381. Is anything considered inauspicious in Islam.

In this verse (54:19) of the Quran we find it saying, the Aad community was decimated on an inauspicious day.

Some people who misunderstand this verse deceive the gullible public by telling them the day may be either good or adverse for them. Before going into the right meaning of this verse, let us investigate the stand of Islam in days being stamped as adverse or good. Islam prohibits things like looking out for an auspicious moment, day, omen, etc.

There are no days or times that are exclusively beneficial nor wholly detrimental to all people, there are times and days that are beneficial to some and detrimental to others at the same time and day. At any time of the year some derive benefits while others lose. If a particular day is declared as good, then nobody should die on that day, or contract any disease or for that matter no worries or grief should overtake anyone. Have we witnessed such a day in the whole history of mankind? Never!

There are people who benefited immensely or were blessed with a baby on the day declared as inaus picious.

On the 10^th of Muharram, Firon was destroyed, and Prophet Moosa saved.

On the same 10th of Muharram Hussain (RA) was brutally murdered. Do we call the day good because Prophet Moosa was saved on the day or call it bad because Hussain (RA) was brutally murdered? 

Here, we come to understand there is no connection between the day being good or bad and the happenings on that day.

Verse 3:140 of the Quran says ‘We are the One who let the days alternate among men.

The Almighty in this verse of the Quran says, He is the One who lets the days alternate among men.

Fate is something the Muslims are supposed to believe in. 

Believing in good or being omen by Muslims is a sign of them going against the cardinal belief that everything good or bad in their life is ordained by the Almighty.

If there is something known as a good or a bad day, only the Almighty could be aware of it and unless He declares it. 

Allah or His messenger have not declared a particular day as good or bad, in such a circumstance there is no possibility of others coming to know of the same. 

Only another human being like us decides and declares a day as good or bad, and based on his words people decide the day as auspicious or inauspicious. We need to ponder how man could be aware of a day that may be good or bad for another. The future and astrology are one and the same. People approach a mendicant or a religious head to get a good day of the month, or the year to perform certain functions, he fixes a particular day, and these people take it into confidence and act accordingly. Forty days of worship of a person becomes null and void and not accepted by the Almighty if the person visits an astrologer, is declared by Prophet Muhammad. 

Book: Muslim 4137 

If a person visits an astrologer, he indeed has rejected the religion bestowed on Prophet Muhammad. 

Book: Ahmed 9171 

We need to take note, the astrologers who fix prosperous days and times for others in this world, are found reeling in poverty themselves, and spend their days begging for food.

They are unable to overcome poverty and fix a day for themselves that could bring prosperity in their life. Hence Muslims should desist from relying on soothsayers and astrologers for good or bad omen and carry on their activities immaterial of predictions by some men and believing that everything is ordained by Almighty, and man does not have any part in deciding the fate of men and their activities. The question now is the mention of the destruction of the Aad community on an inauspicious day. 

When a man experiences all kinds of difficulties on a particular day, it can be said to be a bad day for him, this verse has been mentioned in the Quran on these fundamentals, this can be substantiated from the verse itself. As per this verse of the Quran only the evil among the Aad community were decimated, Prophet Hud and the virtuous with him were saved. That day was good for the prophet and his people. Since the enemies of the prophet were decimated, the day was favorable (good) to him. This proves the day is not the criteria for anyone to experience wrath or favor, and if the day as such is considered as inauspicious, Prophet Hud would also have been decimated.

There is a vast difference between people from other religions and those belonging to Islam treating good and bad omen.

When people from other faiths designate a day as auspicious, they believe, any function or beginnings started on that day would be a huge success, they believe that day has the said characteristic to make things successful. And when they designate a day as inauspicious, they believe that day has the inbuilt characteristics of spoiling the happenings of the day.

But Islam does not use these words in the sense that it affects a particular person or a community, but only when a particular person or a community is affected does Islam say is an inauspicious day either for the person or a community, and not for the entire humans. Islam unlike other faiths does not identify an entire day or month as sign of bad or good omen.

In this verse (69:7) of the Quran it is mentioned that the wind blew against them for seven days, and in another verse (41:16) of the Quran it is mentioned in plurality about the seven days being inauspicious for them.

Since all the days fall in any cycle of seven days, the entire 365 days (about 12 months) would turn out to be inauspicious for them, if they are to conclude based on days being treated as inauspicious. Those showing this verse as evidence for their act of fixing a day of fortunes and misfortunes, should be able to answer the basis on which a day is considered as good or bad, they cannot provide proofs from either the Quran or the Hadiths.