Using the Qur’an as an Amulet

Using the Qur’an as an Amulet

Question:

Assalamualaikum Ustadz,

I’d like to ask, is it allowed to put a script of the Qur’an which is wrapped in a cloth, given by some habib/kyai (religious figures) at one’s house or work place, in order to make the  place as a blessed place, protected from harm and annoyance of the jinn, in the demand, and so on? Was such practice exist at the time of the Prophet? Please give me the answer and explanation about it.

Regards,

Fahmi

Answer:

Wa’alaikumsalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Allah the Exalted sent down the Qur’an as a blessed Book, as in His decree,

(وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُصَدِّقُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ) (الأنعام:92)

“(Like that Book) this too is a Book which We have revealed, one full of blessing, confirming what was revealed before it so that you might warn the people of the Mother of Cities (Makkah) and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and are ever-mindful of their Prayers.” (Qs. 6:92)

And in His decree:

(وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ) (الأنعام:155)

“And likewise We revealed this Book – a blessed one. Follow it, then, and become God-fearing; you may be shown Mercy.” (Qs. 6:155)

And His decree:

(وَهَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ) (الانبياء:50)

“This is a Blessed Admonition that We have revealed. Are you, then, going to reject it?”(Qs. 21:50)

And His decree:

(كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ) (صّ:29)

“This is the Blessed Book that We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), that people with understanding may reflect over its verses and those with understanding derive a lesson.”(QS. 38:29)

The meaning of “blessed” in Arabic language is something which has plenty and continuous of goodness.

Ibn al Qayyim -may Allah have mercy on him- said,

وهو أحق أن يسمى مباركا من كل شيء لكثرة خيره ومنافعه ووجوه البركة فيه

“And the Qur’an is more deserved than anything to be called “a blessed one”, due to its plenty of goodnesses, benefits, and other aspects of blessing in it.” (See: “Jala’ul Afham”, page 432, published by Dar Ibnul Jauzy )

And Al Alusy said,

كثير الفائدة والنفع لاشتماله على منافع الدارين

“It has abundance of avails and benefits because the Qur’an contains the benefits of the world and the Hereafter.” (See: “Ruhul Ma’any, interpretation of chapter Al-An’am(The Cattle), verse no. 92)

The pious predecessors held different opinions regarding the matter of tabarruk (seeking for blessing) by hanging the Qur’an or putting it on a certain place. (Refer to: Ma’arijul Qabul 2/637 and  Taisir Al-’Azizil Hamid page:130)

The stronger opinion – and Allah knows best – is the one that forbids it. The reasons are:

1. Hadith that prohibited the amulets have general meaning, and there are no indications that specify it, and differentiate between the Qur’an and other things. As the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,

إن الرقى والتمائم والتولة شرك

“Verily, the ruqya, the amulet, and tiwala (witchcraft) are shirk.” (Narrated by Abu Daud and Ibn Maja, and classed as valid by Sheikh Al Albany).

He -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- also said

من علق تميمة فقد أشرك

“Whoever hangs an amulet, then he has committed shirk.” (Narrated by Ahmad, and classed as valid by Sheikh Al Albany).

It is different with ruqya, since the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- had made distinction of it, through his saying:

لا بأس بالرقى ما لم يكن فيه شرك

“Treating with ruqya is fine as long as it contains no shirk in it.” (Narrated by Muslim).

2. Supposed that this is a lawful deed, then the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- would have had explained it to us.

3. The existed indications showed that the blessing of the Qur’an could be obtained by reciting it, not by hanging it. As in Allah the Exalted’s verse:

(وَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ لا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَداً) (الكهف:27)

“(O Prophet), recite to them from the Book of your Lord what has been revealed to you for none may change His words; (and were you to make any change in His words) you will find no refuge from Him.” (Qs. 18:27)

And His decree:

(إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرّاً وَعَلانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَنْ تَبُورَ) (فاطر:29)

“Surely those who recite the Book of Allah and establish Prayer and spend, privately and publicly, out of what We have provided them, look forward to a trade that shall suffer no loss;” (Qs. 35:29)

And the saying of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-:

اقرؤوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعا لأصحابه

“Recite the Qur’an, verily, it will come on the Last Day as a giver of intercession for those who recited it.” (Narrated by Muslim).

And his saying -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- :

وما اجتمع قوم في بيت من بيوت الله يتلون كتاب الله ويتدارسونه بينهم إلا نزلت عليهم السكينة وغشيتهم الرحمة وحفتهم الملائكة وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده

“And some people did not gather in one of the houses of Allah, to recite the Book of Allah, and study it, but the tranquility would descend upon them, and they would be filled with grace, and the angels would shade them, and Allah would mention them in front of His angels.” (Narrated by Muslim).

And the saying of the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-:

إن الشيطان ينفر من البيت الذي تقرأ فيه سورة البقرة

“Verily, the satan runs away from a house that recited in it chapter Al Baqara/The Cow.” (Narrated by Muslim).

Those are the ways to obtain the blessing of the Qur’an; by believing in it, reciting it, reflecting about its verses, realizing its contents, and treating disease with it in a way that is taught in shari’a. And not by putting it or hanging it on certain place and using it as an amulet.

Ibn al ‘Araby -may Allah have mercy on him- said,

وإنما السنة فيه الذكر دون التعليق

“And indeed, the suggested thing is by using the Qur’an as dhikr and not by hanging it.” (See: “‘Aridhatul Ahwadzy” 8/222).

4. If people were allowed to hang the Qur’an, it will open for them the chance to hang other thing beside the Qur’an and make them rely on other than Allah.” (See: “Fathul Majid”,page : 138)

Sheikh Hafidz Al Hakamy said, “There is no doubt that the prohibition to hang the Qur’an in order to seek blessings from it is better in preventing a person to be fallen into the forbidden beliefs, especially in this era. If even majority of the companions and tabeen who lived in a noble era and their faiths were larger than mountain hated it, then it is more hated in our time now -which is the time full of trials and hardships. Even today people are reaching the degree of pure prohibition since they did it for prohibited aims; among them there are people who wrote some verse or chapter, or “basmala” or the like, then put the charms of satan below it, of which no one knew about it but the people who read their books.” (See: “Ma’arijul Qabul”, 1/638-639)

And this is the opinion of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (See: Mushannaf Ibn Abi Syaibah 8/15 no:23811), and Ibrahim An Nakha’i (See: Mushannaf Ibn Abi Syaibah 8/15 no: 23814), Imam Ahmad in a narration, and this is the chosen opinion of majority of the Hanabila (Refer to: Ath-Thibb An-Nabawy, by Adz-Dzahaby page 281, and Taisirul ‘Azizil Hamid, Sheikh Sulaiman Ibn Abdullah, page: 130)

Therefore, it is not allowed to put the Qur’an or some verses of the Qur’an on certain place in order to make the place as a blessed place, to get some benefits or profits, or to be protected from calamity and disaster, such as putting it at the work place, car, airplane, etc. And if someone believed it as a cause (of those benefits, -ed), then this belief is included in the minor shirk.

And Allah knows best.

Answered by: Ustadz Abdullah Roy, Lc.