63- Ruling on people who predict the future
Q: There are some people in our area who are considered to be righteous. People used to visit them in their houses to know certain things. Someone, for example, visits them and they tell him that he will succeed in his studies. If someone wants to dig a well, he brings one of them who asks him to dig in a certain place. He digs in the place he appointed for him and gets water a few meters underground though he dug this place earlier without getting any water. Moreover, we find that those people predict future events as telling, for example, that this building will deteriorate a few times later or that this year will have a good harvest. What is the ruling on these issues? May Allah reward you well!
A: We have to discuss this matter in detail. If they claim to know these things without depending on material causes, they are soothsayers who should not be asked or believed. Moreover, they should be forbidden from doing so. Rulers should ask them to repent and punish those who do these things again. It seems that those people claim to know the Ghayb (the Unseen) and what makes them great in people's sight. Therefore, they lead people astray and cause them to be confused because of fortune telling. But, if the causes behind telling this information are well-known as the person who knows the best places for finding water and he is examined in this regard, there will be no harm. He goes, for example, to the place and examines it and ponders about the material causes as trees, plants and valleys, then he says that water may be found in this place. There is no harm in this regard as he is not telling the fortune. This is because knowing places where water is available is a science that depends upon causes and indications. Likewise, if he says to someone that he will succeed in his studies, there will be no harm in this regard if he examined him and came to know that he is good. Therefore, if he says, in this case, that this person will succeed, Allah willing, there will be no harm as there are causes for that. But, if he prophesies that this person will succeed without examining him or being acquainted with his status, his claim is invalid. This is because Allah alone knows the Ghayb and no one else has any knowledge in this regard. Therefore, if those people claim to know the Ghayb and predict future events without depending upon material causes, they are misguided and should be punished and prevented from practicing these matters. Moreover, there will be no blame if a person knows these things depending upon legal material causes as it was mentioned earlier. He tests the boy and realizes his ability in his studies and the lesson he reads, then he says to the boy that he will succeed, Allah willing. He said that because he realized that this person is a genius and diligent in his studies. Likewise, if a person goes to the place where they want to dig and examines it and the surrounding area of trees and mountains and it appears to him that there may be water in that place, there will be no harm in this regard. Those people usually say the right thing and may also make mistakes. This is the reality as it was mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim and other scholars. They said that there are signs for knowing where water can be found. But, whoever claims to know these things without going to the place and examines it, is a liar.
[Vol. 2, Page No. 181]
Q: There are some people in our area who are considered to be righteous. People used to visit them in their houses to know certain things. Someone, for example, visits them and they tell him that he will succeed in his studies. If someone wants to dig a well, he brings one of them who asks him to dig in a certain place. He digs in the place he appointed for him and gets water a few meters underground though he dug this place earlier without getting any water. Moreover, we find that those people predict future events as telling, for example, that this building will deteriorate a few times later or that this year will have a good harvest. What is the ruling on these issues? May Allah reward you well!
A: We have to discuss this matter in detail. If they claim to know these things without depending on material causes, they are soothsayers who should not be asked or believed. Moreover, they should be forbidden from doing so. Rulers should ask them to repent and punish those who do these things again. It seems that those people claim to know the Ghayb (the Unseen) and what makes them great in people's sight. Therefore, they lead people astray and cause them to be confused because of fortune telling. But, if the causes behind telling this information are well-known as the person who knows the best places for finding water and he is examined in this regard, there will be no harm. He goes, for example, to the place and examines it and ponders about the material causes as trees, plants and valleys, then he says that water may be found in this place. There is no harm in this regard as he is not telling the fortune. This is because knowing places where water is available is a science that depends upon causes and indications. Likewise, if he says to someone that he will succeed in his studies, there will be no harm in this regard if he examined him and came to know that he is good. Therefore, if he says, in this case, that this person will succeed, Allah willing, there will be no harm as there are causes for that. But, if he prophesies that this person will succeed without examining him or being acquainted with his status, his claim is invalid. This is because Allah alone knows the Ghayb and no one else has any knowledge in this regard. Therefore, if those people claim to know the Ghayb and predict future events without depending upon material causes, they are misguided and should be punished and prevented from practicing these matters. Moreover, there will be no blame if a person knows these things depending upon legal material causes as it was mentioned earlier. He tests the boy and realizes his ability in his studies and the lesson he reads, then he says to the boy that he will succeed, Allah willing. He said that because he realized that this person is a genius and diligent in his studies. Likewise, if a person goes to the place where they want to dig and examines it and the surrounding area of trees and mountains and it appears to him that there may be water in that place, there will be no harm in this regard. Those people usually say the right thing and may also make mistakes. This is the reality as it was mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim and other scholars. They said that there are signs for knowing where water can be found. But, whoever claims to know these things without going to the place and examines it, is a liar.
[Vol. 2, Page No. 181]
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