Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamo Alaykum,

Be ism Allah Al Rahman Al Rahim,

Thank you and your team very much for your timeless efforts to educate Muslims in light of true teachings of Holy Quran and Hadees. You are showing the right path to Muslims by your answers, giving proper reference from Holy Quran and authentic Hadees. May Almighty Allah give you Ajr for this. Ameen.

Here is my question: In light of true teachings of Holy Quran and Hadees, let us know the purpose of WAZEEFAH, TA'WEEZ, NAQSH and LOH. My little knowledge says it is Bid'ah, Haraam and Shirq. But let me have confirmation so that myself and other Muslims may come to know the true poistion in this regard. This "business" of Wazeefa, Ta'weez, Naqsh and Loh is so much spread here in North America that in TVs and community newpapers of Urdu and English, there are repeated advertisements and regular columns and imaginery questions and answers section, with very attractive and sweet words that surely ignorant Muslims, particularly women are going astray from true path of Holy Quran and Hadees and paying these Aamils, Peers, Spiritual Healers, Astrologers etc. for Wazeefa, Ta'aweez, Naqsh and Loh.

They give guarantee for solviing any type of problem e.g. acquiring wealth, having prosperity, solving immigration problem, cure from desease etc. etc. from Wazeefa, Ta'awees, Naqsh and Loh.

May be by your correct answer, with proper reference of Holy Quran and Hadees, some Muslims may refrain from these Bid'ah, Harram and Shirq.

Thanks very much.

May Almighty Allah give you jaza e khair. Ameen.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Wazifah, Taaweedh, Naqsh

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The connotation of these terms Wazeefah, Taaweedh, Naqsh, and Luh, and their usage has absolutely no basis or authority from the Quran or Sunnah. These are basically given or sold as a spell or a charm by some unscrupulous religiously-clad people to their ignorant followers as a super-natural remedy for their troubles, trials, and afflictions. At best the usage of these things are innovations; and at worst, they are manifestations of the grave and heinous sin of ‘shirk’!!!!

Wazeefah is a phrase or some chosen aayahs from the Quran or any other phrase or sentence or pages which are supposed to be read at a particular time, and/or a particular number of times to help remove the person in affliction!

Taaweedh is an amulet or a charm, which contains some chosen words or aayahs, or some other words and phrases in the belief that this amulet or taaweedh will protect the person who wears it!

Naqsh is something similar to taaweedh, or probably some drawing of squares filled with some alphabets or numbers in a particular formation; again the belief is that one who wears or keeps the naqsh will be protected by it!

Luh actually means a tablet; and this too is similar to taaweedh or naqsh, with its own set of drawings and words and phrases arranged in a particular manner.

The usage of amulets and charms are pagan rituals, which have unfortunately crept their way into Islam! Some unscrupulous religious-clad money mongers try to dupe and deceive the ignorant people into believing that these amulets and charms can somehow protect from or remove one’s afflictions! The usage of such charms and spells and amulets is absolutely against the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws); and the believers, who sincerely fear Allah Subhanah and the Last Day, must abstain from it in its entirety!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 34-35 :O you who believe! There are indeed many among the priests and the holy men who devour the wealth of others by evil means, and debar the people from the Way of Allah. Give them the good news of a painful torment, who hoard up gold and silver and do not expend these in the Way of Allah. The Day shall surely come when the same gold and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their bodies and their backs. (And it will be said): “Here is that treasure you had hoarded up for yourselves! Taste now the evil of your hoarded treasure!”

The believers should put their complete trust in Allah Subhanah; and ardently believe that none other than Allah Subhanah has the Power and Strength to Protect or remove one’s afflictions.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 36 Surah Yaa Seen verses 74-75:Yet, they have set up others besides Allah, hoping that they would be helped! They(those invoked) do not have the power to help them, yet these people stand as an ever ready troop at their service!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verses 160:If Allah helps you, none can overcome you! And if Allah forsakes you, who is there, then, after Allah that can help you? Therefore, the true believers should trust in Allah Alone.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 106-107:And do not call besides Allah, any being that can neither do you any good nor any harm. For if you will do so, you shall be one of the doers of wrong. If Allah afflicts you with a calamity, there is none to remove it, but He Himself. Likewise, if Allah wills to bestow a favor on you, there is none to withhold Allah’s bounty. He bestows His bounty on anyone of His servants He wills. And He is The Forgiving, The Merciful.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited the use of amulets. 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If anyone wears an amulet, may Allah not help him in fulfilling his wish. If anyone wears a sea-shell around his neck, may Allah give him no peace." (Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim)

Abdullah ibn Masud (r.a.) narrated: “I have heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying: 'Verily, incantations, amulets, and love charms are acts of shirk (associating false gods with Allah).'" (Related by Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban)

Isa ibn Hamza narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever wears anything as an amulet will be entrusted to it."(Abu Daw'ud)

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan