Avoiding Superstition - Shaykh Aqeel Mahmood | Jumu'ah Khutbah

Khuṭbah al-Ūlā — Opening

Alhamdulillah, we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide him.

And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

O you who have believed, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul, and created from it a wife, and spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah, about whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever watching over you.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and say the right word. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has won a great triumph.

As for what follows — the truth of speech is the Book of Allah. And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst of things are its newly invented matters. And every innovation is an invention. And every invention is misguidance. And every misguidance is in the Fire.

The Knowledge of Allah — The Five Keys of the Unseen

Allah, brothers and sisters, is the one who has knowledge over all things. And Allah is the only one who deserves to be worshipped. Allah in the Quran, in many places, speaks about His knowledge and His power.

Allah says:

Verily it is Allah alone who has knowledge of the Hour. And He is the one who sends down the rain. He is the one who knows what is in the womb — and this also includes whether or not this person in the womb, before it is born, is going to be righteous, if it's going to be a sinner, if it's going to be from the inhabitants of Paradise or Hellfire. Everything has been written.

And a soul does not know what it is going to earn tomorrow. This is something which only Allah has knowledge of. A person may think that he has a job which is a permanent job that he's going to have for years — and then he realizes he's lost his job. He may believe and think that his business which he owns and he's had for a long time is secure and safe — and then he realizes that he's going to become bankrupt and that he'll have to find other means of sustenance.

All of this, brothers and sisters, is in the hands of Allah. It is knowledge which only Allah Himself possesses. And a soul doesn't know on which land it is going to die.

How many times have we heard or known about people — from our family members or friends — when they travel somewhere else, away from the land where they lived, and they end up passing away as a result of an accident or an illness? How many times have we heard about people coming here from other parts of the world just to visit on holiday for a temporary amount of time, and they end up passing away away from home? All of this, brothers and sisters, is in the hands of Allah. This is part and parcel of the knowledge of Allah. And it's one of the reasons — from the many reasons — why we have this complete reliance and tawakkul upon Allah.

The Keys of the Unseen

In other verses, Allah speaks about His knowledge being more than the knowledge of everything else put together. His knowledge is knowledge which He has of things which we can't even see — things which are invisible to us. Allah says:

He has the keys to the unseen — He is aware of the unseen. He knows what is happening with regards to the world of the angels and the world of the jinn. He knows what's happening in Paradise and Hellfire, in the deepest and darkest depths of the ocean. All of these things, brothers and sisters, are in the knowledge of Allah.

He knows what is happening on land, and He knows what is happening in the oceans. And there is no leaf that falls except that Allah has knowledge of it — where it's going to fall, how it's going to fall, where it's going to land. This is the depth and the greatness of the knowledge of Allah.

And nothing happens except by the permission of Allah. And this is why, brothers and sisters, our reliance should be upon Allah. And when we look at the future, it's something which nobody knows except Allah. He is the one who has control of the future, just as He has control of the past and He has control of the present. And so our reliance should be only upon Allah.

Superstitions — Ancient and Modern

In the days of Jāhiliyyah — and even today — there are people who rely on things which in fact have no power. They're not able to read the future and predict the future. They don't have any power to cause even harm to you. Yet people end up having some kind of fear or reliance on these things.

In the days of Jāhiliyyah, they would have similar superstitions. For example, they would rely on animals or inanimate objects to dictate what they should do in the future. They would look up into the sky and if they saw a bird, they would make decisions about whether or not they would travel or do some kind of business deal based on which direction the bird flew. And if the bird flew right, they would make a decision to travel. If the bird flew left, they would decide not to travel — all based on the bird's direction. They would, for example, have other superstitions such as having things similar to dice, and they would roll the dice, and whichever side faced upwards would dictate what they should do and what they shouldn't do.

These superstitions, brothers and sisters, dictated what they should do. They gave these inanimate objects — or even those animals — powers which they never had. And it's something which exists today.

Common Superstitions Today

Things which are considered bad luck or good luck — good luck charms and bad luck charms. For example, a person has a mirror in his home and the mirror falls and breaks. Certain people think and assume, based on their superstitious beliefs, that because of the mirror breaking in the home, they will now have seven years of bad luck. This is the belief — that the mirror has some kind of ability and power to cause you seven years of harm and seven years of bad luck. And no doubt, brothers and sisters, something bad will happen to you in those seven years, because this is the decree of Allah. It has nothing to do with mirrors.

A person is walking down the street and he sees a black cat walking in front of him, and he considers this to be bad luck — that it's going to cause harm, or that it has the ability and the potential to cause him harm. Something bad will happen to him as a result of that black cat walking in front of him. But it's just a cat that maybe saw some food on the other side of the street and was just walking across. But the person has these superstitious beliefs.

A person, for example, spills salt on the table and they say this is bad luck. And even more concerning is they say that if you pick up the salt and throw it over your shoulder, the bad luck is removed — it's wiped away.

These kinds of superstitions, brothers and sisters, could lead to a person committing shirk, because you're associating partners with Allah by giving powers — that only Allah has — to things which are either inanimate or, if they do have life, they don't have the potential to cause you that kind of harm. You're ascribing powers that only Allah has to things which will cause you no harm whatsoever. Irrational types of fears. Superstitions.

A person goes palm reading, for example, and the palm reader reads things. And as a result of this, the person becomes scared because the man said bad things are going to happen to you today, or this week, or this month. And no doubt, bad things happen to everybody. Bad things happened to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him — but it was as a decree from Allah. The believer is always patient and reliant upon Allah in all circumstances.

