Is it regarded as fortune-telling to examine body language and facial expressions?
Is it haram to examine body language, facial expressions and similar things; are they regarded as fortune telling?
I am very interested in psychology, human interaction, communication, etc. And I really want to read books about it, but I came across someone saying that studying psychology, analyzing facial expressions and everything I am talking about are haram. Is it true? I mean, these things were not designed to predict the future or anything; so, it kind of confuses me.
Submitted by on Wed, 21/06/2023 - 11:56
Dear Brother / Sister,
No, it is not haram to examine body language, facial expressions and similar things; it is not regarded as fortune telling.
There is a “branch of science” called ilm-i sima (art of face reading - physiognomy) in our culture.
Many serious people, most of whom are sufis, have books and sayings regarding the issue.
This field has nothing to do with knowing ghayb (the unseen/unknown).
Predicting the future related to rain, snow, etc. by looking at the change in the atmosphere does not mean knowing ghayb; similarly, making predictions about character, behavior, personality, etc. by looking at body language does not mean knowing ghayb.
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