PART 6 – RUQYAS
53. Treating Rabt (Sexual Impotence Due to Bewitchment)
Of all types of bewitchment, this is the severest, the most painful and the most torturous – may Allah protect us from it. Regarding its treatment, this is what Sheikh Abdulaziz Ibn-Baz has said:
Grind seven green leaves of the Sidr/ nabk tree. Put the ground leaves in a clean bowl, and then add an amount of water enough to wash the bowl with. On the bowl of water and ground leaves recite: Al-Kursi Ayah, Al-Kafiroon, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas.
Also recite the Ayahs on magic in Al-‘Araf, Yunus and Ta-ha Suras:
“(117) And We inspired Moses (saying): Throw thy staff! And Jo! it swallowed up their lying show. (118) Thus was the Truth vindicated and that which they were doing was made vain. (119) Thus were they defeated and brought low. (120) And the wizards fell down prostrate, (121) Crying: We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, (122) The Lord of Moses and Aaron.” (Al-A’Raaf Sura, Ayahs No. 117-122)
“(79) And Pharaoh said: Bring every cunning wizard unto me. (80) And when the wizards came, Moses said unto them: Cast your cast! (81) And when they had cast, Moses said: That which ye have brought is magic. Lo! Allah will make it vain. Lo! Allah upholdeth not the work of mischief-makers. (82) And Allah will vindicate the Truth by His words, however much the guilty be averse.” (Yunus’ Sura, Ayahs No. 79-82.)
“(65) They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw? (66) He said: Nay, do ye throw! Then Lo! Their cords and their staves, by their magic, appeared to him as though they ran. (67) And Moses conceived a fear in his mind (68) We said: Fear not! Lo! thou art the higher. (69) Throw that which is in thy right hand! It will eat up that which they have made. Lo! that which they have made is but a wizard‘s artifice, and a wizard shall not be successful to whatever point (of skill) he may attain.” (Taha Sura, Ayahs No. 65-69.)
After having done the recitation on the bowl‘s content, the patient is to drink some of the water and wash his body with the rest. This will get rid of the impediment by Allah‘s permission. If the need arises, this can be repeated till the healing occurs. (Ibn-Baz Disease treatment by Means of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, pp. 24-26.)
54. Employment of the Jinn & Confining Patients
Question:
This is a question sent by Humud Jabir Al-Mubarak from Riyadh:
Sometimes, if a person falls ill with Sara‘ (epilepsy/madness), his family takes him to those who employ the Jinn and who perform strange activities. For example, they put the patient in solitary confinement for a period of time, after which they say that he is possessed, under the effect of magic or something in that line of diagnosis. After treatment and after the patient is healed, wages are paid to those who administered the treatment. What is the legality of all this?
What is the legality of treatment with incantations in which are written Quranic verses and which are soaked into water to be drunk?
Answer:
The treatment of Sara‘ and magic with Qur‘anic verses and allowed remedies is valid so long as it is administered by a person known for good faith and committed to Shari‘ah teachings.
However, those who claim to know the unseen or employ the Jinn as well as sorcerers and those whose status and treatment methods are shrouded with mysteries must not be consulted or approached for treatment. About such people the Prophet says, “If one consults a soothsayer, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days.” (Op. Cit.) He also says, “If one consults soothsayers or charlatans and believes what they tell him, he is a disbeliever in what has been revealed to Muhammad.” (Ibid .)
Besides, there are other Hadiths on that issue. All of them prohibit consulting or believing soothsayers and charlatans, who claim to know the unseen or employ the Jinn, and whose activities are indicative of their alien thoughts. It is such people that are condemned in the Hadith which Jabir narrated, “The Prophet was asked about the legality of Annashrah, and he said, `It is from Satan.” (Sunan Abu-Dawood, Kitab At Tib (Book of Medicine), Hadith No. 3878.) Annashrah is the magical practices prevalent in the Jahili (pre-Islamic) era, such as treatment of magic with counter-magic and treatment sought from soothsayers, charlatans and sorcerers.
Thus, treatment of diseases, including Sara‘, is valid only by Shar‘i (lawful) means, of which are Quranic recitations, Nafth and the Prophet‘s established prayers. In this respect, the Prophet says, “Ruqyas are valid so long as they are void of Shirk.” (Op. Cit.) He also says, “O slaves of Allah, seek medications (for your illnesses), but do not use forbidden materials.” (Sunan Abu-Dawood, Kitab At Tib (Book of Medicine), Hadith No. 3878.)
As for writing Quranic verses or established prayers, using, for example, saffron, in a clean bowl or on clean paper, to be washed by water, which is to be drunk by the patient, it is allowed so long as it is done by those known for their righteousness and good behaviour. Such treatment was done by a lot of Salaf, as explained by Ibn-Al-Qayyim in Zad Al-Ma `ad and in other books. (Ifta‘ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, pp.33 – 31.)
