THE HOLY QURAN, RUKYA, TAWEEZ AND USING NUMERICALS (786 etc.)
quddusa...@hotmail.com
Merciful
All Praise to Allah (the Lord of the Creation) - and countless
blessings upon our master the Holy Prophet Mohammed, and upon his
progeny and followers.
A. ETIQUETTES OF HANDLING THE HOLY QURAN
Allah the Supreme states in the Holy Qur'an (Surah Hajj Verse 30 & 32)
So it is; and whoever reveres the sacred things of Allah - that is
then a goodness for him in the sight of his Lord; the inarticulate
animals are lawful to you except those the forbidding of which is
recited to you, therefore shun the filth of idols, and avoid false
speech.
So it is; and whoever reveres the symbols of Allah - this is then
part of the piety of the hearts.
The above verses of the Holy Qur'an, were revealed during the course
of Hajj undertaken by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him). The symbols (or signs) of Allah are several - such as the Holy
Prophet, the Holy Ka'ba, the Two Sacred Mosques, the Station of
Ibrahim, the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, the miracles of the Holy
Prophets, the alternation of Night and Day etc., and undoubtedly the
Holy Qur'an itself. In fact each and every Ayah (verse) of the Holy
Qur'an is in itself one sign of Allah. Those who denied the Ayahs of
the Holy Qur'an have been reprimanded in the Qur'an itself - that
they deny the signs of Allah!
On several occasions in the Qur'an and Hadith it has been strictly
prohibited to defile those things which Allah has deemed sacred. And
the Sign of Allah which we Muslims perhaps deal with the most is the
Holy Qur'an. It is therefore imperative to know the proper manners of
handling the Holy Qur'an - SOME OF WHICH are mentioned below:-
1. It is the inviolability of the Qur'an: not to touch the Qur'an
except in the state of ritual purity in ablution (wuzu) Allah the
Supreme states "None may touch it, except with ablution." [Surah
Waqiah -79]
2. Not to recite it when in need of obligatory bath.
3. It is unlawful (haraam) for someone not in the state of
ablution to carry a Qur'an, even by a trap or in a box , or touch it,
whether its writing, the spaces between its lines, its margins,
binding, the carrying strap attached to it, or the bag or box it is in.
States Allah the Supreme in "None may touch it, except with
ablution." [Waqiah -79] It is however permissible to carry books of
Sacred Law (Shari'ah), Hadith, or Qur'anic tafsir, provided that most
of their text is not Qur'an.
4. When one finishes reading the Qur'an, not to leave it open.
5. Not to place other books upon the Qur'an, which should always
be higher than all other books, whether they are books of Sacred
Knowledge or something else.
6. To place the Qur'an on one's lap when reading; or on something
in front of one, not on the floor.
7. Not to wipe it from a slate with spittle, but rather wash it
off with water; and if one washes it off with water, to avoid putting
the water where there are unclean substances or where people walk.
8. When writing the Qur'an to do so in a clear, elegant hand.
9. Not to write it on the ground or on walls, as is done in some
new mosques.
10. When passing it to someone, pass it with respect. Not to toss or
throw it towards someone.
11. Not to enter the lavatory carrying the Holy Qur'an. This is a
great sin - and if done so on purpose, it is Kufr (blasphemy).
12. Not to enter the lavatory wearing an amulet (Taweez) having words
from the Qur'an, unless it is encased in leather, silver, or other,
for then it is as if kept in the heart.
13. If one writes it and then drinks it (for cure or other purpose),
one should say the Bismillah at every breath and make a noble and
worthy intention, for Allah only gives to one according to one's
intention.
The above amply illustrates the importance of handling the Holy
Qur'an with the deepest respect.
We hear some people say "Respect should be in the heart". True. But
does this mean that there is no need to handle the Book with respect?
Definitely incorrect to deem so. Actions reflect your inner feelings.
Only a fool would claim to have respect in the heart if his actions are
to the contrary!
There are some who also say "the Qur'an needs to read or adhered to
in practice". True. But does this mean that there is no need to
handle the Book with respect? Definitely incorrect to deem so. Only an
ignoramus would claim to be following the Qur'an while going against
the Holy Quran's injunction of having deep respect for it.
Wearing a finger ring with the name of Allah inscribed on it, is a
Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him.) But the
reverence of the inscribed words is so great, that we are commanded to
take it off when going to the toilet.
