[Q 295] Tying Black Thread on Ankles in Islam

Question

What is the islamic ruling on wearing a black thread around the ankles someone said its a Hindu thing and no basis of it in islam. Also its disrespect to the quran as dam has been done and person has placed it on his ankle when it should be respected due to Quran being recited on it. Please can you clarify this and provide any references.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Tying a thread on the ankle that has been subjected to dam (spiritual healing through recitation) is permissible. It is not considered disrespectful either culturally or religiously because the Quran is not written on this string. Just as it is permissible, even proven by Hadith, for the Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم to pass his hand over his body after performing dam on it, similarly, it is not disrespectful to tie such a thread on the ankle. Furthermore, deriving healing from the Quran is a practice established by the companions, as mentioned in Jami` at-Tirmidhi:

Hadith No: 3528

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيل بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاق، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْجَدِّهِ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ إِذَا فَزِعَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي النَّوْمِ فَلْيَقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّهَا لَنْ تَضُرَّهُ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْروٍ يُلَقِّنُهَا مَنْ بَلَغَ مِنْ وَلَدِهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ مِنْهُمْ كَتَبَهَا فِي صَكٍّ ثُمَّ عَلَّقَهَا فِي عُنُقِهِ.

Translation:

Amr ibn Shu’ayb reported from his father, from his grandfather that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “If any of you gets a nightmare, let him say: I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah against His wrath and His punishment and the’ mischief of His slaves and from the temptations of the devils and that which they bring. Then they will not harm him.” So, Abdullah ibn Amr used to teach this supplication to his grown up children. And, he wrote it down on something and hung it on the neck of those who had not attained puberty.

Answered by: Arslan Raza (Ask mufti scholar)

Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated answer

Date: 12th May 2024