V1: 160- Ruling on wearing a bracelet to avert harm or bring benefit
- 3 years ago
160- Ruling on wearing a bracelet to avert harm or bring benefit
Q: My problem is as follows: I am a veiled woman, praise be to Allah. I perform Salah (Prayer) on time, and fear Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), and I believe that life and death are in the Hands of Allah. But whenever I gave birth to a child, he would die. Some people recommended something for me which is well known here in Libya; it is that I collect a coin from every house that has a person with the name of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), whether he is a child, boy or man. The money is collected and with its value a bracelet is bought. The woman whose children die should wear this bracelet which is usually made of iron on her hand. I did as they said, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) willed that the children I had after wearing this bracelet should live. When my sister saw the bracelet and found out why I was wearing it, she told me: "Take it off your hand instantly, this is clear Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship), if your were to die while wearing it and believing that it could benefit or harm you, you would die as a Mushrika (one who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship)." Is this true? Is my wearing this bracelet for that reason Shirk or not? If it is Shirk, how do I repent from such a great sin? Have my Salahs, Sawm (Fasting) and all good deeds in the past gone to waste or not? If Allah gives you the ability to reply to these questions, please make the answers clear and detailed in order for me and others to benefit. May Allah reward you well.
A: What you have committed and what people have recommended for you to do, so that your children will live, has no origin in Islam; rather, it is Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Shariah and Muslims of sound intellect) and Bid`ah (innovation in religion). There is no evidence for it. This sort of bracelet is called Tamimah (amulet). The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the use of amulets and ordered that it should be cut. He (ﷺ) said: Anyone who ties an amulet, may Allah not fulfill his aim; and anyone who ties a seashell, may Allah not give him peace. And: Anyone who ties an amulet has committed Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship). The Prophet (ﷺ) sent people during some battles to cut the strings and amulets fastened around the neck of animals for protection against the evil eye. He (ﷺ) said: Ruqyahs (recitations for healing or protection), amulets and love-charms are Shirk. Ruqyah here is referring to any words recited that violate Shariah (Islamic law), by beseeching or supplicating to other than Allah. Amulets are any item hung or worn to give protection against the evil eye or Jinn (creatures created from fire). Love-charms is a form of Sihr (witchcraft), referred to as Al-`Atf and Al-Sarf (spells aimed at creating love or hatred). The Prophet (ﷺ) made it clear that all this is Shirk. It is reported in Musnad Ahmad (may Allah be merciful to him) through good Sanad (chain of narrators) on the authority of `Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them) that: The Prophet (ﷺ) saw a man wearing a brass ring on his upper arm, so he (ﷺ) said, 'What is this?' The man replied, 'This is to protect from Al-Wahinah (pain in the shoulder and the arm).' He (ﷺ) said, 'Truly, it will only increase you in weakness. Take it off; if you were to die with it on you, you would never succeed.' This is a great warning for anyone who wears any similar bracelets claimed to protect from a disease in the hands referred to as "Al-Wahinah". Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) found a man who had tied a string to his hand. He asked him what was it for, and the man replied: "For fever." So Hudhayfah cut it while reciting Allah's Words: And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him [i.e. they are Mushrikun i.e. polytheists. See Verse 6: 121]. It was also reported by Ibrahim Al-Nakh`iy that the companions of Ibn Mas`ud hated all forms of amulets, whether they contained Qur`an or not. They considered them all Haram (prohibited). Moreover, Sa` id ibn Jubayr, the reverent Tabi`y (Follower, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet), said: "Anyone who cuts an amulet from a human is equal to freeing a slave, because he has freed him of Shirk." From this you learn that what was told to you: "Collect money from every house where lives a person named Muhammad, and buy a bracelet with this value to wear in order for your children to live," is baseless and has no origin in Islam. It is Batil (null and void) and you are obliged to perform Tawbah (repentance to Allah) of this, and return to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Allah forgives the one who repents to Him. The fact that your children lived after that is from...
Q: My problem is as follows: I am a veiled woman, praise be to Allah. I perform Salah (Prayer) on time, and fear Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), and I believe that life and death are in the Hands of Allah. But whenever I gave birth to a child, he would die. Some people recommended something for me which is well known here in Libya; it is that I collect a coin from every house that has a person with the name of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), whether he is a child, boy or man. The money is collected and with its value a bracelet is bought. The woman whose children die should wear this bracelet which is usually made of iron on her hand. I did as they said, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) willed that the children I had after wearing this bracelet should live. When my sister saw the bracelet and found out why I was wearing it, she told me: "Take it off your hand instantly, this is clear Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship), if your were to die while wearing it and believing that it could benefit or harm you, you would die as a Mushrika (one who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship)." Is this true? Is my wearing this bracelet for that reason Shirk or not? If it is Shirk, how do I repent from such a great sin? Have my Salahs, Sawm (Fasting) and all good deeds in the past gone to waste or not? If Allah gives you the ability to reply to these questions, please make the answers clear and detailed in order for me and others to benefit. May Allah reward you well.
A: What you have committed and what people have recommended for you to do, so that your children will live, has no origin in Islam; rather, it is Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Shariah and Muslims of sound intellect) and Bid`ah (innovation in religion). There is no evidence for it. This sort of bracelet is called Tamimah (amulet). The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the use of amulets and ordered that it should be cut. He (ﷺ) said: Anyone who ties an amulet, may Allah not fulfill his aim; and anyone who ties a seashell, may Allah not give him peace. And: Anyone who ties an amulet has committed Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship). The Prophet (ﷺ) sent people during some battles to cut the strings and amulets fastened around the neck of animals for protection against the evil eye. He (ﷺ) said: Ruqyahs (recitations for healing or protection), amulets and love-charms are Shirk. Ruqyah here is referring to any words recited that violate Shariah (Islamic law), by beseeching or supplicating to other than Allah. Amulets are any item hung or worn to give protection against the evil eye or Jinn (creatures created from fire). Love-charms is a form of Sihr (witchcraft), referred to as Al-`Atf and Al-Sarf (spells aimed at creating love or hatred). The Prophet (ﷺ) made it clear that all this is Shirk. It is reported in Musnad Ahmad (may Allah be merciful to him) through good Sanad (chain of narrators) on the authority of `Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them) that: The Prophet (ﷺ) saw a man wearing a brass ring on his upper arm, so he (ﷺ) said, 'What is this?' The man replied, 'This is to protect from Al-Wahinah (pain in the shoulder and the arm).' He (ﷺ) said, 'Truly, it will only increase you in weakness. Take it off; if you were to die with it on you, you would never succeed.' This is a great warning for anyone who wears any similar bracelets claimed to protect from a disease in the hands referred to as "Al-Wahinah". Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) found a man who had tied a string to his hand. He asked him what was it for, and the man replied: "For fever." So Hudhayfah cut it while reciting Allah's Words: And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him [i.e. they are Mushrikun i.e. polytheists. See Verse 6: 121]. It was also reported by Ibrahim Al-Nakh`iy that the companions of Ibn Mas`ud hated all forms of amulets, whether they contained Qur`an or not. They considered them all Haram (prohibited). Moreover, Sa` id ibn Jubayr, the reverent Tabi`y (Follower, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet), said: "Anyone who cuts an amulet from a human is equal to freeing a slave, because he has freed him of Shirk." From this you learn that what was told to you: "Collect money from every house where lives a person named Muhammad, and buy a bracelet with this value to wear in order for your children to live," is baseless and has no origin in Islam. It is Batil (null and void) and you are obliged to perform Tawbah (repentance to Allah) of this, and return to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Allah forgives the one who repents to Him. The fact that your children lived after that is from...