Myths among the common folk about superstitions

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

These myths – and many others – come under the heading of
superstition that is forbidden in Islam. There is no limit to such myths
among the people. Some regard seeing certain things as a bad omen – such as
seeing an owl or a black cat; some regard hearing certain things as a bad
omen – such as hearing the sound of an owl or a crow. They even regard
verses in the Book of Allaah as omens, if it is seen in the Mus-haf or heard
from one who is reading! – such as a verse which speaks of warning or
punishment. Some of them regard numbers as unlucky, such as 13; or they
regard certain times as unlucky times, such as Wednesdays, or the month of
Shawwaal for those who want to get married. Some regard certain places as
unlucky, such as a place in which a crime occurred, or they regard certain
types of people as a bad omen, such as the lame or the blind, or the poor or
needy.

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the
permission of Allaah) and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens),
but I like optimism.” They said, “What is optimism?” He said, “A good
word.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5776) and Muslim (2224).

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi
(1614), Abu Dawood (3910), Ibn Majaah (3538); classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:

The word tiyarah is derived from the word tatayyur, which
refers to superstition about something that is seen or heard; or it was said
that it refers to superstition about anything ,whether it is something that
is seen or heard, or a time or place. This is more comprehensive as it
includes things that are not seen or heard, such as superstition about
certain times.

The basic meaning of tatayyur is pessimism but reference is
made to birds (tayr) because most of the superstitions held by the Arabs
have to do with birds, so it was connected to them. But the general
definition is superstition based on something that is seen, heard or known.

The Arabs used to regard certain birds, times and persons as
unlucky, and this is shirk as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said.

If a person opens the door to superstition, the world will
become a hard place for him and he will imagine that everything is a bad
omen. There are even some people who, if they get up in the morning and go
out and meet a man who only has one eye, they will regard it as a bad omen
and say: Today is a bad day, so such a person will close his shop and not
sell or buy anything – Allaah forbid. Some of them regarded Wednesday as
unlucky and said that it was a day of bad omens and bad luck, and some of
them regarded the month of Shawwaal as unlucky, especially for weddings. The
case of ‘Aa’ishah proves that this superstition is wrong, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her in
Shawwaal and consummated the marriage with her in Shawwaal, so she used to
say: “And who among you was more beloved to him than me?” Narrated by
Muslim. The answer is: No one.

What matters is that no one should pay any attention to
superstition, because it will spoil his life. What we should do is follow
the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
who liked optimism, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. We should be
optimistic, not pessimistic, like some people who try something time after
time, then they become pessimistic and think that they will never succeed in
it, so they give it up. This is wrong, because if you think that something
is good, you should not give it up at the first attempt; try again and again
until Allaah makes it easy for you.

Al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed
(2/39-41); Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (9/515, 516).

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Al-Bayhaqi quoted from al-Haleemi in al-Shu’ab what
may be summed up as follows:

During the Jaahiliyyah, tatayyur (seeking bird omens) was
when the Arabs would disturb birds when wanting to go out on a necessary
journey. … They also used to regard the voice of a crow and the passing of
gazelles as bad omens, but they called all them tatayyur because the
original omen had to do with birds (tayr).

He said: There were also superstitions among the non-Arabs.
If a person saw a child going to the teacher, he would regard it as a bad
omen, and if he saw the child returning he would regard it as a good omen.
If they saw a camel carrying a heavy load they would regard it was a bad
omen and if they saw it carrying no load they would regard it as a good
omen, and so on.

Islam abolished all of that.

Fath al-Baari (10/215).

Superstition is only mentioned in the Qur’aan as something
followed by the enemies of the Messengers, which indicates that the one who
follows it and believes in it is as ignorant as those people, to the extent
that he believes in these notions.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah does not mention superstition except on the part of
the enemies of the Messengers, as they said to their Messengers
(interpretation of the meaning):

“ ‘For us, we see an evil omen from you; if you cease not,
we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us.’

19. They (Messengers) said: ‘Your evil omens be with you!
(Do you call it ‘evil omen’) because you are admonished? Nay, but you are a
people Musrifoon (transgressing all bounds by committing all kinds of great
sins, and by disobeying Allaah)’”

[Ya-Seen 36:18, 19]

And Allaah tells us about the people of Pharaoh
(interpretation of the meaning):

“But whenever good came to them, they said: ‘Ours is
this.’ And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected
with Moosa (Moses) and those with him. Be informed! Verily, their evil omens
are with Allaah”

[al-A’raaf 7:131]

Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah (3/231,
232)

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said of
the people of the Jaahiliyyah:

Most of them believed in bird omens and relied in that, and
they usually came true for them, because the shaytaan was making it appear
attractive to them, and some traces of that are still present among many
Muslims.

Fath al-Baari (10/213).

The scholars also drew attention to some myths that are
widespread among the people, which they take as a bad omen that may lead to
a break in family ties, corruption or divorce.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

When my marriage contract was being done, I cracked my
knuckles and I was not aware the interlacing my fingers and cracking my
knuckles could lead to problems in the marriage. After I found out, I felt
too shy to ask, and I have three children and have been married for seven
years. What should I do? Should I do a new marriage contract or what should
I do?

They replied:

If the situation is as you describe, what you mention about
interlacing your fingers and the cracking of your knuckles whilst your
marriage contract was being done has no effect on the validity of the
marriage, rather your marriage is valid and there is no need to do the
contract again. Give up superstitious beliefs in the things you mentioned
and in other things because it is contrary to Islam.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq
‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah
(18/114).

