A discussion regarding the statement of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib when he was asked whether one should take a bound person to the fortune-tellers. He said: "There is no harm; Allah has only forbidden the harmful, not the beneficial."
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The questioner : I am sitting with you.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The questioner : And you were studying, and during the lesson something occurred to me. So when you saw the movement, I started... and then I left. So I said to the brothers...
...may Allah have mercy on him, in Fath al-Bari, in the chapter on sorcery, regarding Ibn Hajar specifically on unbinding the bound person at the fortune-tellers: does this generalize to all types of sorcery?
The Shaykh : By Allah, I did not understand, may Allah reward you, and I do not want to disturb you. What did it say in Fath al-Bari?
The questioner : In the chapter on unbinding sorcery.
The Shaykh : Unbinding sorcery.
The questioner : And it was reported "from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, that when he was asked: Should the bound person be taken to the fortune-tellers? He said: There is no harm; Allah has only forbidden the harmful, not the beneficial" Does this generalize to all sorcery, or only to binding?
The Shaykh : First: going to the fortune-tellers is not permissible. However, perhaps Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib meant by "fortune-tellers" not those who connect with the jinn, take a companion from the jinn, and rely on their news, which is mostly lies, as is well known in the authentic hadith. Rather, I say "perhaps," he meant by "fortune-tellers" those who practice a type of treatment known as Arab medicine. As for seeking the help of a fortune-teller on the basis that he is a fortune-teller with a connection to the jinn, that is not permissible. Because you know the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 639Hasan (Darussalam) And you also know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) So if this fortune-teller prescribes a medicine for you...
With whom do you think your sorcery is... that is what I think Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib permits.
The questioner : But when he was asked that sorcery has been forbidden by Allah, he said: "Allah has only forbidden the harmful" meaning that the fortune-teller, in what benefits people, this concept is not a problem.
The Shaykh : But how does the fortune-teller benefit people?
The questioner : Fighting the jinn with the jinn.
The Shaykh : No, no, it is not permissible. Does the end justify the means? The answer is no, obviously, except according to one school of thought, the school of Abu Nuwas, who says: "And I treated [my ailment] with that which was the disease". That is why I mentioned to you earlier the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding foul medicine. This is a hadith, and the most famous hadith on this matter is. Therefore, "And I treated [my ailment] with that which was the disease" is not permissible except according to the school of Abu Nuwas. Therefore, visiting fortune-tellers is not permissible in any way whatsoever. Start from here.
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib or al-Musayyib, the fortune-tellers like the fortune-tellers of the end times who have made deception a profession among people.
The questioner : But the fortune-teller is the fortune-teller.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : The fortune-teller is a deceiver in the time of Ibn al-Musayyib and in our time.
The Shaykh : Yes, but there is more deception in one than in the other. Then, if we say that the deception is the same, do you think that the master of the Tabi'un would issue such a fatwa?
The questioner : Ibn Hajar reported it.
The Shaykh : And what Ibn Hajar reports, is it a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy? No.
The questioner : I understood that Ibn Hajar went to this opinion.
The Shaykh : He went to the negation, to this opinion.
The questioner : Perhaps I understood this.
The Shaykh : The matter is very easy. Is Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib more knowledgeable and more learned, or is it Ibn Hajar?
The questioner : Sa'id.
The Shaykh : Good. So if we said what we said about Sa'id, we say it a fortiori about that one, and what we said about that one we say about this one. The important thing, may Allah reward you, is that the Muslim does not forget the rule, which is:[An-Nisa 4:59]
So, first of all, I strongly, strongly, strongly doubt that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib would issue such a fatwa, given what we know of his knowledge and jurisprudence, and it is sufficient that he is the master of the Tabi'un.
Second: this doubt arises from two aspects:
The first aspect: that through my practice of narrations, whether they are Prophetic hadiths or reports from the Salaf, I know that scholars and hadith scholars, including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, do not focus on transmitting reports from the Salaf with chains of narration as they do with transmitting Prophetic hadiths.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The questioner : And you were studying, and during the lesson something occurred to me. So when you saw the movement, I started... and then I left. So I said to the brothers...
