For my FB Sisters: A warning on fortune-telling

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

“How Many Children Will You Have” “You Will Have Three Girls”
“What Will Your Future Husband Look Like?” “Cute”
“Will Your Next Baby Be a Girl or a Boy?” “Congratulations… It’s a Girl!”

Are these “harmless” Facebook quizzes, or statements of disbelief? I see these quizzes from people on my friends’ list at least several times a day. It always makes me stop and think. You are taking a quiz that purports to tell you something about your future, the unseen, al ghaib. It is well known that seeking out a fortune teller in order to know about the future constitutes kufr, disbelief, according to Islam. So why take these quizzes? Be on the safe side and abandon something which brings no benefit and which is most likely displeasing to Allah:

On the authority of Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nu’man bin Bashir, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:

“Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Allah doth know what every female (womb) doth bear, By how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or do exceed. Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion. [Al-Qur’an 13:8]

“Fortune-telling is considered ‘Shirk Akbar’ (the major and serious form of polytheism) for two reasons. First, it implies the acquisition of knowledge of the Unseen, which is unique to Allah, (alone). ‘Say: ‘None in the Heaven and the Earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.’ (Qur?an 27: 65).”

“The Danger of Attending Fortune-Telling AssembliesIn recent years, the number of fortune-tellers has dramatically increased, only being outnumbered by those who attend their assemblies and believe what they are told. Some people are fascinated and impressed by observing those who cannot miss the opportunity to make fortunes out of imparting their fabrications. People who attend fortune-telling assemblies are divided into three groups:

Those who go to fortune-tellers to ask them about the future without truly believing in their falsehoods and without having the slightest intention of disclosing their falsehood to the public. People in this group are sinful and their prayers are not accepted for forty days.

Those who believe in the prophecies of the fortune-tellers and go to ask them about the future. These people are regarded as disbelievers since they deny the truthfulness of the Qur’an: ‘Say: None in the Heavens and the Earth Knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allah.’ (27: 65)

Those who go to fortune-tellers and only ask them in order to examine the truthfulness of their prophecies; then disclose their deceit to the public. These types of people publicize that fortune-tellers only offer misguidance that can make believers go astray.However, if someone uncertain that he is capable to take on such a task and accomplish it perfectly, he should not attempt it. Such a weighty undertaking could pose a risk to himself, and result in failure that may likely tempt people even further. From:

Al JUMUAH VOL 12/13 ISSUE 12/1

http://www.islamawareness.net/BlackMagic/fortune.html

So tell me, my sisters. Are you willing to take even a 1% chance of having your prayers be unaccepted for FORTY DAYS over some bit of FB foolishness that is easily avoided? Please do not plead ignorance or be angry with me for taking away your “fun”. There is still plenty of fun to have on FB or elsewhere. Message your friends with a beneficial hadith; send them a funny picture of a kitten; call them on the phone to say hi…. Just please please please fear Allah and stop taking these quizzes that encourage disbelief. And Allah knows best.

Fi Aman Allah,

Nancy Umm Abdel Hamid