Everything that is mentioned in the question comes under the
same heading and these are things that the shaytaan has instilled in the
minds of a lot of people and made them regard as bad omens things that have
no effect on their lives in reality, because the Muslims swim in water and
sprinkle one another with water, and children play in swimming pools, and it
is not known to have any negative effect on them. The same may be said
about the myths concerning opening and closing scissors, stepping over a
child, cutting one’s nails at night, sweeping the house at night, refusing
to do laundry on Mondays, and other limitless myths and illusions that make
them fear things which need not be feared and keep them from striving and
being optimistic, and keep them from putting their trust fully in their
Lord.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Tatayyur refers to superstitions about something that is seen
or heard; if a person follows it and he changes his mind about travelling
or refuses to do something he had previously decided to do, then this is
shirk and is contrary to putting one’s trust in Allaah. He opens the door to
fear and attachment to something other than Allaah. Superstition based on
something that he sees or hears takes him away from the status that is
expressed in the verses “You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask
for help (for each and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5], “So worship
Him and put your trust in Him” [Hood 11:123] and “in Him I trust and
unto Him I repent” [Hood 11:88]. His heart has become attached to
something other than Allaah, in the sense of worship and dependence, so his
heart and faith are corrupted, he will be continually disturbed by these
superstitious notions and the shaytaan will lead him from that to things
that will damage his religious and worldly interests. How many people have
been destroyed by that and lost out in this world and in the hereafter. How
can this compare to righteous optimism which brings joy to the heart,
strengthens hope, quells fear, brings calm and motivates one to seek the
help of Allaah and put one’s trust in Him and to be of good cheer. This is
the opposite of superstition, for optimism leads a person to obey Allaah and
believe in Him alone (Tawheed), whereas superstitious pessimism leads one to
disobey Him and associate others with Him (shirk). Hence the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked optimism, and he declared
superstition to be invalid.

Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah (2/246,
247).

Secondly:

In order to deal with this pessimism which the shaytaan
instils by whispers and makes attractive to people:

1 – Put your trust fully and properly in Allaah.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk,
and any one of us may think he sees an evil omen but Allaah will dispel it
by means of trust in Him (tawakkul).”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1614), Abu Dawood (3910) and Ibn
Majaah, (3538)

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) forbade tiyarah and said “There is no tiyarah.” That is
because during the Jaahiliyyah they believed in superstitious omens, and he
forbade them to do that and told them to put their trust in Allaah, because
nothing happens except by His decree and no one has any knowledge of the
unseen but Him.

Al-Tamheed (24/195).

2 – Go ahead with what you want to do, and do not delay it or
change your mind.

3 – Pray to Allaah to free you from this trap of the
shaytaan, and ask Him for that which is good, and seek refuge with Him from
evil.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets tiyarah (superstition) stop him from
doing something has committed an act of shirk.” They said, “What is the
kafaarah (expiation) for that?” He said, “To say: Allaahumma la khayra
illaa khayruka wa laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O
Allaah, there is no good except Your good, no birds except Yours, and there
is no god beside You).”

Narrated by Ahmad (7045); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (3/53, hadeeth no. 1056).

Al-Manaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The one who is influenced by superstitious beliefs should ask
Allaah for good and seek refuge with Him from evil, and go ahead with his
plans, putting his trust in Him.

Fayd al-Qadeer (6/136).

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:

The words “There is no good except Your good”: this is true,
for all good comes from Allaah, whether it is due to a known reason or
otherwise.

The words “no birds except Yours” means: all birds belong to
You, so they do not cause anything, rather they are subjugated to Your will.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their
wings and folding them in? None upholds them except the Most Gracious
(Allaah). Verily, He is the All‑Seer of everything”

[al-Mulk 67:19]

“Do they not see the birds held (flying) in the midst of
the sky? None holds them but Allaah (none gave them the ability to fly but
Allaah). Verily, in this are clear Ayaat (proofs and signs) for people who
believe (in the Oneness of Allaah)”

[al-Nahl 16:79]

The point is that birds are subjugated to Allaah’s will and
Allaah is the One Who controls them and directs them so that they fly right
and left, and they have nothing to do with events that happen.

It may be that what is meant by birds here is objects of
superstition, because everything that happens to people of things they
dislike comes from Allaah just as everything good comes from Allaah, as
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, their evil omens are with Allaah”

[al-A’raaf 7:131]

But we have seen above that none of the actions of Allaah can
be described as bad, rather actions may seem bad to the one who is affected
by them, but the action itself is not bad; rather all His actions are all
good, either good in and of themselves or because of the great good that
results from them, which make them good.

So the words “no birds except Your birds” serve to balance
the words “There is no good except Your good.”

Al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed
(2/117, 118) and Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (9/578).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:

Superstition may be dealt with by means of these three
things:

1 – Putting one’s trust in Allaah

2 – Going ahead with one’s plans and not being influenced by
it, and not allowing it to affect any of your behaviour and attitude, so it
is as if it never existed.

3 – Saying the du’aa’s mentioned in the ahaadeeth, for if you
call upon Allaah with these du’aa’s, Allaah will save you from superstition
and will help you and guide you.

I’aanah al-Mustafeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed
(2/14).

And Allaah knows best.