Wearing Ring, Amulets, Twine, Ruqa (incantation), Talismans or anything similar for lifting Harm or Affliction, is Shirk

To wear a Ring, Twine, or anything similar to them for prevention or lifting of Harm or Affliction, is an act of Shirk

Allaah the Almighty said:

“Say: Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides Allaah, -if Allaah intended some harm for me, could they remove His harm, or if He (Allaah) intended some mercy for me, could they withhold His Mercy? Say: Sufficient for me is Allaah; in Him those who trust (i.e. believers) must put their trust.” [Quran, 39:38]

Imran bin Husain (May Allaah be pleased with him) narrated:

The Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) once saw a man with a brass ring on his hand and asked him, “What is this?” The man replied, “To overcome the weakness of old age.” He said, “Remove it, for, it can only add to your weakness. Should death overtake you while you are wearing it, you would never succeed.” [This Hadith was recorded by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (May Allaah be pleased with him) with a good chain of narrators.]

He also recorded a Marfu’ Hadith; Uqbah bin Aamir (May Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever wears talisman or an amulet would never see his wish fulfilled by Allaah. And whoever hangs a sea shell would never get peace and rest.” [Ahmad]

In an another version the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) is reported to have said:

“Whoever wears a talisman has committed Shirk (polytheism).” [Ahmad]

Ibn Abi Hatim reported about Hudhaifah (May Allaah be pleased with him):

He saw a man with a piece of twine on his hand (as a protection or cure from fever) so he cut the twine and read the verse: “Most of them believe in Allaah and still practise Shirk (polytheism).” (Quran, 12:106)

Important Points

1. The strict forbiddance of wearing rings, twines and the like.
2. If the Companion had died wearing such a thing, he would not have succeeded (in the Hereafter). This is a confirmation to the statement of the Companions that minor Shirk is greater (worse) than major sins.
3. Ignorance was no excuse.
4. Wearing any such article will not benefit this life. Indeed, it is harmful as was stated by the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) “It will do nothing except increase weakness.”
5. The intense disapproval and censure of whoever does such a deed.
6. The declaration that whoever attaches something to himself will have that thing put in charge of him.
7. The declaration that whoever wears an amulet has committed Shirk.
8. Hoping to get cured from fever by using a talisman is Shirk.
9. Hudhaifah’s reciting the verse of Quran is a clear-cut proof that Companions used to recite the verses dealing with the major Shirk to condemn minor Shirk. As Ibn Abbas (May Allaah be pleased with him) did by reciting the verse from Surah Al-Baqarah. (Quran, 2:165).
10. Seeking relief against evil eye by using amulets is Shirk.
11. The curse upon those who use amulets that their wishes should not be granted by Allaah and those who use shells will not get rest nor peace. That is, Allaah has left them.

Ruqa (incantation), Talismans and Amulets

Narrated Abu Bashir Al-Ansari (May Allaah be pleased with him):

He was in the company of Allaah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) on one of his journeys, Allaah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) sent a messenger ordering: “There shall not remain any necklace of bowstring or any other kind of necklace round the necks of camels except it is cut off.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Ibn Mas’ud (May Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard Allaah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) saying:

“Ar-Ruqa, At-Tama’im and At-Tiwalah are all acts of Shirk (polytheism),” [Musnad Ahmad; Abu Dawud]

At-Tama’im is the act of putting an amulet around the necks of children to save them from the effects of evil eye! If the amulet contains the verses of the Quran or Allaah’s Names or Attributes then it is allowed by some ancestors and disallowed by some. Ibn Mas’ud (May Allaah be pleased with him) was among those who disapproved it, Ar-Ruqa or Al-Aza’im is the act of reciting incantations, charm etc. Those are allowed in which there is no trace of Shirk (polytheism), Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) has permitted it in case of being bitten by poisonous insects or disturbed under the effect of an evil eye, At-Tiwalah (bewitchment) is something done by those who claim they can cause a woman to be more beloved by her husband or vice-versa.

Abdullah bin Ukaim narrated the following Marfu’ Hadith:

“Whoever uses, attaches or wears a talisman to himself, will have that talisman put in charge of him” [Ahmad & Tirmidhi]

Ahmad reported the tradition of Ruwaifi’ (May Allaah be pleased with him) who said that Allaah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) said to him:

“O Ruwaifi’, it may be that you will live a longer time after me, so inform people that whoever ties a knot in his beard, places any string or cord around the neck (as a charm), or cleans himself (after toilet) with animal dung or bone, then Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon him) has disowned him (has nothing to do with him).”

Sa’id bin Jubair said:

“Whoever cut an amulet or talisman from anyone, it would be equal to liberating a slave.”

It was Waki’, who recorded it and he reported from Ibrahim Nakh’i that they used to dislike every type of amulets and talismans whether that contained the verses of Quran or anything else, [They were the companions of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allaah be pleased with him)].

Important Points

1. Explanation of incantations (Ar-Ruqa) and amulets (At- Tama’im).
2. Explanation of bewitchment (At-Tiwalah).
3. That all the three above-mentioned are acts of Shirk without exception.
4. Reciting an incantation (Ruqyah), using words of truth, for seeking protection from evil eye or scorpion bite is not like Shirk.
5. Ulama have different opinions about using the amulets containing the verses of Quran.
6. Putting on necklaces on animals against evil eye amounts to committing Shirk.
7. Anyone tying the bowstring (or committing such practices) has been warned of severe punishment.
8. The reward of a person who cuts off an amulet of someone.
9. The statement of Ibrahim Nakh’i that early Muslims used to avoid amulets whether it contained Quranic verses or anything else is not contradictory as the reference here is to the companions of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allaah be pleased with him).

Source: An Explanation of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s Kitab At-Tawhid, The Book of Monotheism. Chapter No: 7 & 8. By ‘Allamah ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sa’di, Slightly paraphrased.