What is the meaning of: {And they do not harm anyone with it except by the permission of Allah}?
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Q: We ask for clarification of the statement of Allah the Exalted regarding the fortune-tellers and those similar to them who abandoned the path of Allah and went to the devils to learn from them what they use to separate a man from his wife, and that they do not harm anyone with it except by the permission of Allah. How is that possible? And does this harm occur to the sinful believers? And what is the way to protect oneself from these evils and harms, given that many fortune-tellers advertise to the common people their ability to do so?
A: These wicked methods may be a form of serving the devils, and serving those who engage in these matters, accompanying them, and learning from them. This includes types of sorcerers, fortune-tellers, palm readers, diviners, and other magicians. They engage in these matters for the sake of money, to seize control of people's minds, and so that people will exalt them by saying: "They know such and such, and they know such and such." This is a reality. Allah tests His servants with ease and hardship, and tests His servants with the wicked and the righteous, so that the truthful may be distinguished from the liar, so that the close friend of Allah may be distinguished from the enemy of Allah, and so that the one who worships Allah, strives for the safety of his religion, and fights disbelief, hypocrisy, sins, and superstitions, may be distinguished from the one who is weak in that or inclined to laziness and weakness. Allah distinguishes people by what He tests them with: ease and hardship, severity and relief, the empowerment of enemies and jihad; so that the close friends of Allah may be distinguished from His stubborn enemies against the religion of Allah, and so that the people of strength in the truth may be distinguished from the weak and the insignificant. This is a reality without doubt, and protection against it is prescribed, praise be to Allah, indeed it is obligatory.
And Allah has prescribed for His servants to protect themselves from their evil by what He, the Exalted, has prescribed of seeking refuge and the lawful dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and other permissible means. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 2708a It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
And as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us: And as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us: , and this is from the favor of Allah , and He informed (peace and blessings be upon him): So they are among the causes of safety from all evil if the believer recites them at bedtime (three times), and likewise after the five daily prayers. It is prescribed to repeat them after the Fajr and Maghrib prayers three times, and that is after he finishes the tasbih, tahmid, takbir, and tahlil. And that is from the favor of Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, upon His servants, and His guidance to them to the causes of well-being and protection from the evil of enemies.
And likewise, among the lawful causes is the frequent recitation of the four phrases:Sunan an-Nasa'i 924Hasan (Darussalam), for they are among the causes of safety and well-being; due to the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 2137a It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
And likewise, paying attention to the recitation of the Noble Qur'an and increasing in it with reflection and understanding, and paying attention to the command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to obey Him and abandon His sins. And likewise, increasing in saying: "There is no god but Allah alone, without partner, to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs the praise, and He is over all things competent." All of these are among the causes of safety. And it is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 6403 It is agreed upon as authentic.
And among what gathers all good for the Muslim is paying attention to the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), in speech and action, and taking what Allah has advised His servants and commanded them in His Noble Book and the Sunnah of His trustworthy Messenger. Among that is that He advised His servants to taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) and commanded them with it in many verses. And there is no doubt that taqwa is the greatest of the advices; for it is the advice of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the advice of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is comprehensive of all good.
And among the components of taqwa is paying attention to the Book of Allah, to which falsehood does not come from before it or from behind it, a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy. And Allah has advised with that, so He, the Glorious and Exalted, said: [Al-An'am: 155], and He, the Glorious and Exalted, said: [Al-An'am 6:151] And do not approach the property of the orphan except in the way that is best until he reaches maturity. And give full measure and weight in justice. We do not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. And when you speak, be just even if it is a relative. And fulfill the covenant of Allah. That is what We enjoin you for that perhaps you will remember. [Al-An'am: 151-152]. Then He said after that: [Al-An'am: 153]. So He said first: Then He said: Then He said: .
