Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/575)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

Chapter 304 – The Prohibition of Taking Omens (tatayyur)

This chapter contains the narrations cited in the preceding section.

1683 – Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is no contagion and no omens (2), yet I am fond of faʾl (good augury).” They asked, “What is good augury?” He replied, “A pleasant word.” Agreed upon.

1684 – Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is no contagion and no omens. But if ill-fortune were to exist in anything, it would be in a house, a woman, or a horse.” (1) Agreed upon.

1685 – Buraydah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ would not take omens. Abū Dāwūd recorded it with a sound chain.

1686 – ʿUrwah ibn ʿĀmir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Omens were mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whereupon he said, “The best of them is faʾl (good augury), and it does not turn a Muslim back (2). If any of you sees something he dislikes, let him say: ‘O Allah, none brings good but You, none averts evil but You, and there is no power and no might except through You.’” A sound hadith, transmitted by Abū Dāwūd with an authentic chain (3).

(1) From tatayyur (seeking omens), that is: feeling pessimistic because of some object or event. Ibn al-Athir explains that its original form, so it is said, was taking omens from birds or gazelles passing on the right or left, which would then dissuade people from their intended actions. The sacred law abolished this practice and forbade it. (2) The ‘ill-omened’ house is one whose courtyard is cramped, whose amenities are few, and whose neighbors are troublesome. The ‘ill-omened’ woman is one whose womb is barren and whose character is bad. The ‘ill-omened’ mount is one that refuses to let its rider mount its back. (3) Meaning: a bad omen should not turn a Muslim back from what he has resolved to do. The claim that the report is sahih (authentic) is open to serious objection, for the companionship of Urwa ibn Amir is disputed, and the chain contains an ‘an‘anah by a mudallis (a narrator known for ambiguous transmission). See al-Kalim al-Tayyib, comment no. 193 – N –.

٣٠٤ - باب النهي عن التَّطَيُّرِ فيه الأحاديث السابقة في الباب قبله . ١٦٨٣ - وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : « لا عَدْوَى وَلَا طِيَرَةَ (٢) ، وَيُعْجِبُنِي الْفَأْلُ » قالوا : وَمَا الْفَأْلُ ، قال : « كَلِمَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ » . متفق عليه . ١٦٨٤ - وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال : قال رسول الله ﷺ : « لا عَدْوَى وَلَا طِيَرَةَ . وَإِنْ كَانَ الشُّؤْمُ فِي شَيْءٍ فَفِي الدَّارِ ، وَالْمَرْأَةِ ، وَالْفَرَسِ » (١) . متفق عليه . ١٦٨٥ - وعن بُرَيْدَةَ رضي الله عنه أنَّ النبيَّ ﷺ كان لا يَتَطَيَّرُ . رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح . ١٦٨٦ - وعن عروة بن عامر رضي الله عنه قال : ذُكِرَتِ الطِّيَرَةُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ، فَقَالَ : « أَحْسَنُهَا الْفَأْلُ . وَلَا تَرُدُّ مُسْلِمًا (٢) فَإِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُ ، فَلْيَقُلْ : اللَّهُمَّ لَا يَأْتِي بِالْحَسَنَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَلَا يَدْفَعُ السَّيِّئَاتِ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ » حديث صحيح رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح (٣) .

(١) من التطير وهو : التشاؤم بالشيء ، قال ابن الأثير : وأصله فيما يقال : التطير بالسوانح والبوارح من الطير والظباء وغيرها ، وكان ذلك يصدهم عن مقاصدهم فأبطله الشرع ونهى عنه . (٢) شؤم الدار : ضيق ساحتها وقلة مرافقها وخبث جيرانها ، وشؤم المرأة : عقر رحمها وسوء خلقها ، وشؤم الدابة : منعها ظهرها . (٣) أي : لا ترد الطيرة مسلماً عما عزم عليه . وفي التصحيح المذكور نظر بين ، لأن عروة بن عامر مختلف في صحبته ، ثم إن فيه عنعنة مدلس ، فانظر : « الكلم الطيب » رقم التعليق (١٩٣) - ن - .