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The question

Is it permissible, in Islamic law, to rely on the results of matching numbers with letters to make a decision about marriage?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

There is no legal basis in Islamic law for methods resembling the prohibited practice of seeking divination by arrows (istisqām bi al-azlām). Allah Almighty said: "And that you seek divination by arrows - that is a grave disobedience" (Quran 5:3). And He said: "O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to idols], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful" (Quran 5:90).

It is prescribed for a Muslim to rely upon Allah, supplicate to Him, seek His guidance (istikhārah), and exert lawful means. Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that the prohibited seeking of divination by arrows (istisqām bi al-azlām) includes anything used to infer whether to do an act or leave it, such as striking pebbles, or a tablet, or written papers, because it falls under the category of seeking divination by arrows. Rather, it is to seek guidance from the Creator, consult the created, and deduce from the legal evidences.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
183089
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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