Permissibility of Hanging Ta'widh

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدي يا نور الله

فداك ابي وامي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

The Ahadith which condemn the wearing of amulets as Shirk refer to those amulets, common in the time of Jahiliyyah, which contained polytheistic incantations and words. Otherwise, we know from some of the Sahabah and Salaf that they held it permissible to hang amulets which contain the Words of Allah, or a supplication from the Sunnah, such as:

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ

I seek refuge in the perfect Words of Allah from His fury, the evil of His servants, the madness of devils and their presence

وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو يُعَلِّمُهُنَّ مَنْ عَقَلَ مِنْ بَنِيهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْقِلْ كَتَبَهُ فَأَعْلَقَهُ عَلَيْهِ

Abdullah bin Amru used to teach this supplication to whoever was mature from his children, and whoever was not matured he would write it for him and hang it upon him (Sunan Abi Dawud)

عَنْ أَبِي عِصْمَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنِ ‌التَّعْوِيذِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي أَدِيمٍ

Abi Ismah asked Sa’id bin al-Musayyib about Ta’widh, he said: No problem if it is in a leather pouch (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah; v.8, p.31, #23890)

عَنْ عَطَاءٍ فِي الْحَائِضِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهَا التَّعْوِيذُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَدِيمٍ فَلْتَنْزِعْهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي قَصَبَةِ فِضَّةٍ فَإِنْ شَاءَتْ وَضَعَتْهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَتْ لَمْ تَضَعْهُ

Ata said about the menstruating woman who has a Ta’widh on her: If it is in a leather pouch let her take it out, but if it is in a silver container she can take it off if she wishes or not take it off if she wishes (ibid, #23891)

كَانَ مُجَاهِدٌ يَكْتُبُ لِلنَّاسِ التَّعْوِيذَ فَيُعَلِّقُهُ عَلَيْهِمْ

Mujahid used to write Ta’widh for the people and hang it upon them (ibid, p.32, #23892)

عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَرَى بَأْسًا بِالشَّيْءِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ

Ibn Sirin did not see any problem with anything from the Quran [for Ta’widh] (ibid, #23895)

عَنْ عَطَاءٍ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يُعَلِّقَ الْقُرْآنَ

Ata said: There is no problem with hanging the Quran [for Ta’widh] (ibid, #23897)

عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ خَبَّابٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ التَّعْوِيذِ يُعَلَّقُ عَلَى الصِّبْيَانِ فَرَخَّصَ فِيهِ

Yunus bin Khabbab said I asked Abu Ja’far [Imam Muhammad al-Baqir] about Ta’widh hung upon a small child and he gave a concession for it (ibid, #23898)

عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرَى بَأْسًا أَنْ يُعَلِّقَ الرَّجُلُ الشَّيْءَ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِذَا وَضَعَهُ عِنْدَ الْغُسْلِ وَعِنْدَ الْغَائِطِ

Adh-Dhahhak did not see any problem in a man hanging something from the Book of Allah provided he removed it while bathing and while using the toilet (ibid, p.33, #23899)

Abdullah bin Ahmad narrates about his father, the great Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal:

رَأَيْت ابي يكْتب التعاويذ للَّذي يقرع وللحمى لاهله وقراباته وَيكْتب للمراة اذا عسر عَلَيْهَا الْولادَة فِي جَام اَوْ شَيْء لطيف وَيكْتب حَدِيث ابْن عَبَّاس إِلَّا انه كَانَ يفعل ذَلِك عِنْد وُقُوع الْبلَاء وَلم اره يفعل هَذَا قبل وُقُوع الْبلَاء ورأيته يعوذ فِي المَاء ويشربه الْمَرِيض وَيصب على رَأسه مِنْهُ وَرَأَيْت ابي يَأْخُذ شَعْرَة من شعر النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فَيَضَعهَا على فِيهِ يقبلهَا واحسب ابي قد رَأَيْته يَضَعهَا على رَأسه اَوْ عينه فغمسها فِي المَاء ثمَّ شربه يستشفي بِهِ ورأيته قد اخذ قَصْعَة النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم بعث بهَا اليه ابو يَعْقُوب بن سُلَيْمَان بن جَعْفَر فغسلها فِي جب مَاء ثمَّ شرب فِيهَا ورأيته غير مرّة يشرب من مَاء زَمْزَم يستشفي بِهِ وَيمْسَح بِهِ يَدَيْهِ وَوَجهه

I saw my father writing Ta’widh for the one who was bald, as well as for his family and relatives for fever. He would write them for a woman when labor became difficult for her in a vessel or something delicate, and he would write the hadith of Ibn Abbas except that he would do that when an affliction occurred. I did not see him do this before an affliction occurred. I saw him reciting incantation in water and giving it to a sick person to drink and pour part of it over his head. And I saw my father holding a strand of the Prophet’s, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, hair, and he placed it on his mouth kissing it, and I reckon I saw him placing it on his head or his eye. Then he dipped it in water and drank it, seeking cure from it. I saw him taking a bowl of the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, which Abu Ya’qub bin Isma’il bin Sulaiman bin Ja’far sent to him. He washed it in a cistern of water, and then drank from it. I saw him, on more than one occasion, drinking some Zamzam water, and seeking cure from it, as well as wiping his hands and face with it (Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad; p.447, #1622)