Are Owls Significant Birds In Islam?

[SoRoUsH]

(Salam)

Have our Imams ever said anything about or mentioned owls in their sayings?

Thank you

[Bakir]

I asked a sheykh about them curiously enough. The reply I got is that they revealed the positions of the prophets to the enemies, if I recall correctly. They are cute enough for me to still like them though :P.

If you want to do a search try with the information I gave you, you may actually find a source as I was told about it in a gathering and have no sources for it.

[Abu'l Khattab]

Owls, as said in our narrations, spend the day in holy solitude (that's why you don't see them in the day) and spend the night mourning for Imam al-Hussain. 

[tendersoul]

Salam,

Yes , my teacher loves owls. He mentioned they have a very distinct character.

If the dont like something they fully turn around their faces from it.

[Sumerian]

On 10/27/2015 at 9:26 PM, Abu said:

Owls, as said in our narrations, spend the day in holy solitude (that's why you don't see them in the day) and spend the night mourning for Imam al-Hussain. 

This particular narration can be found in Kamil al-Ziyarat.

[SoRoUsH]

Very interesting replies. 

Commonly owls are associated with bad omen. Does Islam hold a negative view of owls? 

[apofomysback]

Very interesting topic. The only thing I've ever heard of owls is that they are a bad omen - should never be allowed to even come near your house because they bring very bad luck. I don't know - I fail to believe in these things because heck, they're cute as anything. 

Another thing that just came in my mind was that (someone once told me - can't remember who) that owls were one of the creatures that mourned for Hussain (عليه السلام) in Karbala. 

[tendersoul]

Very interesting replies. 

Commonly owls are associated with bad omen. Does Islam hold a negative view of owls? 

Salam,

 

No, it is one those wise birds.

 

This is a hadith in farsi ،about different birds including owl.

 

گفته های پرنده ها : از امام حسين -ع نقل کرده اند که:

 

 چون کرکس فرياد کند،می گويد : ای فرزند آدم هر روشی که زندگانی کنی آخرش مرگست، وباز که صدا می کند،می گويد : ای دانای پنهان ها وای دفع کننده بلا ها 

 

. طاووس می گويد : بر خودم ظلمکردم و مغرور به زينت خود شدم پس بيامرز مرا

 

دراج می گويد : الرحمن علی العرش استوی .

 

خروس می گويد : هر که خدا را شناخت ياد او را فراموش نمی کند .

 

مرغ خانگی می گويد : توکل کن بر خدا تا تو را روزی دهد .

 

 عقاب می گويد : هر که اطاعت خدا کند بدبخت نمی شود

 

 شاهين می گويد : سبحان الله حقاً حقاً .

 

 جغد می گويد : در دوری از مردم انس بيشتری است.

 

کلاغ می گويد : روزی دهنده روزی حلال بفرست .

 

 کلنک می گويد : که خداوندا نگاه دار مرا از شر دشمن .

 

لکلک می گويد : هر که از مردم تنها باشد از آزار ايشان نجات يافت .

 

 اردک می گويد : آمرزش تو را می خواهم ای خداوند .

 

 هدهد می گويد : چه بسيار شقی است کسی که معصيت خدا کند .

 

 قمری می گويد : ای دانای پنهان وراز ای خدا دبسی که شبيه بهقمری است وسرخ رنگ است می گويد : توئی خداوند ،خداوندی به غير از تو نيست ای خدا .

 

گنجشک می گويد : طلب آمرزش می کنم از خدا از هر چيز که خدا را به خشم آورد .

 

 بلبل می گويد : لا اله الا الله حقاً حقاً

 

 کبک می گويد : نزديک است حق نزديک است .

 

سمانا می گويد : ای فرزند آدم چه غافلی از مرگ .

 

فاخته می گويد : يا واحد و يا احد يافرد ويا صمد .

 

سبزه قبا می گويد : مولای من آزاد کن مرا از آتش جهنم 

 

. هوجه می گويد : مولای من قبول کن توبه ی جميع گناهکاران را .

