Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #52

Fortunetelling: and the categories of the people regarding it

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

Shaikh رحمه الله said:

A fortuneteller (soothsayer / astrologer / diviner / chiromancer / sibyl / oracle or whatever other names they are known by) is a person who speaks about the matters of the unseen which are going to take place in the future. So, when a person approaches him, he falls under one of these 3 categories:

1. The first type: He visits the fortuneteller to ask him (questions), but does not believe in him. As reported in Saheeh Muslim, the prayer of this type of person is not accepted for 40 days. [Saheeh Muslim (5540)]

Note: Let those beware who read horoscopes even just for the sake of reading, that they too might fall under this category.

2. The second type: The one who approaches the fortuneteller (or a “Wali” or a saint to that matter) to ask him and he believes in all what he says. This person is  a Kaafir, as per the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

“Anyone who visits a diviner and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).” [Sunan Ibn Maajah (639) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

The reason which makes him a Kaafir is his believing in the fortuneteller and his belying the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{ قل لا يعلم من في السموات والأرض الغيب إلا الله }

{Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen (ghaib) except Allaah} [Surah al-Naml (27): 65]

3. The third type: that the fortuneteller is asked so that his falsehood is exposed. So if the question is asked to test them (and expose them) then there is no problem in that.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did test Ibn Sayyaad by asking him what he صلى الله عليه وسلم was thinking. He replied: al-Dukh meaning al-Dukhaan (smoke). The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to him: “Ikhsa’ (you should be ashamed) for you cannot cross your limits” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1354, 3055, 6173, 6617) and Saheeh Muslim (2924, 2930)]

So if he is questioned in order to expose him and to reveal his lies to the people, then there is no problem in that. Rather it is praise worthy act, which is required to uproot the falsehood.