CHAPTER 5 – CHAPTER 5 – FORTUNETELLING- not FORTUNETELLING- not

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These people who claim to reveal the unseen and predict the future can be divided into two main categories:

Fortunetellers, soothsayers, foreseer, magician, oracle, astrologer, palmist etc are some examples of names of people who claim knowledge of the unseen and future.

1. Those who have no real knowledge or secrets but depend on telling people about general incidences which happen to most people. They often go through a series of meaningless rituals and then make calculatedly general guesses. Some of their guesses, due to their generality, usually come true. Most people tend to remember the few predictions that come true and quickly forget the many which do not.

2. Those who have made contact with the Jinn. This usually involves the grave sin of Shirk and those involved tend to be highly accurate in their information. Thus, present a real Fitnah (temptation) for both Muslim and non Muslims.

World of The Jinn

The word Jinn comes from the verb Janna, Yajunnu, meaning “to cover, hide or conceal”.

The Jinn represent another creation of Allah which co-exists with man on the earth.

Allah created the Jinn before He created mankind.

Allah used a different set of elements than those used for man.

Furthermore, Allah has devoted a whole chapter to Jinns (Surah al-Jinn 72).

Allah said:

( �� ن ن�و س� م � � ن م� م� س� م �� ن ـ� م� س� م� م� م� ـ� م� م �ن س� ٱ م�� �س م� �م س� �م م م�( ٢٦م ا� م" س ن$ م#ٱ ـ� م� �س م� �مم% ) ن�و �م ٱ م& من� م� ن� س' م) (٢٧م�

“Verily we created man from dried clay, from black putrid mud. And we created the Jinn before that from a fiery wind.”

[Surah al-Hijr 15:26-27]

They were named Jinn because they are hidden from the eyes of mankind. Iblees (Satan) is from the world of Jinn, even though he was among the angels when they were commanded by Allah to prostate to Adam (as). When he refused to prostate and was asked why Allah said:

  �� ن م*ي م� ۥ ن$ م, �س م� �م م# &� ن ن� م م� م�ى م, �س م� �م ن$‌. س� م 01 ن سي �م ا� من م34 م5 م)�

“He said, ‘I am better than him. You (Allah) created me from fire and You

created him from clay!’”

[Surah Saad 38:76]

A’isha (ra) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“The angels were created from light and the Jinn from smokeless fire”

[Muslim]Allah also said:

م� م" س ٱ م� م م� م6� م7 م�ي س8 3 م ا� � م 3 م ا3 ا# ن� م" م� م: م% م; م�4 م� ا3 ن�# ن" س> ٱ م= م< ? م ـ� ا م� م� س� م م�� س� ن) س@ 3 م م#

“And when We told the angles to prostrate to Adam, they all prostrated

except Ibless. He was of the Jinn.”

[Surah Kahf 18:50]

The Jinn may first be divided into 3 broad categories in relation to their modes of existence:

Jinns that always fly in the air.

Jinns that exist as snakes and dogs.

Jinns that are earthbound residing in one place or wanders about.

[Collected by at-Tabaree & al-Hakim]

The Jinn may be further divided into two categories in relation to their faith as either Muslims (believers) or Kaafirs (disbelievers).

Allah says in the Quran referring to the believing Jinn:

�'A ن م" Bم Aن� 3Cم س0 ن) م�� Dس م� م> من� 3 م ا3 او ن ��م م: م� م" س ٱ م� م 01 ن Eم من Fم م� م, س> ٱ ن$ من م34 مى م 3 م مى م� ن#34 س� ن)(١( )3�A ن م� م34 ا� م� م8 م0 م8 Gم م0 Hس نن م � م# م$ۦ‌. م8 ��م م م�4� م: م� Jس 0ن ٱ م ى 3 م Kا م� Lس M٢م   ۥ( ن$ ن م م34 م#

( 3�A ن م م# م�� م# =A ن م' Nم ـ� م� Oم Pم Qم ٱ م� م�� م8 م& �ن Rم ـى م� ـ� Dم Q٣م   م��( Lن مEي م> ن5 ن�و Mم م� م6� ۥ ن$ ن م م34 م#( �SA ن Sم Jم م$ �م ٱ م�ى B٤م)

“Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened and said, ‘Verily we have heard

a marvellous Quran. It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it. And,

we will never make partners with our Lord. He, may our Lord’s glory be exalted, has not taken

a wife or a son. What the foolish ones among us used to say about Allah is a horrible lie.”

