Superstition means: 'Adoption of an ideology or idea without any Shariah or rational argument.' A form of superstition is also omens. To consider an object, day, or person bad is an example of a bad omen. Trying to know the state of fate through fortune-telling etc. is also superstition.
The one who creates effect in external causes is Allah Almighty. It is ignorance and superstition to consider any person, animal, day or month as inauspicious. Omens and superstitions are condemned. Nothing can harm a person without the will of Allah Almighty. The power of profit and loss is with Allah. When He wants to bring good, no one can bring evil, and if He sends down a calamity, no one can remove it.
Allah says:
Translation:
''If Allah brings some harm to you, there is none to remove it except He. And if He intends to bring some good to you, there is none to turn His grace back. He brings it to whomever He wills from among His servants. He is the Most- Forgiving, the Very Merciful.'' (Surah Yunus: 107)
Whatever trouble befalls a person is the result of his own actions. Those who are deprived of the knowledge of religion, they fall a prey to superstition. To consider a person, an animal, a day or a month as a sign of disgust is ignorance and superstition. Those who consider the month of Safar to be inauspicious are actually in a delusion. Even in the age of ignorance, people considered the month of Safar to be inauspicious. The use of astrology, fortune-telling or sorcery etc. to know the future conditions and to create future works is prohibited in Islam.
In order to seek good from Allah Almighty in the future, the Holy Prophet has taught Istikhara. The masnoon method of istikhara is to offer two nafil prayer and pray to Allah Almighty for good. Just as Islam has forbidden superstition, it has also forbidden evil omens and evil deeds.
The Holy Prophet said :
''Whoever goes to an astrologer and asks him something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.'' (Sahih Muslim: 5821)
Bad omens are not allowed in Islamic teachings, that is, it is not right to take bad omens from any person, animal, thing or time. However, it is correct to take a good omen or a good prediction. A person should always be optimistic and have a good opinion of Allah Almighty because Allah Almighty deals every person according to his opinion and thoughts.
The Holy Prophet said :
''There is no origin of bad omens, but there is nothing wrong with taking good omens.'' (Sahih al-Bukhari: 5754)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar says that when something strikes someone in his heart, he should say these words:
اللهُمَّ لَا خَيْرَ الَّا خَيْرُكَ وَلَا طِيَرَ إِلَّا طِيَرُكَ وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ
Translation:
''O Allah! There is no good but Your good, no omen but Your omen, there is no God besides You.'' (Musnad Ahmad: 7045)
Magic is a reality, which sometimes seeks to harm others and sometimes captures the people's attention and imagination. A magician does not change the reality of anything but he captures thoughts. In Islam, practising magic has been declared as a grave sin. In order to be safe from magic etc., it has been taught to read Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas and eat Ajawa dates. The Holy Prophet used to seek refuge of Allah from evil eye of man and the jinn until the revelations of Maoozatain (Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas) were revealed. When these surahs were revealed, the Holy Prophet took them both and left all others except for them. (Jami at-Tirmidhi: 2058).
The Holy Prophet said:
''Whoever ate seven Ajwah dates on a day; no poison or magic can harm the person on that day.''
The Holy Prophet said:
"The thing that brings disaster is Shirk. Avoid it and avoid magic too." (Sahih al-Bukhari: 5764)
The Holy Prophet recited this supplication for Hazrat Hassan and Hussain.
أعِيدُ كُمَا بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ -
Translation:
''I seek refuge for the two of you in the Perfect Words of Allah, from every devil and every poisonous thing, and from every harmful eye.'' (Jami at-Tirmidhi: 2060)
Hazrat Ibrahim used to pray this same supplication for his sons Hazrat Ismail and Hazrat Ishaq.
Due to superstition and fortune-telling through magic and stars, the society becomes prone to many evils. Some of these are:
i. Instead of getting to the root of the problem, such people get involved in unnecessary work and talk.
ii. Such people may take temporary advantage but miss out big achievements.
iii. Superstitious people sometimes become a joke in the society because of their ignorance.
iv. Superstitious people lose balance in social relationships and remain suspicious with other people.
v. People who are eager to do things through sorcery not only lose their wealth and faith but sometimes lose their health and life too.
vi. People fall a prey to different problems if they get trapped by fake agents and illusionists.
We must have full faith in the power of Allah Almighty. To seek good from Allah in the future, to fulfill our needs and to be safe from evil we should make arrangements for Astaghfaar, sadqah and prayers. The Holy Prophet has given us clear teachings about it, we should get light from them.
