Prophecy about the future or something unseen comes by someone who claims herself as the fortune teller, shaman, or magician. In Indonesia, prophecy is popular with the shaman that give you some predictions. For them who believe it, they will do everything as the shaman said to fulfill the requirements.
The requirements that the shaman gave them sometimes come with non-sense. For example, you have to drink the water then read it the Quran verses like 30 times so that your debt paid off. Hmmm…if so what happened to the bank? They will come in bankruptcy.
While Millenials come with different things about prophecy. A horoscope, and yes, it is very popular as they know by their sign of the zodiac.
The fortune teller will say like your lucky color this week is blue, and then said again “This weekend you will find your love”. Then they followed by wearing a blue shirt along the weekend.
It’s funny to think about how the fortune teller or shaman is believed easily by people. How does Islam see this? Well, for fun maybe still good, but is that lawful to believe it? in the Quran surah, An Naml verse 65 mentions about this.
قُلْ لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ ۗوَمَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ اَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُوْنَ – ٦٥
Say (Muhammad), “There is nothing in the heavens and the earth that knows the occult, except Allah. And they don’t know when they will be resurrected. “
Islam taught us that only Allah knows the occult, that is why we should not believe the fortune teller or so. Here we have 5 Islamic laws of believing prophecy.
1. Believing Prophecy is Kufr
The prophet Muhammad says that whoever comes to the fortuneteller and believed what they said is Kufr. The fortuneteller or shaman will say that they have acknowledgment about something unseen as the future comes by.
By believing this, means far away from the characteristics of believing in Allah earnest. In the Quran surah, An Naml verse 65 above briefly said that no one knows about unseen except Allah.
Following these things, in the Quran surah, An Naml verse 66 mentions about the reason why we should not believe the fortuneteller or so. It rules in Islam a basic to understand for every Muslim and can use as the best time to study the Quran.
بَلِ ادّٰرَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِى الْاٰخِرَةِۗ بَلْ هُمْ فِيْ شَكٍّ مِّنْهَاۗ بَلْ هُمْ مِّنْهَا عَمُوْنَ ࣖ – ٦٦
“Even their knowledge of the afterlife did not reach (there). They even doubt about it (the afterlife). Even they are blind about it.”
2. The Practice of Astrology is Forbidden
Not only practicing astrology but also visiting them, listening to them, and believe them is forbidden. In this modern life, people believe that astrology is made by science to predict the future.
Just like the horoscope, it will give you some clues. But, the accuracy of that is not exactly to happen. Because only Allah knows the exact thing about the future.
In the Quran surah, Al Anam verse 59 mentions about this.
وَعِنْدَهٗ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ اِلَّا هُوَۗ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِۗ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَّرَقَةٍ اِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِيْ ظُلُمٰتِ الْاَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَّلَا يَابِسٍ اِلَّا فِيْ كِتٰبٍ مُّبِيْنٍ – ٥٩
“And the keys of all that is in His possession; no one knows but Him. He knows what is on land and at sea. There is not a single fallen leaf that He does not know. There is not a single seed in the darkness of the earth and not something wet or dry, which is not written in the real book (Lawh Mahfuzh).”
3. Make an Ignorant Person
Believing in prophecy such as what the fortune-teller or the shaman says makes people ignorant. They have their knowledge but still ignorances by this non-sense of things.
Allah gave them the brain and mind to think cleverly but believing in prophecy is ignorant things ever.
In the Quran surah, Al A’raf verse 188 mentions about this.
قُلْ لَّآ اَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِيْ نَفْعًا وَّلَا ضَرًّا اِلَّا مَا شَاۤءَ اللّٰهُ ۗوَلَوْ كُنْتُ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِۛ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوْۤءُ ۛاِنْ اَنَا۠ اِلَّا نَذِيْرٌ وَّبَشِيْرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُّؤْمِنُوْنَ ࣖ – ١٨٨
“Say (Muhammad), “I do not have the power to bring benefits or reject harm for myself except what God wants. If I knew the unseen, surely I would make as many virtues as possible and would not be overwritten by danger. I am only a reminder and a messenger of joy for those who believe. “
4. Allah’s Flawless Knowledge
Believing prophecy such as horoscope is wrong. Reading and listening to it makes us farther away from Allah’s deeds. From time to time it can make lose our Iman towards Allah.
Believe in the fortuneteller is to waste our time because Allah is the perfect knowledge for us. In the Quran surah, An Naml verse 59 mentions about this.
فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلٰى مَوْتِهٖٓ اِلَّا دَاۤبَّةُ الْاَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنْسَاَتَهٗ ۚفَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ اَنْ لَّوْ كَانُوْا يَعْلَمُوْنَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوْا فِى الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِيْنِۗ – ١٤
“So when We have decreed his death (Sulaiman), no one shows them his death except for the termites who eat their sticks. So when he fell, the Jinn knew that if they knew the unseen they would not remain in humiliating torment.”
5. Denying the Qadr
Whoever believing prophecy through horoscopes, fortuneteller, or so is denying the truth about Qadr (destiny). Believing the Qadr is one of the pillars of iman towards Allah as the purpose of believing in Allah for Muslims.
The detail about the future and everything that may happen is written by Allah and only Him knows about it. Even the prophet Muhammad doesn’t know about it.
In the Quran surah, Al-Jinn verses 25- 26 mentions about this.
قُلْ اِنْ اَدْرِيْٓ اَقَرِيْبٌ مَّا تُوْعَدُوْنَ اَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهٗ رَبِّيْٓ اَمَدًا – ٢٥
عٰلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلٰى غَيْبِهٖٓ اَحَدًاۙ – ٢٦
“Say (Muhammad),” I do not know, whether the doom that was threatened on you is near or whether my Lord has set a long time. ” He Knows the unseen, but He does not show anyone the unseen. “
So, there are 5 Islamic laws of believing the prophecy that you should know as the ways to guard yourself from impure in everyday life. May Allah give His blessing to you.