Islamic marriage advice and family advice

How do I react to this shirk?

Posted by • February 10, 2015 • Printer-friendly
Definition of shirk

Definition of shirk

Asalam alaikum. I have a question that has been in my head for a while. Basically a few months ago my cousin had a miscarriage. Me and her are quite close so I wanted to be there for her when this happened. I took her to the hospital and stayed with her for a few days.

Now some family members have started saying certain things which I don't understand. Basically I am not married so they are saying how I might have contracted some kind of evil eye or "parchawan" (no idea what this means!) and that is going to be bad for me. I'm assuming they mean fertility wise etc.

Now I do not believe in any of this because I believe that only Allah swt knows what is going to happen and only he can control our destiny. I think everything they are saying is equivalent to shirk. I know these beliefs exist in other cultures like in India. In my heart I know this but I don't know how to react to this. I would be grateful for any advice or any hadiths etc which proves this.

Jazakallah khair


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10 Responses »

  1. Issah
    February 11, 2015 • 8:06 pm

    Wa 'alaikum as-salaam warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh,

    I am not sure what "parchawan" means, however, it seems like guessing at the unknown/future, which is a bid'ah belief. And the right thing to do is exactly as you said, ''Now I do not believe in any of this because I believe that only Allah swt knows what is going to happen and only he can control our destiny.''

    Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Holy Quran:

    ''Say, "No one in the heavens or on earth knows the future except Allah; and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."''
    (Quran 27:65)

    Reply
  2. Saba
    February 11, 2015 • 10:09 pm

    Assalam alaikum,

    I suggest that you could read page 35 to 36 in the document named: Qualitative Formative Research Findings - Rawalpindi. (Google it). One paragraph reads as follows:

    Several husbands also mentioned places, which should not be visited including graveyard at night, traveling over long distances, hilly areas and crowded places because these could negatively affect the fetus. Persons to be avoided by a pregnant woman as mentioned by husbands included women who have had a miscarriage and people who are not well wishers. Occasions not to be attended by pregnant women as stated by husbands include funerals and weddings the reasons quoted were women with big belly should not be exposed to everyone, women and fetus could get Parchawan27 and Saya (effected by evil spirits) that could lead to illness.

    I am going to guess that you and your family are from the Indian Subcontinent--and this sort of thinking is quite common. I remember hearing relatives say that any unmarried girls who even go to the hospital with a woman who has a normal delivery will be cursed because it is "bad." A lot of this talk is just cultural, but it is usually stated in a religious way.

    I would suggest that you ignore it and ask them for the proof--as the burden of proof lies on them. Most likely this conversation will make them angry as you are "doubting" them. It really is a constant battle with these messed up cultural traditions--which I wouldn't be surprised if Hindus and Sikhs believed in as well.

    Though black magic exists--you can't "catch it" at the hospital. Do your best to educate your family members in the most gentlest and educational way that you humanly can. Good luck!

    May Allah protect us from incorrect knowledge, Ameen.

    Reply
  3. veryfearful
    January 19, 2016 • 6:39 pm

    r we judged 4 all the stuff we say or only the stuff we mean. if someone say "I don't believe in Allah" or "I don worship Allah" or look at object and say "this is ALLAH" and he doesnt say this to anyone but he mumble it to himself, is this blasphemy shirk and can it be frogiven by ALLAH...

    Reply
  4. Syeda
    April 14, 2016 • 9:33 pm

    Assalam o Alaikum

    Yesterday I went to meet my aunt with my mother. Her daughter in law is pregnant. I don't like her as she is hypocrite.
    Yesterday when she went to hospital for collecting her reports doctor told that she is having some complications. Unknowingly, I went to my aunt's home with my mother. There she told us about what had happened to her daughter in law. I even didn't went in her room, I was sitting outside.
    Her husband said that they are going to another hospital. While coming back to home we dropped them to the hospital. When I reached home, I told my Grand mother about this... and after that she scolded. She said I might have contracted "Parchawan".. I don't know what is this. I only believe that Allah is the creator of the entire universe.

    May Allah protect us from disbelief!!
    Please anyone can help me what to recite.. I think there is nothing like this concept of Parchawan in quraan.
    Jazak Allah

    Reply
    • Wael
      April 14, 2016 • 10:25 pm

      In Pakistan there is a belief among uneducated and poverty-stricken people that pregnancy problems or miscarriages are caused by some contagious type of evil eye or jinn possession. They call it parchawan. According to these women, if a young woman gets parchawan she will have a miscarriage, or give birth to a girl, or her child will not survive past 40 days.

      This is all untrue. "Parchawan" is a myth. The problem is that these uneducated people have no knowledge of prenatal health or medical science. A pregnant woman should get regular prenatal checkups with a doctor. Beyond that, everything is in the hands of Allah, the Most High.

      Wael
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      Reply
  5. Lorelei Lee
    April 15, 2016 • 9:02 am

    what is your concept or belief about evil eye?

    Reply

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