A man named Bishr was coming home drunk one rainy night and who saw a
piece of paper with some writing on it in the mud. Upon closer
examination he saw that the writing was the name of God in Arabic,
ALLAH. He picked up the paper, cleaned it, and placed it in a high
place in his house. Later on he had a dream in which he heard Allah
tell him: Because you raised our Name high, We shall raise up your name
in this world and the next. Bishr became a great saint who is known
even to many non-Muslims. (Qushayri's "Sufi Principles", and Fariduddin
Attar's "Memorial of the Saints").
B. RUKYA
Allah the Creator of all things has placed particular characteristics
in the things that He has created. Poison kills, Medicine cures, Fire
burns, Water cools, Food nourishes, a drink quenches thirst, etc.
Narrated Sa`d (may Allah be pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Whoever takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the
morning will not be effected by magic or poison on that day." (Saheeh
Bukhari)
These are material things, which cause what Allah has characterized
them with. It is Allah Who is the Creator, and in reality the One who
is creating the effect.
This is so with the usage of the Qur'an too. The words we recite or
write from the Holy Qur'an give rise to the effect that is natured in
them by Allah. Treating oneself with Taweez containing verses of the
Qur'an is similar to treating oneself with medication. By using
medication, one merely places his trust in Allah and uses the
medication as a means of cure. The effect in the means is with the Will
of Allah so too is the usage of the Taweez.
There are several proofs which clarify this, SOME OF WHICH are:-
1. The Holy Qur'an contains two well-known Surahs - Surah
Falaq and Surah Naas - which are also called Al-Muawidhatan (the two
warders - or the two Taweez). These two Surahs were revealed after an
evil spell had been cast on the Holy Prophet by some Jews.
2. Narrated `Aisha (Allah be well pleased with her):
Whenever Allah's Apostle became ill, he used to recite Al-Muawidhatan
(i.e. the last two Suras of the Qur'an) and then blow his breath and
passed his hand over himself. When he had his fatal illness, I started
reciting Al-Muawidhatan and blowing my breath over him as he used to
do, and then I rubbed the hand of the Prophet over his body. (Saheeh
Bukhari)
3. Narrated Abu Sa`id (Allah be well pleased with him):
Some of the companions of the Prophet went on a journey till they
reached some of the 'Arab tribes (at night). They asked the latter to
treat them as their guests but they refused. The chief of that tribe
was then bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and they tried
their best to cure him but in vain. Some of them said (to the others),
"Nothing has benefited him, will you go to the people who resided here
at night, it may be that some of them might possess something (as
treatment)," They went to the group of the companions (of the Prophet )
and said, "Our chief has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a
scorpion) and we have tried everything but he has not benefited. Have
you got anything (useful)?" One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah! I can
recite a Rukya, but as you have refused to accept us as your guests, I
will not recite the Rukya for you unless you fix for us some wages for
it." They agrees to pay them a flock of sheep. One of them then went
and recited (Surat-ul-Fatiha): 'All the praises are for the Lord of the
Worlds' and puffed over the chief who became all right as if he was
released from a chain, and got up and started walking, showing no signs
of sickness. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e.
the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among
themselves, but the one who performed the recitation said, "Do not
divide them till we go to the Prophet and narrate the whole story to
him, and wait for his order." So, they went to Allah's Apostle and
narrated the story. Allah's Apostle asked, "How did you come to know
that Surat-ul-Fatiha was recited as Rukya?" Then he added, "You have
done the right thing. Divide (what you have earned) and assign a share
for me as well." The Prophet smiled thereupon. (Saheeh Bukhari)
Another version of the same incident is narrated as under:-
4. Narrated Ibn `Abbas (Allah be well pleased with him)
Some of the companions of the Prophet passed by some people staying at
a place where there was water, and one of those people had been stung
by a scorpion. A man from those staying near the water, came and said
to the companions of the Prophet, "Is there anyone among you who can do
Ruqya as near the water there is a person who has been stung by a
scorpion." So one of the Prophet's companions went to him and recited
Surat-al-Fatiha for a sheep as his fees. The patient got cured and the
man brought the sheep to his companions who disliked that and said,
"You have taken wages for reciting Allah's Book." When they arrived at
Medina, they said, ' O Allah's Apostle! (This person) has taken wages
for reciting Allah's Book" On that Allah's Apostle said, "You are most
entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah's Book." (Saheeh
Bukhari)
The proofs of using words from the Holy Qur'an or the beautiful names
of Allah, as a means of healing and warding off evils are so many that
it is impossible to list them.
It is reported that the evil Pharoah (Firaun) had the words
"Bismillah AlRahman AlRaheem" inscribed on one of the walls of his
palaces. Due to this, Allah delayed his due punishment for several
years, although the unbeliever claimed himself to be a God, and whereas
Syedna Moosa (peace and blessings be upon him) had once prayed to Allah
to punish the Pharaoh for his misdeeds (Tafseer Naeemi). Such is the
effect of the Holy Qur'an!!
The Holy Qur'an is therefore used not only by recitation but also by
inscribing its words on paper (or other material) to gain the effect
placed in them by Allah. Almost every Muslim household will have some
wall frame containing the images of Holy Places with words from the
Holy Qur'an inscribed, in order to gain the blessings of Allah. We
find in one very famous Hadith a prohibition of using live images as
such:-
Narrated Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him):
I heard Allah's Apostle saying; "Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house
wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being
or an animal). (Saheeh Bukhari).
We can therefore assume that the opposite is also true - the angels of
Mercy do come to houses where the Qur'an is kept, or its words are
inscribed in a frame.
As proven above, the use of Rukyas is a Sunnah and yet some people
oppose its use. They cite the following Hadith which prohibits the use
of Rukyas which were used by people at the times of ignorance, and
which contained polytheistic words.
The Holy Prophet - (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The
people were displayed in front of me and I saw one Prophet passing by
with a large group of his followers, another Prophet passing by with
only a small group of people, another Prophet passing by with only ten
(persons), another Prophet passing by with only five (persons), and
another Prophet passed by alone. And then I looked and saw a large
multitude of people (sawâd 'azîm), so I asked Gibreel: "Are these
people my followers?" He said: "No, but look towards the
horizon." I looked and saw a very large multitude of people. Gibril
said: "Those are your followers, and there are seventy thousand of
them in front of them who will neither have any reckoning of their
accounts nor will receive any punishment." I asked: "Why?" He
said: "They used not to treat themselves with cauterization nor
amulets, nor to see auguries and omens in birds, and they relied solely
upon their Lord." On hearing this, 'Ukkasha ibn Mihsan stood up and
said to the Prophet - "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The
Prophet said: "O Allah, make him one of them." Then another man
stood up and said to the Prophet: "Invoke Allah to make me one of
them." The Prophet said: 'Ukkasha has preceded you with this
request." (Saheeh Bukhari)
Here in this Hadith the word amulets denotes the Jahili Rukyas used by
the ignorant. These are made with spells, incantations, charms, magic
etc., which are forbidden in religion. This is what the Holy Prophet
meant in the above Hadith. It does not relate to the Rukya according to
the Holy Prophet's Sunnah consisting of using some verses of the
Qur'an or the permitted supplications for treatment.
5. It is reported in a Hadith that there is no harm in reciting
formulas for cure if this does not involve Shirk. (Abu Dawud).
6. Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him):
I have memorized two kinds of knowledge from Allah's Apostle . I have
propagated one of them to you and if I propagated the second, then my
pharynx (throat) would be cut (i.e. killed). (Saheeh Bukhari)
The following Ahadith are proofs of written Rukyas:-
7. As for Ta'weez, Hadhrat ibn Amr ibn al-Aas (Allah be well pleased
with him) used to write some words and hang it on the necks of
children. (Abu Dawud).
8. Yahya related to me from Malik that Humayd ibn Qays alMakki (Allah
be well pleased with him) said, "A man came to the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the two sons of Jafar ibn
Abi Talib. He said to their nursemaid, 'Why do I see them so thin?'
Their nursemaid said, 'Messenger of Allah, the evil eye goes quickly to
them. Nothing stops us from asking someone to make talismans (using
ayats of Qur'an) for them, except that we do not know what of that
would agree with you.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, 'Make talismans for them. Had anything been able
to precede the decree, the evil eye would precede it.' " (Muwata -
Imam Malik)
9. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Sulayman
ibn Yasar that Urwa ibn azZubayr (Allah be well pleased with him) told
him that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) entered the house of Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace. There was a child weeping in the
house, and they told him that it was from the evil eye. Urwa said, "The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why
do you not find someone to make a talisman to protect it from the evil
eye?' " (Muwata - Imam Malik)
10. When Egypt was conquered by the Muslims, there was a custom to
throw a girl in the Nile River on the 11th night of one of the
non-Arabic months in order that the Nile would continue to flow. It was
believed that without throwing a girl into it, the Nile would not flow.
Amr Ibn al-As wrote to the Caliph 'Umar concerning this custom. 'Umar
sent a message to the Nile saying: "If you were flowing before by your
own power, we do not want you to run; and if Allah is the one who makes
you flow, we ask the Almighty to make you flow." Amr Ibn al-As threw
the letter of 'Umar into the Nile one day before the Christian
commemoration of the crucifixion. The following morning they woke up to
find the river flowing stronger and had gone up 48 feet in one night.
