Fatwa #2312514 November 2012United States of America
According to Western superstitions a bird flying into your window is a sign of someone dying. What is the Islamic perspective on this?
Question
salaam,
i dont know if this is a stupid question but here goes. I am a superstitious type of a person. on 2 different occassions, a bird (maybe a 2 different ones. i dont know because i havent seen it) has flown into my house window (a different each time). i am not even sure if it is a bird flying into the window. but i heard a loud sound and noticed a dirt mark on my window. i dont know what to make of this. according to western superstions, a bird flying into your window indicates someone dying. i tried to do some research to see what is said about this in islam but couldnt find anything. could you please shine some light on this. thank you. salaam
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In the times of Jahiliyah (ignorance) people incorrectly believed that some other force besides Allah could cause things to happen. Consequently, due to their superstitious belief they expected a certain result after witnessing a particular incident. These beliefs are not found in Shariah.
As Muslims we believe in Taqdir (destiny). Everything, good and bad, happens exclusively by the command of Almighty Allah Subhana wa Ta’Ala. Nothing can or will happen unless it is decreed by Allah Subhana wa Ta’Ala..As Muslims we believe in Allah and His angels and the different Books that were revealed. We believe in His (Allah(SWT)) messengers, in the Day of Judgement and we believe in destiny.[1]
The superstitious western belief that birds flying in one’s window is a sign of someone dying has no basis in Islam.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Saeed Ahmed Golaub
Westmoreland, Jamaica, West Indies
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
[1]: قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَ: «أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ» . قَالَ صَدَقْتَ. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِحْسَانِ. قَالَ: «أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ» مشكاة المصابيح (1 / 9)
References
- : قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَ: «أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ» . قَالَ صَدَقْتَ. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِحْسَانِ. قَالَ: «أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ» مشكاة المصابيح (1 / 9)