PART 4 – RUQYAS
34. Reciting unto Zamzam Water by a Specific Person for Healing Purposes
Question:
What is the validity of having particular persons recite on Zamzam water, to be given to someone for healing or other purposes?
Answer:
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have drunk Zamzam water, carried it and encouraged Muslims to drink it. He said, “Zamzam water is (good) for what one intends to achieve by drinking it.” (Musnad Ahmad, 357/3, 372.) As narrated by Ibn-Abbas, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to some Saqis (drinking-water providers) and asked for a drink of water, at which time Al-Abbas instructed Fadhl, “O Fadhl, go to your mother and get the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم a (good) drink,” but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to the Saqis, “Give me a drink of water.” Al-Abbas said, “O Messenger of Allah, they put their hands in it.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated, “Give me a drink.” When given the water, he drank it, then went to the Zamzam well, where the Saqis were drawing water, with their hands dipped into it. He said to them, “Carry on. What you’re doing is good work,” and added, “If I did not see that it would inconvenience you, I would come down and put the rope (on my shoulder and pull to draw water with you).” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab Al-Hajj (Book of Pilgrimage), Hadith No. 1635)
Also, as narrated by Ibn-Abbas, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Zamzam water is good for the drinker‘s intention. If you drink it seeking healing, Allah will give you healing. If you drink it to satisfy your hunger, Allah will satisfy your hunger. If you drink it to quench your thirst, Allah will quench your thirst. Jibreel dug it (the Zamzam well) for Isma‘il (Ishmael) to drink from.” (Sunan Dar-Qutni, Hadith No. 289/2)
As reported by Aisha, she used to carry water from Zamzam, and so did the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-Hajj (Book of Pilgrimage), Hadith NO. 963.) The qualities and blessings of Zamzam water are cited in a number of other Hadiths as well. For example, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said, “It (Zamzam water) is blessed water and good food.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Fadha’il As-Sahabah (Book of the Virtues of the Prophet’s Companions), Hadith No. 2473.) Abu-Dawood’s (Al Tayalisi.) a version of this very Hadith says, “It is blessed water, good food and healing from ailment.” (Musnad Attayalisi, Hadith No. 457.)
Though some of the Hadiths on Zamzam water are questionable, they have been judged by some Ulama as Sahih (sound), and they have been applied since the Companions‘ time.
Despite the Prophet‘s blessed status, his love and concern for people, and his visits to Zamzam before and after Hijrah, there is no evidence to suggest that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did any recitations on water from Zamzam for any of his companions to drink, or massage with, for the sake of healing or other purposes. He is not reported to have instructed any of his companions to do recitation on it; otherwise, they would have done that and communicated it to others. Thus, it can be concluded that if recitation on Zamzam water for the mentioned purposes were allowed, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would have done it and communicated it to his Ummah as usual. However, since recitation is allowed in the case of ordinary water for healing purposes, Zamzam water, because of its blessed and healing qualities reported in the above- mentioned Hadiths, must be more deserving of such recitation. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, pp. 17-19.)
35. Treatment of Psychological Depression:
Question:
I am a twenty-year-old committed Muslim woman. I have been married for about eighteen months. Six months ago, I gave birth to a child, and, by Allah‘s Grace, the birth was normal. A week later, I suffered from severe depression, which I had never had before. As a result, I have lost interest in everything, including the baby. I have gone to a psychiatrist for treatment, but without recovering my original psychological state. Now, I am tired of such a long period of treatment.
I pray that, by Allah‘s Grace, you can suggest a Ruqya treatment for such depression or any other effective treatment so that I can become normal again and look after my husband, child and house. What about Zamzam water? I have heard a Hadith about it, “Zamzam water is good for what it is intended for.” (Op. Cit.) Will you please explain this Hadith? Does it apply to my case or only to physical ailment? If it can, by Allah‘s permission, be beneficial to my treatment, how can I get it?