(Ibn Hajar, in Al-Sawa'iq)
A large Taweez, written with black ink on cloth, is on display in the
Museum attached to the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. It is written by non
other than Ameer ulMomineen Syedna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
The Holy Qur'an, thus when written, becomes a perpetual sort of
supplication to Allah by the one who is wearing it or has it inscribed
somewhere.
We can summarize the above two chapters to say that:-
(a) It is obligatory on all Muslims to handle the Holy Qur'an with
the deepest respect.
(b) It is legal (jaez) to use the Qur'an as a means of warding off
evil (Taweez) and writing it down to gain the benefit that Allah has
kept in it.
C. WHY USE NUMERALS
The science of numbers and numerology existed among the Arabs before
the advent of Islam. It is nothing new.
In fact the decimal system which is the widely used all over the world
came also from the Arabs. Perhaps mathematics would not have made such
the advances, without the decimal system. (The only reason binary codes
are used in computer languages that they have only two numerals, and
each numeral represents a positive and negative sign - a requirement
for the only two electrical charges - i.e. positive and negative.)
The Arabs had evolved numerology in their language, each number letter
representing a letter of the Arabic alphabet. (Alif is 1, Ba is 2, Jeem
is 3, Daal is 4, etc., right upto Dhaad which is 1000).
We also know that the Holy Qur'an, as it is, came in the Arabic
language because we human beings need a language to understand it.
Allah does not need sound, words, or alphabets to convey His message.
His speech transcends the physical barriers that humans face. Many a
times, the revelation came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) not in the form of words, but in the form of just alphabets,
or like the ringing of bells etc, as in evident form the following
Hadith.
Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is
the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle replied,
"Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of
Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after
I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form
of a man and talks to me and I grasp what he says." (Saheeh Bukhari).
It is also evident that if Allah willed, the Holy Qur'an could have
been revealed in any other language or as a mathematical code.
D. THE QURAN IS ALSO A NUMERICAL MIRACLE
One of the challenges that the Holy Qur'an puts forth to the world is
that no one can ever bring a Book that is equal to it. Not only is the
challenge in terms of richness of language, but also in its consistency
and lack of mistakes or contradiction. Detailed research has shown that
the Qur'an is also a mathematical miracle - some of the examples
are:-
Al-Muddathir, verses 30 & 35, says;
(30)Dominated by Nineteen. (35)It is indeed one of the great (miracles)
These verses tell us that the number Nineteen was designated by God to
prove that the Qur'an is from God and that, as the instrument of
authentication, it is a great miracle.
At the outset, please remember that Allah is Wahid (One). As per
numerical values, this also adds up to 19!!
The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters 114 = 19 x 6
The first chapter of the Qur'an is Al-Fatihah and its first verse is
the "Bismillah". It consists of nineteen alphabetic letters. 19 = 19 x
1
The word Allah, occurs 2698 times in the Qur'an 2698 2698 = (19 x
142)
The word AlRahmaan occurs 57 times (57 = 19 x 3)
The word AlRaheem occurs 114 times (114 = 19 x 6)
The occurrence of all the words of the "Bismillah" in multiples of
nineteen demonstrates that it cannot be the product of chance alone. An
attempt to compose any text to contain a designated number of letters,
the sum of which is a multiple of any specific number, will quickly
demonstrate its impossibility.
Surah 9, Bara'ah (Taubah) , is the only chapter in the Qur'an that is
not preceded by the "Bismillah". This would make the number of
"Bismallah" in the Qur'an 113. If one counts 19 chapters, beginning
with chapter 9, one arrives at chapter 27 An-Naml; this chapter has 2
"Bismillah", one, un-numbered, at the head, and the other in verse 30,
thus making the number 114 to match the number of chapters in the
Qur'an. (114 = 19 x 6)
The foregoing is only a minute fraction of the miracle God refers to at
chapter 74, Al-Muddathir, verse 35, as one of the great miracles. "It
is indeed one of the great miracles."
E. NUMBERS IN SOME COMMANDS FOUND IN QUR'AN AND HADITH
1. Allah multiplies the reward of good deeds from 10 to 700
times.
2. Reciting the Surah Ikhlas 3 times, gives the reward of
reciting the entire Qur'an.
3. Reciting the Surah Kafiroon 4 times, gives the reward of
reciting the entire Qur'an.
4. Praying in congregation multiplies the reward 27 times.
5. We have been guided to recite the words 'SubhanAllah'
'AlHandolillah' and 'Allahu Akbar' 33 times each.
