Verses and Hadeeth that Cause People Confusion–3
By Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)
Question: How do merge the meaning for both these hadeeth, “ Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and asks him a question, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” with “ Whoever goes to a fortuneteller or soothsayer and believes him, has disbelieved in the Quran and Sunnah.”?
Answer: The wording in the first hadeeth states, “Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and asks him a question, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” There isn’t any mention of the word belief or trust. In the second hadeeth it states he believes in the fortuneteller or soothsayer and disbelieves in the revelation sent to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
When the fortuneteller tells him something about the unseen and he holds it to be a fact, he has committed kufr. This is based on the verse, “Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.” [An-Naml 65]
This doesn’t mean that he will wait to see what happens before he believes him or not. If he waits to see what happens and says, “ I’ll wait to see if what he says is true.” : he doesn’t believe the fortuneteller. However his prayer isn’t accepted for forty days.
Belief is trusting what the fortuneteller says is accurate and will take place.
Taken from Al-Babul Maftuh Vol 44, page 86
Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Batle
Doha, Qatar 1431 ©