Answer:
You have to put your trust in Allah, ask Him for help, and never lose faith in His blessings and mercy. He – may all praise be to Him – has never created a disease without a matching cure for it. You have also to take appropriate measures, such as visiting specialists in cases like yours. For Ruqya treatment, you can recite unto yourself the Surahs of Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas three times, and do Nafth into your palms after each recitation, then pass them over your face and the parts of your body you can reach. You can do that as many times as possible day and night and when you go to bed. You can also recite Al-Fatihah unto yourself any time, day or night. One of the best Ruqyah one can use for protection from evil is Al-Kursi Ayah; you can recite it when you go to bed.
You can invoke Allah‘s help by saying these Karb (crisis distress) prayers, “There is no God but Allah, the exalted, the gentle; there is no God but Allah, Lord of the noble Throne; there is no God but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, Lord of the precious Throne.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab Adda’awat (Book of Supplications), Hadith No. 6345, 6345 & Sahih Muslim, Kitab Adhikr Wad-Dua’ (Book of Remembrance and Supplication), Hadith No. 2730.) You can also use the prayers said by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when performing Ruqyas, “O Allah, Lord of mankind, I beg you to remove the suffering. I beg You, as You are the Healer, and there is no healing but Yours, to bring about healing that leaves behind no ailment.” (Op. Cit.) There are other valid Ruqyas and prayers as those mentioned in Dawaween Al-Hadith, Riyadh Assaliheen and Kitab Al-Athkar.
Concerning Zamzam water, the Hadith you mentioned seems general and belongs to the Hassan (good) category, but there is a stronger Hadith that says, “It is blessed water, is good food and is healing from ailment.” (Op. Cit.) To get some Zamzam water for yourself, you can request pilgrims from your own country to bring you some on their return journey from Makkah. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, pp. 25-27.)
36. Putting Written Quranic Verses into Water to Be Drunk
Question:
A sick man asks for a Ruqya treatment. The Raqi writes some Quranic verses. He gives the writing to the patient and tells him to soak it in water, and then drink the water. Is this valid?
Answer:
The Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Ifta has already answered a similar question. This is the answer: The treatment by writing Quranic verses on a piece of paper or a container, washing it with water, then drinking the water is valid. This is based on the general Qur‘anic statement, “(82) And We reveal of the Qur‘an that which is a healing and a mercy for believers.” (Al-Isra’ Surah 82.)
The Qur‘an is a healing for psychological and physical diseases. In Ibn-Majah‘s Sunan and Al-Hakim‘s Al-Mustadrak, Ibn-Mas‘ud narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Use the two cures: honey and the Qur‘an.” (Sunan Ibn-Majah, Kitab At Tib (Book of Medicine), Hadith No. 3452.) According to Ibn-Majah, Au narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The best cure is the Qur‘an.” (Sunan Ibn-Majah, Kitab At Tib (Book of Medicine), Hadith No. 3501.)
According to Ibn-Assinni (Ibn-Assiny’s Al-Yawm Wal-Laylah, Hadith No. 619.), Ibn-Abbas said, If delivery is too difficult, take a clean pan and write on it (from within) these verses: “(35) On the day when they see that which they are promised (it will seem to them) as though they had tarried but an hour of daylight” (Al-Ahqaf Surah, Ayah 35.); “(46) On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof‘(An-Nazi’at Sura, Ayah 46.); “(111) In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding.” (Yusuf Sura, Ayah 111.) Then, wash the pan with water. Some of the wash wash water is to be given to the woman in labour to drink, and some to be sprinkled on her abdomen and face.
As mentioned in Ibn-Al-Qayyim‘s Zad-Al-Ma’ad, Vol.3, p.381, Al-Khallal reported that Abdullah Ibn-Ahmad said, “I saw my father – if he got a case of difficult delivery – write on a white bowl or something clean these prayers and Qur‘anic verses as related by Ibn-Abbas, `There is no God but Allah, the Gracious, the Generous; may Allah, Lord of the Glorious Throne, be exalted!‘ `(35) On the day when they see that which they are promised (it will seem to them) as though they had varied but an hour of daylight‘ (Al-Ahqaf Surah, Ayah 35.); `(46) On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof.‘(An-Nazi’at Sura, Ayah 46.) “Al-Khallal also reported that Abu-Bakr Al-Marwathi said, “Abu-Abdillah was approached by some man who said: O Abu-Abdillah, will you write (a Ruqya) for a woman who has been in difficult labour for the last two days? Abu-Abdillah replied: Let him bring a big bowl and some saffron. I have seen him write for more than one person.”
