Sat 4th Jan 2020
Lesson 21: Things that people do which may be Shirk
Read by our brother Abu Muadh Taqweem
Summary
- There are many things that people do, which we don’t think about much, but they may fall into the category of Shirk
- Shirk can be major or minor
- Wearing a necklace, bracelet or pendant to remove harm, bring benefit or “luck”
- What if it has Qur’an written on it?
- Seeking blessings from trees, stones or items etc
Bracelets and “Lucky” charms
- These are things (e.g. a bracelet, necklace, pendant etc) that a person wears and believes that it may give him some benefit or remove some form of harm from him or her
- This is from the acts of ignorance and is classed as from being amongst the Minor shirk
- However it can escalate into major shirk
- Example from Hadith of Imran Ibn Husain regarding the man who was wearing a brass bracelet that he believed it would remove weakness from his hand, what did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say to him?
Amulets, pendants or necklaces
- Question: What if someone who wears a necklace or pendant that has Qur’an written on it?
- Did the companions wear such things?
- Hadith of Ibn Mas’oud (may Allah be pleased with him)
Seeking blessings from trees, stones and antiquities
- What is meant by “antiquities”
- Falsely attaching blessings to items, e.g. if a Sufi leader dies and his followers claim that his personal items contain blessings
- Question: What if a person takes a cutting from the cloth of the Ka’bah or some sand from Arafah
- What is meant by “seeking blessings”
- Hadith of Abu Waqid AI-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) about the tree at Hunain
- The Sahabah (companions of the Prophet ), may Allah be pleased with them all, simply enquired about the tree at Hunain when they were new to Islam but they did not believe in it or place their trust in it
Tawheed and Shirk
- What is Tawheed?
- These three types of amulets or “lucky charms” oppose tawheed, these are acts of shirk and are impermissible in Islam
- Question: What if a person believes only Allah has the power but that these items are simply the means? Is this shirk?
- Question: What if a person believes the items themselves have power to bring benefit or remove harm? What type of shirk is this?
Q&A:
- What if a person uses a band that is said to treat arthritis?
- When the Children of Israel asked Musa (Moses), may peace be upon him, when they crossed the sea, were they new to the religion?
- When the Imam finishes the prayer, should he turn around?
- After the prayer, should the Imam stay seated until he finishes his dhikr (remembrance)
- Are there any narrations that say that you can place the hands on the belly button during prayer? Is it better to place them on the chest?
- Are there any legitimate ways of seeking blessings?
- What about the counting beads people use after the prayer?
Next week: Magic, tarot cards etc