And the wisdom in that, as a group of the people of tafsir (exegesis) said, is that when a person understands what he was created for, and what he was commanded, and what he was addressed with, and looks into it and reflects upon it, he achieves thereby remembrance of what is obligatory upon him, and what he should abandon. Then after that, taqwa is achieved: by doing the commands and abandoning the prohibitions. And by that, the servant's attention to what he read, or what he heard, is completed, for he begins with understanding and remembrance, then action, which is the intended goal. So the advice regarding the Book of Allah in speech and action includes calling to it, defending it, and acting by it; for it is the Book of Allah, and whoever holds fast to it is saved, and whoever deviates from it is destroyed. And it is established in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa: that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah. And that was when Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa was asked: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advise with anything? He said: Yes, he advised with the Book of Allah. So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah; for it gathers all good.
And in the Sahih of Muslim, from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah in the Farewell Pilgrimage, so he said: And in the Sahih of Muslim also, from Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah have mercy on him) , that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 2408a.
So he encouraged the Book of Allah and made it desirable, then he said:Sahih Muslim 2408a So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah, as Allah advised with His Book. Then the advice with the Book of Allah is advice with the Sunnah; for the Qur'an advised with the Sunnah and commanded its exaltation. So the advice with the Book of Allah is advice with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they are the two weighty things, and they are the two foundations which are necessary. Whoever holds fast to them is saved, and whoever deviates from them is destroyed. And whoever denies one of them disbelieves in Allah, and his blood and wealth become lawful. And it came in another narration: It was narrated by al-Hakim with a good chain.
And you have known, O Muslim, that the advice with the Book of Allah and the command with the Book of Allah is advice with the Sunnah and command with the Sunnah; for Allah the Exalted says: [An-Nur: 56]. And He, the Sublime, says: [Al-Hashr 59:7] The verse [Al-Hashr: 7]. And He also says: [An-Nisa 4:80] The verse [An-Nisa: 80].
And there are many verses in which He, the Exalted, commands obedience to Him and obedience to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The beneficial knowledge is that which is received from them and derived from them. So this is the knowledge. So knowledge is: what Allah, the Sublime, said, and what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and what came from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) ; for they are more knowledgeable of the Book of Allah and more knowledgeable of the Sunnah. So their derivation and their statements assist the student of knowledge, and guide the student of knowledge to the correct understanding of Allah and of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Then seeking assistance with the speech of the people of knowledge after that: the imams of guidance, such as the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), and the followers of the Tabi'un, and those after them from the scholars of guidance. And likewise, the imams of language, whose speech is sought for assistance in understanding the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the student of knowledge pays attention to the Book of Allah, the Sublime, and pays attention to the Sunnah, and seeks assistance with that by the speech of the people of knowledge transmitted from the Companions and those after them in the books of tafsir and hadith, and the books of the people of knowledge and guidance; so that he may know the meanings of the Book of Allah, so he learns it and acts by it and teaches it to the people; for in that is great reward and abundant recompense. And among that is the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1452Sahih (Al-Albani) And his statement (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 2699a.
And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the preservation of the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the reflection on its meanings; for in that is great reward. Such as the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Mishkat al-Masabih 2137 And his statement (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 804a It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And his companions: they are those who act by it, as in the other hadith: and his statement (peace and blessings be upon him): Mishkat al-Masabih 2121 It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And the verses and hadiths regarding the virtue of the Qur'an and acting by it, and the virtue of the Sunnah and holding fast to it, are very many.
So we ask Allah by His noble names and His exalted attributes to make us and the Muslims successful in holding fast to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and acting by them. Indeed, He is Generous, Bountiful.
