Mishkat al-Masabih

“The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition they return diseased.”

When God’s messenger was praying one night he placed his hand on the ground and was stung by a scorpion, so he struck it with his sandal and killed it. Then when he departed he said: “God curse the scorpion! It does not leave alone one who is praying or anyone else, or a prophet or anyone else.” He then called for salt and water, and putting it in a vessel he began to pour it over his finger where it had stung him and wipe it, seeking refuge in God by reciting the Mu’awwidhatan. Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Shu’ab al-iman.

My people sent me to Umm Salama with a bowl of water. Whenever anyone was smitten by the evil eye or anything else he sent her a basin, and she took out some hairs of God’s messenger which she kept in a little silver bell.* She moved it about for him in the water and he drank some of it. I looked into the little bell and saw some red hairs. Bukhari transmitted it. * Mirqat, iv, 515, says that although the word means a bell, it may here be used of a small box in the shape of a bell. This is the kind of bell that would be used on a tambourine.

“Truffles are a kind of manna, and their juice is a remedy for the evil eye. The 'ajwa dates come from paradise, and they are a remedy for poison.” Abu Huraira said that he took three, five, or seven truffles, pressed them, put their juice in a bottle and applied it as an eye-lotion to a slavegirl of his who was blear-eyed, and she recovered. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan tradition.

“If anyone licks honey three mornings every month, he will not be afflicted with any serious trouble.”

“Make use of the two remedies: honey and the Qur’an.” Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-lman, transmitted the two traditions, Baihaqi saying the correct view is that the second goes no farther back than Ibn Mas'ud.

I had myself cupped like that in the middle of my head for a reason other than poison and suffered some loss of memory till I was recommended to use Fatihat al-Kitab in the prayer. Razin transmitted it. * An attempt was made to poison the Prophet after the conquest of Khaibar in 7 A.H., but when he had taken a mouthful of the poisoned meat he spat it out realizing that it was poisoned.

“Cupping before food is best; it increases the intelligence, increases the memory and increases the memory of one who has a good memory. He who has himself cupped should choose Thursday, doing it in the name of God most high; but avoid cupping on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Get yourselves cupped on Monday and Tuesday, but avoid cupping on Wednesday for it is the day when Job was smitten with affliction. Tubercular leprosy and leprosy make their appearance only on Wednesday or Tuesday night.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

“Cupping on Tuesday the 17th of the month is a cure for a year’s illness.” Harb b. Isma'il al-Kirmani, Ahmad’s companion, transmitted it, but his isnad is worthless. Thus it is stated in al-Muntaqa. Razin transmitted something to the same effect on the authority of Abu Huraira.

Abu Huraira told of hearing God's messenger say, “There should be no taking of omens, but the best type is the good omen." He was asked what a good omen was and replied, “A good word which one of you hears." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no evil omen, no hama*, and no serpent in a hungry belly*; but flee from one who has tubercular leprosy as you would from a lion." Bukhari transmitted it. * The word means an owl, or a night-bird which frequents graves. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that when vengeance had not been taken for one who had been killed a bird called hama came forth from the dead and screeched demanding vengeance. ** The word is safar. The pre-Islaraic Arabs used the word as meaning a serpent which bites a man from within when he is hungry and causes the sense of stinging a man feels when hungry. It was also used of a serpent within the belly which was believed to cause a disease more contagious than mange or scab.

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no hama, and no serpent in a hungry belly." A nomadic Arab asked, “Messenger of God, how is it that when camels are in the sand as if they were gazelles* and a mangy camel comes among them it gives them mange?" God’s messenger replied, “Who infected the first one?" Bukhari transmitted it. * The comparison is used to indicate the clearness of their skin.

“There is no infection, no hama, no star promising rain, and no serpent in a hungry belly." Muslim transmitted it.

“There is no infection, no serpent in a hungry belly, and no ghoul.”* Muslim transmitted it. * I have used the English word derived from the Arabic ghul. It was used of a creature which was a type of jinni or devil which was believed to appear to people in various forms and lead them astray in the desert and cause their destruction.

"We have taken your oath of allegiance, so go home." Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that God’s messenger took good omens but not evil ones, and that he liked a pleasing name. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

"Augury from the flight of birds, the practice of pessomancy,* and taking evil omens pertain to divination."** Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Tarq. It is used of the practice of divinantion in which women threw stones. It is also used of geomancy by drawing lines. ** Min al-jibt. Jibt means devil and also divination. An alternative translation would be that these practices come from the devil.

"Taking evil omens is polytheism (saying it three times). None of us fails to be affected by it, but God removes such influence by trust in Him." Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it. Tirmidhi told that he heard Muhammad b. Isma'il* say that Sulaiman b. Harb used to say about this tradition that in his opinion "None of us fails to be affected by it, but God removes such influence by trust in Him" are Ibn Mas'ud’s words. * i.e. Bukhari.

"Eat with confidence in God and trust in Him." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

"There is no hama, no infection and no evil omen; but if anything is affected by an evil omen it is a house, a horse, and a woman." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas told that when the Prophet went out to attend to some business he was delighted to hear someone say, “O rightly guided one! O successful one!” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Buraida told that the Prophet did not take omens from anything; but when he sent out an agent he asked about his name and if it pleased him he was glad about it and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face, but if he disliked his name his displeasure on that account was visible in his face. When he entered a village he asked about its name and if it pleased him he was glad about it and his cheerfulness on that account was visible in his face, but if he disliked its name his displeasure on that account was visible in his face. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas told that a man said, “Messenger of God, we were in an abode in which our numbers and our goods were many and changed to an abode in which our numbers and our goods have become few.” He replied, “Leave it, for it is reprehensible.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Yahya b. ‘Abdallah b. Bahir said he was informed by one who had heard Farwa b. Musaik tell that he said, “Messenger of God, we have land called Abyan* which is the land where we have our fields and grow our crops, but it is very unhealthy.” He replied, “Leave it, for destruction comes from being near disease.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * To the east of Aden some early riders held it was either a place on the rocks of Adea, or a name of Aden itself.

