What Has Been Related About At-Tiyarah (Bad Omens) Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1614

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1614
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرٍّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ الطِّيَرَةُ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَمَا مِنَّا إِلاَّ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ ‏.‏قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَحَابِسٍ التَّمِيمِيِّ وَعَائِشَةَ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَسَعْدٍ ‏.‏ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ وَرَوَى شُعْبَةُ أَيْضًا عَنْ سَلَمَةَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَقُولُ كَانَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ يَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ ‏"‏ وَمَا مِنَّا إِلاَّ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ هَذَا عِنْدِي قَوْلُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَمَا مِنَّا‏.‏
Translation
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud

That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "At-Tiyarah is from Shirk, and none among us (it influences) except that Allah will remove it with Tawakkul (reliance)."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] I heard Muhammad bin Isma'il saying: "Sulaiman bin Harb used to say about this Hadith: 'And none among us (it influences) except that Allah will remove it with Tawakkul (reliance)' - Sulaiman would say: 'To me, this is a saying of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud.'"

There are narrations on this topic from Sa'd, Abu Hurairah, Habis At-Tamimi, 'Aishah and Ibn 'Umar.

This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, we do not know of it except as a narration of Salamah bin Khuail. Shu'bah also reported this Hadith from Salamah.

Commentary

Overview & Central Theme

This profound hadith, transmitted by Salamah bin Khuail from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), addresses the dangerous spiritual malady of at-tiyarah (superstitious pessimism or bird-omen belief). The Prophet ﷺ declares it a form of shirk (polytheism) because it attributes power to created things rather than Allah alone. Yet, the hadith simultaneously offers a merciful remedy: sincere tawakkul (reliance upon Allah) erases the harmful effects of such whispers. The central theme is the purification of tawhid (monotheism) from subtle forms of association, replacing fear of omens with unshakable trust in Allah's decree.

Context & Linguistic Insights

At-tiyarah derives from the root tayr (bird), reflecting the pre-Islamic Arab practice of divining outcomes from bird flight patterns—if a bird flew right, it was auspicious; if left, inauspicious. The Prophet ﷺ categorically rejects this as shirk, as it implies belief in independent causality outside Allah's will. The phrase "none among us (it influences) except that Allah will remove it with tawakkul" is grammatically nuanced. Imam Bukhari's teacher Sulaiman bin Harb opined this latter clause was Ibn Mas'ud's own explanatory addition, not the Prophet's ﷺ words—a critical insight for jurists distinguishing between prophetic text and companion commentary. The hadith also employs the rhetorical device of istithna' (exception) to acknowledge human weakness while emphasizing divine remedy through reliance.

Key Scholarly Insights & Legal Benefits

  • Theological ruling: At-tiyarah is a major sin (kabirah) bordering on shirk, as it negates complete tawakkul; however, it does not expel one from Islam unless accompanied by belief in omens' independent power.
  • Ethical principle: The believer must actively combat superstitious thoughts by replacing them with tawakkul, and such thoughts are forgiven when one does not act upon them—as clarified in Sahih Muslim's parallel narration.
  • Jurisprudential consensus: The majority of scholars (jumhur) permit optimism (tafa'ul) with good words as recommended, while forbidding pessimism (tatayyur), drawing on the Prophet's ﷺ practice of liking good omens.
"At-tiyarah is a form of shirk because it involves attributing knowledge of the unseen and influence over destiny to created things. The cure is tawakkul—when a servant truly relies on Allah, He removes the harm of such whispers, for reliance negates the heart's attachment to omens." — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari

Daily Life & Spiritual Application

In modern life, at-tiyarah manifests as superstitions about numbers (13, 666), black cats, broken mirrors, or horoscope-based decisions. The believer's shield is a living tawakkul: before undertaking any matter, recite "Tawakkaltu 'alallah" (I rely upon Allah), make du'a, and proceed with courage. When intrusive pessimistic thoughts arise—whether about travel, business, or marriage—dismiss them as whispers of Shaytan, seek refuge in Allah, and act upon sound planning and istikharah. This hadith teaches that spiritual excellence lies not in never experiencing such thoughts, but in refusing to obey them, transforming potential shirk into a means of deepening reliance and drawing closer to Allah's mercy.