Recently updated on November 1st, 2017

Taweez in Islam is it Allowed

Permissibility of Ta’weez (Naksh)

Imam Hajjaj (ra) says, “Those who saw Sayyiduna Sa’eed ibn Jubair (ra) writing ta’weez for those who came to him related to me (regarding this matter), Imam Hajjaj (ra) further says, “I asked Ataa regarding it”, He replied, “We have not heard anyone disliking it but from you, the people of Iraaq”. (Ibn Abi Shaiba vol5 p434)

How can a great Tab’ee (successors of the sahabah) like ‘Ataa (The Mufti of makka at a time when the sahabah were still present) deny hearing anyone disliking the usage of ta’weez? Was he not aware that it is shirk and bid’ah? Why did he not just say that it was impermissible?

Auf Ibn Malik (ra) says: “We would use amulets (Ruqyah) in the days of ignorance, so we asked RasulAllah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam regarding it”, he said “bring to me your amulets, thereafter he said: ‘There is nothing wrong with amulets if they do contain shirk (in them)”. (Muslim vol2p224 in the book of medicine)
The fuqaha have written that if they have writings in a language that is unknown, then it is impermissible otherwise it will be permissible.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (ra) says “Tamimah is a necklace put around the neck in the days of ignorance, and they would believe that this would ward off evil and calamity”.
(Fathul Bari vol10p166 and Ahsanul Fatawa vol8p257)
As we can see, it was due to their harboring such a belief why it was called shirk. However if someone does not have such belief, it will be permissible.

Sayyidatuna Aisha (Radi Allahu Anha) says: “Tamimah is not that which is hung after the calamity, but Tamimah is that which is hung before calamity”.

(Sharh ma’nil Athar vol2p323, and Hakim declared it saheeh, Targheeb vol5271)

Amr ibn Shu’aib narrates from his father who narrates from his grandfather Abdullah ibn Amr (Radi Allahu Anhu) that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: “When anyone of you gets frightened in his sleep, let him recite this du’a, (thereafter he mentioned the du’a) so Abdullah Ibn ‘Amar (Radi Allahu Anhu) would teach this du’a to those of his children who could read, as for those who could not, he would write it and hang it around their necks”.

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439 in the book of medicine. Imam Tirmizi also narrates it and classifies it Hasan ghareeb Vol2 p192 and Imaam Abu Daud also narrates it without a comment vol2p187)

Here we find a Sahabi, the likes of Abdullah ibn ‘Amar (Radi Allahu Anhu) hanging ta’weez for his children, how can he dare to carry out such an act if it was shirk and bid’ah?

“The son of Abdullah ibn Umar radhiyallahu anhum was seen with a thread tied on his upper arm”.
(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

Did sayyiduna Ibn Umar (Radi Allahu Anhu) not know that it was shirk and bid’ah and not warn his children to refrain from it?

Sayyiduna A’ta (The Mufti of Makkah) says: “There is nothing wrong in hanging the Quraan (i.e. as ta’weez)
(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p440)

Sayyiduna Ibn Sireen (Radi Allahu Anhu) (The Mufti of Madinah) did not consider anything wrong in using the (verses) of the Quraan (as Ta’weez) (Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

Sayyiduna Sa’eed Ibn Musaayib (Radi Allahu Anhu) was asked regarding taweez, he replied: “There is nothing wrong with it as long as it is wrapped in leather”. (Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

Ataa (the mufti of Makka) was asked regarding a woman in her periods having a ta’weez on her, He replied,
“If it is in leather, it should be taken off, and if it is in a silver amulet, she has a choice (to take it off or not)”.
(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

Abu Jaf’ar (as-sadiq) did not see anything wrong in writing the Quraan in leather and hanging it (on someone)

(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

Imam Mujahid (Radi Allahu Anhu) (a mufassir of the Quraan and a great student of Ibn Abbas (Radi Allahu Anhu) would write ta’weez for people and hang it on them.

