Reconciling the Prohibition of Taking Omens with the Hadith: (Misfortune is in three things)
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Reconciling the Prohibition of Taking Omens with the Hadith: (Misfortune is in three things)
Your Eminence! How do we reconcile the hadith (in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking omens) with his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): (Misfortune is in three things: a horse, a woman, and a house)?
Taking omens is taking a bad sign from something seen, heard, or a time. For example, one might take a bad sign from marrying in Shawwal, as the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance did, or hear a sound that contradicts what one wants and take a bad sign from it, or see a bird flying to the left and take a bad sign from it. Taking omens is prohibited because it leads to having a bad opinion of Allah, to not proceeding with what is in the servant's benefit, to wavering in one's affairs, and it may lead to obsessive thoughts that result in mental illness. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it.
And as for the hadith: (Misfortune is in three things: in a horse, a woman, and a house) This hadith was reported in two ways. The first way is: (Misfortune is only in three things).
And another way: (If there is any misfortune, it is in three things).
And the intent of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): That these things themselves may contain misfortune,For example: A person may move into a house and feel constrained, anxious, and distressed from the moment he enters it, or he may buy a vehicle and experience many accidents from the moment he bought it—for example, this car—so he takes a bad sign from it and sells it. The same applies to a woman; a man may marry a woman who is sharp-tongued and foul-mouthed, who saddens him greatly and worries him greatly. This is the misfortune mentioned in these three matters that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. This is not the prohibited misfortune that has no basis and that entails for a person the harms we mentioned.
Your Eminence! How do we reconcile the hadith (in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking omens) with his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): (Misfortune is in three things: a horse, a woman, and a house)?
Taking omens is taking a bad sign from something seen, heard, or a time. For example, one might take a bad sign from marrying in Shawwal, as the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance did, or hear a sound that contradicts what one wants and take a bad sign from it, or see a bird flying to the left and take a bad sign from it. Taking omens is prohibited because it leads to having a bad opinion of Allah, to not proceeding with what is in the servant's benefit, to wavering in one's affairs, and it may lead to obsessive thoughts that result in mental illness. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it.
And as for the hadith: (Misfortune is in three things: in a horse, a woman, and a house) This hadith was reported in two ways. The first way is: (Misfortune is only in three things).
And another way: (If there is any misfortune, it is in three things).
And the intent of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): That these things themselves may contain misfortune,For example: A person may move into a house and feel constrained, anxious, and distressed from the moment he enters it, or he may buy a vehicle and experience many accidents from the moment he bought it—for example, this car—so he takes a bad sign from it and sells it. The same applies to a woman; a man may marry a woman who is sharp-tongued and foul-mouthed, who saddens him greatly and worries him greatly. This is the misfortune mentioned in these three matters that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. This is not the prohibited misfortune that has no basis and that entails for a person the harms we mentioned.