Some farmers in our area, when their farms bear fruit, find that birds frequently visit them, which damages the crop. They have become accustomed to going to one of the villagers to write
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The questioner : He says: Some farmers in our area, when their farms bear fruit and birds frequently visit them, damaging their crops, have become accustomed to going to one of the villagers to perform a ritual for them and write a paper that protects their crops from the birds, on the condition that he takes a quarter of a sack of the crop from them. Is this practice permissible in the Shari'ah or not?
The Shaykh : This practice is not permissible in the Shari'ah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because it is not possible for this paper to drive the birds away from the farms, as this is not known by sense, nor is it known by the Shari'ah. Any means that is not known by sense or by the Shari'ah is forbidden to adopt, so it is not permissible for them to do this. Rather, they must combat these birds that diminish their crops by using the ordinary means that people know, without resorting to these matters for which no sensory or Shari'ah cause is known.
The Shaykh : This practice is not permissible in the Shari'ah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because it is not possible for this paper to drive the birds away from the farms, as this is not known by sense, nor is it known by the Shari'ah. Any means that is not known by sense or by the Shari'ah is forbidden to adopt, so it is not permissible for them to do this. Rather, they must combat these birds that diminish their crops by using the ordinary means that people know, without resorting to these matters for which no sensory or Shari'ah cause is known.