Writing the Qur'an and drinking it for treatment, and the guidelines for lawful ruqyah (healing by Qur'anic recitation)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
After this, we move on to a message received by the program from Sudan, sent by the listener 'Isa' Ahmad. Brother 'Isa' has more than one issue. His first question, which he asks about, is: Is it permissible to write something from the Qur'an, wash it in a vessel, and drink it for treatment?
The Shaykh:
There is no harm in that. It is permissible to write the Qur'an on something pure, such as vessels, then wash it with pure water, and drink its wash for the purpose of treatment, because the speech of Allah is healing. This falls under the category of ruqyah. This practice has been reported from the righteous Salaf. It is a permissible act with no objection to it, and praise be to Allah. However, the condition is that the one who writes it must be known for his sound creed, and one who writes only the Qur'an or the prescribed supplications, so that nothing of manipulation enters into it.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. Do you stipulate other conditions, such as the writing being clear and readable? Because some people draw lines on any paper; the important thing is that they write it in any color, and it is not understood what was written. Do you have a comment on this, Shaykh Salih?
The Shaykh:
Yes. One of the conditions of the lawful ruqyah is that it be with readable letters, with Arabic words, and with readable letters. And that one believes that healing is from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that this ruqyah is only one of the causes. If these conditions are met—that the written material is from the Qur'an and the prescribed supplications, that it is in a clear handwriting, that the writer is of good creed, and that both the one performing the ruqyah and the one receiving it believe that healing is from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that this is only one of the causes—then this is the permissible lawful ruqyah. And regarding what you mentioned about some people drawing lines, or some people dipping paper in saffron. Yes. And it becomes all stained with saffron, and they say this is saffron that has been read over, or these lines are saffron that has been read over. This is deceiving people.
The questioner:
It is not shared.
The Shaykh:
And this is not beyond anyone's ability. Every person can put saffron in water, then dip these papers in it or draw lines on them with a stick, then sell these things to people. This is manipulation and consuming people's wealth unjustly.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Ruqyah has taken on a commercial aspect in this time, Shaykh Salih. Some people read over twenty-five liters of water, then they sell it, or over bottles filled with water, and they sell it at multiplied prices. In fact, the situation has reached the point where they say they read over water tanks and water trucks and sell them. Do you have a comment, Shaykh Salih? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Yes, this is something that has happened, and the motive for it is greed to consume people's wealth unjustly. Many of these greedy people engage in this manipulation. They prescribe for large groups of people and blow on them all, or read over large groups of people using a loudspeaker, or read over the phone while there are long distances between him and the one being read over. He is in one country and the one being read over is in another country. All of this is manipulation and consuming people's wealth unjustly. The majority of those who do not perform these actions are those who fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and fear His punishment. Some of them read, as you mentioned, in a water tank that holds a lot of water, or in water vehicles called water trucks.
The questioner:
Yes, yes.