F . SUMMARY
The earliest of the Ulema, Syedna Ali bin Abu Talib being one of them
used the science of Numerals to write Taweez using verses from the Holy
Qur'an, and using the beautiful names of Allah the Supreme. We cite
the reasons again:-
1. It is obligatory on all Muslims to handle the Holy Qur'an
with the deepest respect.
2. The taweez so prepared can be worn at all times, even carried
to the washroom provided it is fully covered.
3. No one without ablution may be able to touch the sacred words.
4. It may not be defiled if fallen into the hands of infidels.
5. It may not be inadvertently thrown into rubbish.
6. Using numbers also gives one great benefit - that is reducing
the size of the Rukya (taweez). Entire verses or Surahs of the Holy
Qur'an can be written down in a few figures, which makes it easier to
write, wear or carry.
G. OBJECTIONS TO USING NUMBERS AND THEIR ANSWERS
Using the numerical values, the word Allah adds up to 66. Bismillah
AlRahmaan AlRaheem, adds up to 786. Mohammed adds up to 92. Wahid
equals 19. There have been objections that the use of 786 (or other
numbers) to write Rukya / Taweez is incorrect. The objections and their
answers are as below:-
Objection # 1
This is a Bidat. It was not done before.
The Answer :
Numerology existed before the advent of Qur'an. Therefore it is not
something new. The Sahaba were the first to use numerology in writing
Rukya.
Objection # 2
The Holy Prophet Mohammed and Prophet Suliaman (peace and blessings be
upon them) did not write 786 in the letters they wrote to the kings or
queens. Instead they used the full words "Bismillah AlRahmaan
AlRaheem."
The Answer
The answer is very simple. The infidels who got these letters for the
first time, would never be able to understand what 786 meant. The
Bismillah was written in order for them to understand it, and to know
that the letters are coming from the Prophets, who are the bondmen of
Allah.
Objection # 3
People will start replacing the Bismillah with the numbers 786 in the
Holy Qur'an.
The Answer
No one will ever do that, because the Holy Qur'an is meant to be
read.
Objection # 4
786 is also the numerical total of the words Hari Krishna (a Hindu
deity). It will therefore lead to blasphemy.
The Answer.
This is absolutely wrong. The (I) after Hari is not a vowel like (Ya)
in Arabic. It is the equivalent of "Kasra" (Zer) which has no value
in numerology. So too is the (I) in word Krishna. Further, the letter
(N) is not the 'noon' we know in Arabic - in fact it has no
equivalent in Arabic at all!. The (a) in word Krishna is not a vowel
like (alif or hamzah) in Arabic. The total of the words Hari Krishna
would not be 786.
There is no danger of Shirk here. The objection that it may become
blasphemy if the numbers match, is so absurd it makes one wonder. For
example, when the polytheists of Mecca accepted Allah to be one more
God (in addition to the numerous they had), did the Holy Prophet stop
calling the real God as Allah??. If the polytheists of this age start
praying to their deities in the manner we offer our Salat, will then
our Salat become a blasphemy?? If the above were true, should we then
remove the number '1' (one) from the digits because Allah is One?
Or remove the number '19' (nineteen) from the digits because Allah
is Wahid which totals 19? Or remove the number '66' (sixty six)
from the digits because the word Allah totals 66? Or remove the number
'786' from the digits because Bismillah adds up to 786?
Thousands of Christians gather to hear the Pope every year. Millions of
Hindus attend the Kumbh Mela and take a dip in the river Ganges. Does
this mean we should stop performing Hajj, or stop taking a bath in a
river? The Christians preach Christianity, the Hindus their own
religion. Does it mean that we should stop preaching Islam?
Should we stop calling Allah as "Rahmaan" because the polytheists
also call their idols merciful? Should we stop calling Allah
"Great" because the polytheists call their idols great? The list is
endless, and the objection extremely senseless.
Objection # 5
If one fears abuse of the letter, etc. 'Bismillaah al-Rahmaan
al-Raheem' should be recited verbally at the beginning of the letter
which will suffice for the written script.
The Answer
What if you want to write the Bismillah or other words for cure?? Just
reciting them will not make a written Rukya.
Objection # 6
People do not put their trust in Allah, but put their trust in the
Rukya itself.
The Answer
This is an objection against using Rukya, not for using numbers in
them. It has already been established that using Rukya is a Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet as well as the Sahaba.. People believe that the Rukya
is a means and its effect is given by Allah, which is already explained
in the previous paragraphs.
And Allah knows best.
All Praise to Allah (the Lord of the Creation) - and countless
blessings upon our master the Holy Prophet Mohammed, and upon his
progeny and followers. May Allah keep us on the Straight Path -
Aameen.
Mohammed Aqib Farid