According to Ibn-Al-Qayyim, a group of Salaf recommend the drinking of the wash water of soaked written Quranic verses; similarly, Mujahid saw it valid to write Quranic verses, wash the writing with water, and have patients drink it; and Abu-Qulabah made a similar recommendation. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Islamic Research Journal, Vol. 27, pp. 51-52.)
37. Seeking Treatment by Soothsayers
Question:
On Id-Al-Fitr of 1403H. I got married to an uneducated orphan. Later, in the same year, at the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, she fell ill with a psychological disease. She started to show symptoms of weeping and crying, which sometimes turned into screams and wailing. Her father took her to his house, where he brought a soothsayer to treat her. The treatment involved using rotten smoke and confining my wife in a dark room for the whole month of Al-Muharram. This type of treatment is called Al-Hajbah (confinement). All this was done without my permission. Anyway, she was cured and stayed on in her father‘s house during the months of Safar and Rabi‘ Al-Awwal. When she came back to my house, she relapsed. Now with me, she is being treated by a qualified psychiatrist, who uses the Qur‘an and the Prophet‘s established prayers in addition to other remedies. Unfortunately, her family is not satisfied with the treatment she is getting, so they want her to be treated by a soothsayer. They even prevented me from reciting the Qur‘an unto her if she had a fit because the soothsayer told them I was responsible for complicating her problem since I recited Al-Falaq and Annas Suras and Al-Kursi Ayah. What do I have to do if her father takes her again to a soothsayer for treatment? Please, help me by giving me an answer as quickly as possible.
Answer:
You have done the right thing by using Quranic recitations and the Prophet‘s established prayers. It is imperative that no treatment be done in the absence of a Mahram. Also, a non-Mahram Raqi must not be in a position to see or touch her body. It will be safer if you, or a Mahram could administer the treatment. You could also take her to a hospital for treatment by specialists in psychological diseases.
Seeking treatment from soothsayers is prohibited, for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says, “If one consults a soothsayer, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Assalam (Book of Peace), Hadith No. 2230.) He also said, “If one consults a soothsayer and believes him, he has disbelieved in what has been sent down to Muhammad.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Kitab Al Taharah (Book of Purification), Hadith No. 135.)
May Allah guide us all to adhere to what is right, and to avoid what is wrong, and may His prayers be upon Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his kin and his companions. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Islamic Research Journal, Issue 26, pp. 118-119.)
38. Putting Written Ayahs Under Pillows Or Doors
Question:
Is it allowed to write Quranic verses, then drink their wash water or keep the writing under one‘s pillow, threshold, etc.?
Answer:
It is allowed to recite Quranic verses unto water for patients to drink. This is supported by the Hadiths in the Book of Medicine in Sunan Abi-Dawood.
As for hanging amulets, it is not allowed. Bear in mind that there are two types of amulets: Qur‘anic, and non-Qur‘anic. Regarding the Qur‘anic amulets, there are two verdicts, one banning them, the other allowing them. The banning verdict is advocated by Ibn-Mas‘ud, obviously by Huthaifah, Uqbah Ibn-‘ Amir, and Ibn-‘Akeem, and by a number of Tabi’in including Ibn-Mas’ud companions. According to Imam Ahmad, Abu-Dawood and others, Ibn-Mas‘ud narrated, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, `Ruqyas (illegal ones), amulets and Tawlahs are types of Shirk.” (Op. Cit.) In Fat-h Al-Majeed, Abdurrahman Ibn-Hassan Al-Sheikh supports the banning verdict by arguing that: (a) being a general statement, the ban cannot have exceptions; (b) banning all amulets prevents the danger of committing Shirk acts; and (c) if one hangs Qur‘anic amulets, the holiness of verses will likely be violated, for they may be carried into lavatories, for instance.
The verdict that allows the carrying of Qur‘anic amulets is attributed to Abdullah Ibn-Amr Ibn-Al-Aas, and it was implied from the Hadith reported by Aisha. This was reiterated by Abu-Ja‘far Al-Baqir and Ahmad; the amulets banned in the Hadith are interpreted as the Shirk ones. Therefore, the amulets that do not use Quranic verses on Allah’s Attributes belong to the Shirk type as stated in the above-mentioned Hadith.
