What is the meaning of this verse: "Woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, then say, 'This is from Allah,' in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn"?
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The questioner : Allah the Exalted says in Surat al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah 2:79] What is the meaning of this verse, and does it include those who write amulets from the Qur'an in exchange for a monetary fee that they receive?
The Shaykh : The meaning of these noble verses is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, threatened those who fabricate lies against Him by writing words with their own hands and then telling people, "This is from Allah," in order to gain a share of worldly benefit, whether status, leadership, wealth, or something else. Then Allah the Exalted clarified that this threat applies to both actions: their false writing, and their forbidden earnings that arise from this false writing. As for those who write amulets, which are things hung on a sick person to cure them of their illness or on a healthy person to protect them from illness, one must look at whether hanging these amulets is permissible or not. If these amulets contain writings whose content is unknown, or if they contain forbidden things such as the names of Shayatins and jinn or the like, then hanging them is not permissible under any circumstances.
As for when these amulets are written from the Qur'an and the Prophetic hadiths, there are two opinions among the scholars regarding their permissibility. The stronger opinion is that it is not permissible to hang them. This is because worshipping Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, with what He has not prescribed is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and because believing that something is a cause when Allah has not made it a cause is a type of associating partners with Allah (shirk). Therefore, the stronger opinion is that it is not permissible to hang anything on a sick person, whether from the Qur'an or otherwise, nor to hang anything on a healthy person, whether from the Qur'an or otherwise. Likewise, if these amulets are written and placed under a sick person's pillow or the like, it is not permissible.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.
فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا يَكْسِبُونَThe Shaykh : The meaning of these noble verses is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, threatened those who fabricate lies against Him by writing words with their own hands and then telling people, "This is from Allah," in order to gain a share of worldly benefit, whether status, leadership, wealth, or something else. Then Allah the Exalted clarified that this threat applies to both actions: their false writing, and their forbidden earnings that arise from this false writing. As for those who write amulets, which are things hung on a sick person to cure them of their illness or on a healthy person to protect them from illness, one must look at whether hanging these amulets is permissible or not. If these amulets contain writings whose content is unknown, or if they contain forbidden things such as the names of Shayatins and jinn or the like, then hanging them is not permissible under any circumstances.
As for when these amulets are written from the Qur'an and the Prophetic hadiths, there are two opinions among the scholars regarding their permissibility. The stronger opinion is that it is not permissible to hang them. This is because worshipping Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, with what He has not prescribed is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and because believing that something is a cause when Allah has not made it a cause is a type of associating partners with Allah (shirk). Therefore, the stronger opinion is that it is not permissible to hang anything on a sick person, whether from the Qur'an or otherwise, nor to hang anything on a healthy person, whether from the Qur'an or otherwise. Likewise, if these amulets are written and placed under a sick person's pillow or the like, it is not permissible.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.