Islamic Law Concerning TaꜤwidhat (Amulets) And Recitals For Cure (Damm)

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   In summary, a hadith found in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī and other works describes how on the Day of Judgement, 70,000 members of the Prophet’s nation shall enter Paradise without accountability. It is mentioned these individuals would not have treated themselves with dam nor believed in omens, but instead relied upon their Lord entirely.

   In context of this, I have two questions I would like to ask the scholars of Islam:

   1)What does Islamic law say regarding amulets (taʿwīdh) and performing damm (the act of blowing after reciting invocations)?

   2)If it is permissible, what does the aforementioned hadith mean? It appears to be declaring amulets to be impermissible.

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   In response to the first question: Islamic law allows the usage of amulets and the performance of damm. These must consist of Quranic verses, hadith, or words free from any element of polytheism (shirk). Nothing in them must conflict with Islamic law. Amulets are impermissible if they contain something which conflicts even in the slightest with Islamic law, or if what is written within has unknown meaning.

   Permissible phrases and words can be used for both amulets and damm. These function as a form of treatment and means of attaining remedy. The lawfulness of this is established by the Quran, sunnah, and statements of Islamic scholars.

وَ نُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنِ مَا ہُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَّ رَحۡمَۃٌ  لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ۙ

   And We send down in the Quran that which is a cure and mercy for the believers.[1]

Commentary on this verse in Ruḥ al-Maʿānī:

قال مالک: لا باس بتعلیق الکتب التی فیھا اسماء اللہ تعالی علی اعناق المرضی علی وجہ التبرک بھا اذا لم یرد معلقھا بذلک مدافعۃ العین، وعنی بذلک انہ لا باس بالتعلیق بعد نزول البلاء رجاء الفرج والبر، کالرقی التی وردت السنۃ بھا من العین، واما قبل النزول ففیہ باس وھو غریب، وعند ابن المسیب یجوز تعلیق العوذۃ من کتاب اللہ تعالی فی قصبۃ ونحوھا وتوضع عند الجماع وعند الغائط، ولم یقید بقبل او بعد، ورخص الباقر فی العوذۃ تعلق علی الصبیان مطلقاً وکان ابن سیرین لا یری باساً بالشیء من القرآن یعلقہ الانسان کبیراً او صغیراً مطلقاً وھو الذی علیہ الناس قدیماً وحدیثاً فی سائر الامصار

   In this extract, Imam Mālik رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says amulets containing the names of Allah can be suspended from the necks of the unwell as a means of attaining blessing. There is no issue in this. Yet, mudāfaʿat al-ʿayn must not be intended. This maintains the permissibility of wearing amulets to resolve an issue after it has occurred, like the damm to ward away evil eye transmitted in the sunnah.

   What this does entail is the wearing of an amulet before any issue or calamity even arrives to be problematic and a source of contention, although this opinion is anomalous.

   The Tābiʿī, Saʿīd b. Musayyib رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه considers it permissible for an amulet to comprise of verses from the Book of Allah, which can then be enclosed in a case etc., and hung from the neck. He says this should be removed when engaging in sexual intercourse or entering a bathroom. In terms of wearing this before or during a calamity, he places no restriction or condition of this kind.

   Imam Bāqir رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه issued permission for children to wear these unrestrictedly. Ibn Sīrīn رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه also found no issue in a person, whether young or old, taking verses of the Quran and wearing them around their neck as an amulet. This is universally agreed upon by people from all eras and lands.[2]

   Some ahadith discussing the permissibility of amulets and performing damm

   The final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم noticed signs of evil eye upon a slave girl and said, “Evil eye has afflicted her, so perform damm for her.”[3]

   The Companion ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا used to form amulets comprising of prayers and hang them from children’s necks, as evidenced by this hadith in Tirmidhī:

ان رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم، قال: اذا فزع احدکم فی النوم، فلیقل: اعوذ بکلمات التامات من غضبہ وعقابہ وشر عبادہ ومن ھمزات الشیطان وان یحضرون، فانھا تضرہ، فکان عبد اللہ بن عمر یلقنھا من بلغ من ولدہ ومن لم یبلغ منھم کتبھا فی صک، ثم علقھا فی عنقہ

   The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “When any of you are frightened by your dream, recite, ‘I take refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the displeasure of Allah, from punishment, from the evil of His servants, from Satanic whispers and from devils coming near me.’ Certainly, no harm shall then reach you.”

   ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا would teach this prayer to his adolescent children. As for those of his children who had not yet reached puberty, he would write this upon paper and hang it from their necks.”[4]

   The Companion Ibn ꜤAbbās رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا narrates:

ان نفراً من اصحاب النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم مروا بماء، فیھم لدیغ او سلیم، فعرض لھم رجل من اھل الماء، فقال: ھل فیکم من راق، ان فی الماء رجلاً لدیغا او سلیماً، فانطلق رجل منھم، فَقَرَأَ بفاتحۃ الکتاب علی شاء فَبَرَ أَ ، فجاء بالشاء الی اصحابہ، فکرھوا ذلک، وقالوا: اخذت علی کتاب اللہ اجراً، حتی قدموا المدینۃ، فقالوا: یا رسول اللہ! اخذ علی کتاب اللہ اجراً، فقال رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: ان احق ما اخذتم علیہ اجراً کتاب اللہ

   A group of the Prophet’s Companions were once passing by the bank of a river, when they came across an individual bitten by a snake or scorpion. A resident of the area approached and asked, “Do any of you perform damm? One of us was bitten by a snake or scorpion.”

   One Companion accompanied the resident and they both went to the afflicted individual.  

   In return for several sheep, he performed damm with Sūrat al-Fātiḥa and the individual regained his health. The Companion then returned to the others with the sheep. The Companions initially expressed their displeasure at this by saying, “You have taken financial renumeration for the Book of Allah.”

   When the group returned to Madina, they went to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and explained how one of them took earnings in return for reciting the Quran. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “From everything you take payment for, the Book of Allah is most rightful.”[5]

   2) In response to the second question: The aforementioned proofs establish the permissibility of amulets comprising of permissible words and actions derived from the Quran and sunnah, as well as the validity of damm. What is meant by the hadith included in the question and others of the same kind, which appear to forbid amulets, have been explained by hadith exegetes. Their findings are hereby enclosed.

   i) The types of amulets/damm forbidden are those containing words of polytheism, disbelief, or disallowed words. If an amulet contains nothing which conflicts with Islamic law, it is permissible. This is corroborated by a hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, narrated by the Companion ʿAwf ibn Mālik Ashjaʿī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ:

کنا نرقی فی الجاھلیۃ فقلنا: یا رسول اللہ! کیف تری فی ذلک؟ فقال: اعرضوا علی رقاکم لا باس بالرقی ما لم یکن فیہ شرک

   We performed ruqyā during the Days of Jāhiliyya. We asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What do you make of this?” He replied, “Present your damm to me. There is no issue in ruqyā, as long it does not contain polytheism.”[6]

   ii) Forbiddance applies to damm etc., that contains blasphemous litanies or words whose meanings are unknown. Their meanings may amount to outright disbelief. This is what was specified in this blessed hadith. Imam al-Nawawī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:

المراد بها الرقى التي هي من كلام الكفار والرقى المجهولة والتى بغير العربية ومالا يعرف معناها فهذه مذمومة لاحتمال أن معناها كفر أو قريب منه أو مكروه وأما الرقى بآيات القرآن وبالأذكار المعروفة فلانهى فيه بل هو سنة

   This refers to damm etc., comprising of blasphemous litanies, unknown words, not recited in Arabic, and whose meaning is undetermined. This is the subject matter discussed ˹in this hadith˺. This is because possibility exists of this damm containing meanings which amount to disbelief or draw one close to it. As for damm comprising of Quranic verses or invocations whose meanings are known, these are not forbidden, but in fact sunnah.”[7]

   iii) The forbiddance declared in this hadith refer to those who consider amulets etc., to be efficacious by themselves, whereas it is Allah who creates effect in anything He wishes. Amulets are a form of means. This forbiddance can also include the things disbelievers ardently believe to cause effect by themselves.