 

کبوتر می گويد : که معبودی به غير از خدا نيست .

 

پرستو سوره ی حمد می خواند و می گويد : ای قبول کننده ی توبه توبه کاران ای خداوند تراست حمد

 

منبع : حلية المتقين،در بيان مجمل احوال واقسام حيوانات صفحه 294 و 295

[mina]

Owls, as said in our narrations, spend the day in holy solitude (that's why you don't see them in the day) and spend the night mourning for Imam al-Hussain.

Actually they go hunting at night at least most of the owls.

In old nature religions owls are known as death birds who take the soul of ppl or bring messages about death.

But in greek mythology and most other regions or faiths they are a symbol of wisdom and insight.Probably bcoz they have the best abilities to see in the dark and hunt when others would not even find something to hunt.

Edited October 29, 2015 by mina313

[Gaius I. Caesar]

When I was a kid, I was very obsessed with owls, I actually wanted to be an owl :D I am really fascinated with the Islamic perspective on owls as I read the replies. Keep it up, especially the in - depth stuff.

[al Batool]

Owls, as said in our narrations, spend the day in holy solitude (that's why you don't see them in the day) and spend the night mourning for Imam al-Hussain. 

 

بكاء البومة على الحسين عليه السلام

عن أبي عبد الله (ع), قال في البومة, قال: هل أحد منكم رآها بالنهار, قيل له: لا تكاد تظهر بالنهار ولا تظهر إلا ليلاً, قال: أما إنها لم تزل تأوي العمران أبداً فلما أن قتل الحسين (ع) آلت على نفسها أن لا تأوي العمران أبداً ولا تأوي إلا الخراب, فلا تزال نهارها صائمة حزينة حتى يجنها الليل, فإذا جنها الليل فلا تزال ترن على الحسين (ع) حتى تصبح.

Reported from Imam as-Sadiq [a] that he was talking about owls, so he said: did anyone of you saw an owl during the day. He was told: “it barley appears during the day. It only appears at night.” He [a] said: “it used to dwell among people in buildings but when Imam Hussein was killed, it decided that it would never dwell but in the ruins. Till now it fasts during the day in grief till night comes. When the night comes it hoots over Hussein till the morning comes. 

 

الحمام تدعو على قتلة الحسين عليه السلام

عن داود بن فرقد قال : كنت جالسا فى بيت ابى عبد الله عليه السلام فنظرت الى الحمام الراعبى يقرقر طويلا، فنظر الى ابو عبد الله عليه السلام فقال : يا داود اتدرى ما يقول هذا الطير؟ قلت : لا جعلت فداك ، قال : تدعو على قتلة الحسين بن على عليه السلام فاتخذوه فى منازلكم

 

Dawoud Bin Farqad said:“ I was sitting in Imam Sadiq’s house [a], I looked at a dove while it cooed for a long time and then Imam Sadiq [a] looked at me and said:” O Dawoud, do you know what this bird is saying?“ I said:” No, may I be sacrificed for you!“ He said:” It is cursing the killers of Al-Hussein Bin Ali [a]. Thus, put these birds in your homes.“

 

Al-Kafi vol.6 p.548, Al-Bihar vol.44 p.305, Kamil Al-Ziarat p.197, Wasa'el Al-Shia vol.8 p.379

[Miss Wonderful]

I found this post on fb and was wondering if it was legit.

The owl and the martyr of Imam Hussain

The 6th Imam Ja ' far al-Sadiq asked his friends about the owl:

- Have you ever seen him during the day?

He was answered:

- He doesn't appear during the day and only shows up at night.

The Imam says:

- He no longer lives in the developed structures, because when Imam Hussain was martyred, he swore to never live in structures again, he only settled in ruins, he fast and therefore constantly sad the day until the darkness of the night spreads. Then he constantly cries over the fate of Imam Hussain until the morning.

