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:

Assalamu alaikum Brother,

I just recently got married, and in my in-laws home they make everyone touch money before going somewhere to have a safe journey, and then that money is given for charity. Also to keep the evil eye away they take an egg or salt and read some duas and circle it around us. I was just wondering if this is an islamic practice, or is it biddah. Please explain. Jazakallah Khair for all that you do.

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Answer:

Bida travel

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.119b

Topic: Supplications of the Prophet (saws) upon travel

Ali ibn Rabi'ah narrates: "Ali was brought a riding animal. When he put his foot in the stirrup, he said: 'In the name of Allah.' Then, when he sat on it, he said: 'Praise be to Allah. Glory be to the One Who made this subservient to us for we were not able to make [it subservient] and it is to our Lord that we will return.' He then praised Allah three times and extolled His greatness three times and then said: 'Glory be to You; there is no God but Thee. I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. No one forgives sins, except You.' Then, he (Ali) said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah doing the same.’”

Related by Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and by al-Hakim.

Al-'Azdi reports that Ibn 'Umar taught him that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would extol Allah's greatness three times while seating himself on his camel for a journey. Then he (saws) would say: "Glory be to the One who made this subservient to us for we were not able [to make it subservient]. It is to our Lord that we shall return. O Allah, we ask of Thee, in this journey of ours, righteousness and piety and to (be able to) perform such deeds that are pleasing to You. O Allah, make this journey of ours easy for us and make its length short for us. O Allah, you are our companion on this journey and the One who looks after our family and property in our absence. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the difficulty of traveling and the unhappiness in what I see and in finding that something harmful has happened when I return to my property and family."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim.

Ibn 'Abbas reports that when the Prophet (saws) desired to travel, he would say: "O Allah, You are my companion in my travels and the One Who looks after my family [while I am gone]. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from unworthy travel companions and an unpleasant situation upon my return. O Allah, make the distance short for us and the travel easy for us." When he (saws) desired to return, he (saws) would say: "We are returning, [while] repenting to Allah, worshipping our Lord and praising Him." When he (saws) would enter upon his family, he (saws) would say: "We are repenting to our Lord. We hope that none of our sins would remain."

Related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani, and al-Bazzar.

Your Question: I was just wondering if this is an islamic practice, or is it biddah

In light of the above authentic narrations, the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) when he (saws) set out on a travel was to Extol and Praise Allah, and make sincere supplications unto Him, and put his full trust and belief in the Power and Strength of Allah Subhanah.

But Allah is our witness sister, never ever did the Prophet (saws) make it a ritual that when traveling one should touch some money and give that money to charity; or place and ‘egg (!!!)’ and ‘salt (!!!)’ and circle around seeking to save himself from the evil eye or from the hardships of travel, etc.!!! Without an iota of a doubt sister, all such rites and rituals are pagan-oriented and self-invented, and have absolutely no evidence or endorsement from the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws). At its very least the following of such self-invented and pagan-oriented rites and rituals would be a manifestation of the evil of ‘bida’ or innovation; and at its worst, it would constitute an act of the abomination and unforgivable crime of ‘shirk’!

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 17:

17 If Allah touch thee with affliction none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness He hath power over all things.

Absolutely All Power and All Strength is vested in our Lord Allah Subhanah Alone, and He Alone deserves that protection is sought from Him and Him Alone. If one seeks protection from any being or thing other than Allah Subhanah, that person will be guilty of seeking a protector other than Allah Subhanah….and that act would constitute a clear and manifest act of the unforgivable crime of ‘shirk’ or associating others with Allah Subhanah!

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan