Divination - Section 1

Mu'awiya b. al-Hakam told that he said, “Messenger of God, there were things we used to do in the pre-Islamic period. We used to visit <i>kahins</i>.” He replied, “Do not visit kdhins” He said, “We used to take omens.” He replied, “That is an idea a man has, but it must not turn you aside from your purposes.” He said, “Among us there were men who practised divination by drawing lines on the ground.” He replied, “There was a prophet who drew lines, so if anyone does it in the same way as he did, that is allowable.” Muslim transmitted it.

عَن مُعَاوِيَة بن الحكم قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُمُورًا كُنَّا نَصْنَعُهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كُنَّا نَأْتِي الْكُهَّانَ قَالَ: «فَلَا تَأْتُوا الْكُهَّانَ» قَالَ: قُلْتُ: كُنَّا نَتَطَيَّرُ قَالَ: «ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ يَجِدُهُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي نَفْسِهِ فَلَا يصدَّنَّكم» . قَالَ: قُلْتُ: وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَخُطُّونَ قَالَ: «كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاك» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

'A’isha told that when God’s messenger was asked by some people about <i>kahins</i> he replied, “They are of no account.” They said, “Messenger of God, they sometimes tell a thing which is true.” He replied, “That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinni snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend as a hen does; then they mix more than a hundred lies with it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَن عَائِشَة قَالَتْ: سَأَلَ أُنَاسٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْكُهَّانِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا بِشَيْءٍ» قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُمْ يُحَدِّثُونَ أَحْيَانًا بِالشَّيْءِ يَكُونُ حَقًّا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «تِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَخْطَفُهَا الْجِنِّيُّ فَيَقُرُّهَا فِي أُذُنِ وَلَيِّهِ قَرَّ الدَّجَاجَةِ فَيَخْلِطُونَ فِيهَا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ كذبة»

She told that she heard God’s messenger say:

“The angels descend in <i>al-’anan</i>, i e. the clouds, and mention a matter which has been decreed in heaven, then the devils listening by stealth and hearing it communicate it to the <i>kahins</i> who tell along with it a hundred lies of their own making.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: " إِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَنْزِلُ فِي الْعَنَانِ وَهُوَ السَّحَابُ فَتَذْكُرُ الْأَمْرَ قُضِيَ فِي السَّماءِ فتسترق الشياطينُ السمعَ فَتُوحِيهِ إِلَى الْكُهَّانِ فَيَكْذِبُونَ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ من عِنْد أنفسهم. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Hafsa reported God’s messenger as saying:

“If anyone resorts to a diviner (<i>arraf</i>) and asks him about anything prayer will not be accepted from him for forty days.”* Muslim transmitted it. * Literally, Nights.

وعن حفصة قالت : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :

من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء لم تقبل صلاة أربعين ليلة

. رواه مسلم

Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani said:

God’s messenger led us in the morning prayer at al-Hudaibiya after rain which had fallen during the night, and when he finished he turned to the people and said, “Do you know what your Lord has said?” On their replying that God and His messenger knew best he told them that He had said, “This morning there were among my servants one who believes in me and one who disbelieves. The one who said, ‘We have been given rain by God’s grace and mercy' is the one who believes in me and disbelieves in the star, but the one who said, ‘We have been given rain by such and such a rainy star’ is the one who disbelieves in me and believes in the star.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ قَالَ: صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى أَثَرِ سَمَاءٍ كَانَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: «هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ ربُّكم؟» قَالُوا: الله وَرَسُوله أعلم قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي وَمُؤمن بالكوكب "

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has not sent down any blessing from heaven without a section of the people disbelieving in it. God sends down the rain but they say it comes by means of such and such a star.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:

مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ بَرَكَةٍ إِلَّا أَصْبَحَ فَرِيقٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ بِهَا كَافِرِينَ يُنْزِلُ اللَّهُ الْغَيْثَ فَيَقُولُونَ: بِكَوْكَبِ كَذَا وَكَذَا

. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's messenger as saying:

“If anyone acquires any knowledge of astrology he acquires a branch of magic of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنِ اقْتَبَسَ عِلْمًا مِنَ النُّجُومِ اقْتَبَسَ شُعْبَةً مِنَ السِّحْرِ زَادَ مَا زَادَ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَه

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying:

“If anyone resorts to a <i>kahin</i> and believes him m what he says, or has intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating, or has intercourse with his wife through her anus, he has nothing to do with what has been sent down to Muhammad.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ أَوْ أَتَى امْرَأَتَهُ حَائِضًا أَو أَتَى امْرَأَته من دُبُرِهَا فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِمَّا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَأَبُو دَاوُد

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

“When God decrees a matter in heaven the angels move their wings in submission to His word which is like a chain on a smooth stone. Then when their hearts are delivered from fear they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ and receive the reply, ‘That which He said is the truth and He is the Most High and the Most Great.’ Then those who listen by stealth hear it, and they are thus, some above others (Sufyan* illustrating it with the palm of his hand, turning it and separating the fingers). Then one hears the word and passes it on to the one who is below him and the other passes it on to the one who is below him, and so on till one passes it on the tongue of the magician or the <i>kahin</i>. Often a flame catches him before he passes it on,** but often he passes it on before it catches him, and he tells a hundred lies along with it. People ask whether he did not say such and such on such and such a day, and he is believed because of that word which was heard from heaven." Bukhari transmitted it. * i.e, Sufyan b. ‘Uyaina through whom the tradition was transmitted. ** Cf. Qur’an, 15: 18

عَن أبي هُرَيْرَة أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلَى صَفْوَانٍ فَإِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا: مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ قَالُوا: لِلَّذِي قَالَ الْحَقَّ وهوَ العليُّ الكبيرُ فَسَمعَهَا مُسترِقوا السَّمعِ ومُسترقوا السَّمْعِ هَكَذَا بَعْضُهُ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ «وَوَصَفَ سُفْيَانُ بِكَفِّهِ فَحَرَّفَهَا وَبَدَّدَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ» فَيَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَيُلْقِيهَا إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ ثُمَّ يُلْقِيهَا الْآخَرُ إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ حَتَّى يُلْقِيَهَا عَلَى لِسَانِ السَّاحِرِ أَوِ الْكَاهِنِ. فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهَا وَرُبَّمَا أَلْقَاهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُ فكذب مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ فَيُقَالُ: أَلَيْسَ قَدْ قَالَ لَنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا: كَذَا وَكَذَا؟ فَيَصْدُقُ بِتِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِي سُمِعَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ ". رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Ibn 'Abbas said:

A man of the Ansar who was a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) told me that while they were sitting one night along with God’s messenger, a star was thrown and shone brightly. He asked them what they used to say in the pre-Islamic period when something of that nature was thrown, and they replied, “God and His messenger know best. We used to say that a great man had been born that night, or that a great man had died." Then God’s messenger said, “It is not thrown because of anyone’s death or life; but when our Lord whose name is blessed decrees a matter the bearers of the Throne extol Him, then the inhabitants of heaven who are next to them extol Him till the extolling reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask them what their Lord has said and they tell them what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens ask one another till it reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn then snatch a hearing and pass it on to their friends and have [flames] thrown at them. Now what they bring as it came is true, but they mix things with it and make additions." Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن ابنِ عبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ: أَنَّهُمْ بَيْنَا جُلُوسٌ لَيْلَةً مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رُمِيَ بِنَجْمٍ وَاسْتَنَارَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ إِذَا رُمِيَ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا؟» قَالُوا: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ كُنَّا نَقُولُ: وُلِدَ اللَّيْلَةَ رَجُلٌ عَظِيمٌ وَمَاتَ رَجُلٌ عَظِيمٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