[Surah al-Jinn 72:1-4]

3�A ن Jم م& ا3 س# 0م Nم Qم Tم ? م ـ� ا م ا# ن4� م: Uم م� س> م34 س� م� م: م�‌. نSو م� ـ� �م س ٱ ��م م م# م� ن�و م� س� ن� س ٱ ��م م من� م34 م#(١٤( )�'A ن Sم م� Uم �م Vم م" م ا3 ننو م<� م: م� نSو م� ـ� �م س ٱ �م م34 (١٥م#

“And there are among us Muslims and others who are unjust. Whoever accepts Islam has sought out the right path. As for those who

are unjust, they will be fuel for the Hell fire.”

[Surah al-Jinn 72:14-15]

The disbelievers among the Jinn are referred to by various names in both Arabic and English. Some examples are Ifreet, Shaytaan, Qareen, demons, devils spirits and ghosts. They try to misguide man in various ways. Whoever listens to them and becomes a worker for them is referred to as a human Shaytaan (devil).

Allah said:

م� م" س م#ٱ م7 م �ن س� ٱ م� مSي ـ� مي Jم 3#A ن ن� Bم ىى م' من م� ن< م م�� س� Dم Rم Tم م مOٲ م6 م#

“Likewise, we have made for every Prophet an enemy, Shaytaans from among

mankind and the Jinn.”

[Surah al-Anaam 6:112]

Every human has a individual Jinn accompanying him referred to as a Qareen (i.e. companion). This is a part of man’s test in this life. The Jinn constantly tries to divert man from righteousness.:

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Everyone of you has been assigned a companion from the Jinn” The Sahaabah asked, “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” And the Prophet replied, “Even me,

except that Allah has helped me against him and he has submitted. Now he only tells me to do

good”.

[Muslim]

Prophet Sulaymaan (as) was the only prophet who was given the miraculous control over the Jinn, as a sign of his prophethood.

Allah said:

  م� نBو Yم نMو Uس Vن م: م0 سي Sم م#ٱ م7 م �ن س� م#ٱ م� م" س ٱ م� م ۥ Zن ن; ن�و Rن م� ـ� م� سي م� ن� م م0 Hم ن� م#

“And, we gathered for Sulaymaan his army from the Jinn, mankind and the birds, and

they were all kept in order and ranks.”

[Surah an-Naml 27:17]

This power was only given to Sulaymaan (as) due to his prayer to Allah: ‘Oh my Lord, forgive me and bestow on me a kingdom not allowed to anyone after me.’ [Surah Saad 38:35].

Once contact and contract with the Jinn are made by fortunetellers, the Jinn may inform them of certain events in the future. The Prophet (pbuh) described how the Jinn gather information about the future. He related that the Jinn were able to travel to the lower reaches of the heavens and listen in on some of the information about the future which the angels pass among themselves. They would then return to the earth and feed the information to their human contacts. [Bukhari & Muslim]

This used to happen a lot prior to the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh) and fortunetellers were very accurate in their information. They were able to gain positions in royal courts and enjoyed much popularity and were even worshipped in some regions of the world.

After the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began his mission the situation changed. Allah had the angels guard the lower reaches of the heavens carefully, and most of the Jinn were chased away with meteors and shooting stars. Allah described this in the Quran by a statement made by one of the Jinn:

( �'A ن Lن Jن م# 3�A ن M�م Jم �<A ن م0 م� س] م\ م� ن �Vم ـ� من س� Rم مو م: Cم ا� م� �م ٱ م�� س� م� م من� م34 م��( ٨م# ن6 من� م34 م#(   3�A ن م� &م �8A ن �Lم Jم ۥ ن$ م س� م" Mم م� م�4 س� ٱ Fم م� م, س� Mم م�� م: .‌Fم س� �م م � م� Dم ـ� �م م �Lم س� م ن� Dن �س (٩من

“We (the Jinn) had sought out the heavens but found it filled with strong guardians

and meteors. We used to sit on high places in order to listen, but whoever listens now

finds a flame waiting for him.”

[Surah al-Jinn 72:8-9]

Allah also said:

( U� مRي &م �� ن ـ� Sم سي Jم م� ن6 م� �Vم ـ� م� س[ Eم م�   ١٧م# ۥ( ن$ Dم م' Qس م4� م: Fم س� �م ٱ م م0 م, س> ٱ م� م ��م 3 م( �1 ن م'ي ن _1 ن �Lم J١٨م)

“And We have guarded it (the heavens) from every cursed devil, except the one

who is able to snatch a hearing and, he is pursued by a brightly burning flame.”

[Surah al-Hijr 15:17-18]

Thus, the Jinn could no longer gather information about the future easily as they could before the Prophet’s (pbuh) mission. Because of that, they now mix their information with many lies.

