English Translation of Al-Quran
[27].Surah Al-Naml [The Ants]
Ayat 47. They said: “We augur ill omen from you and those with you.” He said: “Your ill omen is with Allah; nay, but you are a people that are being tested.”
Ayat 48. And there were in the city nine men (from the sons of their chiefs), who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.
Ayat 49. They said: “Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and afterwards we will surely say to his near relatives: ‘We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily! We are telling the truth”.
Tafseer of Surah Al Naml (The Ants) Ayat 47 to 49. They said: “ill omen do we augur from thee and those that are with thee”. He said: “Your ill omen is with Allah. yea, ye are a people under trial.” All evil unpunished is not evil condoned, but evil given a chance for reform. They are on trial, by the mercy of Allah. What they call “ill omen” is really the just punishment for their ill-deeds, and that punishment rests with Allah. (Cf. 36:18-19). There were in the city nine men of a family, who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. They had made up their minds to wage a relentless war against justice. They did not destroy justice, but justice destroyed them. They said: “Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people, and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): ´We were not present at the slaughter of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.´” A most dastardly plot, because (1) it was to be secret, (2) by night, (3) taking their victims unawares, and (4) because careful provision was made that they should all tell lies together, saying that they knew nothing about it, in order to evade the vengeance which Salih’s heirs (if any were left) or his tribe might want to exact! And yet such were exactly the plots laid against the Holy Prophet PBUH himself.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Muawiya bin Al-Hakam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: “O Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH), I have recently emerged from ignorance and Allah has favoured me with Islam. There are still some men among us who visit the soothsayers to consult them (on matters relating to the future).” He [SAWW](PBUH) replied, “Do not visit them.” I said: “There are some men who are guided by omens.” He replied, “These are the ideas which come up in their minds but you should not be influenced by them (i.e., these things) should not prevent them from pursuing their works.” I said: “There are some men who practice divination by drawing lines on the ground.” The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) replied, “There was a Prophet who drew lines, the line which agrees with the line drawn by that Prophet would be correct.”
[Muslim Book 04,Chapter 51, Hadith # 1094]
Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Naml Ayat 47 “They said: “We augur ill omen from you and those with you”. “These are the ideas which come up in their minds” means that sometimes something appears and one’s mind at once takes it as a bad omen. This is something instinctive and natural and one is not accountable for it. But if one acts in accordance with that omen then what he does is wrong and is, therefore, forbidden. For this reason, the Prophet [SAWW](PBUH) said, “(i.e., these things) should not prevent them from pursuing their works.”
- The drawing of a line mentioned in this Hadith is different from the drawing of lines in Iyafah mentioned earlier. Moreover, that was an act of a Prophet which was done by him in the light of Wahy sent to him by Allah and, therefore, was certainly correct. But now, nobody possesses that knowledge and cannot, therefore, be adopted. The statement of the Prophet (PBUH) that: “The line which agrees with the line drawn by that Prophet would be correct” was by way of elucidation. It does not mean that that act can also be done by anyone today, for how can it be done without knowing its principles. How did that Prophet of Allah draw that line? What were its principles? Since that knowledge has passed away with that Prophet, it is now no longer valid, nor would it be fruitful. Who was the Prophet who did it? Some people say it was Prophet Daniyal (PBUH)(Daniel), while others think it was Prophet Idris (PBUH). Allah Alone knows the truth.