TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA " Superstitious Beliefs in the Age of Science and in the Light of Shariah.

"TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA " Superstitious Beliefs in the Age of Science and in the Light of Shariah.GAWAH EXPREE4TH SEPTEMBER 2023 The Curses and The Cures Superstitious THIRTEEN. Do you believe in it? Bad Luck Omens and Superstitions .13 is just a number- having this number won’t affect your destiny. Some people wouldn’t start any new venture on the 13th and a few wouldn’t undertake any journey on Tuesday either, nor hold any kind of function in their home on this day. The believers should remember this fact that it is only Allah (SWT), Who governs our affairs, and everything is subject to His supreme will, nor the days and numbers. Does Islam encourage superstition? The answer to this question is, `` NO”. Even though many Muslim’s believe in some superstitions, but those are strictly cultural and traditional beliefs with lack of firm knowledge of religion, usually they are from Pre- Islamic era; A cat crosses your path and you go back, a bird crow caws and visitors are expected, twitching of the eye is highly inauspicious; If an Owl sits on your house rooftop ,death in family awaits you. The Number Thirteen Curse, - We all know, people in most parts of the world consider 13 as an unlucky number and avoid it in many ways. Some buildings still do not have an official 13th floor. Our valley is no exception to these superstitious beliefs, many people treat this number or day’s as bad ones and wouldn’t start any new venture on this day/date (contrarily disciples of Sufi saint Makhdoom sahib(RA) in our valley take number 13 as blessed one-Allah knows best), few wouldn’t undertake any journey on Tuesday’s , nor hold any kind of function in their home , due to an erroneous belief of being an so called inauspicious day. Triskaidekaphobia is the term used for pervasive fear of the number thirteen, traces of it still linger in the most civilized and enlightened communities, and such belief pervades all classes. There are many different theories about the origin of 13 being considered an unlucky number. The earliest come from ancient religious beliefs. At Valhalla, the home of the Gods, if you had twelve guests at a feast, and a thirteenth, turned up uninvited; he was thought to be "The God of Deceit". Many Christians believed it started with witches' covens having 12 members, making 13 only when the devil appeared at satanic ceremonies (although, prior to Christianity, 13 was considered a sacred number, representing the 13 moons of the year.) For Christians, 13 was also the number at the Last Supper, when Judas betrayed Jesus (AS). Not only bad omens but old wives tales about a horseshoe, hung above the doorway, will bring good luck to a home so protective horseshoes are placed in a downward facing position not commonly practiced in our valley but is seen mostly outside the state and mostly in Europe. In some parts of Ireland and Britain people believe that the shoehorns must be turned upward or "the luck will run out." Are these omens or figments of an over-active imagination? Did old wives have nothing better to do than cook up tales to frighten generations ever after? Irrespective of the veracity of these, they make for great reading. These colourful customs, no matter how absurd, keep the religious folk busy and the irreverent ones in mirth. The belief in omens has existed in all ages and countries., centuries ago when our ancestors tried to explain mysterious circumstances or events as best, they could with the knowledge they had. For instance, before the development of science explained such strange things as why mirrors show our reflections or why shadows appear when it is sunny, ancient people reasoned that a shadow or reflection was part of their soul. If someone broke something onto which the shadow or reflection appeared, people believed that their soul was harmed. Therefore, when a person broke a mirror, it was considered unlucky or a bad omen. (“Shigg” In kashmiri. Ap -sha-goon-hindi; Man-hoos-urdu ). Today in an era of modern science we know that reflections and shadows are not part of our souls but if someone still believes it is bad luck to break a mirror, they are said to be superstitious. So a superstition is "a belief or practice" that people cling to even after scientific/religious knowledge or facts prove that these silly beliefs are untrue, to regard certain birds, times and persons as unlucky, and this is shirk as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. Even before the dawn of Islam the Arabs were as superstitious as anyone. They would not travel or do anything important without first "determining" that it would be safe to do so -- by looking at birds and beasts. Such deeply held beliefs were completely rejected by Islam. Much later, weakening of faith in segments of Muslim societies did lead to seeping in superstitious practices from other societies. Fear of the unknown and inability to control or predict our destiny have led people to all kinds of irrational acts and beliefs. But that was during the dark ages. With religious awakening (Shariah practices) and knowledge of science it was supposed to end, but unfortunately people still attribute good or bad luck to numbers, days, birds, animals, and incidents betraying not only logic and common sense but discrediting scientific facts and religious guidelines. Lack of belief in the articles of faith and weakening of our understanding of belief in Qadr(fate) inevitably leads to superstitions of one form or another. That, unfortunately, is the situation of large sections of our ummah today who forget. "No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow." (Quran; 31:34) Our faith tells us that everything good or bad, success or failure is subject to Allah (SWT)’s will and command. It is not the human destiny to be afflicted with superstitions, not a leaf falls from a tree or a droplet of water falls from the sky except through the will of Allah the Almighty who controls everything. The person lacking this awareness will endlessly take omens from cats, birds, stones, stars or twitching in one's eye. It is just an evil consequence of unbelief that the illiterate masses may go to a soothsayer who tells the future with the help of a bird. "The person who goes to a soothsayer and believes in him has rejected that which was revealed to Muhammad (Saw)." [Musnad Ahmad)).The Prophet (SAW) not only guided us to the true faith and righteous code of conduct, but also trained us to negate fallacies, fantasies, whims and superstitions. Disregarding Allah (SWT)’s will and decisions and indulgence in whims and superstitions by attributing good or bad with His (SWT)’s creations is a gross disbelief, it is forbidden to believe in bad omens (tatayyur) or warn others about them, and that this is a kind of shirk, i.e. attributing partners to Allah.“There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah) and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens..(Bukhari ,Muslim). So, we the believers are supposed to put our trust in Him, seek His protection and help, and accept His will. So, believers should focus only on His supreme will, submit to Him, obey Him, seek help and guidance from Him, do our best to achieve a goal, expect the best from Him and leave the result to Allah (SWT) alone. When announcing a plan, he does not knock on wood; he says Insha-Allah (if Allah wills), putting his trust in his Creator. When embarking on a journey, he makes travel supplications to Allah for his safety. When he is unsure about a plan or is in indecisive situations., he seeks Allah's help in making up his mind for taking the right decision by performing special prayer((Istikharah). We must always remember the fact that it is only Allah (SWT), Who governs our affairs, and everything is subject to His supreme will. Living with superstitions in the modern world can be an intriguing aspect of human behaviour. Despite advancements in science, technology, and rational thinking, superstitions still hold sway in many people's lives. Destiny and outcomes are influenced by a wide range of factors, including our choices, actions, and circumstances, rather than specific numbers. It's always a good idea to approach these kinds of beliefs with a critical and rational perspective. (Author besides being a medical doctor, is very active in positive perception management of various moral and social issues. He can be reached at drfiazfazili@gmail.com & twitter @drfiazfazili) --