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:

Um may I ask, what  is wrong in wearing an amulet?

(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:

Wearing of amulets

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.

Uqbah ibn 'Amir narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If anyone wears an amulet (taaweedh), 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.

An amulet (tamimah, taaweedkh, etc.) is a string of shells or beads that the pagan Arabs used to put around their children's necks, believing that it would protect them from the effects of the evil eyes or magic. Islam absolutely abolished this and all other superstitious practices, rites, and rituals of falsehoods. The Messenger of Allah (saws) termed the wearing of an amulet a manifest form of ‘shirk’ and invoked the curse of Allah upon those who wore a ‘taaweedh’ or amulet seeking its protection.

It is reported from Ibn Mas'ud that once, when he entered his home, he noticed his wife wearing a knotted object round her neck. He took it away and broke it. Then he remarked: 'The family of Abdullah has become so arrogant that they now associate with Allah those for whom He has sent down no authority.' I have heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying: 'Verily, incantations, amulets, and love charms are acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah).' The people said: 'O Abu Abdullah! We are familiar with incantations and amulets, but what is a love charm (altawlah)'?' He replied: 'It is a sort of magical formula by which women sought to gain their husbands' love'." (Related by Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban).

Imran ibn Hasin reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) saw a man wearing a bracelet of copper on his arm. The Prophet (saws) exclaimed to him: 'Woe be to you!' What is this? ' The man replied: 'I am suffering from weakness (al-wahinah).' (Al-wahinah is a disease that causes pain in the shoulders and hands. The man was wearing a copper bracelet believing it would relieve his pain and suffering). The Prophet (saws) prohibited him from wearing it because he regarded it as an amulet. The Prophet (saws) said: 'It will give you nothing but pain. Throw it away. Had you died while wearing it, you would never have achieved salvation! (ie. you would have died in the state of the unforgivable sin of ‘shirk’'" (Narrated by Ahmad)

Isa ibn Hamza said: I went to see Abdullah ibn Hakim and his face was red due to high fever. I said to him: 'Why don't you use an amulet?' He said: 'We seek refuge with Allah from it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever wears anything as an amulet will be entrusted to it". (Narrated by Abu Daw'ud)

Your Question: …what  is wrong in wearing an amulet?

It would be foolhardy in the extreme to believe that a mere string worn on oneself has the power to protect oneself from some harm or avert one from falling into afflictions!

Guidance would be to keep one’s solemn and unshakable trust and belief in the Power and Strength of the One Who Created everything in existence…..Who Alone, and we reiterate Alone possesses the Power to bring about afflictions as a trial upon whomsoever He Wills….and remove the afflictions from whomsoever He Wills and Plans.

Allah Says in His Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none can withhold: what He doth withhold there is none can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power Full of Wisdom.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 160:

If Allah helps you none can overcome you: if He forsakes you who is there after that that can help you? In Allah then let believers put their trust.

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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 3:

And put your trust in Allah Alone; and enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 51:

Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our Protector"; and on Allah let the believers put their trust.

All of mankind and all of Jinn may get together but they cannot bring even an iota of harm on someone Allah Subhanah Wills to protect; and all of mankind and all of the Jinns can get together and try to protect or remove the affliction which Allah has set on someone as a trial, but they will not be able to protect him in the least! All Power and All Strength absolutely and unconditionally belongs to save Allah Subhanah Aone, the Lord Creator Master and Sustainer of the universe.

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