Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) declare, ‘Incantations (ruqā), amulets (tamāʿim), and love-charms (tiwala) are shirk.’” Reported by Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd (1).

The explanation of these individual terms will follow in the author’s own words, Allah have mercy on him.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet ﷺ informs us that using any of these items to ward off harm or bring about benefit through anyone besides Allah constitutes shirk, because no one has the power to remove hardship or grant favour except Allah, exalted is He. His statement therefore amounts to a prohibition of the practice.

Relevance to the chapter: it shows that employing the items mentioned is shirk and undermines pure monotheism.

Benefits derived from the ḥadīth:

1. An exhortation to safeguard one’s creed from anything that corrupts it, even if many people engage in such practices.
2. The prohibition of using the items mentioned.
3. All three practices are, without exception, acts of shirk.