...may Allah have mercy on him, in Fath al-Bari, in the chapter on sorcery, regarding Ibn Hajar specifically on unbinding the bound person at the fortune-tellers: does this generalize to all types of sorcery?
The Shaykh : By Allah, I did not understand, may Allah reward you, and I do not want to disturb you. What did it say in Fath al-Bari?
The questioner : In the chapter on unbinding sorcery.
The Shaykh : Unbinding sorcery.
The questioner : And it was reported "from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, that when he was asked: Should the bound person be taken to the fortune-tellers? He said: There is no harm; Allah has only forbidden the harmful, not the beneficial" Does this generalize to all sorcery, or only to binding?
The Shaykh : First: going to the fortune-tellers is not permissible. However, perhaps Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib meant by "fortune-tellers" not those who connect with the jinn, take a companion from the jinn, and rely on their news, which is mostly lies, as is well known in the authentic hadith. Rather, I say "perhaps," he meant by "fortune-tellers" those who practice a type of treatment known as Arab medicine. As for seeking the help of a fortune-teller on the basis that he is a fortune-teller with a connection to the jinn, that is not permissible. Because you know the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
or who goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he says, he has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.
من أتى كاهناً فصدقه بما يقول فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمدHe prohibited foul medicine.
نهى عن الدواء الخبيثWith whom do you think your sorcery is... that is what I think Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib permits.
The questioner : But when he was asked that sorcery has been forbidden by Allah, he said: "Allah has only forbidden the harmful" meaning that the fortune-teller, in what benefits people, this concept is not a problem.
The Shaykh : But how does the fortune-teller benefit people?
The questioner : Fighting the jinn with the jinn.
The Shaykh : No, no, it is not permissible. Does the end justify the means? The answer is no, obviously, except according to one school of thought, the school of Abu Nuwas, who says: "And I treated [my ailment] with that which was the disease". That is why I mentioned to you earlier the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding foul medicine. This is a hadith, and the most famous hadith on this matter is
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked by some of the Yemenis who live in the cold lands of Yemen that they treat themselves with wine, so is that permissible for them? He said: It is a disease, not a medicine.
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم سئل من بعض اليمانيين الذين يعيشون في بلاد باردة من اليمن أنهم يتداوون بالخمر فهل يجوز لهم ذلك، قال: إنها داء وليس بدواءSa'id ibn al-Musayyib or al-Musayyib, the fortune-tellers like the fortune-tellers of the end times who have made deception a profession among people.
The questioner : But the fortune-teller is the fortune-teller.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : The fortune-teller is a deceiver in the time of Ibn al-Musayyib and in our time.
The Shaykh : Yes, but there is more deception in one than in the other. Then, if we say that the deception is the same, do you think that the master of the Tabi'un would issue such a fatwa?
The questioner : Ibn Hajar reported it.
The Shaykh : And what Ibn Hajar reports, is it a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy? No.
The questioner : I understood that Ibn Hajar went to this opinion.
The Shaykh : He went to the negation, to this opinion.
The questioner : Perhaps I understood this.
The Shaykh : The matter is very easy. Is Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib more knowledgeable and more learned, or is it Ibn Hajar?
The questioner : Sa'id.
The Shaykh : Good. So if we said what we said about Sa'id, we say it a fortiori about that one, and what we said about that one we say about this one. The important thing, may Allah reward you, is that the Muslim does not forget the rule, which is:
And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger
فإن تنازعتم في شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسولSo, first of all, I strongly, strongly, strongly doubt that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib would issue such a fatwa, given what we know of his knowledge and jurisprudence, and it is sufficient that he is the master of the Tabi'un.
Second: this doubt arises from two aspects:
The first aspect: that through my practice of narrations, whether they are Prophetic hadiths or reports from the Salaf, I know that scholars and hadith scholars, including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, do not focus on transmitting reports from the Salaf with chains of narration as they do with transmitting Prophetic hadiths.