Belief in superstitions is as old as mankind. All the old and the moderns, the educated and the uneducated believe in superstitions in some way or the other. It is part of conventional belief. The word superstition means: ‘An ignorant and irrational belief in onions, divination and magic.’ In its wider sense, it stands for false worship or religion. The aboriginals in Africa and India believe in superhuman forces and practice false worship.
Human nature is the same everywhere. Inspite of scientific progress and increase in education, some people still believe in superstitions. Such beliefs or knowledge is deeply rooted in human nature. The people of the east are mori susceptible to such foolish ideas than the people of the west. But the faith in blind forces still persists every where. The firms have changed but the substance remains the same.
The Believers put their faith in one God (Allah) who is omnipotent and omnipresent. It is our firm belief that nothing happens without words of God. He is the Cause and Disposer of all events. Belief in superstitions is against Islamic teachings and faith. Still muslims believe in some malevolent forces and imaginary things. They do not exist; but there are good and bad spirits – the Jins. Satan is the worst enemy of mankind. He plays mischief every where and at all times. [the_ad id=”17141″]
Hindus who worship false gods are more superstitious than Muslims. The Muslims have borrowed many things – ideas and practices from them. Some of the common superstitious are as follows: Peoples are generally superstitious about numbers. In England 13 is considered a bad number. For them traveling on Fridays, breaking of mirror, falling of picture and crossing of knives bring bad fortune.
If you see some bad person, or a women with an empty · pitcher, you will have bad day. If some cat crosses your path, it is a bad omen. If somebody sneezes while you are setting out on some errand or business, postpone the work for a while. The sight of a one-eyed man is a bad sign. 3 is a bad number for them. Diseases and sufferings are results of wrath of some deities. People still believe and talk about devils, fairies and evil spirits and ghosts. Hovering of crows is an indication of some coming calamity or misfortune. Crossing of way by a cat is bad omen. Horse shoe brings good luck.
All these are foolish and irrational ideas and beliefs. They, sometimes make the people cowards and fatalists. They run against modern knowledge. Still experience shows that there are some malevolent forces. Again the stars have effects on the course of human life. Incidents and experience can not defy them. Thomas Hardy’s words: ‘We are cast on the blighted star’, and ‘The sins of the parents are visited on their children’ have much truth about them.
In the modern society mothers disinfect the clothes of the children to save them from evil influence and germs. Some stones and talismans are believed to possess good powers. They bring success and ward off misfortunes. The astrologers still have a respectable place in society. They are said to tell fortune and the future. Man accepts everything fair or foul if it pleases and favours him. Thus superstitions are rooted in nature of man.