The Shaykh:
And they say this has been read over, and distribute it to people in jerrycans. Some of them read over bottles and say this is a concentrated reading, its price is such and such, and this is a non-concentrated reading, its price is lower, and so on, manipulating people's minds.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory for the rulers, may Allah preserve them, and for the scholars to put a limit on these bad phenomena, this manipulation, and the consumption of people's wealth through falsehood. This may even lead to changing people's beliefs, because sorcerers and charlatans infiltrate among them in numbers beyond counting. Praise be to Allah, people have now become aware of this matter, and many of them have been followed up and prevented. Work is ongoing, praise be to Allah, to follow up on them and take them by the hand. However, we advise Muslims, and especially the sick, to beware of these people. In fact, their actions have reached the point of manipulating women's honor, secluding themselves with them, and touching their bodies, which can lead to committing a major sin. This is expected due to the lack of religion in most of them, the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) present in women, and the presence of Satan, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Touching a woman with the hand is a close means to fitnah. Therefore, the Lawgiver has prohibited the means of fitnah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never touched a woman's hand with his own hand if she was not lawful for him; rather, he would take the pledge of allegiance from women by speech only, and they would not shake hands with him. If shaking hands in the pledge of allegiance to Islam is not permissible, how much more so is it impermissible to touch non-mahram women, put one's hand inside their pockets, and touch their bodies directly? There is no doubt that this is an invitation to fitnah and committing a major sin. This increases the illness and increases the delusion. It is obligatory to avoid these ugly actions and the means of fitnah, and not to allow anyone to sit in the corner (for treatment) except one who is known for his creed and religion, and who is also disciplined in his work. If it is known that a person engages in this kind of manipulation, it is obligatory to take him by the hand and deter him and his like from such matters. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. You addressed the creed, Shaykh Salih, and many people overlook that such actions compromise the creed. Is there more guidance, Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh:
Yes, the scholars stipulated in the lawful ruqyah, yes, safety from shirki (associating partners with Allah) phrases. If foreign names are written, or if there is seeking aid from other than Allah, seeking aid from the jinn and human shaytan, then this is major shirk. And these ruqyahs and these amulets that are written, yes, and hung, many superstitions are found in them. And of the shirki things; because they were written by people who are not on a sound creed. And as we mentioned, they are between two things: either they are misguiders who want to corrupt people's creeds through this means, and open the door of shirk for them, or they are greedy people who want to take money unjustly. They want to drain people's wealth from this, and take people's money without right. The ruqyah is originally prescribed, if its conditions are met. But manipulation, and if something of superstition and shirki things enters it, then this is a prohibited matter. And this is not called a lawful ruqyah, but rather a satanic shirki ruqyah. It must be prevented and one must beware of it. And it is obligatory upon the one who is afflicted with a disease
The questioner:
Yes, yes.
The Shaykh:
to treat himself with what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has permitted of the prescribed ruqyah, and treatment with permissible medicines, and going to doctors who treat people with permissible treatment. And that he avoids these superstitious people, whose only concern is to open their door and hang up an advertisement for the healer so-and-so, son of so-and-so. And they place temptations and advertisements at the entrance, and set up a book and a screen to organize people entering upon him. When people see the crowd gathering around him and the rush directed toward him, they think that he treats and that his treatment is beneficial, so they race to him. But it is only malicious advertisements. It is obligatory to be careful in these matters, and healing is in the hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And the person should supplicate to Allah himself, and read the Qur'an himself, and perform the adhkar and awrad himself, and be independent of people as much as he is able. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
After this, we move on to a message received by the program from Sudan, sent by the listener 'Isa' Ahmad. Brother 'Isa' has more than one issue. His first question, which he asks about, is: Is it permissible to write something from the Qur'an, wash it in a vessel, and drink it for treatment?
The Shaykh:
There is no harm in that. It is permissible to write the Qur'an on something pure, such as vessels, then wash it with pure water, and drink its wash for the purpose of treatment, because the speech of Allah is healing. This falls under the category of ruqyah. This practice has been reported from the righteous Salaf. It is a permissible act with no objection to it, and praise be to Allah. However, the condition is that the one who writes it must be known for his sound creed, and one who writes only the Qur'an or the prescribed supplications, so that nothing of manipulation enters into it.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. Do you stipulate other conditions, such as the writing being clear and readable? Because some people draw lines on any paper; the important thing is that they write it in any color, and it is not understood what was written. Do you have a comment on this, Shaykh Salih?
The Shaykh:
Yes. One of the conditions of the lawful ruqyah is that it be with readable letters, with Arabic words, and with readable letters. And that one believes that healing is from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that this ruqyah is only one of the causes. If these conditions are met—that the written material is from the Qur'an and the prescribed supplications, that it is in a clear handwriting, that the writer is of good creed, and that both the one performing the ruqyah and the one receiving it believe that healing is from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that this is only one of the causes—then this is the permissible lawful ruqyah. And regarding what you mentioned about some people drawing lines, or some people dipping paper in saffron. Yes. And it becomes all stained with saffron, and they say this is saffron that has been read over, or these lines are saffron that has been read over. This is deceiving people.
