A Summary of the Book 'Taweez'

The meaning of Taweez

The word taweez is an Urdu rendering of the Arabic word ‘ta’weedh’ which is another word used for tameemah. A tameemah can be defined as an object which is hung on someone or something with the belief that it has the power to repel harm or bring about good fortune. Therefore the words taweez and tameemah are often translated as amulet, charm or talisman.

The History of the Taweez
The taweez is one of the most common objects unearthed by excavators at archaeological sites throughout the world. Some of the earliest taweez unearthed date back to the ancient civilisations of Sumeria, Babylonia and Egypt, whose people generally placed great faith in false deities, magic, astrology and the worship of Jinns. These polytheistic beliefs are reflected in the types of taweez that were used by some of them. It is believed that from these aforementioned civilisations, the practise of using the taweez was inherited - through trading, migration and war - by various nations such as the Hebrews, Greeks, Arabs and Romans, right up to our present day. Consequently, there are peoples across the world who use taweez, many of which resemble those used by the ancients.

The Taweez in Pre-Islamic Arabia
According to what is documented in pre-Islamic poetry, the ancient Arab society appeared to be deeply attached to the use of taweez. The most common types of taweez were in the form of beads, laces and shells. For example, the Wajeehah was a collection of red beads hung by some of the Arabs in order to seek protection from disease.

The Taweez and The Advent of Islam
Since the taweez involves depending on objects for things which only Allah can provide, namely: the attainment of good and protection from harm; the Prophet r clearly prohibited the people from using them. This is because the foremost message of the Prophet r – and all the Prophets before him—was to single out Allah alone in worship and abandon all types of Shirk (associating partners with Allah in worship).

The Prophet’s Prohibition of Taweez
From amongst the several Hadeeths in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited the use of taweez is his statement: “Indeed (polytheistic) Incantations, amulets and tiwalah (a type of magic) are Shirk.” (Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibnu Maajah and others. It is Saheeh).

In another Hadeeth, ‘Uqbah bin ‘Aamir t described how a group of men came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to give him the bay‘ah (pledge of allegiance) and he refused to accept it from one of them. When asked why? He replied: “Indeed he is wearing an amulet.” The man then broke his amulet and the Prophet accepted his pledge saying: “Whoever hangs an amulet has committed Shirk.” (Reported by Ahmad and others. It is Saheeh)

In yet another Hadeeth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Whoever hangs something (as an amulet), he is entrusted to it.” (Recorded by at-Tirmidhee and others. It is Hasan)

Based on these Hadeeths, Scholars unanimously agree that taweez which contain anything polytheistic are strictly forbidden. With regards to taweez which only contain Qur’anic Ayaat or Prophetic supplications, then the Salaf differed with respect to its ruling. However, the preponderant opinion is that such taweez are also forbidden. This is due to the following reasons:The general prohibitions reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), some of which have preceded. As there is no evidence for any exclusions from this rule, the prohibition remains general. If it was permissible to wear Qur’anic taweez, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have delayed the clarification of that.Wearing Qur’anic taweez was possible during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions, but there exists no authentic evidence that they utilised the Qur’an by hanging it.If one follows up the Hadeeths regarding treatment, supplications or remembrances, then they will not find any encouragement to hang them. Instead, they will find abundant references to reading and reciting them.It closes the doors to misuse, such as exploiting Muslims for their money with useless taweez or taweez which degrade the Qur’an by disconnecting its words into letters, drawing grids with letters of certain Surahs, writing the Qur’an backwards, converting the words of Allah into numbers, etc.It protects the Qur’an from being debased as it may be worn while people visit toilets or behave in reprehensible ways.By wearing the taweez, one would be abandoning the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in seeking refuge with Allah and his r manner of treating ailments.

Why Do Some Muslims Wear Taweez?
There are various reasons why Muslims wear taweez, including:The interpretation of various scholars who believed that the prohibitions were only in respect to the taweez used in the Pre-Islamic era. Some scholars also made weak analogies between Ruqyah and wearing the taweez, thereby permitting the taweez based on the same conditions applied to Ruqyah.Widespread ignorance about the Tawheed (Oneness) of Allah, the various types of Shirk and the aforementioned prohibitions of wearing such things and depending on them.Gullibility and beguilement at the hands of so-called saints, pirrs and ‘spiritual’ doctors.

The reality today is that most taweez which are sold to unaware victims contain things which no layman can decipher! Many such taweez contain numbers, grids, letters, diagrams, symbols, etc. which are all based on the practises of magicians and Cabbalists. In some cases, taweez have been found to contain supplications to other than Allah, such as Angels, Prophets and even Jinns! Not only is this ascribing partners to Allah - as none can answer supplications except Him - but it also bears likeness to the taweez used by the Pre-Islamic Arabs and people of other religions who call upon ‘spirits’ to achieve their goals!

The Ruling on Hanging Taweez
The ruling on one who hangs a taweez is based on the intent behind wearing the taweez and the item being worn. If one hangs a taweez such as a thread believing that it has the power to benefit or harm, or one which contains supplications to other than Allah, then this is major Shirk. If one hangs a taweez believing that Allah gives it the power to benefit or harm, then this could be minor shirk as it involves the heart clinging to the taweez instead of Allah alone. As for the one who hangs taweez which only contain Qur’an and prophetic supplications, then the correct opinion, and the one which is most safe, as well as closest to the practise of the Prophet r, is to leave them also and avoid falling under the threat of committing Shirk - the greatest of all sins.

Finally, Allah has not left us without alternatives to the taweez, there are in-fact many types of permissible and even recommended means of seeking protection, treating illnesses and attaining good fortune mentioned in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah, such as: Ruqyah, good deeds and prophetic medicines.

All praise belongs to Allah and may He bestow salah and salam on our Prophet, his family and Companions.