What is Ruqyah and How to Perform it

[Shehzad Sattar]

What is Ruqyah and How to Perform it

This is a small collection questions and answers on ruqyah taken from http://www.alifta.com. Ahaadeeth were added (in the footnotes) and some spacing and headings were added as well.

What is Ruqyah

Taken from: http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChap ... 1&BookID=8

Q: In the book Fath Al-Bary, it is mentioned that Ruqyah (recitation for healing or protection) has very good effects. Please explain Ruqyah and its good effects? May Allah reward you.

A: Ruqyah means reciting Qur’an and saying supplications reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) over the sick seeking to be cured; in addition to other good and lawful supplications.

It has very good curing effects. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite over the sick and so did the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet). Performing Ruqyah and supplicating for a sick person is one of the means for healing; using the supplications reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) are causes to bring healing.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said as a Ruqyah:Adhhib al-ba’s, Rabb al-nas, wa’shfi, anta Al-Shafiy, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifa’an la yughadiru saqaman [Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind]1. This supplication is of great benefit.

Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) performed the following Ruqyah for the Prophet (peace be upon him):Bismillaah urqik, min kulli shay’in yu’dhik, wa min sharri kulli nafsin aw `aynin hasidin Allah yushfik, bismillaah urqik [In the Name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah (reciting Qur’an and saying supplications over the sick seeking healing) for you, from everything that may harm you; from the evil of any soul or envious eye. May Allah heal you. In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you]2.

This is one of the great Ruqyahs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the man who complained to him of pain in his body: Put your hand on the area of pain in your body and say, ‘Bismillah [In the Name of Allah]” three times, then say seven times, ‘`Audhu bi `izzat-illaah wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajid wa uhaadhir [I seek refuge in the Glory and Power of Allah from the evil of what I feel and worry about].’3 This is a means for healing. Also, one may ask Allah for healing using good words, such as, “O Allah, cure me of this disease, cure me of any sickness.”

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How to perform Ruqyah

Taken from: http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChap ... 1&BookID=8

Q: An Egyptian residing in Tabuk asks: What are the rules for performing Ruqyah (recitation for healing or protection)? Is it permissible to make Ruqyah for more than one person? What do you advise patients?

A: Ruqyah has to be made using Qur’an and good supplications with the hope that Allah accepts and makes it beneficial.

The person performing Ruqyah should blow breath and recite over the sick Surah Al-Fatihah or some Ayahs (Qur’anic Ayaat), or Ayat-ul-Kursy (the Qur’anic Ayah of Allah’s Chair, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:255), Surah Al-Ikhlas or Al-Mu`awwidhatayn (Surahs Al-Falaq and Al-Nas). However, all the Qur’an is a healing. Say: “It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing.”

Ruqyah should be performed by reciting Qur’an and lawful supplications on the area of pain along with blowing breath over it, whether the aching area is the chest, head or leg. Al-Fatihah is to be recited along with as much Ayahs as one can. Then to supplicate to Allah saying:

“Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind.”

Or to supplicate saying: “In the Name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah (reciting Qur’an and saying supplications over the sick seeking healing) for you, from everything that may harm you; from the evil of any soul or envious eye. May Allah heal you. In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you.”

This is the Shar`y (Islamically lawful) Ruqyah. This supplication is said along with hope that Allah makes it beneficial, accepts it and heals the patient. The person performing Ruqyah should have faith that Allah is the Healer and these are only means. They should ask Allah to heal this patient, recite Ruqyah and supplicate to Allah to make it beneficial. It is permissible to perform Ruqyah for two or three people at one time. The person may recite and then blow breath over the aching area, whether it is their chest, hand, or head, according to the sickness. There is nothing wrong with that. If more than one person needs to have Ruqyah performed for them, I do not know of anything wrong with reciting over more than one patient.

Q: Which Ayahs did the Prophet (peace be upon him) use in performing Ruqyah for patients? How should they be recited? Should they be recited as Ruqyah just at the beginning of sickness or continue to be recited until the sickness is gone? What is your advice to the person performing Ruqyah? May Allah reward you

A: All the Glorious Qur’an is blessed and can be recited as Ruqyah. Al-Fatihah (Opening Chapter of the Qur’an), Ayat-ul-Kursy, Surah Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatayn can be recited as Ruqyah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have used all these Ayahs and urged his followers to use them, especially Al-Fatihah because it is the Mother of the Qur’an and is the best Surah. Also, Ayat-ul-Kursy is the best Ayah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) guided us to recite Ayat-ul-Kursy after every Salah (Prayer) and before sleeping. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also used to recite Surah Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatayn three times before going to sleep. He (peace be upon him) would recite and blow in his hands and pass his hands on his head, face and the front part of his body. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Anyone who recites these three Surahs (Surahs Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and Al-Nas) at the beginning of the night or day, nothing harmful will touch or befall them.” All this is Mashru` (Islamically permissible). It is also authentically reported that the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet Muhammad) used only Al-Fatihah for Ruqyah and Allah granted healing.

