Question:
Water divining is a common term used for the practice of identifying where water sources could be within the ground.
Generally, the ‘diviner’ comes with 2 metal rods or some sort of metal which will rotate when there is a water source or stream underground.
The actual practice seems to hinge on magnetic fields and the diviner using any sort of metal object that can turn easily when the magnetic field around the water source is identified.
It seems that most if not all borehole contractors make use of some system such as this.
The individual seems to have some sort of additional sensitivity to magnetic fields.
From this process they can determine where the water is, and the depth of the water.
The borehole contractor then bases his quote for digging on this.
It is no doubt not guaranteed to yield results.
Nobody seems to know whether there is some link with any occult or anything sinister.
Is this practice acceptable ?
Answer:
Water divining/dowsing is a technique which is believed to have originated in Germany during the 16th Century, when it was used in an attempt to find metals. The practitioners of this technique believe that the charges in the rods react to the water-bodies underground, which results in a spontaneous jerk or tilt downwards.
Although some people have dismissed this technique due to it being discredited by science, there are others who believe it to work—a skill learned through experience unfathomable by science. To the best of our knowledge, this practice is not linked to any occult or any such sinister thing. Therefore, if someone is hired for this purpose, it will be permissible. The conditions mentioned when hiring (e.g. I’ll pay you R500 if you find water) will have to be adhered to, as long as the conditions are in accordance to Shari’ah.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
وشرعا تمليك نفع مقصود من العين بعوض…(قوله مقصود من العين) أي في الشرع ونظر العقلاء (رد المحتار ٦/٤، سعيد)
ويعلم النفع أيضا ببيان العمل كالصياغة والصبغ ولخياطة بما يرفع الجهالة (الدر المختار مع رد المحتار ٦/٩، سعيد)
يجوز إجارة الآدمي للخدمة أو لإجراء صنعة ببيان مدة أو بتعيين العمل بصورة أخرى… (المادة ٥٦٢ من المجلة)
تكون المنفعة معلومة في استئجار أهل الصنعة ببيان العمل… (المادة ٤٥٥ من المجلة)
والثاني وهو الأجير الخاص ويسمى أجير وحد وهو من يعمل لواحد عملا موقتا بالتخصيص ويستحق الأجر بتسليم بفسه في المدة وإن لم يعمل (الدر امختار مع رد المحتار ٦/٦٩، سعيد)
(تفسد الإجارة بالشروط المخالفة لمقتضى العقد فكل ما أفسد البيع) مما مر (يفسدها) كجهالة مأجور أو أجرة أو مدة أو عمل…(الدر المختار مع رد المحتار ٦/٤٦، سعيد)