.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: the witchcraft which causes people to be sick or to feel depressed, or which makes them love or hate, exists and is well known to all people. Many people have experienced what it can do to them." (al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571).

Ibn Qudaamah said: "It is well known among people that a man can be separated from his wife (by witchcraft) when he gets married, so that he is unable to have intercourse with her, but when the spell is lifted, then he is able to have intercourse with her. This is so commonly known that it cannot be denied. There are so many reports of witchcraft that it is inconceivable that so many people would agree on a lie."

(al-Mughni, 8/151)

There are many ways of protecting oneself against witchcraft:

The best way is to fear Allaah, obey His commands, put one's trust in Him, seek refuge with Allaah, and start each morning by eating seven dates. All of these were narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth.

There are many ways of removing the effects of witchcraft, including:

Ruqyah [prayers, supplications], the best of which is supplications from the Qur'aan, then du'aa's narrated in saheeh haadeeth.

Finding the objects used for witchcraft purposes and doing something to neutralize them.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the Sunnah for treating this sickness _ two kinds were transmitted from him:

One of them _ which is the best _ is to locate and neutralize the object, as it was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked his Lord about that, and He directed him to a well where he found a comb, some hairs that had fallen when he combed his hair ….…. When he removed these things from the well, he felt better, as if he had recovered from an illness. This is this is the best way of dealing with this problem, and is like removing something bad from the body by expelling it.

Cupping, induced vomiting and surgery.

Ibn al-Qayyim said _ continuing what he said in the words quoted above: "The second kind is by physically removing the place affected by the witchcraft, because witchcraft has an effect on human nature and the bodily humours, and can affect moods. If its effects are noted in any part if the body and it is possible to remove the bad material, this will be very beneficial." (Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/124, 125).

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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1819: Jinn entering human bodies

Question:

In the last few days a controversy has arisen concerning the matter of jinn entering human bodies. Some say that this is rationally impossible, because of the difference in the essences from which they were created, as man was created from clay and the jinn from fire. It has also been said that the shayaateen (devils) have no power other than waswaas (insinuating whispers) and that Allaah has not given them any power over man. And it is said that the recorded tapes that are in circulation (recordings of jinn supposedly speaking through people) are no proof of anything. What is your response to all this?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, and by real-life events. No one disputes this apart from the Mu'tazilah who give priority to their own rational analysis over the evidence of the Qur'aan and Sunnah. We will mention a little about this below:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: `Trading is only like Ribaa'…" [al-Baqarah 2:275]

Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (part 3, p. 355): "This aayah is proof that those people are wrong who deny that epilepsy is caused by the jinn and claim that its causes are only physical, and that the Shaytaan does not enter people or cause madness."

Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (part 1, p. 32), after mentioning the aayah quoted above: "They will not rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection except like the way in which the epileptic rises during his seizure, when he is beaten by the Shaytaan. This is because they will rise in a very bad state. Ibn `Abbaas said: the one who consumes ribaa will rise on the Day of Resurrection crazy and choking."

According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Nasaa'i from Abu'l-Yusr, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray: "Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika min al-taraddi wa'l-haram wa'l-gharaq wa'l-harq, wa a'oodhu bika an yatakhabatani al-shaytaan `ind al-mawt ( O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from being thrown from a high place, old age, drowning and burning; and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death)." Commenting on this hadeeth in Al-Fayd (part 2, p.148), al-Manaawi said: "[The phrase] `and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death' means, lest he should wrestle with me and play with me, and damage my religious commitment or mental state (at the time of death) by means of his insinuating whispers which cause people to slip or lose their minds. The Shaytaan could take control of a person when he is about to depart this world, and misguide him or stop him from repenting…"

Ibn Taymiyah (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 42/276) said: "The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): `Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: `Trading is only like Ribaa'…' [al-Baqarah 2:275]. And in as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `The Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam as the blood flows through his veins.'"

