Is the verification that constitutes apostasy in the hadith "Whoever goes to a soothsayer..." about all the soothsayer's words, or only what he claims about knowing the unseen? Is it permissible to verify what he says that is commonly spoken by people? And is judgment based on outward appearance, even if something else was intended?

Believing a soothsayer, which is considered disbelief (kufr), applies to believing their claims regarding knowledge of the future unseen, not to every piece of information they report. If they report about an event that has already occurred or something that is not part of the unseen, then believing them is not considered disbelief. The permissibility of believing them in matters that are not unseen is indicated by the narration of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, with her sorceress maid.

Scholars have clarified that the prohibited belief is believing the soothsayer in what they report about something in the future, because it is a claim to knowledge of the unseen, which is exclusive to Allah Almighty. Whoever believes them in this has disbelieved the Quran. However, if one believes that jinn convey to them what they overheard from the angels, then they do not commit disbelief. The prohibition includes going to soothsayers and believing their claims of knowing the unseen.