A’isha reported that when she asked Allah’s messenger (pbuh) about fortunetellers and mentioned that they sometimes told them things that were true the Prophet (pbuh) replied: “That is a bit of truth which the Jinn steals and cackles in the ear of his friend; but he mixes along with it a hundred lies.” [Bukhari & Muslim].

The Jinns are also able to inform their human contact of the relative future. For example, when someone comes to a fortune teller, the fortunteller’s Jinn gets information from the man’s Qareen (the Jinn assigned to every human being) of what plans he had made prior to his coming. So the fortuneteller is able to tell him that he will do this or that, or go here or there.

By this method, the real fortuneteller is also able to learn about a stranger’s past in vivid details. He is able to tell a total stranger of his parent’s names, where he was born, the acts of his childhood, etc.

The ability to vividly describe the past is one of the marks of a true fortuneteller who has made contact with the Jinn. Because the Jinn are able to travel huge distances instantly and gather huge stores of information about hidden things, lost articles and unobserved events.

Proof of this ability can be found in the Quran, in the story about Prophet Sulaymaan (as) and Bilqees, the Queen of Sheba. When Queen Bilqees came to see him, he asked the Jinn to bring her throne from her land [Surah an-Naml 27:39-40].

Islamic Ruling on Fortunetelling

Islam opposes any form of association with those who practice fortunetelling, except to advise them to give up their forbidden practices.

Visiting Fortunetellers

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“The Salah of whoever approaches a fortuneteller and asks him about anything will

not be accepted for 40 days and nights.”

[Muslim]

The punishment in this hadith is for simply approaching a fortuneteller and asking him questions out of curiosity. The punishment is so severe as it is the first step towards belief in fortunetelling. If one went there doubtful about its reality and some of the fortuneteller’s predication came true, he may become a devotee of the fortuneteller.

The individual who approaches a fortuneteller is still obliged to offer his compulsory Salaah throughout the 40 day period even though he will get no reward. It will remove his obligation of performing Salaah as abandoning it will be committing another major sin.

Belief in Fortunetelling

Belief in fortunetelling is an act of Kufr (disbelief) The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Whoever approaches a fortuneteller and believes what he says, has disbelieved in what

revealed to Muhammad.”

[Ahmad & Abu Dawud]

The ruling of Kufr includes, by analogy (Qiyaas), those who read the books and writings of fortunetellers, listens to them on the radio or watches them on TV. (These are the most common means used by 20th century fortunetellers).

Allah clearly states in the Quran that He alone knows the unseen. Not even the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Allah said:

مو  ن ��م 3 م ا� Vم ن� م� Dس Mم م�� aم سي bم س ٱ cن Qم �Eم م ۥ Zن م� �Bم م#

“With Him are the keys to the unseen and none knows it except Him alone.”

[Surah al-Anaam 6:59]

Allah told Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

Uن م� Bس م34 ن] ن�6 سو م م# ن$‌. � م ٱ Cم ا� Jم م� ��م 3 م 30A eم م�� م# �DA ن Eس من م�ى Eس م� م Tن م� س م34 ا� � م ن)� . ‌Cن او �ن ٱ مى م� �م م م� م# م0 سي Pم س ٱ م� م fن س0 gم hس م, س> م�ٱ aم سي bم س ٱ

“Say! I have no power to bring good to myself nor avert harm but it is only as Allah

wills. If it were that I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied the good and no evil

would have touched me.”

[Surah al-Araaf 7:188]

Therefore, all the various methods used around the world by fortunetellers and the likes are forbidden to Muslims.

Palm-reading, fortune cookies, tea leaves, zodiacal signs etc all claim to know knowledge of the future. Allah has stated that he alone knows the future:

  م� م# م%‌. م�� س& م�4 س� ٱ م:ى م� Uن م� Dس Mم م# jم سي bم س ٱ ن5 kم م� Mن م# م= Bم ��م ٱ Uن س� Bم ۥ Zن م� �Bم م$ �م ٱ �م 3 م �م 3 م . ‌fن ن�و Qم l� ن س& م34 Kم م4� م8 ن7 س Eس من K&م س� Qم م� م# .‌3�A ن nم aن م� hس Qم م@3 �م 71 ن Eس من K&م س� Qم

ن0 س م'ي �م U1 م�ي Bم م$ �م ٱ “Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone. It is He who sends down the

rain and knows the contents of the wombs. No one knows what he will earn tomorrow nor in which land he will die,

but Allah is all knowing and aware.”

[Surah Luqmaan 31:34]

Furthermore, when a Muslim weather man predicts rain, snow or other climate conditions he should add the phrase “Inshallah” (if Allah wishes), also when doctors inform patients when the baby is due they should add this phrase. As these are only estimates based on statistical information.