   In Imam Nawawī’s exegesis of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:

أن النهي لقوم كانوا يعتقدون منفعتها وتأثيرها بطبعها كما كانت الجاهلية تزعمه في أشياء كثيرة

   Forbiddance is for those who consider things to harbour efficacy and ˹power to˺ benefit in and of themselves, just as many thought about certain items during the Days of Jāhiliyya.[8]

   In Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ, Fayḍ al-Qadīr, Fatḥ al-Barī and other works:

واللفظ للاول:’’(التمائم) جمع تمیمۃ، والمراد بھا التعاویذ التی تحتوی علی رقی الجاھلیۃ من اسماء الشیاطین والفاظ لا یعرف معناھا، قیل: التمائم خرزات کانت العرب فی الجاھلیۃ تعلقھا علی اولادھم یتقون بھا العین فی زعمھم، فابطلہ الاسلام، لانہ ینفع ولا یدفع الا اللہ تعالی

   Tamāʾim is the plural form of tamīma, and this refers to amulets formulated in the Days of Jāhiliyya, which contained Satanic names and undetermined words.

   It can also refer to charms, which the people of Arabia would tie around their children’s necks, believing them to hold intrinsic power of effect in warding off evil eye. Islam declared this false, as nothing can bring benefit or ward away troubles without Allah causing it to.[9]

   iv) Narrations forbidding damm refer to those based on Satanic wordings, magic, or an action performed to perpetrate something impermissible, such as causing rift between a married couple etc. Imam Nawawī explains:

قال القاضي وجاء في حديث في غير مسلم سئل عن النشرة  فأضافها إلى الشيطان قال والنشرة عروفة مشهورة عند أهل التعزيم وسميت بذلك لأنها تنشر عن صاحبها أي تخلي عنه وقال الحسن هي من السحر قال القاضي وهذا محمول على أنها أشياء خارجة عن كتاب الله تعالى وأذكاره وعن المداواة المعروفة التي هي من جنس المباح

   Al-Qāḍī ꜤIyāḍ رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه mentions how besides the relative hadith of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, there is a hadith in which the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was once asked about nushra (blasphemous litanies and magic). He declared this to be linked to Satan. 

   The qāḍī then mentioned how nushra was famously known amongst the Ahl al-Taʿzīm, and it acquired its name from how it separates a wife from her husband.

   He also said the forbiddance ˹of damm˺ is implemented upon these things (blasphemous  litanies and magic), as they are neither the dhikr of Allah nor reputed mubāḥ actions.”[10] 

   v) Another point to consider: amulets were once disallowed, but permission was later issued for them to be formulated provided they comprise of valid wordings. In other words, narrations detailing forbiddance were abrogated, and narrations issuing permissibility are their abrogators.

   The Companion Jābir رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates,

نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الرقى، فجاء آل عمرو بن حزم إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا: يا رسول الله إنه كانت عندنا رقية نرقي بها من العقرب، وإنك نهيت عن الرقى، قال: فعرضوها عليه، فقال: «ما أرى بأسا من استطاع منكم أن ينفع أخاه فلينفعه

   The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ˹initially˺ forbade damm. The family of ꜤAmr b. Ḥazm came to him and said, “We have a damm we recite for (whoever is stung by) a scorpion.” They presented it to the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and he replied, “I do not see any issue in this. Whoever from you can benefit his brother should do so.”[11]

   In the exegesis of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:

كان نهى أولاثم نسخ ذلك وأذن فيها وفعلها واستقر الشرع على الإذن

   Initially there was prohibition, which was abrogated and turned into permissibility. Islamic law affirmed and maintained this permission.[12]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari

Ref No: PIN-6949

Date: 24th Ramadan 1443H/26th April 2022