`Abd-Allaah ibn al-Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; "I said to my father, `There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of the epileptic.' He said: `O my son, they are lying; the jinn could speak through this person.'" Commenting on this, Ibn Qudaamah said: "What he said is well known, because a person may suffer an epileptic seizure and speak in a language that no one understands, and his body may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the epileptic does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is saying. The epileptic and others may be dragged about, or the carpet on which he is sitting may be pulled, and utensils may be moved about from place to place, and other things may happen. Anyone who witnesses such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking through the person and moving these things is not human." And he said, may Allaah have mercy on him: "There is no one among the imaams of the Muslims who denies that jinn may enter the body of the epileptic and others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam denies it is lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of sharee'ah to show that it does not happen."

So the fact that jinn may enter human bodies is proven in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, some of whose comments we have quoted above.

As regards the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave" [al-Baqarah 2:102], this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the jinn cannot harm anyone through witchcraft or epilepsy or through any other kind of disturbance or misguidance, except with the permission of Allaah. As al-Hasan al-Basri said: "Whomever Allaah wills, He gives them power over him, and whomever He does not will, He does not give them power over him, and they cannot do anything to anyone except with the permission of Allaah." The Shaytaan (who is the disbelieving jinn) may gain power over the believers by making them sin and by making them neglect the remembrance and Tawheed of Allaah and sincerity in worshipping Him. But he has no power over the righteous slaves of Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian" [al-Israa' 17:65]

During the Jaahiliyyah the Arabs were well aware of this and mentioned it in their poetry. For example, the poet al-A'shaa likened his she-camel's energy to that of one who was touched by the jinn, and said that it was the jinn who was giving her her energy.

As regards the causes of epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyah explained (in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 19/39) the causes. He said: "When the jinn touch a person with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens between one human and another… or it may _ as is usually the case _ be because of hatred and punishment, such as when a person has harmed them or they think that he has harmed them deliberately, either by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or killing them, even if the person did that unknowingly. There are ignorant and wrongdoing ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or they may be playing with him and mistreating him, like foolish people among mankind."

And I say: the way to save oneself from this is to remember Allaah and speak His Name at the beginning of all things, as it was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to mention Allaah in many cases, such as when eating, drinking, mounting his riding-beast, taking off his clothes for any reason, having intercourse and so on…

As regards treatment (of one whose body has been entered by the jinn), Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 19/42): "When the jinn attack a person, they should be told of the rulings of Allaah and His Messenger, proof should be established against them, and they should be commanded to do what is good and told not to do what is evil, just as should be done in the case of people, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): `And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)' [al-Israa' 17:15]." Then he said: "If the jinn does not leave after being addressed in this manner, then it is permissible to rebuke him, tell him off, threaten him and curse him, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did with the Shaytaan when he came with a falling star to throw it in his face, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I seek refuge with Allaah from you and I curse you with the curse of Allaah" _ three times. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).We may also seek help against the jinn by remembering Allaah (dhikr) and reciting Qur'aan, especially Aayat al-Kursi. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites it will remain under the protection of Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will be able to approach him until the morning." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari). And al-Mi'wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan) may also be recited.

As for psychiatrists who do not treat the epileptic in the manner described, they cannot do him any good at all.

This issue may be discussed in much more detail, but what we have said here is sufficient for those who want to know a little about this matter, Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Masaa'il wa rasaa'il, Muhammad Mahmoud al-Najdi, p. 23 (www.islam-qa.com)

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1670: Can sihr (witchcraft, magic) kill?

Question:

i would like information on majic (jadoo) what are the consequences and can people use it to kill people.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, there is sihr that can kill. When discussing different forms of murder the scholars have mentioned that the person who kills another by means of a kind of sihr that usually kills should be executed (qisaas _ retaliation), because he has killed by means of something that usually kills. Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (9/330): "The sixth kind: if he killed him by means of a kind of sihr that usually kills, then he has to be executed, because he has killed by means of something that usually kills, like killing by use of a knife. If he killed by means of something that does not usually kill or something that sometimes kills and sometimes does not, then he has to pay diyah (blood-money), but qisaas is not required, because he intended to do harm, and it is akin to beating someone with a stick (which may or may not kill)."

The ruling concerning the saahir (practitioner of sihr) in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (24/267) says that in the case where he killed a person by means of his sihr… the majority say that killing by means of sihr may be done deliberately, in which case qisaas is required. According to the Maalikis, evidence or a confession is required. According to the Shaafi'is, if the person whom the practitioner of sihr killed was his equal , then qisaas is required if the killing was deliberate, which may be proven by a confession on the part of the saahir, such as his saying "I killed him by means of my sihr", or "I killed him with this type of thing", supported by the testimony of two reliable witnesses who have practised sihr in the past but have now repented, who can confirm that this kind of sihr usually kills. If it is a type that does not usually kill, then the matter is more akin to manslaughter.

