By Faiza Abdi
Quranic amulets are items mostly jewelry in which texts, phrases or verses from the Holy Quran are inscribed as a means to either bring good or to avert evil. The practice of wearing amulets has been an age long practice that precedes Islam.
In the fundamental teachings of Islam, wearing amulets is strongly prohibited and as such regarded as a big shirk. The religion of Islam expressly prohibits all kinds of these charm-items principally based on the teachings, traditions and sayings of our beloved prophet (SAW).
As reported in numerous sayings of our beloved prophet (SAW), wearing of amulets by a Muslim is a vice only second to attributing partners with Allah (SW). In the same breadth some Islamic scholars have the sentiment that this practice is purely equal to Shirk.
It was narrated from Zaynab the wife of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood from ‘Abd-Allaah that he said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘Spells (ruqyah), amulets and love-charms are shirk.” I said, “Why do you say this? By Allaah, my eye was weeping with a discharge and I kept going to So and so, the Jew, who did a spell for me. When he did the spell, it calmed down.”
‘Abd-Allaah said: “That was just the work of the Shaytaan who was picking it with his hand, and when (the Jew) uttered the spell, he stopped. All you needed to do was to say as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: “Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing which leaves no disease behind.’” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3883; Ibn Maajah, 3530)
Quranic amulets are discouraged because of a number of reasons that includes its contradiction with fundamental tenets of Tawheedu Rububiah which entails the magnificent powers of Allah (SW).
As Muslims we are supposed to believe in the magnificent powers of Allah, the lord of the worlds, the cherisher, the sustainer and maintainer of the universe. It is only Allah who can protect us from all kinds of evil that are occasioned by shaytan’s manipulation.
Allah is the ultimate decider of our destiny in the world and in the hereafter, believing in the powers of amulets is therefore a great shirk that can shaken the faith of a Muslim.
On the other hand, believing in Qadr(destiny) is one of the pillars of Iman and amulets contradicts this important part of faith.
In Islam, believers should put their hopes and aspirations and only trust in Allah to direct their destiny towards a good end both in this world and in the hereafter. Those who defy the order of Allah and depend upon amulets, necklaces, trinkets, charms, spells, and other things have seemingly placed their life’s hopes on creatures ascribing to them attributes which belong to Allah alone, thereby committing an act of idolatry (a first degree sin in Islam)
Islamic jurisprudence considers that amulets are innovations that were started during the early days of Islam with no bearing whatsoever to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad (SAW).
In another hadith reported by Imran Ibn Hussayn (RA), when the prophet (SAW ) saw a brass bangle on a man’s arm, he said to him: ‘Woe be on you, what is this? The man replied that it was to protect him from a sickness called al-Wahinah. The prophet SAW then said to the man ‘remove it off’ for verily it will only increase your weakness. And if you die with it on, you will never succeed”
As explained therefore by the above hadiths, believing in amulets as a cure of diseases or protector of wealth is a weakness that will torment a believer in the hereafter. Wearing these amulets can bring a meaning that a person is having God other than Allaah, or he/she is putting trust in creatures of Allah by turning to them and relying on their deeds. And this is expressly prohibited in the fundamental tenets of Islam.
And Allah says in the glorious Quran: Say: ‘Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the (punishment of the) Most Gracious (Allaah)?’ Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord”[al-Anbiyaa’ 21:42 – interpretation of the meaning]
In another verse Allah says : Do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did so then you would be wrongdoers. Surat Yunus 10:106
Although amulets were widely used during Jahiliyah period where and when idol worshipping took center stage among the Arab communities, charms and talisman with Quranic inscriptions took some shape and form during the early years of Islam.
References
Hadith: Abu Dawood, hadith no. 3883;
Hadith: Ibn Maajah, hadith no. 3530
Quran: Surat Anbiyaa’ V 21:42
Quran: Surat Yunus, V 10:106