55. Warning Against Non-Shar’i Ruqyas
From: Abdulaziz Ibn-Abdullah Ibn-Baz
To: Whom it may concern in Al-Fara and other areas of Medina. May Allah guide them to religious knowledge. Amen!
May Allah‘s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
I have been told that in your area there is a prevalent Ruqya for treating stings of scorpions and other poisonous insects, and that it contains Shirk elements. Therefore, it is my duty to alert you to it and warn you not to use it. What follows is an extract from that Ruqya:
“In the name of Allah, O reading of Allah, in the name of the seven heavens, the sent Ayahs, which control, but are never controlled, O you Sulaiman A1-Rifa‘i, who suppresses the poison of snakes in the name of Al-Rifa‘i, both male and female, long and short, yellow and black, red and white, big and small and crawling at night or by day, I hereby seek against them the help of Allah, Allah‘s Ayahs, ninety-nine apostles, Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet , and her offspring….”
The above extract is some of what I have heard. It takes a variety of forms and contains elements of Shirk, such as: “in the name of the seven heavens”, “O you Sulaiman Al-Rifa‘i, who suppresses the poison of snakes, call the snakes in the name of Al-Rifa‘i” and, “I hereby seek against them the help of Allah, Allah‘s Ayahs, ninety-nine apostles, Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet , and her offspring”.
The Glorious Qur‘an and the Prophet‘s Sunnah state that Allah is the only One Who rightly deserves to be worshipped, that none but He must be invoked, none but He must be asked for help. In the Fatihah we read, “(5) Thee (alone) we worship; Thee we ask for help.” (Al-Fatiha Sura, Ayah, 5.) Allah says, “(8) And the places of worship are only for Allah, so pray not unto anyone along with Allah.” (Al-Jinn Surah, Ayah 8.)
The Prophet says, “Prayers are acts of worship.” He also says, “If you want to ask, ask none but Him, and if you seek help, seek from none but Him.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Kitab Sifat Yawm Al-Qiyamah (Book of Doomsday Description), Hadith No.2516.) There are many more Ayahs and Hadiths that express that meaning.
There is consensus among the Ulama that it is not allowed to seek help from non-living things, such as the heavens, planets, idols, trees, etc. In fact to do that is a kind of Shirk. It is not allowed to invoke the dead, seek their help or ask them to rescue you, etc., even if they are prophets or saintly people. As the Prophet says, “Once one dies, one‘s deeds cease, except three. things: a working charity, knowledge being used (by people after one‘s death) and a righteous son / daughter who prays for him / her.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab A1-Wasiyyah (Book of Wills), Hadith No. 1631.)
The above-mentioned Ruqya involves seeking help from the heavens, from a lot of dead people, prophets as well as others, and from Al-Rifa‘i, which is all Shirk. Therefore, all Mus1ims have to guard against such a Ruqya and other Shirk Ruqyas, to encourage each other to stop them and to warn people against them. Instead, they must use legitimate Ruqyas and invocations, which are rich in content and are appropriate, such as: Al-Kursi Ayah, Al-Ikhlaas, Al-Falaq and Annas Suras, as well as other Quranic verses. Examples of legitimate invocations and prayers are:
“I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.”
“In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens or earth can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing.” This can be repeated three times in the morning, and-. three times in the evening.
“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 a healing that leaves behind no ailment.”
“In the name of Allah I am doing this Ruqya unto you to get rid of all that is harming you and of the evil of all spirits and eyes. May Allah cure you; in His name I am doing this Ruqya unto you.” This can be repeated three times.
For stings and bites recitation of Al-Fattha unto the patient is considered a treatment most effective, particularly, when sincerely repeated, and faithfully intended to invoke Allah, being the only One Who cures all diseases, to bring about healing. May He be exalted.
I do beg Him to guide us and all other Muslims to awareness of and adherence to His religion, and to protect us all from all that violates His Shari‘ah; He is indeed the most Generous. May His peace and blessings be upon you. (lbn-Baz, Collection of Fatwas and Articles, Vol.1, pp.213-215)
56. Treatment of Psychological Diseases with Ruqyah
Question:
Do believers become psychologically ill? What is a legitimate treatment for such diseases? Mind you, modern medicine treats them with modern medications only.
Answer:
No doubt man gets psychologically sick, as he worries about the future and grieves about the past. Psychological diseases can affect the body more badly than physical diseases. Treating such diseases by means of Shar‘i Ruqyas is better than treatment with physical medications as we know them.
Some of the Ruqyas for treating psychological diseases are:
Some of the Ruqyas for treating psychological diseases are: As narrated by Ibn-Mas‘ud, the Prophet said, “If any believer afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, Allah will remove it: `O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your man-servant, son of Your woman-servant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command concerning me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. O Allah, by every one of the names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book, or which You have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, I pray You to make the Qur‘an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and the remover of my grief, sorrow, and distress‘.” (MusnadAhmad, Hadith No.1/391,452.)