The Psychological Harm of Superstitions

Moreover, brothers and sisters, when a person has these kinds of superstitious beliefs, he ends up having irrational fears, stresses, worries, and anxieties. He wakes up in the morning happy, content, ready for the day. He leaves his home. He sees a black cat. Now it's the worst day of his life — he's now anxious and stressed and sad and doesn't know what's going to happen, or where the harm will come from, even though nothing has actually happened. Because he doesn't have reliance upon Allah.

Good luck charms — people think a four-leaf clover will give them benefit. Other types of good luck and bad luck charms — things which people perceive to bring them good luck or bad luck. These things make a person stressed and anxious. He's worried about things which won't benefit him and won't cause him any harm. And this is how he ends up living his days.

The believer, on the other hand, when he has complete reliance upon Allah, he doesn't fear those things which he knows won't cause him any harm.

The Prophetic Guidance — No Evil Omens

This is what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told us — there are no evil omens (ṭīrah), and there are no animal superstitions. And then he said, peace and blessings be upon him, what impresses him is fa'l. The companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is fa'l?" And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5776; Sahih Muslim, Book 39, Hadith 5519)

Good speech. Saying good things to others. As opposed to a person assuming bad things and thinking bad things — he spreads good by saying good things to others. Encouraging people to do good things. Saying good things. Positive remarks. Praising people in a manner which encourages them to do more good things. A person is always saying nice things, being kind, showing acts of mercy.

The Parable of Good Speech

And Allah speaks about the blessings and the benefits of good speech. Allah likens it to a tree:

Its roots are firm, and its branches are way high up in the sky — meaning it's something which will benefit the person who is saying it. And the benefits are such that a person can tell somebody something positive and that person could remember that remark, that good speech, for the rest of his life. How many times, brothers and sisters, have we been in a circumstance or situation where somebody has encouraged us, given us support, said good things in times of difficulty — and we never forget those people, because it has an effect.

Allah says it gives its fruits all the time. This tree — which is good speech, saying good things — is always beneficial to the person who says it and the person who receives it.

So brothers and sisters, superstitions in Islam are things which we have to be wary of. It's something which can affect our deen. And it can affect our connection and relationship towards Allah. And it can affect our daily lives.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Khuṭbah al-Thāniyah — Second Sermon

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

Brothers and sisters, we were speaking about the dangers of superstitions and having superstitious beliefs — and how it's something which can affect our relationship with Allah. And it's something which affects us on a daily basis, because a person becomes stressed and anxious because he saw something, or he heard something, or he experienced something which he believes will cause him harm. But in fact, all things which happen to him are as a result of the decree of Allah.

Afflictions Are Tied to Our Own Deeds

Allah says in the Quran:

Whatever harm afflicts you, whatever harm comes to you — it's because of what your own hands have done. It's as a result of your own actions. The things you've said to others: the lying, the backbiting, the ghībah, the slander, the curses. The things you've done with your eyes, the sins of the eyes, the sins of the hands. Those sins that you commit, brothers and sisters, are a cause for a person having trials and tribulations in his life.

How to Remove Superstition from Your Heart

First: Complete Tawakkul in Allah

How can a person remove these false superstitious beliefs from his heart and from his mind? Number one, brothers and sisters — as we've already mentioned — having complete tawakkul in Allah. Allah says:

Whomsoever has tawakkul and trust upon Allah, then that is enough for him. He doesn't need anything else. He doesn't need anybody else.

And the companions were at the forefront of having complete reliance upon Allah. They would never ask others for things because of their reliance upon Allah. Their dependency upon Allah was on a different level. Sometimes the companions would be on their horses and their whip would fall from their hands and land on the floor — and they wouldn't ask anybody who was next to them, walking beside them, to pick it up for them. They would come off their horses and pick it up themselves, because they felt like they shouldn't be dependent on others for things they could do themselves. And they were completely dependent upon Allah.

Second: Increasing in Good Deeds

Number two, brothers and sisters — from the ways a person can avoid superstition is by increasing in doing good deeds. The scholars say that every time you spend in obedience towards Allah, you'll find its blessings, its fruits, and its rewards. And every single time you spend in evil and in sin, you're going to taste that evil and the consequences of that evil in your life in the future, in one way or another.

So brothers and sisters, ensuring that a person continues and increases in good deeds — especially considering the month of Ramadan is almost upon us in a couple of months' time. Practising new good deeds that maybe he hasn't done before. Getting into the habit of being consistent in some good deeds. Starting something new from the good deeds established in the Quran and Sunnah that he hasn't done before — this will enable a person to have more reliance upon Allah.

Third: Making Du'ā

And finally, brothers and sisters — making du'ā. The scholars would say:

Du'ā — supplication — is the weapon of the believer. Regardless of which circumstance you may be in, what calamities are befalling you, what trials you may be going through, even if everybody has abandoned you — du'ā is a weapon which you will always have. Even if nobody else is with you and nobody else is supporting you, Allah will always respond if you supplicate to Him. This is something which a person always has with him.

And Allah hears and sees everything. As we've already mentioned — if Allah can see everything, can hear everything, knows everything, and knows the future — it only makes sense that when we rely, we rely only upon Allah. And when we supplicate, we supplicate with the belief that Allah has the knowledge, the ability, and the power to listen and respond to our supplications.

We ask Allah that He gives us the ability to remove any superstitions from our lives and from our hearts. And that Allah increases our tawakkul in Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Indeed, Allah commands justice, and good conduct, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, and bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may be reminded.

So remember Allah, the Great and Majestic — He will remember you. And be grateful to Him for His blessings — He will increase you. And the remembrance of Allah is the highest and the most excellent and the greatest thing. And Allah knows what you do.