Q: Your Eminence Shaykh, a lot of people ask about how to perform Shar`y Ruqyah. Please explain.

A: The Shar`y Ruqyah is to recite Qur’an and lawful supplications over the sick seeking healing. That is the Islamic lawful Ruqyah. It consists of reciting Qur’an or good supplications. One may recite over the sick Al-Fatihah, Ayat-ul-Kursy or other Ayahs such Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Mu`awwidhatayn or others. Ruqyah may also be performed by reciting this supplication: “Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind.” Or: “In the Name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah (reciting Qur’an and saying supplications over the sick seeking healing) for you, from everything that may harm you; from the evil of any soul or envious eye. May Allah heal you. In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you.” Or: “O Allah, heal and give health. O Allah, send down healing. O Allah, cure them of their sickness” and any other good supplications.




Q: The Qur’an is a remedy and mercy for people, would you please mention the Ayahs one may recite over the sick and the number of times and how to blow, may Allah reward you. We have a patient and we would like to perform Ruqyah for him.


A: The entire Qur’an, from its beginning to its end, is a remedy. Al-Fatihah is the greatest Surah in the Qur’an. Repeat it as much as you can. The Sahabah passed by a person who was stung (by a scorpion), in some Arab outskirts, they recited Al-Fatihah over him and repeated it and Allah healed him. If one recites Al-Fatihah and along with it Ayat-ul-Kursy and some other Ayahs, that would be good. And if one recites Surahs Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and Al-Nas three times, that would also be good and would be a means for healing. The entire Qur’an is a healing. One may also recite whatever parts possible of Surah Al-Baqarah, Al-Amran, Al-Nisa’, Al-Ma’idah or any other Surah; all of the Qur’an is a healing. Allah (Glorified be He) says: Say: “It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing.” Allah (Glorified be He) also says: And We send down of the Qur’ân that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism and act on it) This means that all Ayahs contain healing. If one chooses to recite certain Ayahs, this is all acceptable. But the most important ones to recite are: Al-Fatihah, Ayat-ul-Kursy, Surah Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatayn. These are the most important to be recited over the sick.


Q: Is it permissible when performing Ruqyah for a Muslim to recite passages of the Qur’an and some Prophetic supplications on water or some olive oil so that the patient drinks the water or bathes with it? If it is not permissible, what is the Shar`y Ruqyah and its conditions?

A: There is nothing wrong with reciting Ruqyah over water which the patient then drinks or washes themselves with. All this is permissible. Ruqyah should be performed for a patient by reciting and blowing over them; it can also be made over water which the patient then drinks or washes with. All this is permissible. It is authentically reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed Ruqyah for Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shamas by reciting over water and then pouring it on him. If one performs Ruqyah for his brother on water then makes him drink it or pours it on him, it is hoped that Allah will heal him and he will recover thereby. Also, if a patient performs Ruqyah for themselves by reciting over the sick part of the body, whether their hand, leg or chest, then blows over it and supplicates to Allah to heal them, this is all good.


Q: Respected Shaykh, please explain how to perform Ruqyah by saying supplications, what are the supplications that may be recited?


A: One should blow breath over the sick part while supplicating for the patient; to blow some wet breath and recite Al-Fatihah and repeat it seven times. Also, to recite Ayat-ul-Kursy (the Qur’anic Ayah of Allah’s Chair, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:255) and as much as they can of the Qur’an; recite Surah Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatayn and repeat them three times while blowing. This is the way to perform Ruqyah. One may also supplicate to Allah, saying: “Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) did that. Another supplication is to say:

In the Name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah for you, from everything that may harm you; from the evil of any soul or envious eye. May Allah heal you. In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you.This is the Ruqyah that Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) made for the Prophet (peace be upon him).

This is good. Moreover, if one supplicates, saying: “O Allah, heal and restore his health. O Allah, grant him a quick recovery” and other suitable supplications, there is nothing wrong with that. However, the above-mentioned are the supplications authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him). If Ruqyah is performed using other supplications asking Allah to heal the patient, there is nothing wrong with this.

There is no blame if a woman or a man asks another to perform Wudu’…

Taken from: http://www.alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChap ... 1&BookID=8

Q: Respected Shaykh, in brief my problem is: My wife began visiting one of her neighbors as a kind of cordiality and keeping the social ties of neighborhood. After two visits, her neighbor suddenly asked my wife to perform Wudu’ (ablution) so she could use the water of my wife’s Wudu’ water to wash her leg with, which became swollen, as she thinks she has been afflicted by an evil eye. My wife performed Wudu’ at once as she did not understand what was going on. My wife came home weeping as it was the first time she had been subjected to this. I went to my neighbor and inquired about the matter, he said that his wife had been attacked by an evil eye and she took Wudu’ water from everyone who visited her and mentioned to me the incident of Sahl ibn Hunayf who suffered a seizure after `Amir ibn Rabi`ah looked at him enviously during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Is it true that the remedy for the evil eye is to take the Wudu’ water of the envier despite the fact that the envier is not known?

