The Islamic Ruling on the Legality of Ta’wiz (Amulets) - In the Light of Quran, Hadith & the Wahhabi-Salafi Imams

 The Islamic Ruling on the Legality of Ta’wiz (Amulets)

In the Light of Quran, Hadith & the Wahhabi-Salafi Imams

The definition of a Ta’wiz is simply a written Dua’ from the Qur'an or Hadiths, and is for the one who cannot read or has not memorized that particular Dua’. It is written on a piece of paper and is worn around the neck. We, the Ahl us Sunnah wal Jamah, believe that to wear a Ta’wiz around the neck is permissible, if the Dua’' contained or written in it is from the Qur'an or Hadiths.

The Beloved Prophet Muhammad used to recite Dua’ and then blow onto the sick person. The Sahaba also did this and they wrote the Dua’' on a piece of paper and placed it around the necks of the persons if they could not read it. Because, the Dua’'s that are from the Qur'an and Hadiths have the power to heal the sick.

But, some people say that if you wear the Ta’wiz you are committing Shirk! Insha-Allah! We shall prove, with the help of Allah Almighty, that it is permissible to wear a Ta’wiz.

The Holy Qur'an has the Power of Healing!

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an:

“...We send down in Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers...”

{Surah Banu Isra'il: 82}

The Imam of present day Wahhabiya-Salafiya, Qadi Shawkani writes in the Tafsir of the above Ayah as follows:

"If the Qur'an's Dua’s are recited and blown on the sick, they will be cured. When the non-believers recite the Qur'an, their blasphemous disease will be cured." {Tafsir Fath al Qadir, Sura Bani Isra'il: 82}

Proof of Wearing the Ta’wiz!

The great Sunni Scholar and Hafiz of Hadith Imam Ibn Kathir who is revered by the present day Wahhabiya-Salafiya; and the Salafi Imam Qadi Shawkani mentioned the following Hadith: “Sayyiduna Amr ibn Shu'aib said:  “The Beloved Rasul-Allah taught my father and grandfather a Dua’ which we would read before going to sleep, to protect us from fear and anguish. We told our elder children to recite this Dua’ before going to sleep as well. But for those children who were not yet literate, we would write it and then put it around their necks!" {Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab ut Tibb; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, under Sura al Mu'minun: 97; Qadi Shawkani, Fath al Qadir, under the same verse}

It is Permissible to Read Dua’ and Blow Upon the Sick!

Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim write: “When a person who was sick or in some distress they would go to the Beloved Prophet who would then place his hand on the area of pain and recite a Dua’ and then blow onto him.” {Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim, Kitab ut Tibb}

Imam Muslim writes: “When the Beloved Prophet was ill for the last time, Sayyiduna Jibril came and recited a Dua’ and blew on the Prophet.” {Sahih Muslim, Kitab ut Tibb}

Imam Muslim writes: “Sayyidah Ayesha narrates that when the Beloved Prophet was ill for the last time, she recited Sura al Falaq and Sura an Nas, and then blew on to the Prophet's hands. The Prophet then rubbed this onto his own face and body because his hands had more blessing than Ayesha.” {Sahih Muslim, Kitab ut Tibb}

From the above narrations, we come to know that to blow after reciting Dua’s onto the sick is Sunnah and the more pious the person is, the more healing power he has, because he is more blessed than the less pious.

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya writes: “It is permissible to {to recite Dua’s and then} blow upon the sick in Islam, but the words must be from the Qur'an or Hadiths. If the words are not, then it is not permissible.” {At Tawassul, Chapter on Blowing onto the Sick}

The Ahl us Sunnah wal Jamah also hold the same view, then why are they labeled as committing ‘Shirk’ and practicing upon the acts of ‘Jahiliyah’?

Q) Some people ask, 'How is it allowed to blow dua's onto the sick when some Hadiths say this is forbidden?

Ans. Shaykh ul Hadith Allama Ghulam Rasul Saeedi has written the answer to this question in great detail; he has also included the opinion of all the other great scholars, and we will present some of these statements here.

He writes: Imam Nawawi in Sharh Muslim states: “There are two types of Hadiths concerning Blowing {reciting a Dua’ and then blowing onto a person}. One of these types is narrated in Sahih Bukhari: “There will be people who will enter Paradise without any questioning, who have never been blown upon.” Imam Muslim has also recorded a Hadith in support of those who do not ask to be blown upon. Imam Bukhari in ‘Kitab ut Tibb’ {Medicine} has written Dua’s that our Beloved Prophet recited when doing ‘Damm’ {i.e. reciting a Dua’ and then blowing onto a person}. Imam Muslim states in ‘Kitab Fazail un Nabi’ {The Book on Merits of the Prophet} that: “When our Beloved Prophet was ill, Sayyiduna Jibril came to him and performed the blowing.” The above types of Hadiths apparently seem to contradict each other but in reality there is no contradiction. The former type of Hadith refers to the prohibition of having read something that is not from the Qur'an and Sunnah {i.e. something that has pictures, diagrams or words not from the Qur'an or Sunnah} and then blow upon someone! While the latter types of Hadiths which permit ‘Damm’ refer to those ‘Kalimat’ {i.e. Words or Verses} which have been taught by the Beloved Prophet.” {Sharh Sahih Muslim, Kitab ub Tibb}  

In the same way, there are two types of Hadiths concerning Ta’wiz. There are many narrations that forbid the use of Ta’wiz and also many permitting their use!