فَإِنَّهَا لَا يُرْمَى بِهَا لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ وَلَكِنَّ رَبَّنَا تَبَارَكَ اسْمُهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمر سَبَّحَ حَمَلَةُ الْعَرْشِ ثُمَّ سَبَّحَ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ التَّسْبِيحُ أَهْلَ هَذِهِ السَّمَاء الدُّنْيَا ثمَّ قَالَ الَّذِي يَلُونَ حَمَلَةَ الْعَرْشِ لِحَمَلَةِ الْعَرْشِ: مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ فَيُخْبِرُونَهُمْ مَا قَالَ: فَيَسْتَخْبِرُ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ السَّمَاوَاتِ بَعْضًا حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ هَذِهِ السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا فَيَخْطَفُ الْجِنُّ السَّمْعَ فَيَقْذِفُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ وَيُرْمَوْنَ فَمَا جاؤوا بِهِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فَهُوَ حَقٌّ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ يَقْرِفُونَ فِيهِ وَيزِيدُونَ

. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Qatada said God most high created these stars for three purposes; He made them an adornment for the sky, missiles for the devils, and signs by which people find their way. If anyone explains them differently he makes a mistake, squanders what is allotted to him, and occupies himself with something he does not know. Bukhari transmitted it without a full <i>isnad</i>. Razln’s version has, “occupies himself with what does not concern him, what he has no knowledge of, and what prophets and angels are incapable of knowing.” On the authority of ar-Rabi’* there is something to the same effect with the addition, “I swear by God that God has not set in a star anyone’s life, provision, or death. They are only speaking lies against God and attributing causes to the stars.” * Ar-Rabi’ b. Ziyad, Qatada's authority.

وَعَن قتادةَ قَالَ: خلقَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِه النجومَ لثلاثٍ جَعَلَهَا زِينَةً لِلسَّمَاءِ وَرُجُومًا لِلشَّيَاطِينِ وَعَلَامَاتٍ يُهْتَدَى بهَا فَمن تأوَّلَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ أَخَطَأَ وَأَضَاعَ نَصِيبَهُ وَتَكَلَّفَ مَالا يَعْلَمُ. رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ تَعْلِيقًا وَفِي رِوَايَةِ رَزِينٍ: «تكلّف مَالا يعنيه ومالا عِلْمَ لَهُ بِهِ وَمَا عَجَزَ عَنْ عِلْمِهِ الْأَنْبِيَاء وَالْمَلَائِكَة» وَعَن الربيعِ مِثْلُهُ وَزَادَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِي نَجْمٍ حَيَاةَ أَحَدٍ وَلَا رِزْقَهُ وَلَا مَوْتَهُ وَإِنَّمَا يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَيَتَعَلَّلُونَ بِالنُّجُومِ

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying:

“If anyone acquires a section of the science of the stars for a purpose other than what God has mentioned he has acquired a branch of magic. The astrologer is a <i>kahin</i>, the <i>kahin</i> is a magician, and the magician is an infidel.” Razin transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنِ اقْتَبَسَ بَابًا مِنْ عِلْمِ النُّجُومِ لِغَيْرِ مَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فَقَدِ اقْتَبَسَ شُعْبَةً مِنَ السِّحْرِ الْمُنَجِّمُ كَاهِنٌ والكاهنُ ساحرٌ والساحرُ كافرٌ» . رَوَاهُ رزين

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying:

“If God were to withhold rain from his servants for five years and then send it, a section of mankind would be infidels saying they had been supplied with water through the agency of the rainy star al-Mijdah*.” Nasa’i transmitted it. * The word comet from a root meaning to stir up, and the plural is used as a general name for stars which are said to stir up rain, the singular used here may refer to the Hyades, but other explanations are also given. As rainy seasons were connected with particular times at which certain stars rose, the rain was attributed to them.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

لَوْ أَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ الْقَطْرَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَهُ لَأَصْبَحَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ كَافِرِينَ يَقُولُونَ: سُقِينَا بِنَوْءِ الْمِجْدَحِ

. رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيّ