The Ruling on Opening the Mushaf for Optimism and Taking Omens
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Question:
Is it permissible for a Muslim to open the noble Mushaf when he intends to do something, treating the page as a sign of luck? If the first verse he sees brings good news, he proceeds with the action, and if it contains a severe warning, he stays away from that action, even if it is a permissible act or the one he intends to perform? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This action is not permissible. It is treating the Mushaf as a means of divination, similar to seeking guidance by arrows. The Mushaf must be protected from such actions, and it is not permissible to open it for the sake of optimism or taking omens. If he sees what pleases him, he proceeds, and if he sees a verse containing a warning or delay, this is not permissible. Instead of that, Allah has prescribed the prayer of istikhara (the prayer for guidance in a decision).
So if a person is considering a matter and is hesitant about it, and the correct course of action in proceeding or refraining is not clear to him, he should perform the prayer of istikhara. This means he prays two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, not the obligatory prayer, and then, after finishing, he makes the supplication of istikhara: "O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over all creation, You know and I do not know, and You have power and I do not. O Allah, if this matter is good for me in my religion and the outcome of my affair, decree it for me and make it easy for me. And if this matter is evil for me in my religion and the outcome of my affair, turn me away from it and turn it away from me, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it." If he makes this supplication after praying two rak'ahs, this is considered istikhara in matters, and it suffices in place of this action with the Mushaf or with what the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) used to do by casting lots. Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Is it permissible for a Muslim to open the noble Mushaf when he intends to do something, treating the page as a sign of luck? If the first verse he sees brings good news, he proceeds with the action, and if it contains a severe warning, he stays away from that action, even if it is a permissible act or the one he intends to perform? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This action is not permissible. It is treating the Mushaf as a means of divination, similar to seeking guidance by arrows. The Mushaf must be protected from such actions, and it is not permissible to open it for the sake of optimism or taking omens. If he sees what pleases him, he proceeds, and if he sees a verse containing a warning or delay, this is not permissible. Instead of that, Allah has prescribed the prayer of istikhara (the prayer for guidance in a decision).
So if a person is considering a matter and is hesitant about it, and the correct course of action in proceeding or refraining is not clear to him, he should perform the prayer of istikhara. This means he prays two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, not the obligatory prayer, and then, after finishing, he makes the supplication of istikhara: "O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over all creation, You know and I do not know, and You have power and I do not. O Allah, if this matter is good for me in my religion and the outcome of my affair, decree it for me and make it easy for me. And if this matter is evil for me in my religion and the outcome of my affair, turn me away from it and turn it away from me, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it." If he makes this supplication after praying two rak'ahs, this is considered istikhara in matters, and it suffices in place of this action with the Mushaf or with what the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) used to do by casting lots. Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز للإنسان إذا أراد أن يعمل شيء ما أن يفتح المصحف فإذا كانت الآية الأولى تبشر بالخير قام...؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.