Imam Qurtubi Maliki wrote in detail about both types of Hadiths concerning Ta’wiz and said: “The Ta’wiz that are forbidden are those Ta’wiz from days of Ignorance {‘Ayyam ul Jahiliya’} - those which are satanic and contain an element of Shirk {such as Mantar, Voodoo and other Magic, etc.}. The Ta’wiz, which are permitted are those written from Dua’s evidently from Qur'an and Hadiths only.” {At Tadhkirah, chapter on Ta’wiz}

Here are the narrations which proof the permissibility to wear a Ta’wiz around one's neck!

Imam Allama Alusi Hanafi, in his ‘Tafsir Ruh ul Ma’ani’ writes: “According to Imam Malik it is permitted to put around the neck the Ta’wiz, written with the name of Allah. Imam Baqir also stated that it is permitted to put such a Ta’wiz around the neck of a child.” {Tafsir Ruh ul Mani, Chapter 15, Surah al Mu'minun: 97}

Imam Allama Shami Hanafi writes: “It is permitted to write a Ta’wiz and put it around the neck... It would be better if a person recites the Dua’s taught by the Beloved Prophet. But if a person cannot read or is too young to recite then it is permitted for that person to put it around the neck.” {Rad al Mukhtar, chapter on 'Qira'at'; Sharh Sahih Muslim, Kitab ut Tibb}

To conclude, it can be said that those verses that oppose the Qur'an, Shariyah, or the Sunnah are forbidden to read and also forbidden to put around the neck. But as for the Dua’s and verses from the Qur'an and Sunnah, it is permitted to be written and put around the neck of a small child, illiterate or a sick person.

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya writes in his Fatawa: (Ta’wizes): In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Hanging or wearing of Amulets {Ta’wiz} is normally permissible for protection or healing provided certain conditions are met:

1. That they consist of the names of Allah Almighty or his attributes;
2. That they are in Arabic;
3. That they do not consist of anything that is Disbelief {‘Kufr’};
4. The user does not believe the words have any affect in themselves, but are empowered to do so by Allah Most High.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr ibn Shu’ayb, from his father, from his grandfather (Abdullah bin Amr bin al Aas), that the Beloved Rasul-Allah used to teach them (the Sahabas) to recite for fearful situations the following words: “I seek refuge in Allah’s perfect words from His wrath, the evil of his servants, the whispered insinuations of devils, and that they come to me.” Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Amr used to teach these words to those of his sons who had reached the age of reason, and used to write them and hang them upon those who had not reached the age of reason.” {Sunan Abu Dawud & Jami’ Tirmidhi, Imam Tirmidhi classified it ‘Sahih’}

In the Musannaf of Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shayba, the permissibility of hanging Ta’wizes is reported from many of the Companions and early Muslims (Salaf), including: Sayyiduna Sa’eed bin Musayyab, Sayyiduna Ata’, Sayyiduna Mujahid, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr, Sayyiduna Ibn Sirin, Sayyiduna Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Umar, and others. {Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah; 5:439}

Due to the above, most of the scholars have declared the using of Amulets (Ta’wiz) permissible as long as the above conditions are met. It is similar to using medication which is permissible and not against the concept of reliance in Allah (Tawakkal) or Monotheism (Tawhid). However, it is not permissible to regard the Ta’wiz to be effective in it-self, just as it is not permissible to regard medicines to be effective in them-selves.

As for that which is reported from some, including Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, that hanging Ta’wizes is ‘Shirk’, this is understood to mean those Ta’wizes that resemble the one’s used in the days of Ignorance (Jahiliyya), or if used thinking that it is the Ta’wiz itself that cures or protects, not Allah, or if it contains impermissible invocations or one’s whose meaning is not known.

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya writes in his Fatawa: “It is permissible for an ill or troubled person, that certain verses from the Qur’an are written with pure ink, then it is washed and given to the ill to drink. <Sayyiduna Abdullah> Ibn Abbas is reported to have mentioned a certain ‘Dua’ that should be written and placed close to the woman who is experiencing hard labour at the time of giving birth. Sayyiduna Ali says: “This Dua should be written and tied to the arm of the woman.” We have experienced that there is nothing more amazing than this.” {Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya; 19:65}

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya’s student Shaykh Ibn Qayyim also narrates the permissibility of using Ta’wizes from a number of ‘Salafs’ including the great Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. Thereafter, Ibn Qayyim himself quotes various Ta’wizes. {Zaad ul Ma’ad; 3:180}

In view of the foregoing, it becomes clear that generally using of Ta’wizes is not something that is impermissible or ‘Shirk’. However, it is necessary that the above mentioned conditions are met. Today we have people who are victims of immoderation. There are some people who declare all types of Ta’wizes to be ‘Shirk’ and ‘Kufr’. Others, on the other hand, think Ta’wizes to be everything. Both these types of understandings are incorrect. Using of Ta’wizes is permissible, but with moderation. Normally it is better to recite the ‘Duas’ which are prescribed for every problem and illness, and along with that resort to medical treatment. However, if Ta’wizes are used sometimes, then it is permissible. If there is a fear that a person will begin to think the Ta’wiz to be effective in it-self, then he should not be given the Ta’wiz. This will be the decision of the person who is giving the Ta’wiz, and not for us to decide for him. There are many people who never make Dua and are neglectful of the Shariyah injunctions, but always depend on Ta’wizes. For such people, it is better not to give them Ta’wizes, rather to direct them to the straight path.

In conclusion, generally it is permissible to use Amulets (Ta’wizes) in compliance with the conditions mentioned above. However, if there is something that is impermissible, then it will not be allowed in any case.

For details one may read ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ of Shaykh ul Hadith Allama Ghulam Rasul Saeedi and an excellent book by Shaykh ul Hadith Mufti Abdullah Khan Naqshbandi Nayimi’s ‘Tawiz ka Shari’ Hukm’.

by

Basharath Siddiqui Ashrafi,

Ahl us Sunnah Foundation,

Hyd, India.