Part 22

Q. 43. Do the jinns have any effect on mankind? And how is protection from them achieved?

A. There is no doubt that jinns can have a harmful effect on humans which could even lead to killing. They might harm him by throwing stones, and they might cause fear to people and other things which have been confirmed by the Sunnah and which are proven by reality.

It is confirmed that the Messenger of Allah # permitted one of his Companions to go to his wife during one of the battles — I believe it was the Battle of the Trench — and he was a newly married young man. When he arrived at his house, he found his wife standing at the door and he disapproved of that, but she said to him: “Enter,” so he entered and found a snake on the bed, and he had a spear with him so he struck it with the spear until it died. At that moment, the man died, and no one knew which of them died first, the snake or the man. When the + Prophet #% was informed of this, he forbade killing the jinns that live in the houses, except Al-Abtar (a snake with a short or

'") The reference for this has already been mentioned under question no.

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mutilated tail) and Thatut-Tufyatain (a snake with two white stripes on its back.).!!!

This is a proof that jinns can show enmity towards mankind and that they harm them, as is proven by fact. For the narrations to that effect have been widely reported, and they inform us that a person might come to a ruined building and be pelted with stones, although he sees no human being in this ruined building, and he might hear voices, or he might hear a rustling sound like the rustling of trees or the like which might cause distress to him and cause harm to him. Likewise, jinns might enter the body of a man due to love, or with the intention to harm him, or for some other reason, and this is indicated by the Words of Allah, the Most a

“Those who eat Riba will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitan (Satan) leading him to insanity.”") And in this case, the jinn might speak from inside the human being, and speak to the one who recites Verses from the Noble Qur’an and the reciter might extract from him a promise that he will not return, or something else as the narrations have informed us, and which are common knowledge among people.

Based upon this, the protection against the evil of the jinn is for a person to recite what has been narrated in the Sunnah which protects him from them, such as Ayat Al-Kursi, because when a person recites Ayat Al-Kursi, during the night, he remains protected by Allah, and Satan cannot approach him until the morning. And Allah is the Protector.

"1 Reported by Muslim in the Book of Salutations and by Ahmad in AlMusnad.

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Q. 44. Do jinns know the unseen?

A. Jinns do not know the unseen, no one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah. Read the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“Then when We decreed death for him [Sulaiman (Solomon) ], nothing informed them (jinn) of his death except a little worm of the earth which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick. So when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment."") Anyone who claims to have knowledge of the unseen is a disbeliever. Whoever believed a person who claimed to have knowledge of the unseen, he is also a disbeliever, according to the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah.’”'?) Therefore, none knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth except Allah, Alone; and those who claim to know the unseen future are all fortunetellers, and it has been confirmed from the Prophet # that he said:

Ly Ssh bole Se Shs ge yy oh “Whoever went to a soothsayer and asked him something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.’"}

1 An-Naml 27:65 1 Reported by Muslim in the Book of Salutations, in the Chapter on the

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If he believed in what he said, then he would be a disbeliever, because he believed that he had knowledge of the unseen, so he would have belied the Words of Allah, the Most High:

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah.’”""!

Q. 45. What is the ruling on describing the Prophet # as: Habeebullah (the Beloved of Allah)?

A. The Prophet 2% is the beloved of Allah without any doubt, for he loves Allah and is loved by Him. But there is a description of him that is more note-worthy than that, which is Khaleelullah (Allah’s Friend). The Messenger #¢ is Khaleelullah, as he #8 said:

“Verily, Allah has taken me as a Khaleel, just as He took Ibrahim as a Khaleel.’"*!

For this reason, whoever described him only as Allah’s Habeeb has diminished him in status, because (Allah’s) Khullah (Friendship) is greater and higher than (His) Mahabbah (Love). All the believers are the beloved of Allah, but the Messenger of Allah #% enjoys a higher standing than that, which is AlKhullah, for Allah has taken him as His Khaleel, just as He took Ibrahim, peace be upon him, as His Khaleel.

This is why we say that Muhammad ## is Allah’s Messenger and His Khaleel and this is better than saying that he is Allah’s Habeeb, because that includes (Allah’s) Love and more, since it is the utmost Love.

Forbiddance of Fortune Telling and Visiting Fortunetellers (2230). '2] Reported by Ibn Majah in the Introduction to his Sunan (141).

Q. 46. What is the ruling on turning praise of the Prophet nto a business?

A. The ruling on this is that it is forbidden; and it should be known that the praising the Prophet # falls into two categories:

1. That it is a form of praise to which the Prophet 2% is entitled, without it reaching to the level of exaggeration. Then there is no objection to this, i.e. there is no objection to praising the Messenger of Allah #% in the way he deserves to be praised, by using praiseworthy epithets, which describe the perfection of his character and his guidance.

2. That the one who praises the Messenger # exceeds the limits in a manner prohibited by the Prophet 2%, in his words:

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“Do not exaggerate in praising me, as the Christians praised the Messiah, son of Mary, for I am only a servant, so say: The servant of Allah and His Messenger." So, whoever praised the Prophet #% by saying that he is the helper of those who seek help, the one who answers the supplication of the oppressed, that he is the owner of the life of this world and of the Hereafter, and that he knows the unseen and other such like words of praise, then this is a forbidden category. Indeed such praise could even reach to the level of major Shirk, which expels one from the pale of Islam, so it is not

"1 Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of the Stories of the Prophets, in the Chapter: The Words of Allah, the Most High:

“And mention in the Book, Maryam.” (Maryam 19:16) (3445)

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permissible to praise the Messenger #% with words of praise which reach to the level of exaggeration, since the Prophet # prohibited that.

Then we turn to the permissible type of praise, and when a person profits from it, then we say that this is also forbidden. Because praising the Messenger #% in a manner he is entitled and which he deserves like for his noble traits of character, laudable attributes and righteous guidance is a form of worship that brings one closer to Allah, and anything that is an act of worship may not be taken as a means of attaining the material benefits of this world, according to the Words of Allah, the Most High:

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Wee G Jbs; ts “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do."\")

And Allah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

Q. 47. If a person believed that the Prophet # is a light from the Light of Allah, and that he is not a human being, and that he knows the unseen, and such seeks help from him believing that he # holds the power to bring benefit or prevent harm, what would be the ruling on that? Is it permissible to pray behind that man or one like him? Advise us and may Allah reward you with goodness.