Curses in Islam
Encyclopedia
In Islam
, one can pray for God
to curse
someone. This is done with the Arabic word La'nat. "La'nat" means deprivation, and can be used in expressions such as "La'anatullah", "May (he/she/it) be deprived of God's (blessings)". So, the curse is not to be understood as gaining evil, rather of losing the blessings of God.
several verses where God deprived human populations from Gods blessings (cursed) because of their sins:
The end of the verse can be understood as "As for the unjust, their actions caused them to be deprived from the blessings of God, the angels and humans, all together."
Also, there are hadith
where Muhammad
invoked God's la'nat upon humans. The most famous hadith regarding invoking God's curse is the Hadith of Mubahela
, also mentioned in the Qur'an:
There was an ongoing treaty with the Christians of Najran in the 9 AH. The treaty was regarded of vital importance, it was not the result either of war. it ended in Mubahela between Muhammad and the Christians of Najran.
One of the classic Sunni scholars was asked about cursing Yezid, the tyrant and perpetrator of violence against the Ahlul-Bayt, and replied that he found it better to praise Hussayn, the martyred grandson of Muhammad, than to curse Yezid .
The Ahbash Sunni movement in Lebanon
, too, are reported to allow cursing the enemies of the Ahlul-Bayt, as they are established in Sunni sources as enemies of God .
Cursing is permissible in Sunni Islam if the one being cursed is alive and is clearly behaving as tyrants. However, Sunnis do not curse dead people because they feel as soon as a person dies-God administers judgement to them and it is impossible to change this. Sunni's generally don't curse dead people-an example is the assassin of Umar who is not cursed by Sunnis.
generally believe it to be Tabarra
(one of the Shia Practices of the Religion). They further argue that the curse is a prayer
, hence God is entitled to not accept the prayer and abstain from invoking the deprivation. Further, cursing is a Sunnah established by God himself in the Qur'an, Sunnat Allah
. Shia also present hadith where the Shia Imams invoked the curse of Allah upon humans, and quote Qur'an verses where Jesus and other prophets curse those who reject them.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, one can pray for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
to curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
someone. This is done with the Arabic word La'nat. "La'nat" means deprivation, and can be used in expressions such as "La'anatullah", "May (he/she/it) be deprived of God's (blessings)". So, the curse is not to be understood as gaining evil, rather of losing the blessings of God.
Qur'an and Sunnah
There are in the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
several verses where God deprived human populations from Gods blessings (cursed) because of their sins:
The end of the verse can be understood as "As for the unjust, their actions caused them to be deprived from the blessings of God, the angels and humans, all together."
Also, there are hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
where Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
invoked God's la'nat upon humans. The most famous hadith regarding invoking God's curse is the Hadith of Mubahela
Hadith of Mubahela
The Hadith of Mubahela is Muslim tradition about a debate of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Najran and summoned the members of his household, the Ahl al-Bayt....
, also mentioned in the Qur'an:
There was an ongoing treaty with the Christians of Najran in the 9 AH. The treaty was regarded of vital importance, it was not the result either of war. it ended in Mubahela between Muhammad and the Christians of Najran.
Sunni view
The People of the Way (Sunnah) do not place much emphasis on cursing. They do not believe Muhammad would have sanctioned it. For example, they cite that after being attacked by a mob of ruffians in a town in which he had attempted to preach Islam to, the angel Gabriel offered that God could destroy the town, however, the Prophet preferred to pray that the children of the townsfolk be guided by God. However, in the Qur'an, figures such as Jesus regularly curse the Jews for their rejection of him, so it is not outside of Islamic tradition.One of the classic Sunni scholars was asked about cursing Yezid, the tyrant and perpetrator of violence against the Ahlul-Bayt, and replied that he found it better to praise Hussayn, the martyred grandson of Muhammad, than to curse Yezid .
The Ahbash Sunni movement in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, too, are reported to allow cursing the enemies of the Ahlul-Bayt, as they are established in Sunni sources as enemies of God .
Cursing is permissible in Sunni Islam if the one being cursed is alive and is clearly behaving as tyrants. However, Sunnis do not curse dead people because they feel as soon as a person dies-God administers judgement to them and it is impossible to change this. Sunni's generally don't curse dead people-an example is the assassin of Umar who is not cursed by Sunnis.
Shi'a view
The Shi'a MuslimsShi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
generally believe it to be Tabarra
Tabarra
Tabarra is a Shia Muslim doctrine that refers to the obligation of disassociation with those who oppose God and those who caused harm to and were the enemies of the Prophet Muhammad or his family.- Definition :...
(one of the Shia Practices of the Religion). They further argue that the curse is a prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, hence God is entitled to not accept the prayer and abstain from invoking the deprivation. Further, cursing is a Sunnah established by God himself in the Qur'an, Sunnat Allah
Sunnat Allah
Some actions that are quoted in the Qur'an as done by God are referred to as Sunnat Allah, the Sunnah of God....
. Shia also present hadith where the Shia Imams invoked the curse of Allah upon humans, and quote Qur'an verses where Jesus and other prophets curse those who reject them.
Sunni view
- http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/fiqha_e83.html - Refrain from Cursing Yazid IYazid IYazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān , commonly known as Yazid I, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate . He ruled for three years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. Many Muslims condemn Yazid's rule as contentious and unjust...
- http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view_print.asp?ID=1902 - recommending to abstain from cursing Yazid
- http://www.muhammad.net/ebooks/riyad/17/chap264.htm
Shia view
- answering-ansar - Cursing SahabaSahabaIn Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
; Shari'iShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
penalty