Is the manner in which this neighbor dealt with my wife appropriate, especially without my consent? May Allah reward you.

A: The evil eye is real as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told. A man or woman can cast an envious eye. A woman may see something that belongs to her neighbor or other females that she likes and envy occurs. Similarly, a man may cast an envious look at his brother or neighbor or others. There is nothing wrong if a man or a woman is asked to perform Wudu’ for some person to wash with – all praise be to Allah. Moreover, one may unintentionally envy another, so one should not be upset. The evil eye is real, and may be cast on some person without intending to. One may look admiringly at another and envy occurs. They may like a person’s manner of walking, face etc. and so cast an envious eye which may result in harm to the person’s leg, head, or in a seizure, etc.

Therefore, there is no blame if a woman or a man asks another to perform Wudu’ or to wash their face or hands in order to use the water hoping that Allah will grant healing by it. However, one should make the request in a polite manner. A woman may say to her sister: “I fear that something bad has happened to me. I fear that it could be something you did unintentionally. Please perform Wudu’ for my sake. Or wash your face and hands and give me the water, perhaps Allah makes it a means to my recovery.” This occurred with Sah ibn Hunayf Sahl ibn Hunayf and `Amir ibn Rabi`ah during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). `Amir was asked by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to perform Wudu’ for Sahl and then the water was poured over him, thus, Allah healed him. The evil eye is real and there is no blame if one asks his or her sister to wash their hands, face or perform Wudu’ to pour the water over the area one thinks was affected by an evil eye. The person who is asked to do so should not be upset, as an evil look can be cast unintentionally. May Allah grant us all guidance and success.

(Footnotes)

1

كانرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا اشتكى منا إنسان مسحه بيمينه ثم قال

أَذْهِبِ البَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي

لا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاءُكَ شِفَاءً لا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا

Aisha narrated that whenever a man would complain (of illness or pain), the Messenger of Allah – sallallahu alayhe wa sallam – would touch him with his right hand and then say: ‘Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You (Alone) are the Healer. There is no healing except for Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.‘…

(from Saheeh Muslim, Kitaabus Salaam, chapter – استحباب رقية المريض – the recommendation to do ruqyah for the sick person )

This is one of the authentically reported wordings of this dua. There are other authentically reported wordings.

2

بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيْكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيْكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ

أَوْ عَيْنٍ حَاسِدٍ اللهُ يَشْفِيْكَ بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيْكَ

This wording (above) was mentioned by Imam al Baghawee in Sharhus Sunnah. There are other authentic wordings as well.

3 There are a couple of authentic wordings. Here is one hadeeth:

عن عثمانَ بنِ أبي العاصِ الثَّقفيِّ ؛

أنه شكا إلى رسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ وجعًا ،

يجدُه في جسدِه منذ أسلمَ . فقال له رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ

” ضَعْ يدَك على الذي تألَّم من جسدِك .

وقلْ :باسم اللهِ ، ثلاثًا .

وقل ، سبعَ مراتٍ :أَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ وقُدْرَتِهِ

مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وأُحَاذِرُ

On the authority of Uthmaan ibn Abee al-Aas ath-Thaqafee who said that he complained to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) of a pain he had had in his body since he became Muslim. So the Messenger of Allah – sallallahu alayhe wa sallam – said to him, ‘Put your hand on the part of your body that hurts and say “Bismillah” three times. Then say seven times, “I seek refuge with Allah and His Power from the evil of what I feel and worry about.’Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab as-Salaam, chapter -باب استحباب وضع يده على موضع الألم مع الدعاء - the recommendation to place one’s hand on the place of the pain and make dua

And in another hadeeth narrated by the same narrator as the above hadeeth (collected by Ibn Majah):

قدمت على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

وبي وجع قد كاد يبطلني فقال لي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

اجعل يدك اليمنى عليه

وقل بِسْمِ اللهِ أَعُوْذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ

مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ سبع مرات

فقلت ذلك فشفاني الله

I came to the Prophet – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam – while I was having pain that was almost paralyzing me. So the Prophet – sallallahu alayhe wa sallam – said to me, ‘Put your right hand on it and say,“Bismillah I seek refuge in the Glory and Power of Allah from the evil of what I feel and worry about.” seven times,so I said that and Allah healed me.

(declared Saheeh by Shaikh Albaanee in Saheeh Ibn Majah)

Source: https://sughayyirah.wordpress.com/2012/ ... erform-it/