‘Urwa b. ‘Amir told that when taking omens was mentioned in the presence of God’s messenger he replied that the best type was the good omen, adding that a Muslim is not turned back from anything because of an omen. He told them that when any of them saw anything he disliked he should say, “O God, Thou alone bringest good things, Thou alone avertest evil things, and there is no might or power but in God.” Abu Dawud transmitted it in mursal form.

Mu'awiya b. al-Hakam told that he said, “Messenger of God, there were things we used to do in the pre-Islamic period. We used to visit kahins.” He replied, “Do not visit kdhins” He said, “We used to take omens.” He replied, “That is an idea a man has, but it must not turn you aside from your purposes.” He said, “Among us there were men who practised divination by drawing lines on the ground.” He replied, “There was a prophet who drew lines, so if anyone does it in the same way as he did, that is allowable.” Muslim transmitted it.

'A’isha told that when God’s messenger was asked by some people about kahins he replied, “They are of no account.” They said, “Messenger of God, they sometimes tell a thing which is true.” He replied, “That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinni snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend as a hen does; then they mix more than a hundred lies with it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“The angels descend in al-’anan, i e. the clouds, and mention a matter which has been decreed in heaven, then the devils listening by stealth and hearing it communicate it to the kahins who tell along with it a hundred lies of their own making.” Bukhari transmitted it.

“If anyone resorts to a diviner (arraf) and asks him about anything prayer will not be accepted from him for forty days.”* Muslim transmitted it. * Literally, Nights.

God’s messenger led us in the morning prayer at al-Hudaibiya after rain which had fallen during the night, and when he finished he turned to the people and said, “Do you know what your Lord has said?” On their replying that God and His messsenger knew best he told them that He had said, “This morning there were among my servants one who believes in me and one who disbelieves. The one who said, ‘We have been given rain by God’s grace and mercy' is the one who believes in me and disbelieves in the star, but the one who said, ‘We have been given rain by such and such a rainy star’ is the one who disbelieves in me and believes in the star.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has not sent down any blessing from heaven without a section of the people disbelieving in it. God sends down the rain but they say it comes by means of such and such a star.” Muslim transmitted it.

“If anyone acquires any knowledge of astrology he acquires a branch of magic of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

“If anyone resorts to a kahin and believes him m what he says, or has intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating, or has intercourse with his wife through her anus, he has nothing to do with what has been sent down to Muhammad.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

“When God decrees a matter in heaven the angels move their wings in submission to His word which is like a chain on a smooth stone. Then when their hearts are delivered from fear they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ and receive the reply, ‘That which He said is the truth and He is the Most High and the Most Great.’ Then those who listen by stealth hear it, and they are thus, some above others (Sufyan* illustrating it with the palm of his hand, turning it and separating the fingers). Then one hears the word and passes it on to the one who is below him and the other passes it on to the one who is below him, and so on till one passes it on the tongue of the magician or the kahin. Often a flame catches him before he passes it on,** but often he passes it on before it catches him, and he tells a hundred lies along with it. People ask whether he did not say such and such on such and such a day, and he is believed because of that word which was heard from heaven." Bukhari transmitted it. * i.e, Sufyan b. ‘Uyaina through whom the tradition was transmitted. ** Cf. Qur’an, 15: 18

A man of the Ansar who was a companion of the Prophet told me that while they were sitting one night along with God’s messenger, a star was thrown and shone brightly. He asked them what they used to say in the pre-Islamic period when something of that nature was thrown, and they replied, “God and His messenger know best. We used to say that a great man had been born that night, or that a great man had died." Then God’s messenger said, “It is not thrown because of anyone’s death or life; but when our Lord whose name is blessed decrees a matter the bearers of the Throne extol Him, then the inhabitants of heaven who are next to them extol Him till the extolling reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask them what their Lord has said and they tell them what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens ask one another till it reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn then snatch a hearing and pass it on to their friends and have thrown at them. Now what they bring as it came is true, but they mix things with it and make additions." Muslim transmitted it.

Qatada said God most high created these stars for three purposes; He made them an adornment for the sky, missiles for the devils, and signs by which people find their way. If anyone explains them differently he makes a mistake, squanders what is allotted to him, and occupies himself with something he does not know. Bukhari transmitted it without a full isnad. Razln’s version has, “occupies himself with what does not concern him, what he has no knowledge of, and what prophets and angels are incapable of knowing.” On the authority of ar-Rabi’* there is something to the same effect with the addition, “I swear by God that God has not set in a star anyone’s life, provision, or death. They are only speaking lies against God and attributing causes to the stars.” * Ar-Rabi’ b. Ziyad, Qatada's authority.

“If anyone acquires a section of the science of the stars for a purpose other than what God has mentioned he has acquired a branch of magic. The astrologer is a kahin, the kahin is a magician, and the magician is an infidel.” Razin transmitted it.

“If God were to withhold rain from his servants for five years and then send it, a section of mankind would be infidels saying they had been supplied with water through the agency of the rainy star al-Mijdah*.” Nasa’i transmitted it. * The word comet from a root meaning to stir up, and the plural is used as a general name for stars which are said to stir up rain, the singular used here may refer to the Hyades, but other explanations are also given. As rainy seasons were connected with particular times at which certain stars rose, the rain was attributed to them.