(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p439)

How can he write these for the people if it was shirk? Was he propagating shirk and bid’ah?

Imam Yunus ibn Habban (ra) says “I asked Abu Ja’far (Radi Allahu Anhu) regarding ta’weez hung on children, so he gave permission. (Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p440)

Imam Dhahhaak (ra) did not consider anything wrong if a person hangs any verses of the Quraan (as taweez) as long as it is taken off at the time of bathing and relieving ones self.

(Ibn Abi Shaibah vol5p440)

Sa’eed ibn Jubair (Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates from Ibn Abbas (Radi Allahu Anhu) that he said: “When the delivery of a child becomes difficult for a woman and the verses “The day they will see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a morning. “Naaziaat 46”and “On the day when they will see that (torment) with which they are promised, (it will be) as if they had not stayed more than an hour in a single day. “Al-Ahqaaf 35” and the words “Bismillahi laa ilaaha illa hual haleemul kareem” and “Subhaanallahi rabbissamaawaatissab’e wa rabbil arshil ‘azeem” are written on a piece of paper and soaked in water and given to her to drink (the delivery becomes easy)”.

(Ibn Abi Shaiba vol5 p433)

The likes of ‘Ataa, Sa’eed Ibn Musayyib, Ibn Sireen, Mujaahid rahmatullahi ‘alaihim and others were issuing these Fataawa at the time when the Sahabah (Radi Allahu Anha) were present in their midst, and many a time the Sahabah (Radi Allahu Anhu) would tell the people and sometimes themselves asked these great Tabe’oon regarding important religious issues.

Were these great Tabioon blind of the fact that to use ta’weez is shirk? Has any muslim any courage to say that they did not know the ahaadith mentioned above? We will leave it to you to decide.

As for the ahaadith indicating towards it being shirk, the hadith of Auf ibn Malik radhiyallahu ‘anh answers that.
(i.e. as long as there are no words of shirk in them it is permissible). Furthermore the hadith of Ibn Masood (Radi Allahu Anhu) regarding it being shirk, has a narrator named Ibn Akhee Zainub (Radi Allahu Anha) who is majhool (unknown) (Bazlul Majhood vol6 p216) and even if the hadith is proved saheeh it can not have a literal meaning as we will see. Hafiz Ibn Hajr (Radi Allahu Anhu) commentates that the people who fully trust these amulets and regard them as being their safeguard from evil and calamity, only then will it be classified as a form of shirk.
We should also note that there are different ways of cures from illnesses. Some take medicine and others will use ta’wez as the hadith in Bukhari about the Sahabah going to a place and one of them curing the leader of that place by reciting Surah fatihah.

Saydutuan Aisha (Radi Allahu Anha) says that: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayehe Wasllam) would order her to do ruqyah (i.e. ta’weez) and blow on herself to save herself from the evil eye”. (Muslim in the book of medicine)

Mulla Ali Qari (Radi Allahu Anhu) writes:
“Those that contain the verses of the Quran, qualities and attributes of Allah and those Dua’s that are narrated from Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, are all permissible and Mustahab to use, whether it be Ta’weez, ruqyah or to blow as a form of ta’weez. However those that are written in Hebrew etc, will be prohibited due to the possibility of shirk (polytheism) in them”.

(Mirqaat volp321)

Allamah ibn Abideen (Radi Allahu Anhu) has written similar fatawa in Raddul Muhtaar (which is the most authentic book of fatwa according to the Ahnaaf).
We can conclude that those that are utilized in the correct manner will be permissible and those that are utilized in an incorrect manner will be impermissible. Sayyiduna Ibrahim Nakh’ee’s (Radi Allahu Anhu) saying that the followers of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ood disliked the usage of ta’weez is because in Kufa (where they resided) the Rawafidh (Shee’ah) were of the belief that Ta’weez is the actual source of protection, and that was the reason why they refrained from using it. As for those who don’t have such belief, then we saw its permissibility in the above-mentioned ahaadith. Therefore the fatwa of shirk should be given with caution.