Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Book of Omens

Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the Subh prayer at Hudaybiyya after it had rained on us during the night. When he finished, he faced the people and said, 'Do you know what your Lord has said?' They replied, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'This morning My slaves have become divided up into believers and unbelievers. Those who said, "We had rain by the favour and mercy of Allah," believe in Me and reject the stars. Those who said that it was because of a certain star, disbelieve in Me and believe in the stars."'"

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: صَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى أَثَرِ سَمَاءٍ كَانَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ قَالُوا: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي، مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ.

'A'isha said, "When the Prophet ﷺ saw a cloud in the sky, he would get up and down and walk to and fro, and his face would change colour. When it rained, that would leave him." When A'isha commented on that, the Prophet ﷺ said, "I do not know. Perhaps it will be as Allah Almighty says:
'When they saw it as a storm cloud advancing on their valleys...' (46:24)"

حَدَّثَنَا مَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا رَأَى مَخِيلَةً دَخَلَ وَخَرَجَ، وَأَقْبَلَ وَأَدْبَرَ، وَتَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُهُ، فَإِذَا مَطَرَتِ السَّمَاءُ سُرِّيَ، فَعَرَّفَتْهُ عَائِشَةُ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: وَمَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ}.

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Paying attention to the bad omen (tayyara) is association (shirk). It has nothing to do with us. Allah will remove it by reliance on Him."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ الْفَضْلُ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرِّ بْنِ حُبَيْشٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ، وَمَا مِنَّا، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ.

Abu Hurayra heard the Prophet ﷺ say, "Bad omens. The best of that is the good omen. They asked, "What is the good omen?" "A good word which one of you hears," he replied.

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، يَعْنِي: عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ: لاَ طِيَرَةَ، وَخَيْرُهَا الْفَأْلُ، قَالُوا: وَمَا الْفَأْلُ؟ قَالَ: كَلِمَةٌ صَالِحَةٌ يَسْمَعُهَا أَحَدُكُمْ.

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The nations were presented to me on the Festival in the days of hajj, and I was astonished at the great number of my community. They filled the plains and mountains." They said, "Muhammad, are you content?" "Yes, O Lord!" he said. He said, "In addition to these people there are seventy thousand who will enter the Garden without any reckoning. They are those who do not use charms nor cauterise themselves nor seek omens and who rely on their Lord." 'Ukkasha exclaimed, "Ask Allah to place me among them!" Then another man said, "Ask Allah to put me among them!" The Prophet said, "'Ukkasha has beaten you to it."

حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، وَآدَمُ، قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرٍّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: عُرِضَتْ عَلَيَّ الأُمَمُ بِالْمَوْسِمِ أَيَّامَ الْحَجِّ، فَأَعْجَبَنِي كَثْرَةُ أُمَّتِي، قَدْ مَلَأُوا السَّهْلَ وَالْجَبَلَ، قَالُوا: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، أَرَضِيتَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، أَيْ رَبِّ، قَالَ: فَإِنَّ مَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفًا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَسْتَرْقُونَ وَلاَ يَكْتَوُونَ، وَلاَ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ، وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ، قَالَ عُكَّاشَةُ: فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنِي مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ مِنْهُمْ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ: ادْعُ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلَنِي مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ: سَبَقَكَ بِهَا عُكَّاشَةُ.

'Alqama reported that 'A'isha used to go to children when they were born and make supplication for them. She came to a child and removed its pillow and found a straight razor under his head. She asked about the razor and they said, "We put it there against the jinn. She took the razor, threw it away and forbade them to use it. She said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ disliked and hated seeing bad omens in things. She forbade doing that.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تُؤْتَى بِالصِّبْيَانِ إِذَا وُلِدُوا، فَتَدْعُو لَهُمْ بِالْبَرَكَةِ، فَأُتِيَتْ بِصَبِيٍّ، فَذَهَبَتْ تَضَعُ وِسَادَتَهُ، فَإِذَا تَحْتَ رَأْسِهِ مُوسَى، فَسَأَلَتْهُمْ عَنِ الْمُوسَى، فَقَالُوا: نَجْعَلُهَا مِنَ الْجِنِّ، فَأَخَذَتِ الْمُوسَى فَرَمَتْ بِهَا، وَنَهَتْهُمْ عَنْهَا وَقَالَتْ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَكْرَهُ الطِّيَرَةَ وَيُبْغِضُهَا، وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَنْهَى عَنْهَا.

Anas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, "There is no infection* and there are no bad omens, although I am pleased by a good omen - a good word."

* The majority of scholars interpret this to mean that these things in and of themselves do not transmit or cause harm through supernatural or hidden means but that Allah is ultimately in control and any fearful superstition around these is false.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: لاَ عَدْوَى، وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ، وَيُعْجِبُنِي الْفَأْلُ الصَّالِحُ، الْكَلِمَةُ الْحَسَنَةُ.

Hiba at-Tamimi related from his father that he heard the Prophet ﷺ said, "There is no avenging spirit (hama*), and the most truthful of omens is the good omen. The Evil Eye is a reality."

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي حَيَّةُ التَّمِيمِيُّ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ أَخْبَرَهُ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ: لاَ شَيْءَ فِي الْهَامِّ، وَأَصْدَقُ الطِّيَرَةِ الْفَأْلُ، وَالْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ.

'Abdullah ibn as-Sa'ib reported that in the year of al-Hudaybiyya, when 'Uthman ibn 'Affan told the Prophet ﷺ that Suhayl had been sent to him by his people to make a truce with them on the basis that, provided that he leave them this year, they would leave Makka empty for him for three days. When 'Uthman came and the Prophet ﷺ was told, "Suhayl has come," he said, "Allah has made our business easy (sahhala)."

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، عَنْ مَعْنِ بْنِ عِيسَى قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُؤَمَّلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَامَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ، حِينَ ذَكَرَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ أَنَّ سُهَيْلاً قَدْ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَيْهِ قَوْمُهُ، فَصَالَحُوهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَرْجِعَ عَنْهُمْ هَذَا الْعَامَ، وَيُخَلُّوهَا لَهُمْ قَابِلَ ثَلاَثَةٍ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حِينَ أَتَى فَقِيلَ: أَتَى سُهَيْلٌ: سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ أَمْرَكُمْ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ السَّائِبِ أَدْرَكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ.

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Bad luck can be found in houses, women and horses."

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ، وَسَالِمٍ ابْنَيْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ: الشُّؤْمُ فِي الدَّارِ، وَالْمَرْأَةِ، وَالْفَرَسِ.

Sahl ibn Sa'd said, "If there is bad luck in anything, it is in houses, women and horses."

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ الشُّؤْمُ فِي شَيْءٍ، فَفِي الْمَرْأَةِ، وَالْفَرَسِ، وَالْمَسْكَنِ.