Before Imam Hussain's martyrdom, the owl's station was in the beautiful houses and palace and he stood and went in front of people when they ate and they threw food at him, so the owl was fed by their water and food and then went back to his shelter.

But when Imam Hussain was martyred, he walked out of town and buildings and settled into the ruins, mountains and desert and said, " What a bad people are you, you murdered the son of your Prophet's daughter! So I'm not protected from you either. "

[Guest Thunder]

2 hours ago, Miss Wonderful said:

I found this post on fb and was wondering if it was legit.

The owl and the martyr of Imam Hussain

The 6th Imam Ja ' far al-Sadiq asked his friends about the owl:

- Have you ever seen him during the day?

He was answered:

- He doesn't appear during the day and only shows up at night.

The Imam says:

- He no longer lives in the developed structures, because when Imam Hussain was martyred, he swore to never live in structures again, he only settled in ruins, he fast and therefore constantly sad the day until the darkness of the night spreads. Then he constantly cries over the fate of Imam Hussain until the morning.

Before Imam Hussain's martyrdom, the owl's station was in the beautiful houses and palace and he stood and went in front of people when they ate and they threw food at him, so the owl was fed by their water and food and then went back to his shelter.

But when Imam Hussain was martyred, he walked out of town and buildings and settled into the ruins, mountains and desert and said, " What a bad people are you, you murdered the son of your Prophet's daughter! So I'm not protected from you either. "

Was it just A owl or the whole owl species?

[Ali_Hussain]

Salam,

Neither the chain of narration or the content of this narration are acceptable because the chain is full of weak people and the content goes against reality.

https://alrasd.net/arabic/questions/328

[Miss Wonderful]

I have to be careful from fb

[Ali_Hussain]

15 minutes ago, Miss Wonderful said:

I have to be careful from fb

To be fair it is from the book Kamil al-Ziyarat which some claim is 100% authentic, so a lot of people probably do believe that this narration is reliable and based in reality.

[Your_Everyday_Hurr]

Kamil Al Ziarat

pg 131

Chapter 31

The Mourning of the Owls over Imam Hussain (asws)

Hadith 1

Hussain ibn Abu Ghundar narrates:
Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) asked, “Have you ever seen an owl during the day?”
The people replied, “No, it never appears in the day. It only comes out in the night.”
Imam (asws) said, “The owls used to only live in developed structures but when Hussain 
(asws) was martyred, they refused to stay in developed structures and insisted upon only 
staying in abandoned wrecks as their homes.
The owls fast during the day and grieve until the night falls. At night they cry in grief over 
Hussain (asws) until the morning.”

Hadith 2

Hussain ibn Ali ibn Sa’eed al Barbari (the custodian of the grave of Imam Reza (asws)) 
narrates from his father who narrates:
“I went to Imam Reza (asws) and He asked me, “What do the people say about the owls?”
I replied, “May I be sacrificed upon You! We have come to ask You regarding this.”

Imam (asws) replied, “At the time of My Grandfather, RasoolAllah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), owls used to live

in palaces, houses, and developed structures. When people would eat, the owls would fly

and sit next to them. The people would throw food to the owls and give them water and

then the owls would return to their dwellings.

After Hussain (asws) was martyred, the owls abandoned these dwellings for abandoned

wrecks, mountains, and deserts. The owls said, “What an evil nation you are! You have

martyred the Son of Your Prophet (saw)’s Daughter (sa)! We shall never feel safe with you

again.”

 

Hadith 3

Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) narrates:

“Owls fast during the day and after they break their fast, they become overwhelmed with

grief over Hussain (asws) ibn Ali (asws) until the morning.”

Hadith 4

Yaqoob ibn Shoaib al Mathami narrates:

Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) asked, “O’ Yaqoob! Have you ever seen an owl during the day?”

I replied, “No.”

Imam (asws) asked, “Do you know why?”

I replied, “No.”

