Mishkat al-Masabih

“He who has himself cauterized or uses a spell has exempted himself from trust in God.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Isa b. Hamza told that he went to visit ‘Abdallah b. ‘Ukaim* who was suffering from erysipelas and asked why he did not attach an amulet. He replied, “We seek refuge in God from that. God’s messenger said that if anyone hangs anything on himself he will be left to it.”** Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Mirqat, iv, 510 wrongly gives Hukaim. Cf. Tahdhib, v, 323 f. ** If anyone puts his trust in a charm instead of seeking God’s help His help will be withheld from him.

“No spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a scorpion sting.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on the authority of Buraida.

“No spell is to be used except for the evil eye, or a scorpion sting, or bleeding.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * The text has dam (blood), but it is said that nose-bleeding in particular is what is meant here. Cf. Mirqat, iv, 5U.

Asma’ daughter of ‘Umais said, “Messenger of Go'd, Ja’far’s children are readily susceptible to the influence of the evil eye, so may I use a spell for them?” He replied, “Yes, for if anything could get ahead of the decree the evil eye could.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

“Why do you not teach this one the spell for skin eruptions as you taught her writing?” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Umama b. Sahl b. Hunaif told that ‘Amir b. Rabi'a saw Sahl b. Hunaif bathing and said, “I swear by God that I have seen no skin to compare with what I have seen to-day, not even that of a secluded girl.” Sahl fell to the ground and people went to God’s messenger and said to him, “Messenger of God, can you do anything for Sahl b. Hunaif? We swear by God that he cannot raise his head ” He asked if they suspected anyone, and when they replied that they suspected ‘Amir b. Rabl‘a. God’s messenger summoned ‘Amir, and speaking roughly to him, said, “Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not invoke a blessing? Bathe on his behalf ” ‘Amir then washed on his behalf his face, hands, elbows, knees and toes, and inside his lower garment, collected the water in a vessel and poured it over him, so he recovered and went away with the people none the worse.* It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna. Malik transmitted it, and in his version he said, “The evil eye is real. Perform ablution for him.” He therefore did so. * The trouble was due to the words of praise which were not qualified by any reference to what God might will, and accordingly attributed to the evil eye.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that God’s messenger used to seek refuge in God from jinn and the evil eye in men till the Mu’awwidhatan* came down, after which he made use of them and abandoned everything else. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan gharib tradition. * Qur’an, 113 & 114.

‘A'isha told that God’s messenger asked her, “Have the mugharribun been seen among you?” She asked what that meant and he replied, “They are those in whom is a strain of the jinn.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Mirqat, iv, 514, says this happens if a man neglects to mention God when he has sexual intercourse with his wife.

“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.