May Allah‘s prayers be on Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his kin and his companions. (Fatwa of the Ifta’ Permanent Committee, vol. 1, pp. 205-206)
39. Reciting A1-Ikhlas, A1-Falaq and Naas Surahs for Treatment
Question:
Is reciting A1-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Naas Surahs for healing purposes Haläl (allowed) or Haram (forbidden)? Did Allah‘s Messenger or any of the good Salaf do that? Please, let us know.
Answer:
Reciting the Surah of Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq, Annas and Al-Fatiha or any other Suras unto patients is a valid Ruqya which Allah‘s Messenger legalised by his own action and by approving of his companions.
As mentioned by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Mu‘ammar, Al-Zuhri and Urwa, Aisha narrated, “The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم, in the illness leading to his death, used to do Nafth unto himself reciting Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas Suras. When his illness got worse, I did that for him, but using his own hands for the sake of their blessing.” Mu‘ ammar asked AI-Zuhri, “How did he (the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) do Nafth?” Al-Zuhri replied, “He used to blow out into his own palms, then pass them over his face.“
Also, according to Al-Bukhari, Abu-Saeed Al- Khudri narrated, “Some of the Prophet‘s Companions came across one of the Arab tribes, but the tribe did not entertain them. While they were in that state, the tribe‘s chief was stung. The tribesmen said to them, ‘Have you got any medicine or is there a Raqi amongst you?‘ The Companions said, ‘Since you have refused to entertain us, we will not treat your chief unless you pay us for it.‘ So, the tribesmen agreed to pay a flock of sheep. One of the Companions started reciting Al-Fatihah and gathering his saliva and spitting it on the sting. The patient was cured and his people brought the sheep, but the companions said, `-We will not take the sheep until we ask the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم if it is allowed.‘ When they asked him, he smiled and said, `How did you know Al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? Take the sheep and assign a share for me.‘ (Op. Cit.)
The former Hadith proves how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم recited those Suras unto himself in his illness, and the latter Hadith shows his approval of his Companions‘ use of Al-Fatihah as a Ruqya. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Islamic Research Journal, Issue 27, pp. 52 – 53.)
40. Treatment of Possession by Burning
Question:
There is a Muslim woman suffering from epilepsy. She is possessed by a female Jinni. The Jinni does not respond to beating, nor does she want to leave the woman‘s body.
Is it allowed in such a case to burn the Jinni with fire to make her leave the woman?
Answer:
It is absolutely forbidden to burn her with fire, for it is only Allah who has the authority to punish with fire. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Ruqyah and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, p. 72.)
41. Seeking Treatment from a Sayyid (Master), While Believing in Allah as the Healer
Question:
In acute cases of illness for which there is no available treatment, is it allowed to seek treatment from a Sayyid (master), who has, by Allah‘s permission, cured a lot of patients from similar illnesses, even though we believe that Allah is the only healer? Some people object to this, but we believe that the Sayyid is a means as the doctor is. What is your view on that?
Answer:
Patients can seek treatment with allowed medications and valid Ruqyas and prayers. It is forbidden to go to soothsayers or sorcerers, who claim knowledge of the unseen and perform Shirk Ruqyas and talisman, no matter what titles soothsayers are given. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, p. 30.)
42. Going to Church for Treating Insanity
Question:
It is claimed that treatment of insanity is to be sought at church, particularly, at the Mary Jirjis Church, or from sorcerers and charlatans commonly practising in villages. That type of treatment is claimed to have sometimes worked.
Is it lawful to do that? Mind you, a patient in a fit of madness may die if he is not immediately treated.
Answer:
Going to church, to sorcerers or to charlatans for insanity treatment is forbidden.
The allowed treatment is by non-Shirk Ruqyas, i.e. by Quranic recitations, such as the Suras of Al-Fatiha, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas and Al-Kursi Ayah, and the prophet‘s established prayers. (Ifta’ Permanent Committee, Islamic Research Journal, Issue 27, p. 80.)
By Khaled al-Jeraisy
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