Is There Such a Thing as Good Omens?

Answered by Shaykh Farid Dingle

Question

Should one take good omens from good words and encouraging verses of the Quran that we hear?

Answer

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Yes, taking good omens is something the Messenger of Allah loved and he disliked taking bad omens. [Ibn Majah]

They asked the Messenger of Allah about good omens and he said, “It is when you hear a good word.” [Bukhari] Another hadith mentions that when he would go out for some particular mission, he liked to hear someone call someone else by the name of Najih (Successful) or Rashid (Rightly guided). [Tirmidhi]

So yes, hearing a good word or an encouraging verse from the Quran should make us hopeful.

However, if one hears a verse of the Quran that is not encouraging, one should still do whatever good or obligatory thing one has to do.

For example, if a wife is going to her husband’s funeral and hears Surat al-Masad that mentions a man and his wife being punished together, she should still go to the funeral. She should not assume that she and her deceased husband are cursed to the Flames. If they had done something wrong, she should repent, and think no more of it. Remember: Allah doesn’t punish people just because they heard a verse of the Qur’an that worried them.

Please also see:
Should I Take Bad Omens from Things Happening to Me?
Houses, Women, and Horses: A Clarification on Bad Omens and an Often Misunderstood Hadith

I pray this helps.
[Shaykh] Farid Dingle
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language