Fatwa ID: 07771

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman

 

 

Question:

 

 

As salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh respected Mufti, what does the hanafi madhaab say about:

 

 

A) Is it known as a valid practice in Islam to pour salt in the corners of the house or in the corners of a room in the house thinking that it will protect us from the Shaytan and his Jinn or is it a forbidden practice? And is the person who practices this considered a Muslim or not if he has the inner conviction that it protects him from the Shaytan and Jnunn.

 

 

B) Is it permissible to leave the Quran open continuously even without reading it night and day in Surah Al Baqara verse 255, in order to protect ourselves from the devil? I am not asking the question for myself, it is for people I know who do this kind of practice.

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

 Answer:

 

 

Wa alaykum Assalaam

 

 

Pouring salt in the corners of a room in order to protect from shaytan and jinn has no basis in our deen. This is a practice of the superstitious people who have no faith in Allah Ta’ala, so this practice is definitely an innovation and must not be practiced. 

 

 

The best way to protect one’s house from shaytan according to the Quran and sunnah is to say:

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته when entering the house and reciting the masnoon dua:

اللهم إني أسألك خير المولج، وخير المخرج، باسم الله ولجنا، وباسم الله خرجنا، وعلى الله ربنا توكلنا

 

 

One should also say bismillah when entering or leaving one’s house and of course he should recite bismillah before eating. Furthermore, one should recite surah baqarah frequently at home, as the Shaytan does not enter the house of the person who recites Surah Baqarah. 

 

 

Finally, one should recite Ayatul Kursi before going to bed.

 

 

Hence, a person who throws salt in the corners of the house is indeed an innovator as such a practice has no basis in our Deen.If he believes this salt will protect him, his Aqidah is definitely questionable; but we can not declare him as a disbeliever because we must be cautious in calling someone a Kafir. This is because it has been narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

 

 “Any man who says to his brother, ‘O disbeliever,’ it will apply to one of them. Either it is as he said, otherwise, it will come back to him.”

 

 

2) As per your second question, the Qur’an by definition is a recitation. The mushaf/copy of the Quran exists so that people can recite the Quran even if they have not memorized it. Thus, to ward off Shaytan, one should recite Ayatul Kursi, rather than leaving the Mushaf open to the page that contains this beautiful Ayat.

 

 

Hence, Ayatul Kursi is meant to be recited nightly as per the Hadith of our beloved Prophet (SAW). When one recites such a beautiful Ayat, one shall be protected from the Shaytan. Leaving the Mushaf open to such an Ayat is NOT impermissible, but it goes against the etiquette on how to store the Qur’an Mushaf. Out of respect, one should close his Mushaf and place it vertically on a high shelf when it is not in use. Regarding this, Allah Ta’ala says in the holy Quran;

 

{ وَمَن یُعَظِّمۡ شَعَـٰۤىِٕرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقۡوَى ٱلۡقُلُوبِ }

[Surah Al-Ḥajj: 32]

 

And whoever honours the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman 

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

References

 

 

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى الْعَنَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ، – يَعْنِي أَبَا عَاصِمٍ – عَنِ ابْنِ، جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ إِذَا دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ بَيْتَهُ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ وَعِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لاَ مَبِيتَ لَكُمْ وَلاَ عَشَاءَ ‏.‏ وَإِذَا دَخَلَ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ أَدْرَكْتُمُ الْمَبِيتَ ‏.‏ وَإِذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ أَدْرَكْتُمُ الْمَبِيتَ وَالْعَشَاءَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

 

Jabir b. ‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When a person enters his house and mentions the name of Allah at the time of entering it and while eating the food, Satan says (addressing himself: You have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; but when he enters without mentioning the name of Allah, the Satan says: You have found a place to spend the night, and when he does not mention the name of Allah while eating food, he (the Satan) says: You have found a place to spend the night and evening meal.

Sahih Muslim 2018a

 

 

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، – قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْفٍ وَرَأَيْتُ فِي أَصْلِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ – قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ضَمْضَمٌ، عَنْ شُرَيْحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الأَشْعَرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِذَا وَلَجَ الرَّجُلُ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَلْيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا ثُمَّ لْيُسَلِّمْ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

 

Narrated AbuMalik Al-Ash’ari: 

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man goes into his house, he should say: “O Allah! I ask Thee for good both when entering and when going out; in the name of Allah we have entered, and in the name of Allah we have gone out, and in Allah our Lord do we trust.” He should then greet his family.

Sunan Abi Dawud 5096

 

 

وَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ الْهَيْثَمِ حَدَّثَنَا عَوْفٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ وَكَّلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِحِفْظِ زَكَاةِ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَانِي آتٍ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَصَّ الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ لَنْ يَزَالَ مَعَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ وَلاَ يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ‏.‏ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ صَدَقَكَ وَهْوَ كَذُوبٌ ذَاكَ شَيْطَانٌ ‏”‏‏.‏

 

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ordered me to guard the Zakat revenue of Ramadan. Then somebody came to me and started stealing from the foodstuff. I caught him and said, “I will take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” Then Abu Huraira described the whole narration and said: That person said (to me), “(Please don’t take me to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit you.) When you go to your bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi, (2.255) for then there will be a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn.” (When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard the story) he said (to me), “He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; and it was Satan.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5010

 

 

 فَإِذَا دَخَلۡتُم بُیُوتࣰا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰۤ أَنفُسِكُمۡ تَحِیَّةࣰ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَـٰرَكَةࣰ طَیِّبَةࣰۚ كَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ یُبَیِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡـَٔایَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ }

[Surah An-Nūr: 61]

 

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ تَجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ مَقَابِرَ وَإِنَّ الْبَيْتَ الَّذِي تُقْرَأُ فِيهِ الْبَقَرَةُ لاَ يَدْخُلُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

 

Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed Ash-Shaitan does not enter the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited.”

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2877

 

 

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِذَا قَالَ الرَّجُلُ لأَخِيهِ يَا كَافِرُ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهِ أَحَدُهُمَا ‏”‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، سَمِعَ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

 

Narrated Abu Huraira: 

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “If a man says to his brother, O Kafir (disbeliever)!’ Then surely one of them is such (i.e., a Kafir). “

Sahih al-Bukhari 6103

 

مَدُّ الرِّجْلَيْنِ إلَى جَانِبِ الْمُصْحَفَ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِحِذَائِهِ لَا يُكْرَهُ، وَكَذَا لَوْ كَانَ الْمُصْحَفُ مُعَلَّقًا فِي الْوَتَدِ وَهُوَ قَدْ مَدَّ الرِّجْلَ إلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَانِبِ لَا يُكْرَهُ، كَذَا فِي الْغَرَائِبِ.

 

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