Imam (asws) said, “It is because during the day owls refrain from eating the sustenance

which Allah has granted them. At night, after breaking their fast, they keep reciting with

grief regarding Hussain (asws) ibn Ali (asws) until the morning.”

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Your_Everyday_Hurr
Additional Information

[Ashvazdanghe]

The constant weeping of Angels for Imam Husayn (عليه السلام)

Imam of Ahl’ul Sunnah, Shaikh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, in his famous book, “Ghanyatul Talibeen”, page 430; comments:

“70,000 angels came to the grave of Husayn bin Ali after his martyrdom and they wept for him and will keep weeping unto the Day of Judgment.”
Ghanyatul Talibeen, page 430 published in Dehli

http://www.shiapen.com/comprehensive/azadari-mourning-for-imam-hussain/crying-and-wailing.html

https://en.wikishia.net/view/Hadith_Forgery

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 8/30/2020 at 6:43 PM, Your_Everyday_Hurr said:

Hadith 2

Hussain ibn Ali ibn Sa’eed al Barbari (the custodian of the grave of Imam Reza (asws)) 
narrates from his father who narrates:
“I went to Imam Reza (asws) and He asked me, “What do the people say about the owls?”
I replied, “May I be sacrificed upon You! We have come to ask You regarding this.”

Imam (asws) replied, “At the time of My Grandfather, RasoolAllah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), owls used to live

in palaces, houses, and developed structures. When people would eat, the owls would fly

and sit next to them. The people would throw food to the owls and give them water and

then the owls would return to their dwellings.

After Hussain (asws) was martyred, the owls abandoned these dwellings for abandoned

wrecks, mountains, and deserts. The owls said, “What an evil nation you are! You have

martyred the Son of Your Prophet (saw)’s Daughter (sa)! We shall never feel safe with you

again.”

 

Quote

Husayn bin Ali bin Sa’ed Barbari, the caretaker of the grave of Imam Ali ar Reza ((عليه السلام).), relates from his father, that Imam Reza ((عليه السلام).) said,

“Do you see this owl? In the days of my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah (S), it took residence in buildings, mansions and houses. Then when people would sit to eat, they would fly and sit close to them. The people would throw food for them and they would also drink water and fly away. But when Imam Husayn ((عليه السلام).) was martyred, they went away from the inhabited places to the deserted places, mountains and deserts. Then they said : What an evil nation are you, that you killed the son of your own Prophet! We do not find ourselves safe near you with regards to our lives”.

https://www.al-islam.org/nafasul-mahmum-relating-heart-rending-tragedy-karbala-shaykh-abbas-qummi/mourning-heavens-and-earth

[Essentials123]

SubhanAllah, we inadvertently trapped an owl today. We have a pen where we keep rabbits and covered the top with a net to keep predators out. When we noticed a hole in the net and some dead rabbits we moved the rabbits. 
 

I think the owl thought there were still rabbits there and went back but couldn’t figure out how to get out. While tearing the hole for the owl was easy from the top, the owl could not do it from the bottom again. We found the owl during the day. Does anyone know about reading the signs and what this may mean? 
 

The picture of the owl is below and he has been re wilded. 

 

Edited December 15, 2024 by Azadeh307

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 11/15/2021 at 1:13 PM, Ashvazdanghe said:

 

https://www.al-islam.org/nafasul-mahmum-relating-heart-rending-tragedy-karbala-shaykh-abbas-qummi/mourning-heavens-and-earth

 

On 8/30/2020 at 6:43 PM, Your_Everyday_Hurr said:

Kamil Al Ziarat

pg 131

Chapter 31

The Mourning of the Owls over Imam Hussain (asws)

Hadith 1

Hussain ibn Abu Ghundar narrates:
Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) asked, “Have you ever seen an owl during the day?”
The people replied, “No, it never appears in the day. It only comes out in the night.”
Imam (asws) said, “The owls used to only live in developed structures but when Hussain 
(asws) was martyred, they refused to stay in developed structures and insisted upon only 
staying in abandoned wrecks as their homes.
The owls fast during the day and grieve until the night falls. At night they cry in grief over 
Hussain (asws) until the morning.”

