Important Excerpts from The Rules and Etiquettes of Ruqyah

[Shehzad Sattar]

From the excellent and inexpensive book (published by al-ibaanah) The Rules and Etiquettes of Ruqya, by Shaikh Saalih Aalush-Shaikh.

“Third, the person performing ruqyah and the one being treated by it must both believe that this [ruqyah] is a means and that the means only work by Allaah’s Permission. The means can either be successful or unsuccessful based on whatever Allaah allows to happen. So the one who aids in reality and the one who allows the means to be successful and produce the desired result is Allah. He is the One in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things. Allaah says:

مَا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ

“Whatever mercy Allaah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it. And whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter.” [Surah Faatir: 2]

And He says:

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ

“If Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but Him.” [Surah Al-An’aam: 17]

Even though the servant of Allaah is required to implement the means, his heart must still be dependent upon Allaah (for the achievement of those means).”

Shaikh Saalih aalush Shaikh p.21

First: He must give precedence to hoping in, asking aid from, and seeking refuge in Allaah. Allaah says to His servants:

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلاَ رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصَيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

“And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none that can remove it but Him. And if He intends any good for you, there is none that can repel His favor which He causes to reach whomever of His servants He wills.” [Surah Yoonus:107]

And He says:

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدُيرٌ

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ

“And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but Him. And if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things. And He is The Irresistible, above His slaves, and He is The All-Wise, Well-Acquainted with all things.” [Surah Al-An’aam: 17-18]

And He says:

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ

“(Abraham said): ‘And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me.’” [Surah Ash-Shu’araa: 80]

So therefore, if you need to be treated by ruqyah, you must place your hope in only Allaah, just like when you go to the doctor. You know that the doctor is a means and that Allaah is the One Who heals. So in the same manner, the one performing the ruqyah is a means and the One healing is Allaah….

What is required from the servant of Allaah is that he put his trust in Allaah and abide by the means. However, he should not give the devil access to his heart thus allowing him to whisper false notions to him and cause him to become weak. This is since if he becomes weak, the devil will have greater power over him.

Second: Another attribute that those who need to be treated by ruqyah should have is they should learn the various wordings of ruqyah by themselves. This means that they should not always depend on people, rather, they should try to perform ruqyah on themselves. They should treat themselves by reciting Surah Al-Faatihah or Surah Ikhlaas or the Mu’aawidhatain (Surahs Falaq and Naas) on themselves. Or they should recite Ayat-ul-Kursee on themselves before sleeping as well as the words of remembrance that are recited throughout the day and after the obligatory prayers.

These words will protect them since these supplications and [ruqyah] will help them prevent and remove all calamities from themselves. These [ruqyah] assist by preventing evil from befalling. So they are like armor that you wear to protect yourself from any danger that comes your way. They are a means that assist but Allaah is the One Who ultimately brings about good or harm.”

Shaikh Saalih aalush Shaikh p.37-39

(I bolded this statement: “not ruqyah or anything else” ):

“When Shaikh Abdullah Al-Qar’aawee1 came to our region, many people were suffering from illnesses; they were bed-ridden and couldn’t get up. And what was this due to? It was due to the Jinn and so on and so forth. They would go out and come across the Jinn at night in trees and upon the roads and so on, and the devils would take over them. This is because they were ignorant. They didn’t have any understanding of Tawheed.

So when he (i.e. Shaikh Al-Qar’aawee) came and spread Tawheed, not ruqyah or anything else, may Allah bless you, all of these things came to an end. All of these (possessions and illnesses) came to an end once Tawheed and knowledge spread. When Tawheed and knowledge spread, these things go away and come to an end. And when ignorance becomes widespread, sorcerers, soothsayers, devils and so on increase and cooperate with one another.

So I advised him to do as the good doers in the past did, which was to call to Tawheed and wage war against shirk and false superstitions such that the devils left them and they had no need for people to perform ruqyah on them from devils, sorcerers or anyone else….”

1Translator’s Note: Shaikh Abdullah Al-Qar’aawee was born in 1315H in Saudi Arabia where he played a great role in reviving the call to Islaam, particularly in its southern regions, making Saamitah the center of his efforts. He studied under such Scholars as Shaikh Muhammad bin Ibtaheem, the former muftee of Saudi Arabia, and produced students of his own such as Shaikh Haafidh Al-Hakamee. He passed away in 1389H, may Allah have mercy on him.

Shaikh Rabee al Madkhalee, p.71

“A believer is tested in this life with illnesses, calamities, and misfortunes in order that Allaah may raise him up in levels if he is patient, Allaah bless you. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said:

إن اللهَ إذا أحَبَّ قومٌا ابتلاهم, فمن صبر, فله الصبر, و من جزع, فله الجزع

‘Verily, when Allah loves a people, He tests them. So whoever is patient, he will have patience. And whoever is anxious, he will have anxiety.’

So first of all, the believer must be patient with Allaah’s Decree. And if he rises above that to the level of being pleased with Allaah’s Decree, then this is the highest level of faith, if Allaah wills. Patience is obligatory and anxiety is forbidden. So no one should be apprehensive of what Allaah has decreed. Allah says:

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنا إِلَّا ما كَتَبَ اللهُ لَنَا

‘Say: “Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allaah has ordained for us.”’ [Surah At-Tawbah: 51]

If Allaah does not want you to be healed, no amount of ruqyah or any other treatment can help you. Everything occurs by Allah’s Will and Desire. So the believer should seek refuge in Allaah. And first and foremost, he must believe in Allaah’s Divine Decree and Ordainment and be patient with it, may Allaah bless you.”

Shaikh Rabee al Madkhalee, p.65


Note: The Shaikhs are pointing to the fact that Allah is the Sole Controller of the affairs, the One Who heals. So one should continually turn to Him and seek help from Him while being patient with His Decree, since Allaah may cause an illness or trial to last for longer period of time out of His Wisdom. One should be patient in their trial and never lose hope in the Mercy of Allaah. Allaah tells us that the Prophet Ya’qoob said:


و لا تَاْيئَسُوا مِن رَوْحِ الله إنَّهُ لا يَاْيئَسُ من روح الله إلّا القَوْمُ الكَافِرُوْن

“And do not give up hope of (receiving) Allah’s Mercy. Indeed no one gives up hope of (receiving) Allah’s Mercy except for the disbelieving people” (12:87)

And Allah says:

قُلْ يا عِبَادِيَ الّذِيْنَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلى أَنْفُسِهِم لا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَحْمَةِ الله إنّ اللهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُنُوبَ

جَمِيعاً إنّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَحِيم

“Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by sinning), don’t lose hope of (receiving) the Mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins. Indeed He is The One Who forgives often, The Giver of Mercy.’” (39:53)

Source: https://sughayyirah.wordpress.com/so-wh ... hing-else/