Opposition to Superstition

Islam is the religion of knowledge, awareness and cognition. Seeking truth is interwoven in its essence. Therefore, it cannot be in agreement with ideas that are distant from reality, nor mere conjecture and superstition. Islam does not promote such things, nor does it remain silent concerning them. Rather, the message of this religion is opposition to erroneous ideas that are distant from reality.

The Great Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who propagated this great message and implemented God's law, spent his entire lifetime guiding people to reality. He cautioned them of the danger of ideas that were not based on reality. His campaign against idol worship and the superstitious belief that idols administer the system of creation demonstrated that this prophet of God opposed invalid ideas.

Prior to the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) appointment to prophethood, superstitious beliefs had cast a shadow over the land of Ḥijāz[1] and had darkened the minds of its inhabitants. With the rising of the sun of Islam, many of these superstitions were removed from people's lives because abiding by the teachings of Islam necessitates that one act in contrast to the previously mentioned superstitions. Whatever remained of superstitious beliefs was removed from the hearts and minds of the people by the efforts of the Noble Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).

The following story has been mentioned in books of the Prophet's narrations. Even Sunnī Muslims have narrated this story which clearly demonstrates the Noble Prophet's sensitivity towards superstition:

The Most Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and his wife Māriyah Qibṭiyyah had a son named Ibrāhīm. The Most Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) loved his son very much but the boy passed away when being eighteen months of age. The Most Noble Messenger, a man full of affection, was moved by this incident and he cried, "The heart burns, tears flow, O Ibrāhīm. We are sad because of you (r loss) but we will never say anything that contradicts contentment with the Lord."

The Muslims were upset that the dust of sadness had settled on his blessed heart. Coincidentally, that same day, there was a solar eclipse. The Muslims thought that this was a sign that the higher world was also mourning. This idea spread amongst the people of Madīnah and men and women alike were saying: "The solar eclipse is due to the sadness that has come over the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)."

Even though this caused the faith of the people to grow stronger, the Prophet did not want to take advantage of their vulnerabilities and ignorant thoughts so he went on the pulpit and proclaimed: "This solar eclipse was not due to my son ('s death). Solar and lunar eclipses are among God's signs."[2]

Supplication

Supplication (du'ā’) and seeking God's help, which have been referred to in some narrations as 'the weapon of the believer' and 'the reality of worship', are important factors in overcoming difficulties and crises. Supplicating strengthens the morale of the one who prays to God and keeps hope alive in his heart. By means of supplication, man connects with the Source of Existence. By seeking His help, man takes a step towards perfection. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) maintained the spirit of supplicating and seeking God's help in all his actions. He sought God's help in a particular manner:

"He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would raise his hands when supplicating and would beseech (God) just as the poor who beg for food."[3]

In this section, mention will be made of some instances of his prayers in various circumstances:

1. When he would hear the call to prayer (adhān), in addition to repeating the sentences of the adhān, at the end he would say,

"O God, Lord of this complete invitation and established prayer, give Muḥammad that which he seeks on the Day of Judgment and allow him to reach the rank of forgiveness in Paradise and accept his intercession for his community."[4]

2. In the middle of the night, he would prostrate upon the soil and say,

"O God, never entrust (leave) me to myself for even one moment (the time it takes to blink)."[5]

3. When he would sit to eat, he would say,

"O God, You are above (any imperfection), how great is that with which You test us. You are above (any imperfection), how plentiful is that which You give us. You are above (any imperfection), how often it is that You protect us from sickness. O God, increase us (in sustenance) and likewise (increase in sustenance) the poor amongst the believers."[6]

4. When preparing to sleep, he would seek help from God in the following manner:

"In the name of God I die and I live and unto Him is the return. O God, replace my fear with security, cover my faults and help me to fulfill that with which I have been entrusted."[7]

5. When he would see the new moon (which heralds the beginning of a new month in the Islamic calendar), he would raise his hands and say,

"O God, accompany it (the new moon) with safety, faith and health for us."[8]

6. At the start of the New Year, he would seek help from God in the following manner:

"O God, You are the infinitely pre-existing God, and this is a new year, so I ask of you protection from Satan, the strength to overcome this soul that commands to do evil and to be occupied with that which brings me closer to You, O Generous One, O Possessor of Splendor and Kindness, O Supporter of him who has no support, O Source of Provision of him who has no provision, O Refuge for him who has no refuge, O Helper of him who has no help..."[9]