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Fortune Telling & Astrology

Who Is the Soothsayer (Kaahin)?

Types of Soothsayers

From the different types of soothsayers are:

The Ruling of Soothsaying in Islam

From the hadeeth of Mu'aawiyah ibn al-Hakam as-Sulami that he said, "O Messenger of Allah, there are some things that we used to do in pre-Islamic times: We used to go to the soothsayer..." The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Do not go to the soothsayers...""Recorded by Muslim, no. 1748.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. That soothsaying and associated sciences were commonly practised and believed in during the pre-Islamic times, as Allah told us regarding belief in astrology among Quraysh: "And instead (of thanking Allah) for your provision, you deny Him (by disbelief)!" [al-Waaqi'ah 56:82 ]
  2. The prohibition of going to the soothsayer, whatever the reason.

In another wording, "Whoever has intercourse with a menstruating woman, or a woman in her anus, or whoever [goes to] a soothsayer, they have disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.""Recorded by at-Tirmidhi.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. The prohibition of going to the soothsayer, whatever the reason.
  2. That the prohibition is so severe, it is compared to the most repulsive of acts.
  3. That going to them is an act of disbelief.

The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever goes to a foreteller and asks them something, their prayer will not be accepted for forty days.""Recorded by Muslim.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. That the one who goes to the soothsayer, will not have their prayer accepted for forty days, whether they believe them or not - even if it is only for entertainment.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever goes to a soothsayer or a foreteller and believes in what they say, they have disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.""Recorded by Abu Dawood.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. That believing in the sayings and writings of a soothsayer is disbelief.

'Imran ibn Hussayn narrated that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Not from us is the one who interprets omens, or has them interpreted for him; or practises soothsaying, or has soothsaying done for him; or practises magic, or has magic done for him.""Recorded by al-bazaar with a good chain.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. That these things which are mentioned are not the acts of a Muslim.
  2. That the one who does them and the one who has them done are the same.
  3. The similarity between the things that are mentioned.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever acquires any knowledge of astrology, he acquires a branch of magic." "Saheeh Al-Jaami', no. 6074.

From the benefits of this hadeeth:

  1. That astrology and soothsaying are a branch of magic, and hold the same ruling.

The Ruling of Watching Fortune Tellers and Reading Their Writings

Who is Allowed to Go to the Soothsayer?

How Fortune Telling Works

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to what he says, (with a sound) like a chain beating on a rock. Then when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: 'what has your Lord said?' They say: 'The truth, and He is the most high, most great' – so those [jinn] who are trying to eavesdrop hear it, and those who are trying to eavesdrop are standing one above the other. So he hears a word and passes it on to the one who is beneath him, who passes it on in turn, until it reaches the lips of the sorcerer or soothsayer. Sometimes the flaming fire will hit him before he passes it on and sometimes he will pass it on before he is hit, and he tells one hundred lies along with it. Then it is said, 'did he not tell us on such and such a day that such and such would happen? So he is believed for that one word which was heard from heaven'"Recorded by al-Bukhari.

Aa'ishah narrated that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The angels speak in the clouds about things that will happen on earth. The devils listen to what is said, then they drop that into the ear of the fortuneteller like dropping something into a bottle, and they add a hundred lies to it."Recorded by al-Bukhari.

Some of the Different Means of Divination