A: These wicked methods may be a form of serving the devils, and serving those who engage in these matters, accompanying them, and learning from them. This includes types of sorcerers, fortune-tellers, palm readers, diviners, and other magicians. They engage in these matters for the sake of money, to seize control of people's minds, and so that people will exalt them by saying: "They know such and such, and they know such and such." This is a reality. Allah tests His servants with ease and hardship, and tests His servants with the wicked and the righteous, so that the truthful may be distinguished from the liar, so that the close friend of Allah may be distinguished from the enemy of Allah, and so that the one who worships Allah, strives for the safety of his religion, and fights disbelief, hypocrisy, sins, and superstitions, may be distinguished from the one who is weak in that or inclined to laziness and weakness. Allah distinguishes people by what He tests them with: ease and hardship, severity and relief, the empowerment of enemies and jihad; so that the close friends of Allah may be distinguished from His stubborn enemies against the religion of Allah, and so that the people of strength in the truth may be distinguished from the weak and the insignificant. This is a reality without doubt, and protection against it is prescribed, praise be to Allah, indeed it is obligatory.
And Allah has prescribed for His servants to protect themselves from their evil by what He, the Exalted, has prescribed of seeking refuge and the lawful dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and other permissible means. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He has created," nothing would harm him until he marches from that stopping place.
أعوذ بكلمات الله التامات من شر ما خلق لم يضره شيء حتى يرتحل من منزله ذلكAnd as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us:
Whoever says, “In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing on earth or in the sky can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,” three times in the evening, nothing will harm him until morning. And whoever says it three times in the morning, nothing will harm him until evening.
أن من قال باسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم، ثلاث مرات في المساء لم يضره شيء حتى يصبح، ومن قالها ثلاث مرات في الصباح لم يضره شيء حتى يمسيWhoever recites the Verse of the Throne when he lies down on his bed, nothing will harm him until morning.
أن من قرأ آية الكرسي حين ينام على فراشه لم يضره شيء حتى يصبحWhoever recites Surat al-Ikhlas, Say, He is Allah, the One, and the two chapters, al-Falaq and al-Nas, three times when he goes to sleep, nothing will harm him.
أن من قرأ سورة الإخلاص قُلْ هُوَ اللّه أحَدْ، وسورتي الفلق والناس ثلاث مرات عند نومه لم يضره شيءAnd likewise, among the lawful causes is the frequent recitation of the four phrases:
SubhanAllah, wal-hamdulilah, wa la illaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu Akbar
سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبرThe dearest phrases to Allah are four: Subhan Allah (Hallowed be Allah), Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La ilaha illa-Allah (There is no deity but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greater).
أحب الكلام إلى الله أربع سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبرAnd likewise, paying attention to the recitation of the Noble Qur'an and increasing in it with reflection and understanding, and paying attention to the command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to obey Him and abandon His sins. And likewise, increasing in saying: "There is no god but Allah alone, without partner, to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs the praise, and He is over all things competent." All of these are among the causes of safety. And it is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Whoever says: "La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahul- hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir," one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he.
من قال لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير في يوم مائة مرة؛ كانت له عدل عشر رقاب، وكتب الله له مائة حسنة، ومحيت عنه مائة سيئة، وكان في حرز من الشيطان يومه ذلك حتى يمسي، ولم يأت أحد بأفضل مما جاء به إلا رجل عمل أكثر من عملهAnd among what gathers all good for the Muslim is paying attention to the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), in speech and action, and taking what Allah has advised His servants and commanded them in His Noble Book and the Sunnah of His trustworthy Messenger. Among that is that He advised His servants to taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) and commanded them with it in many verses. And there is no doubt that taqwa is the greatest of the advices; for it is the advice of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the advice of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is comprehensive of all good.
And among the components of taqwa is paying attention to the Book of Allah, to which falsehood does not come from before it or from behind it, a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy. And Allah has advised with that, so He, the Glorious and Exalted, said:
And this [Qur'an] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.
وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَSay, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason."
قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلادَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous.
وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَPerhaps you will understand.
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَPerhaps you will remember.
