Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
What are the benefits and necessaries for ruqya?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to that which is pleasing to Him.
Ruqya means reciting or using the Qur’an, as well as the Divine Names and other supplications, for purposes of seeking a cure, either for oneself or for others, and is a sunna. Allah knows best [Sharh Sahih Muslim].
Ruqya is a means through which a believer may turn to Allah for assistance to cure a spiritual, physical, psychological, or emotional ailment. Scholars and practitioners have various methods to practice ruqya, and as long as they conform to the Sacred Law, they are lawful.
We would encourage you to check with reliable scholars before engaging in anything doubtful since many charlatan malpractitioners claim to do ruqya, and others engage in unlawful practices and beliefs.
The Qur’an as a Cure
The Qur’an describes itself as a cure, saying of itself:
Allah says: “We have sent down of the Qur’an what is a cure and mercy for believers.” [Quran; 17.82]
Allah also says: “Say: It is for those who believe, guidance and a cure.” [Qur’an; 41.44]
Hadith Establishing Using the Qur’an as a Cure
Numerous narrations establish the permissibility of using the Qur’an to seek a cure. For example:
‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that “the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him would recite the Mu’awwidhat [the final three chapters of the Qur’an] over a member of his family who had fallen ill” [Muslim].
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri and Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) both relate narrations that establish that the opening chapter of the Qur’an, the Fatiha, can be used to seek a cure. In it, Abu Sa’id recites the Fatiha to successfully cure a man who had been stung by a scorpion, of which they later informed the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) confirms its use for this purpose, asking, “How did you know that it is an incantation for cure (ruqya)?” [Bukhari].
Examples of Ruqya
‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) was ill, he would recite Al-Mu’awwidhat (the final three chapters of the Qur’an) over himself, and spat into his hands (without spitting), and wiped over his body. When his pain grew intense, I recited over him and wiped him with his hand, seeking its barakah (blessing).”
‘Uthman Ibn Abi Al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with him) complained to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) about the pain that he felt in his body since the time he embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said to him: “Put your hand on your body where you feel pain and say ‘Bismilla (in the name of Allah) three times, then say seven times:
أَعُوْذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
‘A’udhu bi ‘izzat-illahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajid wa uhadhir
I seek refuge in the authority and power of Allah from the evil of what I feel and worry about
[Agreed Upon]
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.