One can also say, “There is no god but You, You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, and I was indeed the wrongdoer.”
For further prayers, one can read supplication books, such as Ibn-Al-Qayyim‘s Al-Wabil Assayyib and Zad-Al-Ma’ad, Ibn-Taymiya‘s Al-Kalim Al Tayyib and Annawawi‘s Al-Adhkar.
However, on the one hand, now that people‘s faith is weak, they are reluctant to seek Shar‘i treatment (faith healing). Instead, they have become more dependent on physical medications. On the other hand, when faith was strong, they sought Shar‘i treatment, which was very effective, actually more effective than the ordinary physical one. This is clearly reflected in the well-known story of some of the Prophet‘s companions.
According to the story, the companions camped near one of the Arab tribes. They requested the tribe to entertain them as their [guests, but the tribesmen refused. When the tribe‘s chief was bitten by a snake, some tribesmen said, “Will you go to those who have dismounted nearby and see if there is a Raqi among them?” When approached, the companions replied, “We will not treat your patient till you fix for us some sheep as wages.” A deal was struck. One companion went with the tribesmen and performed a Ruqya by reciting Al-Fatiha only. The patient was healed and started walking as if he had not been sick. Thus, the Fatihah was effective because it was recited by a Muslim whose heart was full of faith. When told the story, the Prophet said, “How did you know that it (Al-Fatiha) is a Ruqya? (Op. Cit.)
Nowadays, faith is so weak that on one extreme, people have become dependent on material treatment. On the other extreme, there are those sorcerers, who have been deceiving and misleading people into believing that they are innocent Raqis, but this is not true; they are taking people‘s money unlawfully. Thus, there are those people who have completely lost faith in Ruqyas, those involved in magic, and those in between. (Ifta‘ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, pp.22-24.)
57. Doing Nafth unto Water:
Question:
What is the validity of doing Nafth unto water?
Answer:
There are two types of Nafth. One type is intended to seek the blessing of the one who does Nafth. This is definitely forbidden as a type of Shirk, for one‘s saliva is not a source of blessing. In fact, blessing is not to be sought in anybody‘s traces except in Prophet Muhammad‘s. It was true in his lifetime, and is still true on condition that his traces are there. Um-Salama kept some of the Prophet‘s in a silver container, and when a patient asked her for treatment, she washed the hair with water which was given to the patient to drink. Except for the Prophet‘s case, no blessing is to be sought through anybody‘s saliva, sweat, garment, etc. Therefore, Nafth on water is considered a type of Shirk if the aim is to get the blessing of the Raqi‘s saliva, for if one attributes I causes to other than Allah, it is considered a type of Shirk.
In the other type of Nafth, the Raqi does Nafth on a container of water on which Quranic recitations were done. For example, Al-Fatiha — what a great cure Al-Fattha is – can be recited, and then Nafth can be done. This type of Ruqya was done by some Salaf, and it has proved effective by Allah‘s permission. When the Prophet went to bed, he used to recite Al-Ikhlaas, AlFalaq and Aimas Suras, and to do Nafth into his own palms, which he passed over his face and over whatever parts of his body his palms would reach. (Ifta‘ Permanent Committee, Fatwas on Treatment Using the Qur‘an and the Sunnah, Ruqyas and Related Issues, by Ibn-Baz and Ibn-Uthaimeen, pp.9-10.)
58. Performing Ruqyas Without Having a Religious Academic Qualification
Question:
A controversy has arisen regarding the qualifications of those who recite the Quran for Ruqyah. Some argue that none but those who have Sharia knowledge must be allowed to perform Ruqyah. Others argue that being able to recite the Qur‘an and being of a sound faith, righteousness and piety are sufficient qualifications for Ruqya performance. Will you please tell us the legal verdict on that matter?
Answer:
I believe that a Raqi does not have to be academically qualified. He is only required to master Qur‘anic recitation, to be known for piety and righteousness and to use the Qur‘an and the Prophet‘s established Sunnah in treating with Ruqyas. He does not need to be a religious scholar. In fact, some scholars are not as good at performing Ruqyas as those without religious academic qualifications. (A Fatwa by Al-Jibreen, Signed by him.)
59. Uncovering Painful Spots Before Raqis
Question:
As you very well know, there are patients seeking legal Ruqya treatment from religious scholars and those with Qur‘anic knowledge. Those Raqis are known for their piety and righteousness. Naturally, there are female patients.
Is it allowed to uncover the aching spot in female patients for recitation purposes if necessary? If it is allowed, how much can be uncovered?
Answer:
If, as you have mentioned in your question, the Raqi is known for his piety, righteousness, unquestioned faith and manners, and he deemed it necessary to have the painful spot uncovered to recite on, there is no reason why it should not be uncovered. However, this must be done only in the presence of a Mahram of the patient‘s. (A Fatwa by Al-Jibreen, Signed by him.)
By Khaled al-Jeraisy
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