RUQA (INCANTATION), TALISMANS AND AMULETS

Narrated Abu Bashir Al-Ansari (r.a.): He was in the company of

Allah’s Messenger on one of his journeys. Allah’s Messenger

(Peace be upon him) sent a messenger ordering: “There shall

not remain any necklace of bowstring or any other kind of

necklace round the necks of camels except it is cut off” (Al-

Bukhari and Muslim).

Ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger

(Peace be upon him) saying: Ar-Ruqa, At-Tama’im and At-

Tiwalah are all acts of Shirk (Polytheism).” (Musnad Ahmad;

Abu Dawood).

Ar-Ruqa or Al-Aza’im is the act of reciting incantations, charm

etc. Those are allowed in which there is no trace of Shirk

(polytheism). Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has

permitted it in case of being bitten by poisonous insects or

disturbed under the effect of an evil eye.

At-Tama’im is the act of putting an amulet around the necks of

children to protect them from effects of evil eye. If the amulet

contains the verse of the Quran or Allah’s Name and Attribute

then it is allowed by some predecessors (salaf) though equally

disallowed by others too. Ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) was among those

who disapproved it.

At-Tiwalah (bewitching) is something done by those who claim

they can cause a woman to become more fond of her husband

or vice-versa.

Abdallah bin Ukaim narrated the following Marfu’ Hadeeth:

“Whoever uses, attaches to himself or wears a talisman, will

have that talisman put in charge of him.” (Ahmad & Tirmidhi)

Ruwaifi’ (r.a.) said that Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him)

said to him: “O Ruwaifi! it may be that you will live a longer time

after me, so inform people that whoever ties a knot in his beard,

places any string or cord around his neck (as a charm), or

cleans himself (after toilet) with animal dung or bone, then

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has disowned him (has

nothing to do with him).” (Ahmad)

Sa’id bin Jubair said: “Whoever cut an amulet or talisman from

anyone, it would be equal to liberating a slave.”

It was Waki’ who recorded it, and he reported from Ibrahim

Nakh’i that they used to dislike every type of amulet and

talisman whether they contained the verse of Quran or anything

else. [They were the companions of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (r.a.)].

Important issue of the Lesson

_ All the three above-mentioned acts are considered of Shirk

without exception.