Question (Q-68)
If a woman’s child dies or she has a stillbirth, is it permissible to class her to be untouchable or a bad omen thus keeping her away from gatherings and confining her to her house?
Answer:
It is utter ignorance and completely false to consider a woman whose child dies or who has a still birth to be an evil omen or to consider it to be bad luck for her shadow to fall upon a woman or a virgin claiming that this will cause them to also be afflicted with loss of a child. It is furthermore a display of ignorance to confine this aggrieved female to her home and to keep her away from gatherings and events.
To consider someone or something as bad luck is a polytheist custom. There is no such thing as bad luck in our Blessed Religion of Islām.
Similarly, keeping a woman who is in her menstrual cycle or post natal bleeding away from someone who is having an eye operation is also cruel and ignorant. The Holy Prophet of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالىٰ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِه وَ سَلَّمَ) said,
الطيرة شرک قاله ثلاثا رواه أبوداؤد والترمذي عن ابن مسعود رضي اللّٰه تعاليٰ عنه
“Evil omen is Shirk (Polytheism).” He said this three times. This is narrated by Abū Dāwūd and At Tirmidhī from Ibn Mas’ūd.
Also, there is a Hadīth reported by Sayyidunā ‘AbdUllah Ibn ‘Abbās (رضى الله عنه) in Musnad Al Imām Ahmad (رضى الله عنه),
ولا يتطير
“The Noble Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالىٰ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِه وَ سَلَّمَ) did not consider anything to be bad luck.”
In the particular situation that is being discussed, pain and grief is caused to a Muslim woman which is strictly Harām. Allah (تعالى) says in the Holy Qur’ān,
والذين يؤذون المؤمنين والمؤمنٰت بغير ما اکتبسوا فقد احتملوا بهتاناً واثماً مبيناً
“And those who unnecessarily harass Muslim men and women have burdened themselves with slander and open sin.” (Sūrah Al Ahzāb, 33:58)
The Final Prophet of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالىٰ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِه وَ سَلَّمَ) said,
من اٰذي مسلما فقد اٰذاني و من اٰذاني فقد اٰذي اللّٰه رواه الطبراني في المعجم الاوسط
“Whoever hurts a Muslim hurts me and whoever hurts me displeases Allah (تعالى).”
Therefore, Muslims should avoid such evil acts.
Allah (تعالى) is Most Knowing.
Written by Muftī Shamsulhudā Khān Misbāhī (Allah preserve him)