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَPerhaps you will become mindful of Allah
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَAnd the wisdom in that, as a group of the people of tafsir (exegesis) said, is that when a person understands what he was created for, and what he was commanded, and what he was addressed with, and looks into it and reflects upon it, he achieves thereby remembrance of what is obligatory upon him, and what he should abandon. Then after that, taqwa is achieved: by doing the commands and abandoning the prohibitions. And by that, the servant's attention to what he read, or what he heard, is completed, for he begins with understanding and remembrance, then action, which is the intended goal. So the advice regarding the Book of Allah in speech and action includes calling to it, defending it, and acting by it; for it is the Book of Allah, and whoever holds fast to it is saved, and whoever deviates from it is destroyed. And it is established in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa: that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah. And that was when Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa was asked: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advise with anything? He said: Yes, he advised with the Book of Allah. So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah; for it gathers all good.
And in the Sahih of Muslim, from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised with the Book of Allah in the Farewell Pilgrimage, so he said:
Indeed, I am leaving among you two things with which you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of Allah. Whoever holds fast to it will succeed, and whoever turns away from it will perish.
إني تارك فيكم ما لن تضلوا إن اعتصمتم به كتاب الله من تمسك به نجا ومن أعرض عنه هلكI am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it
إني تارك فيكم ثقلين أولهما كتاب الله فيه الهدى والنور فخذوا بكتاب الله وتمسكوا بهSo he encouraged the Book of Allah and made it desirable, then he said:
The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family
وأهل بيتي أذكركم الله في أهل بيتي أذكركم الله في أهل بيتيIndeed, I am leaving among you two things with which you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.
إني تارك فيكم ما لن تضلوا إن اعتصمتم به كتاب الله وسنتيAnd you have known, O Muslim, that the advice with the Book of Allah and the command with the Book of Allah is advice with the Sunnah and command with the Sunnah; for Allah the Exalted says:
And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَAnd whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُواHe who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian.
مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًاAnd there are many verses in which He, the Exalted, commands obedience to Him and obedience to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The beneficial knowledge is that which is received from them and derived from them. So this is the knowledge. So knowledge is: what Allah, the Sublime, said, and what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and what came from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) ; for they are more knowledgeable of the Book of Allah and more knowledgeable of the Sunnah. So their derivation and their statements assist the student of knowledge, and guide the student of knowledge to the correct understanding of Allah and of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Then seeking assistance with the speech of the people of knowledge after that: the imams of guidance, such as the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), and the followers of the Tabi'un, and those after them from the scholars of guidance. And likewise, the imams of language, whose speech is sought for assistance in understanding the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the student of knowledge pays attention to the Book of Allah, the Sublime, and pays attention to the Sunnah, and seeks assistance with that by the speech of the people of knowledge transmitted from the Companions and those after them in the books of tafsir and hadith, and the books of the people of knowledge and guidance; so that he may know the meanings of the Book of Allah, so he learns it and acts by it and teaches it to the people; for in that is great reward and abundant recompense. And among that is the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur'an.
خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمهhe who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him
من سلك طريقًا يلتمس فيه علماً سهل الله له به طريقاً إلى الجنةAnd the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the preservation of the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the reflection on its meanings; for in that is great reward. Such as the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
If anyone recites a letter of God’s Book he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward
من قرأ حرفًا من القرآن فله به حسنة والحسنة بعشر أمثالهاRecite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It.
اقرأوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابهOn the day of resurrection the Qur’ān and those who acted according to it will be brought with sūra al-Baqara and Āl ‘Imran preceding them* like two black clouds or canopies with light between them, or as though they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for the one who recited them.
يؤتى بالقرآن يوم القيامة وأهله الذين كانوا يعملون به تقدمه سورة البقرة وآل عمران كأنهما غمامتان أو ظلتان سوداوان بينهما شرق أو كأنهما حزقان من طير صواف تحاجان عن صاحبهماSo we ask Allah by His noble names and His exalted attributes to make us and the Muslims successful in holding fast to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and acting by them. Indeed, He is Generous, Bountiful.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.