Short answer
Stay calm and do not open it with fear or blame anyone. Seek refuge in Allah, then have a knowledgeable person check it if possible. If it contains only Quran or duas, dispose of it respectfully. If it has unknown words, symbols, hair or knots, untie or soak it in water and destroy it, then recite ruqyah in the home. Allah's protection is stronger than any charm.
Charms containing shirk, unknown words or magic are haram to make or keep, and destroying them is required. A taweez of Quran and authentic duas is treated with respect and disposed of like a worn page of Quran. Accusing a specific person of magic without clear proof is not allowed.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Finding a folded paper, a small cloth bundle or knotted thread in a pillow or corner can be frightening. Remember that harm only happens by Allah's permission, and the believer's adhkar are a strong shield. Do not let it take over your life or your family's peace.
Steps to take:
- Say a'udhu billah and Bismillah. Read Ayat al-Kursi and the three Quls.
- If you can, show it to a trusted scholar or ruqyah practitioner who follows the sunnah. Do not take it to a fortune teller.
- If it is Quran or known duas: it may be someone's old taweez. Wrap it and bury it in a clean place, or dissolve the ink in water and pour the water on clean soil or plants. See disposing of an old Quran.
- If it has unknown writing, number grids, names of jinn, hair, nails or knots: untie the knots while reading al-Falaq and an-Nas (113:4 mentions those who blow on knots), soak the paper in water until the writing dissolves, then burn or bury what remains away from the house.
- Recite Surah al-Baqarah in the home, since Satan flees from a house where it is read.
- Keep up salah, the morning and evening adhkar and the dua for leaving and entering home.
Avoid suspicion. Do not accuse relatives or neighbours without proof. Suspicion breaks families, and many "taweez" are harmless keepsakes. If you see real symptoms, see signs of black magic and how to remove black magic. For the ruling on wearing one, see is wearing a taweez allowed.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Falaq 113:4
وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾
And from the evil of the blowers in knots
Magic with knots is named in the Quran, and al-Falaq is a protection from it.
Quran, Surah Al-Israa 17:82
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌۭ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًۭا ﴿٨٢﴾
And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.
The Quran is the remedy, not other charms.
Sahih Muslim 780
Sahih... إن الشيطان ينفر من البيت الذي تقرأ فيه سورة البقرة ...
"Satan flees from the house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited."
Reciting al-Baqarah protects the home.
Sahih Muslim 2230
Sahih... من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء لم تقبل له صلاة أربعين ليلة ...
"Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks him about something, his salah is not accepted for forty nights."
Do not seek help from fortune tellers.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha, discussion of ruqyah and amulets (tama'im). Distinguishes Quranic amulets from forbidden charms.
- Fatawa Mahmudiyya, Section on amulets, spiritual cures and wazifas. Advises on dealing with found charms and magic.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.