What is the authenticity of the hadith: “Whoever takes seven dates in the morning will not be harmed by sorcery or poison”?
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The questioner : This questioner from Yemen says, “O honorable Shaykh, what is the authenticity of the hadith that says ?”
The Shaykh : Yes. This is an authentic hadith. If a person takes seven dates in the morning, he will not be affected by poison or sorcery that day. However, in some wordings of the hadith, these dates are specified as Ajwa dates, while in others they are specified as dates from al-Ha’iyyah. Some scholars have said that the ruling is restricted to these specific dates, and that this is not established for every type of date. Others have said that one should follow the general wording of the hadith, which is that if a person takes any type of date in the morning, then if he takes seven dates, he will not be affected by poison or sorcery that day.
In any case, if a person breaks his fast with these seven, meaning he takes them in the morning, then if the hadith is general, he will receive that benefit. And if it is not general, but is restricted to Ajwa dates or dates from al-Ha’iyyah, then these seven will not harm him. Yes.
The questioner : This is a female questioner who says in this question, “O honorable Shaykh, a man traveled and stayed in a foreign land for more than twenty years, and no news has come from him. Is it permissible for this wife to marry, or not?”
The Shaykh : We have said that if taking seven dates in the morning is not done in a general sense, it will not harm him, based on the principle that the general wording must be taken in its generality, and that a restricted wording, if it matches the general wording in its ruling, is not a restriction but rather a mention of some instances. This is unlike one who intends to adopt something as a sunnah without a text supporting it; in that case, he is not agreed upon. However, a text has been reported here that is possible. So we say that as long as the text is possible, if a person’s eating of the seven dates aligns with what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) intended, that is good. And if it does not align, it will not harm him. Repeat the question?
Whoever takes seven dates in the morning will not be harmed by sorcery or poison
من تصبّح بسبع تمرات لا يضره سحر ولا سمThe Shaykh : Yes. This is an authentic hadith. If a person takes seven dates in the morning, he will not be affected by poison or sorcery that day. However, in some wordings of the hadith, these dates are specified as Ajwa dates, while in others they are specified as dates from al-Ha’iyyah. Some scholars have said that the ruling is restricted to these specific dates, and that this is not established for every type of date. Others have said that one should follow the general wording of the hadith, which is that if a person takes any type of date in the morning, then if he takes seven dates, he will not be affected by poison or sorcery that day.
In any case, if a person breaks his fast with these seven, meaning he takes them in the morning, then if the hadith is general, he will receive that benefit. And if it is not general, but is restricted to Ajwa dates or dates from al-Ha’iyyah, then these seven will not harm him. Yes.
The questioner : This is a female questioner who says in this question, “O honorable Shaykh, a man traveled and stayed in a foreign land for more than twenty years, and no news has come from him. Is it permissible for this wife to marry, or not?”
The Shaykh : We have said that if taking seven dates in the morning is not done in a general sense, it will not harm him, based on the principle that the general wording must be taken in its generality, and that a restricted wording, if it matches the general wording in its ruling, is not a restriction but rather a mention of some instances. This is unlike one who intends to adopt something as a sunnah without a text supporting it; in that case, he is not agreed upon. However, a text has been reported here that is possible. So we say that as long as the text is possible, if a person’s eating of the seven dates aligns with what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) intended, that is good. And if it does not align, it will not harm him. Repeat the question?