Is it permissible to use a pendulum to identify a thief if the police are unable to find him?

The unseen (al-Ghaib) is that of which man's knowledge and perception are absent. It is of various types: the unseen that Allah alone has reserved knowledge of, the unseen that can be reached through legitimate means, and the unseen that can only be known through truthful information. Opening the 'mandal' to find a thief is not permissible Islamically, because it is a form of divination, soothsaying, and claiming knowledge of the unseen. Severe prohibitions have been reported concerning this, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and asks him about something and believes him, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days," and "Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him." A soothsayer is one who claims to know matters by using premises to deduce information about stolen items or lost animals. Opening the 'mandal' involves seeking assistance from jinn, which is forbidden.