The Book of the Prohibited actions

كتاب الأمور المنهي عنها

Chapter 50: Prohibition of Consultation with Soothsayers

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said

Some people asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about soothsayers. He (ﷺ) said, "They are of no account." Upon this they said to him, "O Messenger of Allah! But they sometimes make true predictions." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinn snatches (from the angels) and whispers into the ears of his friend (the soothsayers) who will then mix more than a hundred lies with it."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].The narration in Al-Bukhari is: "The angels descend in the clouds and mention matters which has been decreed in heaven; Satan steals a hearing (listens to it stealthily) and communicates it to the soothsayers who tell along with it a hundred lies."

Narrated Safiyyah, daughter of Abu 'Ubaid, on the authority of some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, "He who goes to one who claims to tell about matters of the Unseen and believes in him, his Salat (prayers) will not be accepted for forty days."[Muslim].

Qabisah bin Al-Mukhariq (May Allah be pleased with him) said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The practice of 'Iyafah, the interpretation of omens from the flight of birds, the practice of divination by drawing lines on the ground and taking evil omens are all practices of Al-Jibt (the idol, the diviner, or sorcerer)."[Abu Dawud].

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who acquires a branch of the knowledge of astrology, learns a branch of magic (of which he acquires more as long as) he continues to do so."[Abu Dawud].

Mu'awiyah bin Al-Hakam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have recently emerged from ignorance and Allah has favoured me with Islam. There are still some men among us who visit the soothsayers to consult them (on matters relating to the future)." He (ﷺ) replied, "Do not visit them." I said: "There are some men who are guided by omens." He replied, "These are the ideas which come up in their minds but you should not be influenced by them (i.e., these things) should not prevent them from pursuing their works." I said: "There are some men who practise divination by drawing lines on the ground." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "There was a Prophet who drew lines, the line which agrees with the line drawn by that Prophet would be correct."[Muslim].

Abu Mas'ud Al-Badri (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited the price of a dog, the earning of an prostitute, and the money given to a soothsayer.[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Chapter 51: Forbiddance of Believing in Ill Omens

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Not the transmission of disease of one person to another and no evil omen, but I am pleased with good omens." He was asked: "What is good omen?" He replied, "A good word."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There is no infection and no evil omen; but if there is anything (that may be a source of trouble) then it could be a house, a horse, and a woman."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Buraidah (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Prophet never took ill omens.[Abu Dawud].

'Urwah bin 'Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) said

When talking of omens was mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) he said, "The best type of omen is the good omen." He added, "A Muslim should not refrain from anything because of an omen." He (ﷺ) told them, "When any of you sees anything which he dislikes, he should say: 'Allahuma la ya'ti bil-hasanati illa Anta, wa la yadfa'us- sayyi'ati illa Anta, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Bika (O Allah ! You Alone bring good things; You Alone avert evil things, and there is no might or power but in You)."'[Abu Dawud with Sahih Isnad].

Chapter 52: Prohibition of Drawing Portraits

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Those who draw pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection; and it will be said to them: 'Breathe soul into what you have created."'[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited me after returning from a journey, and I had a shelf with a thin cloth curtain hanging over it and on which there were portraits. When he saw it, the colour of his face changed (because of anger) and he said, "O 'Aishah! the most grievous torment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be for those who imitate (Allah) in the act of His creation." 'Aishah said: We tore it into pieces and made a cushion or two cushions out of that.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Every painter will go to Hell, and for every portrait he has made, there will be appointed one who will chastise him in the Hell." Ibn 'Abbas said: If you have to do it, draw pictures of trees and other inanimate things.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Whosoever makes a picture, will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and will be asked to infuse soul therein, which he will not be able to do."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Those who will receive the most severe punishment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be painters (of living objects)."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The Almighty Allah said: 'Who is more an oppressor than him who goes to create like My creation? Let him make an ant or a grain of corn or a grain of barley."'[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a portrait."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said

Jibril (Gabriel) promised to visit the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) but delayed and this grieved him very much. When he came out of his house, Jibril met him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him about the reason of delay, and he replied: "We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a portrait."[Al-Bukhari].

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said

Jibril (Gabriel) (ﷺ) made a promise with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to come at a definite hour; that hour came but he did not visit him. There was a staff in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He threw it from his hand and said, "Never does Allah back out of His Promise, nor do His messengers." Then he noticed a puppy under his bed and said, "O 'Aishah, when did this dog enter?" She said: "By Allah, I don't know." He then commanded that it should be turned out. No sooner than had they expelled it, Jibril came and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him, "You promised to visit me. I waited for you but you did not come." Whereupon he said: "The dog kept me from coming. We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture."[Muslim].

Abul-Haiyaj Haiyan bin Husain said

'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "Shall I not send you to do a task that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had assigned to me? Spare no portrait unwiped out, and leave not a high grave unlevelled."[Muslim].