Topic 3

• It was the practice among the Arabs in the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW to wear arm bracelets, bangles, beached necklaces, shells, etc., as charms to avert evil and bring good fortune. Talisman and amulets can also be found in all regions of the earth in a variety of forms. Faith in charm, amulets and talismans contradicts true belief in Allah’s Ruboobeeyah (Lordship) by attributing to created objects the power to avert evil and bring good fortune.
• Islamic Ruling on Charm

  1. The belief in charms is an obvious form of Shirk.
  2. The practice of producing miniature unreadable Qur’ans for the purpose of wearing in lockers invites Shirk.
  3. Wearing ornaments with Ayatul Kursee written in lettering and worn as pendant also encouraging shirk.
  4. One who wear such ornaments for decoration does not commit Shirk.
  5. Wearing ornaments with Ayatul Kursee for protection from evil, as such fall into an aspect of Shirk.
• The practice of reading good or bad omens in bird and animal movements was referred to as Tiyarah from the verb Taara which means “so take fight”. For example, if an individual set out on a journey and a bird flew over him and turned to the left, he would see in it a sign of impending bad fortune, turn around and return home. 


  Islam invalidated these practices because they corrode the foundation of Tawheed and Tawheed al-Asmaa was Sifaat.
• From the preceding Hadeeth, it can clearly be seen that the Tiyarah was not in any way limited to birds. It includes all forms of beliefs in omens. This beliefs vary in form from place to place and from time to time but they all have the same common denominator of Shirk.
• Fortune-telling are methods and mediums from which they claim to extract their information such as: reading tea-leaves, drawing lines, writing numbers, palm-reading, casting horoscopes, crystal ball gazing, rattling bones, throwing sticks, etc.
• Not only is the practice of astrology is haram, but also visiting an astrologist and listening to the predictions, buying books on astrology or reading one’s horoscope are also forbidden. Since astrology is mainly used for predicting the future, those who practice it are considered fortune-teller.