And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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2340: The world of the Jinn

Question:

I have read in the Holy Qur'an what a jinn is, but I really don't understand what they really are. Can you please send me more information on them. Peace be unto you!

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Qur'aan and Sunnah indicate that the jinn exist, and that there is a purpose for their existence in this life, which is to worship Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

"And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans, except they should worship Me (Alone)." [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56].

"O assembly of jinns and mankind! Did there not come to you Messengers from amongst you, reciting unto you My Verses…?" [al-An'aam 6:130]

The world of the jinn is an independent and separate world, with its own distinct nature and features that are hidden from the world of humans. Jinns and humans have some things in common, such as the possession of understanding and the choice between the way of good and the way of evil. The word jinn comes from an Arabic root meaning "hidden from sight". Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"… Verily he [Shaytaan] and his qabeeluhu [his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe] see you from where you cannot see them…" [al-A'raaf 7:27]

Allaah has told us in His Book the essence from which the jinn were created. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame o fire." [al-Hijr 15:27]

"And the jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of fire." [al-Rahmaan 55:15].

According to a hadeeth narrated by `Aa'ishah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Aadam was created from that which has been described to you." (Reported by Muslim, 5314).

Types of jinn

Allaah has created different types of jinn. Among them are some who can take on different forms, such as dogs and snakes; some who are like flying winds with wings; and some who can travel and rest. Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `The jinn are of three types: a types that has wings, and they fly through the air; a type that looks like snakes and dogs; and a type that stops for a rest then resumes its journey." (Reported by al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/95, and by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 22/214. Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Mishkaat (2/1206, no. 4148): al-Tahhaawi and Abu'l-Shaykh reported it with a saheeh isnaad).

The jinn and the sons of Aadam

Every individual among the sons of Aadam has a jinn who has been appointed to be his constant companion (qareen). Ibn Mas'ood said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion.' They said, `And you too, O Messenger of Allaah?' He said, `Me too, but Allaah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good.'" (Reported by Muslim, 2814). Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Muslim (17/175): "`He has submitted' … he became a believing Muslim. This is the apparent meaning. Al-Qaadi said: Know that the ummah is agreed upon the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was protected from Shaytaan, physically and mentally, and with regard to his speech. This hadeeth contains a reference to the warning against the fitnah (temptation, trial) and whispers of the qareen (constant companion from among the jinn). We know that he is with us so we should beware of him as much as possible."

Their powers

Allaah has given the jinn powers that he has not given to humans. Allaah has told us about some of their powers, such as the ability to move and travel quickly. An `ifreet from among the jinn guaranteed to the Prophet Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) that he would bring the throne of the Queen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment faster than that needed for a man to get up from where he was sitting. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"An `ifreet (strong one) from the jinns said: `I will bring it [her throne] to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work.' One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: `I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!' _ then when Sulaymaan saw it placed before him, he said, `This is by the Grace of my Lord…'" [al-Naml 27:39-40].

The food and drink of the jinn

The jinn eat and drink. Ibn Mas'ood said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `Someone from among the jinn called me, and I went with him and recited Qur'aan for them.' He took us and showed us the traces of where they had been and the traces of their fires. They asked him for food and he said, `You can have every bone on which the name of Allaah has been mentioned that comes into your possession, as meat, and all the droppings as food for your animals.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `So do not use [these things] for cleaning yourselves [after relieving oneself], for they are the food and provision of your brothers.'" (Reported by Muslim, 450). According to another report: "A delegation of jinn from Naseebeen came to me, and what good jinn they are! They asked me for food and I prayed to Allaah for them, so that they would not pass by bones or droppings, but they would find food on them." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3571). The believing jinn may eat any bone on which the name of Allaah has been mentioned, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not permit them to have anything on which Allaah's name has not been mentioned _ those are for the kuffaar among the jinn.

The beasts of the jinn

According to the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas'ood, that we have quoted above, the jinn asked the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for provision, and he said to them: "…and [you can have] all the droppings as food for your animals."