The questioner:
It is not shared.
The Shaykh:
And this is not beyond anyone's ability. Every person can put saffron in water, then dip these papers in it or draw lines on them with a stick, then sell these things to people. This is manipulation and consuming people's wealth unjustly.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Ruqyah has taken on a commercial aspect in this time, Shaykh Salih. Some people read over twenty-five liters of water, then they sell it, or over bottles filled with water, and they sell it at multiplied prices. In fact, the situation has reached the point where they say they read over water tanks and water trucks and sell them. Do you have a comment, Shaykh Salih? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Yes, this is something that has happened, and the motive for it is greed to consume people's wealth unjustly. Many of these greedy people engage in this manipulation. They prescribe for large groups of people and blow on them all, or read over large groups of people using a loudspeaker, or read over the phone while there are long distances between him and the one being read over. He is in one country and the one being read over is in another country. All of this is manipulation and consuming people's wealth unjustly. The majority of those who do not perform these actions are those who fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and fear His punishment. Some of them read, as you mentioned, in a water tank that holds a lot of water, or in water vehicles called water trucks.
The questioner:
Yes, yes.
The Shaykh:
And they say this has been read over, and distribute it to people in jerrycans. Some of them read over bottles and say this is a concentrated reading, its price is such and such, and this is a non-concentrated reading, its price is lower, and so on, manipulating people's minds.
The questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory for the rulers, may Allah preserve them, and for the scholars to put a limit on these bad phenomena, this manipulation, and the consumption of people's wealth through falsehood. This may even lead to changing people's beliefs, because sorcerers and charlatans infiltrate among them in numbers beyond counting. Praise be to Allah, people have now become aware of this matter, and many of them have been followed up and prevented. Work is ongoing, praise be to Allah, to follow up on them and take them by the hand. However, we advise Muslims, and especially the sick, to beware of these people. In fact, their actions have reached the point of manipulating women's honor, secluding themselves with them, and touching their bodies, which can lead to committing a major sin. This is expected due to the lack of religion in most of them, the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) present in women, and the presence of Satan, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
No man is to be alone with a woman except that Shaytan is the third among them,
ما خلا رجل بامرأة إلا كان الشيطان ثالثهما،The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. You addressed the creed, Shaykh Salih, and many people overlook that such actions compromise the creed. Is there more guidance, Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh:
Yes, the scholars stipulated in the lawful ruqyah, yes, safety from shirki (associating partners with Allah) phrases. If foreign names are written, or if there is seeking aid from other than Allah, seeking aid from the jinn and human shaytan, then this is major shirk. And these ruqyahs and these amulets that are written, yes, and hung, many superstitions are found in them. And of the shirki things; because they were written by people who are not on a sound creed. And as we mentioned, they are between two things: either they are misguiders who want to corrupt people's creeds through this means, and open the door of shirk for them, or they are greedy people who want to take money unjustly. They want to drain people's wealth from this, and take people's money without right. The ruqyah is originally prescribed, if its conditions are met. But manipulation, and if something of superstition and shirki things enters it, then this is a prohibited matter. And this is not called a lawful ruqyah, but rather a satanic shirki ruqyah. It must be prevented and one must beware of it. And it is obligatory upon the one who is afflicted with a disease
The questioner:
Yes, yes.
The Shaykh:
to treat himself with what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has permitted of the prescribed ruqyah, and treatment with permissible medicines, and going to doctors who treat people with permissible treatment. And that he avoids these superstitious people, whose only concern is to open their door and hang up an advertisement for the healer so-and-so, son of so-and-so. And they place temptations and advertisements at the entrance, and set up a book and a screen to organize people entering upon him. When people see the crowd gathering around him and the rush directed toward him, they think that he treats and that his treatment is beneficial, so they race to him. But it is only malicious advertisements. It is obligatory to be careful in these matters, and healing is in the hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And the person should supplicate to Allah himself, and read the Qur'an himself, and perform the adhkar and awrad himself, and be independent of people as much as he is able. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 01/278 — archive.org (4:52)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.