Sahih al-Bukhari, 3210

sahih

Narrated `Aisha:

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The angels descend, the clouds and mention this or that matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils listen stealthily to such a matter, come down to inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one-hundred lies of their own."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏

‏ إِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ تَنْزِلُ فِي الْعَنَانِ ـ وَهْوَ السَّحَابُ ـ فَتَذْكُرُ الأَمْرَ قُضِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَتَسْتَرِقُ الشَّيَاطِينُ السَّمْعَ، فَتَسْمَعُهُ فَتُوحِيهِ إِلَى الْكُهَّانِ، فَيَكْذِبُونَ مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ‏

‏‏.‏

Isnad

6 transmitters

Muhammad bin 'Ubaid al-Tanafasi Sa'id bin Abi Maryam al-Laith bin Sa'd Muhammad bin 'Abdur Rahman 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr 'Aisha bint Abi Bakr

References2 variants

In-Book Reference: Book 59, Hadith 21
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 4, Book 54, Hadith 432 (deprecated numbering scheme)

Sharh · explanationclick to expand

Islam eradiates all forms of superstition and stands against the manipulation of people’s hopes and dreams such that it considers it from the major sins. To this end, Islam reinforces in the hearts of believers that no one knows the future and the unseen except Allah, who alone can bring forth benefit and avert harm. The Muslim is required, therefore, to attach his heart to Allah and submit all his affairs to Him alone. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that the angels descend from above to the clouds wherein they mention that which has been decreed in the Heaven. This is because the angels would hear all the events that Allah decrees every day and every moment. The angels mention them to each other, so the devils eavesdrop and then share what they heard to soothsayers and fortune-tellers who, in their turn, add one hundred lies to thenews they received from devils. This hadeeth was an answer given by the Prophet ﷺ in response to a question that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) posed to him - as recorded in Saheeh Muslim – as she inquired from him abouthow the soothsayers before Islam could foretell some events that took place afterwards as they mentioned. The eavesdropping of devils of the conversations of the dwellers of the heavens used to happen before Allah’s revelation to the Prophet ﷺ. However, this eavesdropping was stopped immediately upon the advent of Islam when Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the message of Islam. Allah, Most High, says: {We used to take up positions there for eavesdropping, but whoever dares eavesdrop now will find a flare lying in wait for them.} [Quran 72:9]. The Prophet ﷺ has prohibited us from visiting soothsayers and fortune-tellers. It is reported on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever visits a soothsayer or a fortune-teller and believes him, he has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” [Musnad Ahmad]. This hadeeth serves as a warning against listening to soothsayers, falsifiers and fortune-tellers. .

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