The dwelling-places of the jinn

The jinn live on this earth where we do. They are mostly to be found in ruins and unclean places like bathrooms, dunghills, garbage dumps and graveyards. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us to take precautions when entering such places, by reciting the adhkaar (prayers) prescribed by Islam. One of these was reported by Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: "When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the toilet, he would say, `Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika min al-khubuthi wa'l-khabaa'ith (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the evil ones, male and female).'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 142; and Muslim, 375). Al-Khattaabi explained that khubuth is the plural of khabeeth (evil or dirty _ masculine form), and khabaa'ith is the plural of khabeethah (evil or dirty _ feminine form), and that what is meant is male and female shayaateen.

Some jinns are Muslims and some are kaafirs

Allaah tells us that some of the jinn said (interpretation of the meaning):

" `And some of us are Muslims, and of us some are al-qaasitoon (disbelievers _ those who have deviated from the Right Path). And whosoever has embraced Islam, then such have sought the Right Path. And as for the qaasitoon, they shall be firewood for Hell.'" [al-Jinn 72:14-15]

The Muslims among the jinn are of different levels as regards righteousness and taqwa. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"[Some jinn said:] `There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups, each having a different way (religious sects, etc.)'" [al-Jinn 72:11]

The story of how the first jinn of this ummah became Muslim was narrated by `Abd-Allaah ibn `Abbaas, who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out with a group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of `Ukaaz. This was when the shayaateen were prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. The shayaateen went back to their people, who said, `What is the matter with you?' They said, `We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us.' Their people said, `Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that must have happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven.' Those who went out in the direction of Tihaamah came upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Nakhlah, when he was on his way to `Ukaaz, and found him leading his Companions in Fajr prayer. When they heard the Qur'aan, they listened to it and said, `By Allaah, this is what is stopping us from hearing news from heaven.' When they went back to their people, they said, `O our people, we have heard a wonderful Recital (the Qur'aan). It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah). [al-Jinn 72:2 _ interpretation of the meaning]. Then Allaah revealed to His Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the words (interpretation of the meaning): "Say (O Muhammad): `It has been revealed to me that a group of jinns listened (to this Qur'aan)…' [al-Jinn 72:1], and Allaah revealed to him what the jinn had said." (reported by al-Bukhaari, 731).

Their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

The jinn will be called to account on the day of Resurrection. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "… but the jinns know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e., they will be brought to account)" [al-Saffaat 37:158]: "They will be brought to judgement." Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Baab Dhikr al-Jinn wa Thawaabihim wa `Iqaabihim.

Protection from the harm of the jinn

Because the jinn can see us while we cannot see them, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us many ways to protect ourselves from their harm, such as seeking refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, reciting Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas (the last two Soorahs of the Qur'aan), and reciting the words taught by Allaah in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "Say: `My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the shayaateen (devils). And I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they may attend (or come near) me.'"

[al-Mu'minoon 23:97-98]

Saying Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah) before entering one's home, before eating or drinking, and before having intercourse will also keep the Shaytaan from entering the house or partaking with a person in his food, drink and sexual activity. Similarly, mentioning the name of Allaah before entering the toilet or taking off one's clothes will prevent the jinn from seeing a person's `awrah or harming him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "To put a barrier that will prevent the jinn from seeing the `awrah of the sons of Aadam, let any one of you say `Bismillaah' when entering the toilet." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 551; Saheeh al-Jaami', 3611).

Strength of faith and religion in general will also prevent the jinn from harming a person, so much so that if they were to fight, the one who has faith would win. `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "A man from among the Companions of Muhammad met a man from among the jinn. They wrestled, and the human knocked down the jinn. The human said to him, `You look small and skinny to me, and your forearms look like the front paws of a dog. Do all the jinn look like this, or only you?' He said, `No, by Allaah, among them I am strong, but let us wrestle again, and if you defeat me I will teach you something that will do you good.' The human said, `Fine.' He said, `Recite, `Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…' [Aayat al-Kursi _ al-Baqarah 2:255 _ interpretation of the meaning]. The human said, `Fine.' He said, `You will never recite this in your house but the Shaytaan will come out of it like a donkey breaking wind, and he will never come back in until the next morning.'" (Reported by al-Daarimi, 3247).

This is a brief summary about the jinn, and their nature and characteristics. Allaah is the Best of protectors and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

For more information see `Aalam al-Jinn wa'l-Shayaateen by `Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar. (www.islam-qa.com)

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1310: Expelling Shaytaan is done by reciting (Soorahs 113, 114 and 2)

Question:

What is your view on the practice of burning a tray of coal that emits smoke, which is used to cover every nook and corner of the house, especially on Thursday nights? It is believed that this practice will rid the house of Jinns and Shaytaan. I have been told that the presence of smoke is one element where it is the food of Jinns. Is there a hadeeth on this practice?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What you describe is a type of cheating or fraud, which the believer is not permitted to believe in or to do. I warn you against falling into the trap of Shaytan. You should read the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan and Soorat al-Baqarah in the house: this is the strongest protection against Shaytan; it will expel him from your house and protect you from his evil by the permission of Allaah.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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240: Black Magic and Satanic Possession

Question:

My brother after returning from a trip starting acting very strange. He would say weird things and now doesn't talk to anyone at all. He has been sitting outside for 2 months now. He has even spit on our mother. At first we thought there was something psychologically wrong with him. However when we took him to a mental doctor he talks as if he is fine. We think he is either possessed by a Jinn or some magic was done to him.

How can you tell if someone is possessed or if magic was done to them?

How do you remove it? My mother is getting very sick over this.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah

People who have had experience with such situations have related that the following are among the signs of a person who is possessed by jinn (or Satan):

Strong repulsion when hearing Qur'aan or Aathaan (call for prayers).

Episodes of losing consciousness and/or epileptic attacks, especially when Qur'aan is recited for the possessed person.

Frequent nightmares during sleep.

Tendency to avoid people accompanied by out-of-the-norm behavior.

The jinn who possesses him might speak when Qur'aan is recited for the possessed person.

Madness, as stated in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom Satan by his touch hath driven to [epileptic] madness…"2:275

As for a person struck by magic he might experience the following:

Dislike of one's spouse, as indicated in the Qur'aan by the following verse (interpretation of the meaning): "And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife..."

(Al-Baqarah, 2:102).

Different attitude in the house from that which is outside the house. For example, a person will feel that he is missing his family when is outside the house but when he goes home, love changes quickly to extreme hatred.

Inability to have sexual intercourse with one's spouse.

Frequent miscarriage for pregnant women.

Sudden change in behavior without obvious reason.

Complete loss of appetite for food.

Thinking or imagining one has done something when in reality one has not.

Sudden obedience and/or love for a particular person.

It should be noted that if a person experiences some of the above symptoms this does not necessarily mean that he is either possessed by a jinn or struck by black magic. It might be due to physiological or psychological reasons.

As for curing this condition the following steps are recommended:

Putting one's trust in Allah with sincere belief that He is the only cure for everything.

Reading Qur'aan and known supplications expressing seeking refuge, the most important and effective of which is sura 113 and 114, Al-Falaq and Al-Naas, which were used to cure the Prophet himself. Surah 112, Al-Ikhlaas, is recommended along with them, as well as the opening chapter of the Qur'aan, Al-Fatihah. To cure black magic some have successfully used seven lotus-tree leaves. The leaves should be crushed, then mixed them with water enough for taking a bath. The following verses from the Qur'aan are then recited: verse Al-Kursi (2:255), surah Al-Kafiroon (109), surah 112, 113, 114; the verses which mention magic, which are: in surah Al-Baqarah (2:102), Al-A'raaf (3:117-119), Yunus (10:79-82), and Taha (20:65-69). The possessed person drinks some of the water, and the rest is used to give him a bath.

Removing the elements of magic as was done by the Prophet when he was struck by black magic by a Jewish man called Lubaid Ben Al-`Aasim.

Eating seven Aa'liya Al-Barniy dates (among the dates of Al-Madinah) first thing in the morning; if not possible, any dates will suffice, by the will of Allaah.

Cupping—removing excess blood.

Supplications.

And we ask Allaah to cure your brother and ease your hardship and his, as He is the One who cures and there is no one else who can cure. Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

(www.islam-qa.com)

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