Superstitions are Shirk

Assalaamu alaikum [Peace be to you],

I tried a new style here in this drawing. let me know if you like it.


Someone asked me about making a wish upon seeing a shooting star. so I decided to write something about it and share it with you. it may help you learn something new.


Superstitions, Superstitions everywhere!
Have you heard of these before?
- All wishes on sighting a shooting star come true.
- To break a mirror means 7 years bad luck.
- It is bad luck to walk under a ladder.
- A horseshoe, hung above the doorway, will bring good luck to a home. and a horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.
- It's good luck to find a four-leaf clover.
- It's bad luck to open an umbrella inside the house, especially if you put it over your head.
- knock on wood to ward of bad luck.
These myths – and many others – come under the heading of superstition that is forbidden in Islam. A Superstition is an irrational and unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief. There is no limit to such myths among the people. Some regard seeing certain things as a bad omen – such as seeing an owl or a black cat; some regard hearing certain things as a bad omen – such as hearing the sound of an owl or a crow.

Modern age of........... ignorance
Welcome to the post-modern, post-enlightenment civilization. Superstition is alive and well here. In a big city like Los Angeles or New York, one can find thousands of palm-readers, tarot-card readers and astrologers who even have professional associations and certification programs. Daily horoscopes are an indispensable part of even the most prestigious newspapers.

Superstitions are as old as darkness itself. Fear of the unknown and inability to control or predict our own future have led people to all kinds of irrational acts and beliefs. But that was during the Dark Ages. In the age of science and technology that was supposed to end. Britannica notes, "Being irrational, it [superstition] should recede before education, and especially Science." That did not happen.

the belief in the irrational is a direct result of lack of belief in the All Knowledgeable, All-Powerful God who controls everything. He created this vast universe and it is running according to His plan. Not a leaf falls from a tree or a droplet of water falls from the sky except through His will. We do not know what will happen to us tomorrow, but He does. We put our trust in Him, seek His protection and help, and accept His will. The person lacking this awareness will endlessly take omens from cats, birds, and mice; sticks and greasy stone; sun and stars; or itching in one's body.

Islam and superstitions
The Arabs were as superstitious as anyone before the restoration of Islam by the prophet Mohammed -peace be upon him-. They would not undertake a journey or do anything important without first "determining" that it would be safe to do so -- by looking at birds and beasts. If a bird flew from right to left in front of them, that was a bad omen: flight in the other direction was a good omen. During travel, if a deer crossed going from right to left, the trip was cancelled. When they reached a destination, they would seek protection of the spirits by supplicating to them. Yet, such deeply held beliefs and practices were uprooted completely by Islam in a very short period.
Based on many ahadith of the last prophet of Islam, Mohammed -peace be upon him-, believing in superstitions is considered a form of shirk (disbelief in God). so if a Muslim happens to believe in such a thing, he has sinned and should repent and refrain from doing it.

Weakening of faith in segments of Muslim societies did lead to seeping in superstitious practices from other societies. Weakening of our understanding of -and belief in- the articles of faith inevitably leads to superstitions of one form or another. The illiterate masses may go to a soothsayer who claims to tell the future. The western educated elite of their country laugh at their ignorant ways, yet depend on horoscopes, sayings of Nostradamus, and predictions of Jane Dixon, etc. Both are equally ignorant and equally involved in unbelief!

believer's behavior
There is no doubt that a believer (in the God) faces the same uncertainties in life as the non-believer but he faces them with the help of the God.
When announcing a plan, he does not knock on wood; he says Insha'Allah (if Allah wills), putting his trust in his Creator. When embarking on a journey, he makes supplication to Allah for his safety. When he is unsure about a plan, he seeks Allah's help in making up his mind. Here is the translation of the beautiful du'a (supplication) of Istikharah that Muslims have been taught for the occasion:
"O Allah! I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things.
O Allah! If in Your knowledge, this matter is good for my faith, my livelihood and my affairs; immediate and in the distant future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, this matter is bad for my faith, my livelihood, and my affairs; immediate and in the distant future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it be and make me pleased with it."
Each word of this du'a invites reflection. It shows how uncertainties in our life bring us closer to Allah. In the God we put all our hopes, not in the cryptic words of an ignorant astrologer or soothsayer.

It is not the human destiny to be afflicted with superstitions: It is just an evil consequence of unbelief. The light of Islam can cure it.


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I hope that's beneficial

Wassalaamu alaikum,