Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 303
Prohibition of Consultation with Soothsayers
1668. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: Some people asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) about soothsayers. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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.”
1669. Narrated Safiyyah, daughter of Abu `Ubaid, on the authority of some of the wives of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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].
1670. Qabisah bin Al-Mukhariq (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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].
1671. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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].
1672. 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 (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, “There was a Prophet who drew lines, the line which agrees with the line drawn by that Prophet would be correct.”
[Muslim].
1673. Abu Mas`ud Al-Badri (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited the price of a dog, the earning of an prostitute, and the money given to a soothsayer.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
AbdurRahman.Org 