Hadith 2

Hussain ibn Ali ibn Sa’eed al Barbari (the custodian of the grave of Imam Reza (asws)) 
narrates from his father who narrates:
“I went to Imam Reza (asws) and He asked me, “What do the people say about the owls?”
I replied, “May I be sacrificed upon You! We have come to ask You regarding this.”

Imam (asws) replied, “At the time of My Grandfather, RasoolAllah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), owls used to live

in palaces, houses, and developed structures. When people would eat, the owls would fly

and sit next to them. The people would throw food to the owls and give them water and

then the owls would return to their dwellings.

After Hussain (asws) was martyred, the owls abandoned these dwellings for abandoned

wrecks, mountains, and deserts. The owls said, “What an evil nation you are! You have

martyred the Son of Your Prophet (saw)’s Daughter (sa)! We shall never feel safe with you

again.”

 

Hadith 3

Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) narrates:

“Owls fast during the day and after they break their fast, they become overwhelmed with

grief over Hussain (asws) ibn Ali (asws) until the morning.”

Hadith 4

Yaqoob ibn Shoaib al Mathami narrates:

Imam Jafar Sadiq (asws) asked, “O’ Yaqoob! Have you ever seen an owl during the day?”

I replied, “No.”

Imam (asws) asked, “Do you know why?”

I replied, “No.”

Imam (asws) said, “It is because during the day owls refrain from eating the sustenance

which Allah has granted them. At night, after breaking their fast, they keep reciting with

grief regarding Hussain (asws) ibn Ali (asws) until the morning.”

 

1. This content is mentioned in five narrations, four of which are mentioned in the book “Kamil al-Ziyarat” by Ibn Qulawayh (d. 367 AH) and one in the book “Al-Hidayah al-Kubra” by Husayn ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi (d. 334 AH), and some other sources have cited the book “Kamil al-Ziyarat”.[6]

2. None of these narrations have a reliable and authentic chain of transmission; therefore, in terms of chain of transmission, they cannot be considered as narrations whose content is essential and necessary to believe.

3. In addition to the chain of transmission, some of the paragraphs of these narrations are thought-provoking.

Quote

For example, we mention one paragraph: “So it is constantly fasting and mourning during the day until night falls, and when night falls, it whispers, laments, and recites dirges on the calamity of Imam Hussain ((عليه السلام).) from the beginning until morning”; “This animal fasts throughout the day, and when night falls, it breaks its fast and uses what Allah has provided for it, and then continuously laments on the calamities of Imam Hussain ibn Ali... until morning”; Considering that the owl, like other birds, has instincts and also acts on them, we cannot consider it to be constantly in the state of worship or lamentation.

4. Animals certainly lack human intelligence and understanding, and one cannot expect real and complete understanding and consciousness from them. Therefore, this type of narration is only an expression of mourning as much as it is an understanding of these animals.

5. There is a narration - and that too without a reliable source - that condemns the owl and contradicts the above narrations. This narration is as follows:

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) about verse «إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمانَةَ»[7]  Indeed We presented the Trust

https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.qarai/33:72

Quote

He said: "Allah offered my trust to the seven heavens in terms of reward and reward. They said: O Allah! We will not carry it in terms of reward and punishment , but we will carry it without reward and punishment. Allah offered my trust and guardianship to the birds. The first birds to believe were the white hawks and the larks, and the first birds to deny were the owl & ..., and they were cursed..." [8]

When there are two contradictory narrations and there is no common ground for them, and no strong evidence has been found for them, and one is not preferred over the other, although they should not necessarily be ruled invalid, both are, according to the rules, nullified.

https://www.islamquest.net/fa/archive/fa39604

Edited December 16, 2024 by Ashvazdanghe